Alleghany Highlands Public Schools teachers and principals continue sharpening their literacy toolbox year-round, including during a July workshop focused on verbal reasoning. The training helps teachers give students the tools they need to become better readers. The work is paying off, with improved reading scores on this spring’s SOL tests. (AHPS Photo)

AHPS Reading Gains Draw State, National Recognition   Low Moor, VA (Aug. 28, 2026) - Alleghany Highlands Public Schools was recognized by the Virginia Department of Education as one of 13 school divisions in the commonwealth to achieve a five-point gain in either reading or math on Standards of Learning tests. The division was also one of just three in Virginia to achieve a five-point gain in reading.  “It is critical to recognize the growth of our students and the hard work this represents from kids, teachers, other staff, and families,” said Superintendent Kim Halterman. “We were delighted that the Virginia Department of Education noted our progress and success.” That progress was also reflected at the elementary school level. Callaghan Elementary and Sharon Elementary were recognized by The 74 Million, a national nonprofit education news organization focused on K-12 education, as among the nation’s high-performing schools for third-grade reading. Through its Bright Spots program, The 74 Million identifies schools demonstrating high levels of reading achievement. “We are incredibly proud of our third-grade students and their reading pass rate,” said Callaghan Elementary Principal Lisa Hansford. “This recognition reflects the dedication of our students, teachers, staff, and families. Their hard work and commitment to building strong reading skills have made this achievement possible, and we are excited to continue building on this success.”  “This recognition is a wonderful accomplishment of last year's third-grade class. This award shows the dedication of the third grade teachers and entire staff,” said Sharon Elementary Principal Chris Jones. “Our staff has a great passion for our students' success and they bring that passion to every student every day." Schools across the Alleghany Highlands showed performance improvements in reading, including a commendable eight-point growth at Covington Middle School. The results show that the school division is continuing to focus on improving how reading is taught. A key part of this work is making sure teachers receive ongoing training on how children learn to read that is grounded in the science of reading. LETRS is specialized training that helps teachers understand how children learn to read and gives them research-based strategies for teaching reading. Through LETRS Volume 1 and Volume 2, teachers learn more about important reading skills, including phonics, understanding sounds in words, building vocabulary, reading fluently, and understanding what they read.  LETRS aligns with other school division initiatives, including the use of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM).   This training helps teachers use consistent, effective reading practices across classrooms while also giving them tools to meet students' individual needs. The goal is to make sure every student receives strong, research-based reading instruction that meets the expectations of the Virginia Literacy Act and Virginia’s literacy standards. Good reading instruction is important, but everyday conversations, reading together, and talking with children also help build strong reading skills.  “Talking to children and listening to their comments really helps them learn to read by developing their language skills,” said Halterman. “Even when children are infants, they are developing their knowledge of words when we talk to them. Never forget vocabulary is important in learning to read.” Halterman said, “We are very pleased with the progress we are seeing, particularly in our reading scores. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, who continue to put students first each day. We are also committed to supporting our teachers with the resources, professional learning, and collaboration they need to be successful in the classroom. While we are proud of the gains, we know there is always room for improvement, and we are constantly seeking innovative ways to support our teachers and students and ensure that every student has the opportunity to succeed.”Â

* * * * *