At ECHO school’s PACE program, Anne Marie has helped to transform instruction, focusing on early literacy and phonics skills. Teachers shifted from whole group to skilled group teaching, embracing a new phonics program. Two teachers received quick guidance from a confident colleague to navigate the 95% group, while another dove into daily use of the Common Lit program with support for novel study planning. Team teaching and micro-modeling for Common Lit and writing lessons infused innovation. Assistance in MAP administration and workshops on MAP report analysis guided future planning, leading to a schoolwide motivation plan for MAP assessments. This flurry of initiatives united the school community, driving towards elevated education for every student.

At Wentworth 155, Anne Marie and classroom teachers collaborated on implementing phonics instruction for struggling students, while also transitioning to skill centers in literacy to cater to diverse student needs. A successful short cycle on summarizing yielded impressive results, promoting focus and eliminating extraneous details. The ESL program saw enhancements in student reading focus and rigor. Another cycle honed students’ ability to gather information from images, stories, and passages. Support was provided to a new mid-year teacher in establishing classroom routines. Administration received support towards school improvement goals and ISBE status. STAR data was analyzed to track progress. Professional development sessions were led on utilizing math centers for differentiated learning. Lastly, a push for read-alouds and engaging books aimed to boost both student and teacher motivation for enjoyable reading experiences.