HANOVERTON- United Local Elementary has received some support in its efforts to improve student literacy.
The school recently received a grant from the State Support Team Region 5 (SST5) to purchase iPads for the teachers that will assist in collecting and analyzing data from its literacy collaborative with The Ohio State University. The office, which serves Columbiana, Mahoning Ashtabula and Trumbull counties, offers support for students with disabilities.
According to Principal Tina Hughes, the grant will provide money to purchase at least 20 iPads that will increase the teachers' abilities to find the strengths and weakness of the students and what can be done to address those issues. Currently the school is working with OSU's Guided Reading/Balanced Literacy program that helps determine improvement needed with students with disabilities or who are economically disadvantaged and not progessing as they should.
"The goal is to have the professional development in place to continue the study," she explained. "Being able to collect and organize data in a sufficient manner that we can all look at, analyze and use is tremendous for us. It's easy for a teacher to say 'I think they're struggling,' but being able to actually see where the problem is, that's what this grant is going to help us do."
Hughes said that the iPads should be available next month, with training to take place over the summer so that the teachers are ready to use them in the fall. She commended the efforts of Julie Maruskin of the Columbiana County Educational Service Center in securing the grant.
