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Science of Reading:
Teaching what works 

English can be a difficult language to learn, and learning to read it can be more complicated still.

For young learners, it can be a challenge sorting a hard “th” from a soft one. Or learning all the ways that different combinations of letters change the sounds of individual letters – such as “ch,” “wh” or “oy.” 

That’s why the City School District of Albany opted in 2016 to bring back a systematic approach to phonics as part of teaching reading in the early childhood grades (prekindergarten through grade 2). The district was ahead of the curve in that important instructional decision; the State Education Department this fall has emphasized the need for all schools to explicitly teach phonics.

“Without explicit phonics instruction, students were not able to decode (read) and encode (spell) words accurately,” said Elizabeth Morphy, the district’s elementary humanities instructional supervisor. 

“We were relying on them to memorize words, which is not a realistic strategy for reading and spelling.”

The difference is in the data

Since the district embraced explicit phonics instruction – the “science of reading” – the percentage of students in grades 3-8 achieving proficiency on the annual state ELA exam has increased by nearly 50% – from 19% in 2017, to 28% last school year. 

The district’s annual internal growth data, via NWEA testing (formerly the Northwest Evaluation Association), also shows strong progress. For NWEA growth data, the 50^th percentile represents a year’s growth for a year’s instruction. As the scores increase, gaps are being closed. 

Last spring, students in grades K-5 achieved an NWEA growth score in the 57^th percentile in reading, up from 52% in 2019, the last NWEA end-of-year assessment before the pandemic. The spring 2023 results included scores in the 60^th growth percentile or higher in grades K-2, the first time the district has reached the 60^th growth percentile in NWEA reading assessments. 

Back to the future

For decades, educators debated how to best teach reading. 

Some advocated for an emphasis on recognizing and understanding whole words. Others pushed for instruction in letter sounds and words – phonics – arguing that students need detailed instruction on the building blocks of reading.

Research came down on the side of phonics. 

In fact, teaching phonics is one of the five pillars of reading instruction, teaching students the connection between letters they see and speech sounds. 

Equally important pillars are phonological awareness (understanding that words are made up of individual sounds), fluency (the ability to read words automatically, accurately and with little effort), vocabulary (knowing what words mean and how to use them) and comprehension (understanding the words you read).

Every day, students across the district in grades K-2 have 30 minutes of small group instruction that is focused on phonics skills.

“You really want those skills solid in K-2 so they can start reading to learn and understand in grades 3-5,” Morphy said. This focus on “the science of reading ensures students are explicitly taught the strategies they need to be literate by the end of second grade.” 

Next generation phonics curriculum

In 2016, the district adopted a reading program called “Wonders” and began to train teachers explicitly in phonics instruction. 

Since then, the district has fine-tuned the phonics program to fully align with the science of reading and this year rolled out Heggerty’s Bridge to Reading, a new phonics program, and resources to support phonics instruction. 

Three weeks into school, 87% of kindergarteners scored proficient on tests that measure ability to break words into individual sounds – a direct correlation to what the new program is teaching. 

Maria Zarro teaches kindergarten at Eagle Point Elementary School. Her classroom piloted the Heggerty program last year, and she has seen tremendous growth in her students’ reading skills as a result.

“Students are no longer relying on picture clues or guessing words,” she said. “They are relying on their letter sound knowledge and the skills they are taught during small skills groups to read and write words.

“They are more confident readers and have demonstrated an improvement in spelling.”

Across the hall, veteran teacher Debbie Rutnik is teaching the new phonics curriculum to her kindergarteners for the first time this school year. 

“It is my belief that phonics have always been taught, but Heggerty provides systematic, explicit direct instruction in a way that we have never embraced,” Rutnik said. “I love it!”

Teaching reading is not as easy as A-B-C

Humans don’t learn to read the same way they learn to speak. 

We are biologically primed to produce language and have done so for thousands of years, across cultures. However, humans need to be taught to read, and the science of reading looks at how to most effectively include explicit phonics instruction in that process.

“Long gone are the days of a letter a week,” Zarro said. “We teach the letters and sounds faster, and then spiral back. We map words that we once called ‘sight words,’ which gives students the opportunity to look closely at regular and irregular parts of words. 

“I have no doubt that many students can memorize a pile of words, and we do want to teach for fluency. However, taking the time to really dig deeper into word parts will help students as they develop into more mature readers and writers.”

An education in all things Albany

They say you never stop learning, and I know that’s certainly true for me.

I’ve been your superintendent for almost six months, and I’ve truly enjoyed learning about the people I serve in the City School District of Albany, and about the city I now call home. 

Here are some of the good things I’ve learned:

• The school district and the city are incredibly rich in diversity. This is a gift and an asset that benefits all of us. I celebrate the fact that I live among and work with people who are not carbon copies of myself.  
• There’s a lot of great teaching and learning happening in every one of our schools, without exception.
• The newly renovated Albany High School is spectacular, and when the rebuild is complete in 2025, it will be one of the most technologically advanced high schools in the Northeast.
• Our programs for refugee and immigrant students and families are unparalleled and inspiring.

I also have learned that we have work to do. 

While we continue to improve in many areas post-pandemic, we remain focused on improving student outcomes across the board. 

This includes our work to remove barriers to student attendance, make sure our schools are safe for students and staff, and do a better job of supporting each other as we do our most important job: educating students.  

Although frustrating, our challenges are not unique. 

Before I came to Albany, I was a superintendent in a suburban school district and a small-city school district for a combined 14 years. I assure you that those districts faced many of the problems that we experience. So do school districts across New York, according to my fellow superintendents.

I am a huge jazz fan (bear with me, there is a connection). In jazz, performers constantly check in with each other, and the best ones get their great sound from feedback they get by watching and listening to each other and working together.

It’s also a great strategy for running a successful school district, business or any other organization that serves people.

Since I started in June, I’ve met with students, staff and families. I’ve also met with elected officials including the mayor, police chief, county executive, Common Council members, and our state Assembly and Senate representatives. I’ve also met with community and church leaders.

I’m also looking forward to more listening and learning sessions with our faculty and staff members in every building and hope to learn more about what we believe we are doing well, and what we believe we must improve. 

My door is open, and I am listening, watching and learning. That is how I operate. And I pledge to work with all of you to celebrate our successes, confront the issues we face honestly and forthrightly, and iron out our differences respectfully, with our kids at the forefront of all we do. 

As I have mentioned before, those of you that have visited me at Academy Park may have noticed a drum set in my office. This was my first drum set as an elementary student, and it serves as a reminder of the doors education can open. 

Music was the cornerstone of my public school experience, motivating me to find the success I knew I was capable of, both personally and professionally.

It was music for me, just as it’s culinary or calculus or athletics or the arts for other students. In our school district, we offer incredible opportunities in all those disciplines and much more. 

I am committed to seeing that these opportunities are accessible and available to all our students, and to working together to make it happen.

Sincerely,

 

 

 

 

Joseph Hochreiter
Superintendent

Q: Who is your hero, and why?

Students show gains on state 3-8 exams

City School District of Albany students in grades 3-8 made strong gains in math and also demonstrated progress in ELA on last spring’s statewide exams.

In math, the percentage of district students achieving proficiency (Levels 3-4) increased to 26% as compared to 18% on the spring 2022 state exams. 

In ELA, the percentage of students achieving proficiency increased to 28%, up 1 percentage point. That also represents an increase of nearly 50% – 9 percentage points – since 2017.

Overall, the percentage of students achieving proficiency in both subjects increased in 11 of 12 testing areas.

Math highlights

Thirteen elementary and middle schools achieved gains of at least 10 percentage points in one or more grade level. Some of these highlights include:

• ASH grade 3: +35
• ASH grade 4: +34
• ASH grade 5: +20
• Arbor Hill grade 5: +26
• Eagle Point grade 4: +24
• Eagle Point grade 5: +18
• Giffen grade 3: +13
• Hackett grade 7: +16
• New Scotland grade 4: +14
• North Albany grade 6: +13
• Pine Hills grade 5: +15
• Roots Academy grade 5: +13
• Sheridan Prep grade 4: +19
• TOAST grade 4: +14
• TOAST grade 5: +26

At Montessori Magnet School, 80% of students in grade 5 achieved proficiency in math, an increase of 12 percentage points over 2022. It is the first time a district school has achieved 80% proficiency at any grade level in either math or ELA since at least 2013.

In 2022, Montessori’s fourth-graders achieved 74% proficiency in math, among the highest proficiency rates for any fourth-graders in the Capital Region.

ELA highlights

Seven schools achieved gains of at least 10 percentage points in one or more grade level. These include:

• ASH grade 3: +34
• ASH grade 4: +17
• Eagle Point grade 5: +18
• Giffen grade 3: +10
• New Scotland grade 3: +17
• North Albany grade 6: +10
• Sheridan Prep grade 5: +10
• TOAST grade 4: +10

The State Education Department is scheduled to release its full statewide report of last spring’s 3-8 results in early December. Full results for all schools will be available at that time. 

Wintry weather reminders

When bad weather hits, New York school districts have the option to hold either a distance learning day or a traditional snow day.

For the 2023-24 school year, the City School District of Albany will consider distance learning days only after first using all three snow days. We will continue to evaluate these decisions on a case-by-case basis, including whether a two-hour delay may be an option. 

The simplest way for families to find out about weather-related decisions is to sign up to receive a text message through our SchoolMessenger communication system. Just text “Y” or “yes” to 67587. Families also will receive a SchoolMessenger email if weather causes the district to close, delay or shift to distance learning.

The district also shares information about weather-related changes at albanyschools.org and on  (@albanyschools), (formerly Twitter, @albanyschools) and  (@albany.schools).

You also can find information on the and the following radio and TV stations: CBS6 Albany (Ch. 6), Spectrum (Ch. 9), WTEN (Ch. 10), WNYT (Ch. 13), WROW-AM 590, WGY-AM 810, WFLY-FM 92.3, WYJB-FM 95.5, WTRY-FM 98.3, WRVE-FM 99.5, WPYX-FM 106.5 and WGNA-FM 107.7.

A visit from Jerry Craft

Our middle school students and families had a chance to meet award-winning graphic novelist Jerry Craft during his trip to Albany in October!  

Craft is a New York Times bestselling author of New Kid, Class Act and School Trip, and the first graphic novelist to win both the prestigious Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Author Award. His novels are part of our sixth-grade ELA curriculum.

Themes prevalent in Craft’s work include identity, friendship, microaggressions and prejudice, all of which were discussed in his presentations, in which he discussed his personal and professional experiences.

Marching Falcons invited to France

The City School District of Albany Marching Falcons once again have been invited to France to help commemorate an important anniversary of the D-Day invasion of World War II.

Under marching band director Bryan Cady, the Marching Falcons are scheduled to be one of only two bands from around the world to perform on Omaha Beach in Normandy next June 6. The performance will be part of France’s events marking the 80th anniversary of the historic battle that changed the course of World War II in Europe.

The Marching Falcons also participated in the 75th anniversary D-Day events in 2019. They are scheduled for additional performances in France as part of this trip.

If you would like to help support the trip, donations can be made through the Albany Fund for Education at . 

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Seniors among tops nationwide 

Congratulations to Albany High School seniors Luke Gibson, Julio Davis, and Jo Wunderlich, who have been named Commended Students in the 2023-24 National Merit Scholarship Program!

The seniors entered the National Merit Scholarship Program competition when they took the preliminary SAT (PSAT) qualifying test last October. Their scores place them in the top 3% nationwide of over 1.5 million who took the test. Great job, scholars!

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Cross country superlatives 

Congratulations to Albany High School sophomore Annabelle DiStefano, who became only the second member of the girls’ cross country team to win a Suburban Council meet since the Falcons joined the league in 2015.

DiStefano won both of Albany High’s home meets during the fall season at Capital Hills Golf Course – Sept. 12 against Ballston Spa and Niskayuna, and Oct. 3 against Averill Park and Schenectady. She joined 2017 graduate Eileen Bequette as the only members of the girls’ cross country team to win Suburban Council meets. 

In her first season running cross country, DiStefano also came in first in the Broadalbin-Perth Invitational on Sept. 16.

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·¬ÇÑÉçÇø tapped for regional fest  

Bravo! Eight Albany High School virtuosos represented their school Nov. 18 at the Area All-State Music Festival of the New York State School Music Association.

Area All-State concerts feature outstanding music students from high schools throughout the Capital Region performing in band, chorus, jazz band and orchestra. Students are selected based on scores at NYSSMA auditions last spring.

Students performing at the Area All-State Concert, held at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady: 

• Veronica Allen, senior, mixed choir
• Myles Bearden, junior, symphonic band
• Hannah Bopp, senior, flute
• Declan Chirlin, junior, mixed choir
• Julio Davis, senior, mixed choir
• Ya’ir Sasson, junior, mixed choir
• Andre Speller, senior, symphonic band
• Iris Whalen, junior, mixed choir

Congratulations to all of them, and shout-outs to band teacher John Halvorsen and choir teacher Brendan Hoffman for inspiring their students to excellence!

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Hall of Fame 2023

The City School District of Albany Hall of Fame inducted eight new members during a ceremony held at Albany High School this fall. The members of the Class of 2023 are: 

• Paul Collins-Hackett 
• Daquetta Jones 
• Tom McGurn 
• Yvar Mikhashoff (Ronald MacKay) 
• Dr. Alexander Aiello Paley 
• Miriam Koblenz Scott 
• Dr. Melvin Silverstein (see Alumni Achievement story on this page to read more) 
• Hon. Margaret T. Walsh

Visit our Hall of Fame section to read more about all of this year’s talented inductees. Nominations for the Class of 2024 are open through April 1. You can use the online nomination form in our Hall of Fame section to recommend candidates. 

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Albany High inducts 92 in National Honor Society

Albany High School inducted 92 academic high-flyers into its Arista Chapter of National Honor Society on Nov. 8. 

The students, all seniors, were eligible for National Honor Society because each has maintained an overall academic average of 89.5 or higher. For a full list of inductees, visit albanyschools.org/nhs.

National Honor Society was founded in 1921 to help create a better-rounded student who would be willing to put their talents to work serving others in society. Albany High’s Arista Chapter was formed in 1957 and admitted 15 students in its first group of inductees.

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District teachers recognized

Three City School District of Albany teachers received commendations as outstanding Hispanic educators from the New York Capital Region Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in October. They are Debra Calvo McNicholas of Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology (TOAST), and Dual Language Program teachers Djemila Stevens and Zeovadis Tavarez-Polanco. 

The organization also recognized longtime district teacher Ana Banda-Wemple as a 2023 Outstanding Hispanic Educator. Banda-Wemple retired from the Dual Language Program in June following a 30-year career in the district. 

Dr. Melvin Silverstein ’58

There is no greater accomplishment than saving human lives. And that is exactly what Dr. Melvin Silverstein, F.A.C.S., set out to do upon graduation from Albany High School in 1958.

Before attending Johns Hopkins University and Albany Medical College, and establishing himself as a world-renowned expert in breast cancer and breast surgical science, Dr. Silverstein was a product of four Albany public schools: the former School 8 (which was on Madison Avenue in the South End), the former School 16 (now Pine Hills Elementary School), William S. Hackett Middle School (then a junior high) and Albany High.

“I received a solid education and I learned how to study,” Dr. Silverstein said of his academic journey through the City School District of Albany.

He noted a fondness for all the science and math classes he took at Albany High, and also recalls English teacher Louise Gunn. Gunn’s creative writing class, a challenging science and math program, plus his participation in Debate Club indicates that the rigorous curriculum and diverse extracurricular offerings for which Albany High is known today also were a source of pride in previous generations. 

Dr. Silverstein advises all Albany High students to take advantage of everything the school offers, just as he did 65 years ago.

“Shoot for the top, it does not matter how many times you swing at the ball and miss,” he said. “You have to swing or you will never hit it.”

During the 1980s, Dr. Silverstein developed a specialty in a then-little-known breast cancer called ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). His most notable achievement is the development of a revolutionary treatment that combined oncologic breast surgery with plastic surgical techniques. 

Dr. Silverstein started the first fellowship devoted to the oncoplastic breast procedure and has since trained 63 surgeons. They are following in the medical pioneer’s footsteps, bettering the lives of, and improving outcomes for, women affected by the deadly disease.

“They are scattered all over the U.S.,” he said of his proteges. “They are my greatest legacy.” 

The past is still important to Dr. Silverstein, too. 

In 2000, he and nine other Albany High graduates, four of whom also are physicians, started the tradition of an annual trip to Phoenix. They call themselves “The Albany Boyz;” all have followed the big dreams that started back in their hometown.

“If you have a job that you love, you will never work a day in your life,” he said. “And I have a job that I love.”