We are thrilled to celebrate a fantastic milestone in literacy at Nystrom Elementary School: an eight percent leap in literacy scores in state testing! This remarkable progress in reading marks an improvement in skills that will set students on a path to success for the rest of their lives.
With our support, Nystrom Elementary School overhauled its literacy program in 2021, implementing a Walk to Read model that offers differentiated instruction tailored to every student’s needs. This approach was designed based on the specific strengths of their staff and the unique needs of their students, with ongoing data collection from SIPPS and DIBELS assessment informing and guiding instruction. Nystrom’s success has made it a valuable example within WCCUSD, and they regularly host Open Houses where principals and teachers from other West Contra Costa schools can visit, observe, and learn from their model.
Nystrom was a founding participant in CEF’s Instructional Leadership Community of Practice, which offers coaching and professional learning to school leaders to strengthen their instructional leadership. Through the ILCoP, WCCUSD leaders focus on enhancing teaching and leadership through data-driven instruction meetings, classroom observations with constructive feedback, and facilitating evidence-based professional learning for teachers. Nystrom has demonstrated substantial advancements in student reading since 2015, increasing their SBAC scores by a whopping 17% and more than tripling the number of students reading on grade level!
“Everyone who visits Nystrom knows that our focus is on teaching all our students to read and write well. We ground our work in the belief that learning to read is a civil right. The work extends beyond a curriculum, a program, or a single person – it’s about the collaborative approach of our teachers and staff. This work cannot be done without the support of organizations like the Chamberlin Foundation. They bring student learning to the forefront and pull together instructional leaders to learn from one another.”
We are immensely proud of our deep-rooted partnership with the Nystrom leadership team and our sustained support over the years. Our commitment to Nystrom will continue with funding support for CORE learning, which offers professional learning for school leaders and teachers focused on evidence-based literacy practices, as well as grants for standards-aligned classroom materials. These investments have supported Principal Allardice’s vision to foster educational excellence at Nystrom, enabling teachers to strengthen their instructional practices and creating measurable academic gains for Nystrom students.
