This year\u2019s Sharswood third graders are also on track to exceed their goals, according to principal Leigh Vitvitsky.<\/p>\n
Vitvitsky and others at the school believe a combination of factors have likely contributed to Sharswood\u2019s successful curriculum implementation: the curriculum itself, but also how a strong principal implemented it, while maintaining high teacher morale and zero staff vacancies. Sharswood teachers are given flexibility, have time to spend on learning the curriculum instead of covering for absent teachers, and, critically, receive support when they request it, including from a specialized onsite literacy coach.<\/p>\n
Reading as fundamental <\/p>\n
The science of reading is widely considered state-of-the-art<\/a> in literacy instruction. Cognitive science informs the approach, which emphasizes phonics \u2014 connecting sounds with letters \u2014 while also building content knowledge and vocabulary by focusing on one topic for several weeks at a time. States across the country are embracing and mandating the method, like in Mississippi, now known for its so-called \u201cMississippi Miracle<\/a>\u201d for bringing fourth grade reading scores from 45th to first in the nation. But it had much to do with the implementation<\/a>, like supporting teachers, that made the reform work.<\/p>\n At Sharswood, the share of students who were proficient or advanced in reading jumped 11 percentage points \u2014 to 43 percent \u2014 in the 2024-25 school year over the previous year, the first year using the District\u2019s new science of reading curriculum.<\/p>\n The School District of Philadelphia purchased its curriculum from New York City-based EL Education<\/a> for $25 million. Some District educators, including a few at Sharswood, have criticized<\/a> the speed of the rollout, the pacing and density of the materials, and insufficient teacher development \u2014 just two District-mandated training days in the summer of 2024.<\/p>\n Even so, educators at Sharswood have recognized the benefits of the approach itself and dedicated themselves to teaching literacy in a new way, even, at times, coming in early to do unpaid prep work during the school year.<\/p>\n The hard work is paying off. Some, like Barile, have been \u201cblown away\u201d by how students have improved their writing, Vitvitsky says.<\/p>\n Sharswood teachers want to stay <\/p>\n While the curriculum is important, so are Sharswood\u2019s less tangible supports and overall environment for its educators<\/p>\n Sharswood has a \u201creally healthy culture,\u201d says MJ Tecce DeCarlo, a professor of literacy studies<\/a> at Drexel University, who taught several aspiring educators who now work at the school. That culture becomes a \u201cvirtuous circle,\u201d she says, which starts with \u201chigh quality leadership that respects teachers.\u201d That attracts high quality teachers and quality substitutes. \u201cThen over time, that\u2019s an effective school,\u201d Tecce DeCarlo says. It\u2019s a supportive environment amongst the teachers, according to Barile.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have lunch together every day and we talk about problems and solutions. We can go to each other with anything really,\u201d Barile said.<\/p>\n Vitvitsky, who started in the District in 2001, was a reading specialist and special education teacher for the bulk of her time before becoming assistant principal at Forrest Elementary in 2017. She was an early believer in explicit phonics instruction.<\/p>\n Vitvitsky landed at Sharswood in 2019. The small school of 317 students enrolls 57 percent<\/a> of kids from outside the neighborhood \u2014 a clear indication of a positive reputation. Class sizes are small \u2014 averaging 20 students. As throughout the District, most of the school\u2019s students are economically disadvantaged; 61 percent are students of color.<\/p>\n Students are engaged. Vitvitsky says teachers have classroom procedures \u2014 routines and structure they establish for students, like the way they should enter the classroom in the morning or split into small groups for activities \u2014 and all of them are certified in literacy instruction, unlike at other schools<\/a>, which have had to scramble to fill vacancies with teachers who have emergency permits and are less experienced.<\/p>\n About 65 percent of Sharswood\u2019s teachers have been at the school longer than 5 years, according to Vitvitsky. Meanwhile, the District has struggled retaining teachers over the last decade. According to a 2024 analysis<\/a> from Pennsylvania State University, of teachers hired in 2017, just 55 percent<\/a> were still working in 2022-23 in District schools.<\/p>\n One reason for the higher rate of retention? Well, take the science of reading curriculum rollout in 2024. At first, the curriculum felt overwhelming to Vitvitsky. There are many moving parts \u2014 new materials to print or cut out, slides, and so much to learn. It also felt, at times, convoluted. The learning modules are long; students may learn about a topic for four months at a time.<\/p>\n Vitvitsky knew it was important to make it clear to her teachers that she wasn\u2019t looking for perfection, that they should use the curriculum as a guide, not a script. She had faith that the staff would know how best to serve their students.<\/p>\n Nicole Clarke, Sharswood\u2019s third grade teacher, credits Vitvitsky for giving her that \u201cprofessional trust.\u201d She\u2019s worked in the District for 26 years and at Sharswood for seven. Not being micro-managed contributes to its positive morale, she says. \u201cTrust me to get to what I need to, but give me the time and space to do it,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Sharswood teachers are given flexibility, have time to spend on learning the curriculum instead of covering for absent teachers, and, critically, receive support when they request it, including from a specialized onsite literacy coach.<\/p>\n As a veteran teacher, Clarke is used to making in-the-moment decisions depending on her students, while focusing on teaching the standards.<\/a> One recent literacy lesson called for watercolor paints, which wouldn\u2019t have been possible in the timeframe. So students used markers instead. \u201c I have to adjust and move on,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Flexibility is key, says Drexel\u2019s Tecce DeCarlo: \u201c There is no research that shows if every fourth grader in a single school is on page X of the curriculum on April 14, that somehow you have better outcomes.\u201d Even so, Tecce DeCarlo said teachers District-wide have long complained about being told they have to follow<\/a> a script faithfully. Learning doesn\u2019t work that way. \u201cIt\u2019s a deeply personal, social thing,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Vitvitsky still keeps her finger on the pulse of her school community. She follows the data on student performance to track what\u2019s working and what\u2019s not, and applies that when coaching teachers. \u201cI want to be more curious about why teachers make decisions instead of pointing the finger,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n Clarke says teachers want to stay at Sharswood because of the class sizes, their available prep time, and maybe most importantly, because they feel \u201crespected.\u201d<\/p>\n Time kept \u201csacred\u201d <\/p>\n Teachers\u2019 professional learning communities (known as PLCs) are kept \u201csacred,\u201d Vitvitsky says.<\/p>\n PLCs are meetings amongst teachers to dissect curriculum and methods. Though they are common District-wide, Vitvitsky has her own way of running them. She and teacher leaders ensure each weekly meeting has a purpose, dispersing agendas in advance.<\/p>\n Sharswood was also one of a limited number of schools chosen to receive an EL coach from the company that created the curriculum, who works with the school\u2019s instructional leadership team to navigate the materials and define goals for the year. The team passes those lessons on to the PLCs.<\/p>\n The research on effective PLCs supports Sharswood\u2019s approach. They should be \u201cpredictable, dependable, and reliable,\u201d says Tecce DeCarlo. \u201cThere has to be a purpose to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Teachers are also able to use their daily preparation time as intended \u2014 for their own development \u2014 because they are not needed to fill in for absent colleagues. That\u2019s because Sharswood doesn\u2019t have vacancies \u2014 despite Philly\u2019s prolific vacancy<\/a> issue \u2014 and they have a dedicated building substitute teacher.<\/p>\n