Students at Mustang Valley Elementary celebrate reading with a Character Book parade in which students and teachers dress up as their favorite book character.

Mustang Public Schools’ elementary program is devoted to developing positive character traits and giving students a solid foundation in the core subjects, with a special emphasis on reading. Statistics show that children learn to read until the third grade. After that, they read to learn. Several years ago, the administration and teachers at Mustang Public Schools set a 90 percent reading proficiency goal for third graders. In 2007, regular education third graders, fourth and fifth graders scored more than 90 percent proficient or advanced. All sites are working toward the same goal with math.

Mustang Public Schools has also made great strides in writing. Elementary Coordinator Cindy Schmidt said teachers began working together several years ago to define “power standards,” or skills students need to master to be equipped for success at the next level. Teachers determined that writing needed more emphasis, even at the youngest grades. Mustang Schools enlisted the help of Cecillia Pittman, a former Mustang first-grade teacher who earned her doctorate in literacy. Every quarter, Pittman spends several hours with representatives, or writing coaches, from each grade at each school. The writing coaches then take the ideas from Pittman and each other back to their schools.

Since Mustang has modified the writing curriculum and added resources like Pittman’s workshops, the district has seen a significant gain in writing scores on standardized tests. Ninety-two percent of Mustang’s fifth graders scored satisfactory or advanced on the state’s writing test in 2006. Use of writing as a teaching tool has expanded across the curriculum. Writing assignments in social studies, for example, not only provide writing practice, but also help with information retention.