Literacy is one of Highline’s big four areas of focus this year, supporting the Highline Promise that every student graduates prepared for the future they choose. Literacy is the foundation for academic achievement, critical thinking and communication. Staff are committed to effective, culturally-responsive literacy instruction that empowers students as readers, writers and critical thinkers.
Elementary Literacy
Elementary educators focus on creating literacy-rich classrooms. Lessons connect letter sounds and sight words to meaningful themes. This helps students see how reading skills apply in real life. Interactive learning centers—dedicated areas in classrooms with hands-on activities—offer different ways to practice.
We teach reading skills in a clear, step-by-step way so students develop confidence as readers and writers. Schools also celebrate linguistic diversity, recognizing and valuing the different languages students bring to the classroom. By supporting literacy in multiple languages, students build strong biliteracy skills.
Literacy Gains in Middle and High Schools
Secondary schools continue to focus on strengthening students’ reading and vocabulary skills. By engaging students with complex texts, they are prepared for success in school, college and future careers.
Teachers and instructional specialists collaborate through the Language and Literacy Cadre and subject-based groups to refine practices. Staff also assess students’ reading strengths and needs using tools like Newsela and Formative to plan instruction.
iReady reading scores show meaningful progress of the students who took the iReady assessment:
- 6% increase in the number of students reading at grade level or above since fall.
- 5% decrease in the number of students reading two or more years behind grade level since fall.
Professional Development Supporting Literacy Growth
Professional development remains focused on high-impact literacy practices that empower all students. Through collaborative walkthrough observations, we work alongside school leadership to prioritize support across Highline.
Elementary Professional Development
Professional learning structures like the Standards-Based Instruction (SBI) Cadre, Language and Literacy Cadre, and Learning Partners have focused on integrating culturally responsive texts and joyful, thematic activities in learning centers.
Learning centers build comprehensive language skills using read-alouds and word work. While students read aloud, they improve their reading, listening, and speaking skills. These skills help students to move to the next reading level. SBI cadre has begun constructing mini-modules that will help build the capacity of foundational skills instruction for all who support literacy. School visits each trimester showcase practices, celebrate successes and highlight growth areas.
Secondary Staff Professional Development
Quarterly school visits give us opportunities to observe instructional practices in action, celebrate successes and identify areas for continued growth. School visits include student interviews to ensure teaching strategies stay relevant and responsive, aligning professional learning with real classroom experiences. These visits ensure professional development makes a real difference in classrooms.
A recent Facebook post highlights a literacy walk at Chinook Middle School, where school leaders and instructional specialists observed students building vocabulary across subjects. From math terms like “circumference” and “radius” to reading strategies that help students highlight key ideas and think critically, these visits show literacy in action.
From October to December, classroom observations showed:
- 4.6% more students actively reading across subjects
- 8.6% more students independently engaging with complex texts
- 3.8% more students participating in explicit vocabulary instruction
- 1.2% increase in teachers using high-leverage vocabulary instruction
Looking Ahead
Building on our sustained professional development in literacy, we are planning next year's focus on high-impact practices that empower all students to thrive and pursue their chosen futures.
Through collaborative walkthrough observations and strategic partnerships with building leadership, we continue to refine and prioritize literacy support across the district to ensure long-term student success.