Carter County School System officials held special luncheon on Thursday to thank teachers for their work on the system’s K-2 literacy initiative this year.

Teachers for Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second grade from each of the system’s nine elementary schools, the school principals, and their Response To Intervention (RTI) program leaders attended the luncheon and were recognized for their efforts in making the program a success.

In education, RTI is an approach to academic and behavioral intervention used to provide early, systematic, and appropriately intensive assistance to children who are at risk for or already under-performing as compared to appropriate grade- or age-level standards. The Carter County School System adopted the K-2 literacy initiative to help improve the number of students who are reading at or above grade level as they move into the third grade.

“As a composite, we were at 38 percent, that’s less than four students out of every 10, who were going into third grade reading on level,” Carter County Director of Schools Dr. Kevin Ward told the teachers during Thursday’s luncheon.

One year into the literacy initiative the system has already seen a dramatic improvement in the number of on-level readers and are positioned to continuing improving, Ward said.

“We’re here today to say thank you, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” Ward told the teachers. “I know what you go through. I know it’s not easy.”

“Sometimes we have to change what we’re doing or how we’re doing something if we want to be effective.”

Being able to read on grade level in the early grades can have a significant impact on a student as they progress through school and better prepares them for success after graduation.

“This is the difference in kids being able to move along and grow and have confidence in their abilities,” Ward said. “If you are confident about what you are doing, you are going to do a much better job.”

Ward, who served as both a teacher and principal in the school system before being named Director of Schools, shared an experience from his career with those assembled. While at Hampton Elementary, Ward encountered a sixth-grade student who was frequently being disruptive in class and sent out to sit in the hallway by the teacher. Ward said he talked to the student and told him to stop being disruptive and to listen to the teacher.

When he once again saw the student sitting in the hallway outside of class, he called him to the office and talked with him again. The student began to cry and explained that he could not read. Whenever the teacher would have the students read aloud in class, he would cause a disruption so he would be sent out into the hallway and the others student wouldn’t see his embarrassment at not being able to read.

“In my career that was one defining moment for me,” Ward said.

Ward then recruited some teachers to stay after school to help the young student learn to read and by the time he graduated eighth grade he was reading on-level.

“In all my years, that was one of the most gratifying moments, being able to truly help a child,” Ward said.

Carter County School Board member LaDonna Stout Boone also spoke to the teachers and principals about the importance of on-level reading and to thank them for their hard work during the school year.

“This year, we have more students in K, 1, and 2 reading at grade level than we’ve ever had,” Boone said. “We have so many who aren’t struggling anymore because of you.”

“I can say without a doubt, Carter County Schools you are on your way to excellence,” Boone added.