Elementary schools in Keizer and across Salem will close for two days next week to train 2,000 staff on literacy instruction.
The schools will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, Jan. 28 and 29, for the extraordinary training. They also will be closed on Friday, Jan. 30 for a planned grading day.
The literacy training comes after years of low proficiency rates by local students on state reading tests. In the last school year, three out of four third graders in the district tested below grade-level.
Last year, 27% of fourth graders tested at grade level, and 35% of fifth graders. Overall, only about one-third of all students tested at grade-level.
Emily Reverman, communications manager for the Salem-Keizer School District, said in an email that training will be held at 40 locations across the district, including 30 elementary schools. Attending staff will be grouped based on their teaching subject, content and grade levels to “support cohesion and consistency in instruction across every elementary school in Salem-Keizer.”
That will include elementary school teachers, foundational skills specialists, instructional assistants,classified staff, licensed staff and administrators.
Training for instructional staff will be focused on literacy and “the science of reading,” Reverman wrote.
The training will include materials from CORE Learning, an organization that informs educators on instructing math and reading. The organization’s Elementary Reading Academy teaches “effective standards-aligned and evidence-based reading practices based on the science of reading,” according to the website.
Reverman wrote that instructors will expand their understanding of foundational skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics and decoding. These skills help students recognize and understand the sounds that make up a word. Spelling and word recognition are also included in foundational skills.
Instructors will learn “effective classroom routines,” how to “identify and address” reading challenges early through assessment data and how to “connect research-based strategies” to their existing curriculum.
Through this training, Reverman wrote “the district aims to accelerate growth, close gaps for students who are behind and ensure more students are reading proficiently by third grade.”
“Early literacy is one of the most important indicators of future success and of reaching our vision of all students graduating, prepared for a successful life,” Reverman wrote. “This is our opportunity to invest in training that will help our amazing teachers and staff gain proven skills and strategies to improve outcomes for students.”
Reverman said in the email that this month’s training aligns with objectives outlined in the district’s 2025-27 strategic plan, titled “Climbing Together.” The plan includes goals to boost third grade literacy scores and provide “key professional development” across the schools, Reverman wrote.
“This is something that cannot happen with the depth required during short or piecemeal training sessions,” Reverman stated. “While closing schools for additional days is not a decision taken lightly, this focused investment in our educators is one of the most powerful ways we can improve outcomes for students.”
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