Chattooga County School Supt. Michelle Helie announced that both Menlo Elementary School and Summerville Middle School have been designated by the Georgia Department of Education as Georgia “Literacy Leaders” Schools and will receive a visit later this fall by Georgia School Supt. Richard Woods.
The Georgia Department of Education is awarding schools with exceptional achievement or growth in reading as Literacy Leaders. Criteria for the awards focus on the percentage of students reading at or above grade level, especially in third and sixth grades. Schools with lower achievement levels must show higher growth to qualify. Awards are given at elementary, middle, and high school levels based on the American Literature EOC test.
Statewide, 324 schools met the qualifications to be recognized as Literacy Leaders. State Superintendent Richard Woods praised these schools for their commitment to literacy. Superintendent Woods will visit the schools to congratulate them personally
GaDOE Director of Literacy Amy Denty emphasized the importance of structured literacy to ensure all students in Georgia learn to read well. The qualifications use the Georgia Milestones Reading Status indicator based on students’ Lexile scores.
