Challenge

 

Governor Wentworth Regional School District (GWRSD) serves around 2,200 students across eight schools in New Hampshire. Well before the COVID-19 pandemic, district leaders were taking a hard look at state and local test results, which revealed some troubling patterns. Students were not performing as well as expected, and even those considered strong readers struggled when tasks became more complex.

As students moved into upper elementary grades and beyond, their decoding skills were inconsistent, making it difficult for them to read material at grade level. These gaps only widened when disruptions from the pandemic began to appear in assessment data.

“We realized that in challenging texts, many of our students didn’t have the tools to problem-solve words,” said Kaitlyn Hills, Assistant Superintendent at GWRSD. “The problem pointed to foundational issues that weren’t going to disappear on their own, and that catalyzed our journey with IMSE.”

At the time, New Hampshire had not yet formally adopted science of reading–aligned literacy requirements. Still, GWRSD leaders were dedicated to helping students thrive, and the district began searching for a clearer, evidence-based framework that could strengthen instruction and create lasting change.

 

Solution

 

A turning point came when a district reading specialist connected GWRSD with IMSE’s Structured Literacy training. IMSE provided the district with exactly what it needed: a clear, easy-to-implement approach grounded in the science of reading.

From the beginning, district leaders committed to doing this work thoughtfully and at scale. Using ESSER funding, GWRSD made it a mission to train all teachers in the science of reading through IMSE. Rather than rushing implementation, the district prioritized professional learning first, allowing educators to build understanding and confidence before the full rollout.

GWRSD began with a soft launch in kindergarten through grade 2 during the 2022–2023 school year, inviting trained teachers to begin implementing IMSE practices as they felt ready. By the following year, K–2 were in place districtwide, supported by a strategic battery of initiatives:

  • Common instructional structures developed through IMSE training
  • An adapted lesson framework aligned to district realities
  • District-created pacing guidance to support consistency
  • Reading specialists in every building to coach, model, and problem-solve
  • A literacy task force that helped refine expectations and supported communication

This approach helped mitigate two major challenges: a philosophical shift away from a long-used prior literacy program, and the time required to implement Structured Literacy with fidelity within busy elementary schedules.

“Seeing it work made all the difference,” Hills said. “Our early implementers became our biggest champions because they were seeing results quickly, and that helped bring others on board.”

 

Change the Story

 

Since adopting IMSE’s Structured Literacy approach, GWRSD is seeing remarkable progress, especially in early grades where instruction is fully embedded.

Across schools, reading benchmark data show consistent gains from year to year:

  • Kindergarten students demonstrated growth of approximately 6–10 percentage points over the school year after full implementation, with stronger phonemic awareness and decoding skills.
  • First grade students showed 4–6 percentage point gains, with notable improvements in fluency and decoding accuracy as daily routines such as dictation and Red Word practice became consistent.
  • Grades 2 and 3 have shown stabilization and gradual improvement, a promising sign as students who received IMSE instruction earlier continue moving through the system. District leaders note that these cohorts are still early in the implementation cycle, and growth is expected to build cumulatively over time.
  • In one elementary school, every first-grade student was proficient or above by the end of the year.

“Seeing an entire class reach proficiency is striking,” Hills said. “It’s a huge relief to our whole district that we’ve found a literacy approach that works.”

Just as importantly, GWRSD teachers report increased confidence and enthusiasm among students. Students are more engaged and take pride in their growing skills. The district plans to maintain this momentum in coming years with ongoing training and additional programming:

  • Consistent, up-to-date IMSE OG+ training, including onboarding training for new staff
  • Refined pacing and lesson structures based on what’s realistic
  • Reading specialists in every building to support implementation
  • Expanded Structured Literacy supports into grade 3
  • IMSE Morphology+ for grades 4–6

By investing in evidence-based instruction and long-term support, GWRSD has made itself a champion for literacy, providing every student the opportunities they deserve.

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