KELSEYVILLE >> Mountain Vista Middle School was recently named a Project READ Exemplar Site by the California Department of Education. The school was one of twelve in the state — and the only Northern California site — to receive such recognition.
Project READ (Raising Educational Achievement for students with Disabilities) is “an intensive, five-year adolescent literacy intervention program that has served a competitively selected group of high-need California middle schools.” The program benefits all students including students with disabilities, English learners, and socioeconomically disadvantaged children.
Mountain Vista Middle School was among 44 schools selected to join the program, marking 2017 as their fourth consecutive year.
School principal Nicki Thomas explained each teacher has been provided with extensive, professional development and coaching on specific reading strategies capable of being used in all content areas. Data-based decisions, implementing a tiered intervention system for reading, and additional intervention classes for those below grade level are other strategies used.
Project READ director Linda Blong congratulated Mountain Vista via a prepared statement saying, “As you share your knowledge and experiences with middle schools statewide, more and more students benefit from your efforts and your contribution to improving adolescent literacy expands and deepens.”
Titled a “model school” for Project READ, the leadership team has already presented a state-wide webinar and hosted other teams from various schools in the state to shadow the middle school. This upcoming spring, the team will present at a state-wide conference in Anaheim.
After finding out about the recognition, Thomas said:
“Being recognized as an Exemplar Site is a huge honor. There was an extensive application process and specific criteria that we had to meet even to be eligible to apply. Basically, we are a model school for Project READ. Other schools can now do site visits at our school to learn more about Project READ. Only twelve schools were given this award, and we were the only school in Northern California to receive this recognition.”
To schedule a site visit and/or to learn more about Project READ, contact Mount Vista Middle School at 707-279-4060.
