Meadow View educators celebrate being named a Bright Spot
Meadow View Elementary School was recently one of five public schools in Kansas designated as a Bright Spot by researcher Chad Alderman.
The annual report highlights five schools in each state, and Washington D.C., where the student literacy rate far outpaces the expectation based on poverty level. The Bright Spots analysis emphasizes that while poverty can correlate with lower academic outcomes, it is not the only determining factor.
“Meadow View is committed to strengthening literacy instruction across all classrooms. All of our teachers are trained in current best practices in structured literacy to ensure evidence- based reading instruction,” Principal Chris Kastler said. “We closely monitor student reading data and use that information to make timely, targeted adjustments to meet individual student needs. In addition, our Title Reading teacher works collaboratively with classroom teachers to provide targeted remediation and small-group support, ensuring that students receive the interventions necessary to achieve reading success.” The press release announcing the Bright Spot designation highlighted Meadow View’s 74.10% reading proficiency rate for last year’s third-grade class, which is based on state assessment data. At Meadow View, Kastler said students also utilize benchmark testing throughout the year. “We also administer other nationally normed assessments and district benchmark assessments to monitor student progress throughout the year; those results are primarily used to inform instruction and are shared directly with parents and classroom teachers. These additional data points help guide our instructional decisions,” Kastler said. According to the Bright Spots report, the expected proficiency rate of Meadow View students is roughly 28%. “However, as a school, we do not analyze or approach reading achievement solely through the lens of socioeconomic status. Our focus is on teaching and supporting every student,” Kastler said. “We use student performance data to identify individual needs and provide additional instruction and intervention to any student who requires it, regardless of socioeconomic background. Our goal is to ensure that all students receive the support necessary to achieve reading proficiency.”
School-wide, the student proficiency rate, is usually near 80%, according to Kaslter.
Third grade, however, is a particularly important time for developing reading skills, due to what educators describe “the third grade cliff.”
“The ‘third grade reading cliff’ refers to the critical transition that happens around third grade, when students move from learning to read to reading to learn. In the early grades, instruction focuses heavily on building foundational reading skills such as phonics, fluency, and comprehension. By fourth grade, however, students are expected to use those skills to access content across all subject areas,” Kastler said. “If students are not reading proficiently by the end of third grade, they face a double challenge. They must continue working to strengthen their foundational reading skills while simultaneously trying to comprehend increasingly complex grade-level material. This gap can widen over time, making early literacy intervention essential. Ensuring that students are strong readers before entering fourth grade sets them up for long-term academic success across all subjects.”
When asked why he believed Meadow View was exceeding expectations, Kastler said there are three key factors.
“First, the quality of instruction in our classrooms is exceptional. Our teachers are highly skilled and deeply committed to delivering strong, evidence-based literacy instruction every day. Second, we maintain high expectations for both students and staff. Our teachers clearly understand district goals and work intentionally to ensure that every student is capable of meeting grade-level standards,” Kastler said. “Third, we have strong systems in place to support student success. We consistently monitor progress, openly review student data as a staff, and engage in ongoing discussions about instructional strategies and next steps. This culture of transparency and shared responsibility ensures that teachers collaborate and support one another so that all students across the building are achieving at high levels.”
Tara Clevenger and Holly Norman are two third-grade teachers at Meadow View, who agreed that the school sets high expectations. Norman said that the teachers are hardworking, and collaborate well together.
One aspect which has helped foster collaboration is each grade level having a common planning time during the day, so all of the classes are aligned, according to Clevenger. She said there are other resources, which help them in classroom such as Title I staff, school-based therapists, school counselors, and administrators.
“It takes all those people to help us meet hard expectations,” Clevenger said.
“Our younger grade teachers do an amazing job of getting them to where they are when they get to us.”
Kastler noted that most often, the students who struggle, are students who recently moved into the district, and it can take a lot of work to get those students caught up.
“Our staff at Meadow View are amazing individuals. It is a tremendous honor to have such high quality teachers in our district. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication that our staff put in on a daily basis,” Superintendent Dr. John Wyrick said. “Our Title I teachers, classroom teachers, and paraprofessionals are all trained specialists when it comes to helping kids become better readers. Our administration at Meadow View supports staff and provides them with the tools necessary to make sure that our kids have every opportunity to close the gap when they are behind in grade level.”
