Staff and students at Otsego’s Washington Street Elementary School received a Literacy Leader Award from the organization TalentFirst on Tuesday, Feb. 27.
The award, which was presented as part of a ceremony that served as an informal kickoff to National Reading Month in March, was given in recognition of Washington Street’s outstanding achievement in reading skills.
The award ceremony included the presentation of a $1,000 check to the school and a tribute from State Rep. Matt Hall.
TalentFirst president Kevin Stotts applauded the school’s investment and commitment to early literacy.
“We are very excited to celebrate teachers, administrators and staff of Washington Street Elementary for their efforts in developing such strong scholars and readers,” Stotts said. “We care deeply about literacy because a strong West Michigan starts with children knowing how to read.”
Washington Street Elementary was one of five schools across the 13-county region of West Michigan identified by TalentFirst for its exemplary practices and accomplishment in early literacy.
Washington Street principal Jennifer Knight praised her staff for their commitment.
“Witnessing the relentless dedication of my entire staff to improve literacy achievement has been truly inspiring,” Knight said. “This recognition serves as a testament to the countless hours of hard work and commitment poured into nurturing a culture of literacy excellence.
“At Otsego Public Schools, we have an ongoing mission to ignite a lifelong love for reading in every child who walks through our doors. To say I am proud is an understatement.”
The awards program is sponsored by TalentFirst members Autocam Medical, AMDG Architects, 42 North Partners, Metal Flow, Lorin Industries, MKO Holdings, Key Bank and Meijer.
Scott Hill, executive partner at Varnum and a member of TalentFirst’s CEO Council, attended the ceremony and congratulated the staff and students.
“We all know early literacy plays a critical role in achieving student academic success,” Hill said. “As business leaders, we are committed to partnering with schools to model strategies that lead to better outcomes for students.”
TalentFirst, an alliance of West Michigan CEOs, developed the Literacy Leader Awards program following its publication in 2023 of a dashboard tracking third-grade reading scores on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP), cross-referenced to economic status, for nearly every elementary school in the state.
Although statewide 2022-23 M-STEP results showed only 40.9% of third graders scored proficient or advanced for reading, the data had some bright spots. To highlight schools setting a positive example, TalentFirst worked with a trained literacy coach and field instructor to set the following criteria:
- Higher M-STEP scores and/or growth and outperforming peers with similar economic status;
- Implementation of the General Education Leadership Network’s Literacy Essentials;
- Ongoing professional learning on proven practices aligned with the science of reading;
- The appointment of dedicated literacy coaches in each building;
- Provision of appropriate curricula and resources with systematic phonics instruction;
- The use of formative assessments to influence instruction;
- Development of detailed school improvement plans with a focus on early literacy outcomes and district alignment among buildings on literacy strategies.
In addition to Washington Street Elementary, the other winners of the Literacy Leader Awards are: Riverview Elementary, Big Rapids; Meadow Ridge Elementary, Rockford; Dutton Elementary, Caledonia; and Lincoln Heights Elementary, Greenville.