Rome City Schools was recently awarded $240,000 in grant funds by the Georgia Department of Education to help schools improve literacy outcomes and support students with dyslexia.
Rome City Schools was one of only two systems to receive both the Multisensory Reading Instruction Training Grant and the Readiness in Literacy Grant to support early reading assistance programs for struggling readers and students with risk factors for dyslexia.
“Reading is a fundamental skill that all children in Georgia need because, with it, a world of possibilities opens,” Superintendent Richard Woods said. “These grants will ensure districts, schools, and teachers have the resources they need to improve reading success for all students, including students with dyslexia.”
Dr. Leslie Dixon, Rome City Schools' Director of Federal Programs, was instrumental in writing the two grants and was thrilled that the system was selected in such a competitive process. "I am so happy that we will be able to use these funds to provide training and resources for our kindergarten, first, and second grade teachers as well as selected third grade and special education teachers. Multisensory reading instruction is a direct, explicit, and structured approach to teaching literacy when students struggle with reading, writing, or spelling. This approach allows our teachers to focus on the learning needs of individual students during their critical primary years. This opportunity is a game-changer for Rome City Schools!"
Hands-on professional learning sessions will be conducted this summer with world-renowned trainers from the Institute for Multi-sensory Education so that teachers are ready to implement their new skills in August.