10 Key Steps an Ohio District Took to Boost English Learner Literacy After the Pandemic
Elementary school presents its own set of hurdles—playground politics, tricky multiplication tables, and learning to read. Now imagine navigating all of that while also mastering a new language or even adjusting to a new country. That's the reality for students learning English alongside their peers. In Troy City Schools, a public district north of Cincinnati serving about 4,000 students, educators have made it a mission to close the literacy gaps that widened during the pandemic, especially for their English learners (ELs). With a small but significant population speaking Spanish, Ukrainian, and Japanese, the district launched a bold initiative. Here are 10 things you need to know about how they turned the tide.
1. Understanding the Unique Challenge for English Learners
Troy City Schools has a relatively small EL population—about 3% of students, compared to the national average of 11%. Yet these students face a steep climb: they must learn academic content while acquiring English proficiency. The district's nine campuses serve families connected to a nearby automotive manufacturer, which brings employees from Japan. This mix of languages and cultures means educators must tailor support for diverse needs. The pandemic only made things harder, disrupting instruction and widening the literacy gap. Recognizing this, the district prioritized closing that gap from the earliest grades, knowing that foundational reading skills unlock future learning.
2. The Pandemic's Devastating Impact on EL Literacy
Federal data shows that English learners' achievement scores have lagged behind their peers for decades, with minimal improvement over 20 years. When COVID-19 hit, the disruptions hit ELs hard. Remote learning reduced interaction time, and many students lost access to consistent, high-quality language instruction. In Troy, educators saw student frustration, withdrawal, and social-emotional struggles—especially with phonics, the building blocks of reading. The district knew that simply returning to pre-pandemic methods wouldn't be enough; they needed a transformative approach to address both academic and emotional needs.
3. A Bold Decision: Training 116 Staff Members
Rather than relying on a few specialists, Troy City Schools took a systematic approach. They trained 116 staff members—including every elementary teacher, intervention specialist, paraprofessional, and principal—in the Orton-Gillingham (OG) method. This ensured that every adult working with young students could deliver evidence-based literacy instruction. The training created a consistent language and toolkit across classrooms, making it easier for ELs to receive supports that matched their needs, whether they were in a mainstream class or a small intervention group.
4. What Is the Orton-Gillingham Approach?
Orton-Gillingham is a multi-sensory teaching method that integrates movement and touch into reading instruction. Instead of relying solely on visual or auditory cues, students use kinesthetic activities—like tapping out sounds or tracing letters in sand—to reinforce letter-sound connections. This approach is especially effective for students who struggle with phonics, including English learners who may need extra concrete examples. In Troy, teachers learned to break down complex reading skills into manageable, hands-on steps that build confidence and fluency. The shift from fragmented instruction to a unified, multi-sensory method proved key to re-engaging students.
5. The Role of Literacy Specialist Sarah Walters
Sarah Walters, a literacy instructional support specialist, became the driving force behind the implementation. She earned her certification in Orton-Gillingham through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education and now trains and supports her colleagues. Walters emphasizes that helping multilingual students master English is vital for their long-term success. "We want to help the students continue to thrive," she says, "and really everything that we're thinking about with our student services is equitable learning opportunities." Her work ensures that the OG approach is not just a one-time training but an ongoing, embedded practice.
6. A Three-Year Journey from Planning to Implementation
Change doesn't happen overnight. According to Danielle Romine, director of elementary teaching and learning for the district, Troy spent three years mulling over the changes before securing the necessary funding. The district leveraged post-COVID relief grants and internal budget allocations to cover training costs, materials, and staff time. This deliberate pacing allowed for careful planning, stakeholder buy-in, and adaptation to local needs. The result was a well-prepared rollout that avoided the pitfalls of rushed initiatives, ensuring sustainability and fidelity to the Orton-Gillingham model.
7. The Funding Behind the Initiative
Post-pandemic federal relief grants provided the financial catalyst for Troy's literacy overhaul. The district allocated these one-time funds strategically, investing in professional development and instructional resources that would have long-term impact. By training existing staff rather than hiring new specialists, they maximized the budget while building internal capacity. District leaders also made budget reallocations to sustain the program after grant funds expired. This financial foresight ensured that the commitment to EL literacy would continue even as short-term pandemic funding dried up.
8. Phonics as the Core Challenge
Before the initiative, English-language instruction in Troy was inconsistent and fragmented. Many teachers lacked a common framework for teaching phonics—the relationship between letters and sounds. For English learners, this inconsistency was particularly damaging, as they rely on clear, systematic instruction to decode words. The Orton-Gillingham approach provided that structure. With explicit, sequential phonics lessons that incorporate multi-sensory activities, students began to grasp the code of written English. Teachers reported less frustration and more willingness to try, as students experienced small but steady successes in reading.
9. Social-Emotional Gains Alongside Academic Progress
Walters observed that the pandemic caused many students to become withdrawn and give up on reading. The new approach didn't just target skills—it rebuilt confidence. By incorporating movement and tactile learning, the Orton-Gillingham method met students where they were, reducing anxiety around phonics. As students began to feel successful, their engagement and participation improved. Teachers noted a shift in mindset: students who once avoided reading now volunteered to read aloud. Social-emotional learning became intertwined with literacy, proving that addressing the whole child is essential for academic recovery.
10. Turning the Tide: Early Results and Future Hopes
While comprehensive data is still being collected, early indicators are promising. The district reports that students are showing greater growth in foundational reading skills, and teachers feel more equipped to meet diverse needs. The initiative has also fostered a schoolwide culture of collaboration around literacy. Troy City Schools serves as a model for other districts with small EL populations showing that targeted investment in multi-sensory instruction can narrow gaps that have persisted for years. The journey isn't over, but the tide is turning—one letter sound at a time.
Conclusion: The pandemic exposed and deepened literacy inequities for English learners across the country. Troy City Schools' approach—training an entire elementary workforce in the Orton-Gillingham method, funding it through relief grants, and embedding it with social-emotional support—offers a replicable blueprint. By focusing on systematic, multi-sensory phonics instruction, they are not only catching students up but also building a stronger foundation for lifelong learning. For educators and policymakers seeking to close the EL achievement gap, this Ohio district proves that with deliberate planning and commitment, it's possible to turn the tide.