How One Ohio District Is Boosting Literacy for English Learners After Pandemic Setbacks

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted classrooms across the country, English learners faced especially steep challenges. In Troy City Schools, a small Ohio district, educators saw students struggling with phonics, feeling frustrated and withdrawn. Determined to turn the tide, the district implemented a comprehensive literacy program centered on the Orton-Gillingham approach. This Q&A explores how they tackled the problem, the methods they chose, and the promising results that are emerging.

What unique hurdles do English learners encounter in elementary school?

For children learning English, elementary school multiplies the usual difficulties of mastering reading, math, and social skills. They must acquire a new language while simultaneously keeping up with grade-level content. Many also navigate cultural adjustments, especially if they’ve recently arrived from another country. At Troy City Schools, roughly 3% of the 4,000 students speak primary languages like Spanish, Ukrainian, or Japanese. Although this is a smaller percentage than the national average of 11%, these students face heightened literacy gaps that the pandemic widened. Phonics—the connection between letters and sounds—proved particularly troublesome, leading to disengagement and a desire to give up. The district recognized that without a strong foundation in reading, these students would struggle in all future learning, making equitable opportunities essential.

How did Troy City Schools decide to address post-pandemic literacy gaps?

After the pandemic, district leaders spent three years evaluating options before committing to a bold plan. They noticed that English-language instruction was inconsistent and fragmented across classrooms, and the widening literacy gaps demanded a unified approach. The district aimed to close the achievement gap by training 116 staff members—including every elementary teacher, intervention specialist, paraprofessional, and principal—in the Orton-Gillingham method. This multisensory technique integrates movement and touch into reading instruction, making it especially effective for struggling readers and English learners. Funding came from post-COVID relief grants and internal budget allocations, allowing the district to implement the program fully.

What is the Orton-Gillingham approach and why was it chosen?

Orton-Gillingham is a structured literacy approach that breaks down reading into smaller, sequential steps and uses visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile pathways simultaneously. For example, students might trace letters in sand while saying the sound, reinforcing learning through multiple senses. Sarah Walters, the district’s literacy instructional support specialist, became certified in this method through the Institute for Multi-Sensory Education. The district chose Orton-Gillingham because it provides explicit phonics instruction that directly addresses the frustration English learners were experiencing. By involving movement and touch, the method helps students build neural connections more effectively, leading to better retention and confidence.

How was the program funded and rolled out?

Funding for the literacy initiative came primarily from post-COVID relief grants and strategic budget allocations by district leaders. According to Danielle Romine, director of elementary teaching and learning, the district took time to plan and secure resources before launching. Once funding was in place, they prioritized training all elementary staff members, ensuring consistency across nine campuses. Sarah Walters trained educators in Orton-Gillingham techniques and continues to provide ongoing support. The rollout occurred after three years of deliberation, reflecting a deliberate effort to avoid rushed implementation and instead build a sustainable program that could truly impact English learners’ literacy skills.

What early results are emerging from this effort?

The district reports that the program is paying off. While specific data are not detailed in the source, educators observe reduced frustration and increased student engagement. Teachers see students who were withdrawn beginning to participate more actively and persist through difficult phonics tasks. The multi-sensory nature of Orton-Gillingham seems to help English learners master letter-sound relationships that previously caused them to give up. With 116 trained staff members, the district has created a unified instructional approach that supports English learners across all classrooms. These early signs suggest that the investment is closing literacy gaps and promoting equitable learning opportunities.

Why is literacy instruction crucial for multilingual students specifically?

Literacy is the foundation for all academic learning. For multilingual students, mastering reading and writing in English opens doors to content in math, science, social studies, and beyond. Federal data show that English learners’ achievement scores lag behind peers and have made little improvement over two decades, underscoring the urgency. According to Sarah Walters, “We want to help the students continue to thrive, and really everything that we're thinking about with our student services is equitable learning opportunities.” Without strong early literacy, English learners risk falling further behind, which can affect their confidence and long-term success. The Orton-Gillingham approach targets phonics—a common stumbling block—so that these students can build a solid reading foundation alongside native speakers.

How did the pandemic specifically harm English learners’ progress?

When schools shifted to remote or hybrid learning, English learners lost crucial face-to-face interactions and language-rich environments. At Concord Elementary and other Troy schools, teachers observed increased frustration and withdrawal among these students. Phonics instruction, which benefits from direct, multisensory techniques, became inconsistent. Many English learners also faced social-emotional impacts like anxiety and isolation, which made learning even harder. The pandemic widened existing literacy gaps, as noted by Walters: “We were seeing a lot of student frustration and wanting to give up. Students being very withdrawn.” This emotional toll compounded academic struggles, prompting the district to seek a more explicit, supportive literacy approach post-pandemic.

What roles did staff training and collaboration play?

Training 116 staff members—every elementary teacher, intervention specialist, paraprofessional, and principal—was central to the district’s strategy. By ensuring that all adults working with English learners understand the Orton-Gillingham method, the district created a consistent learning environment. Sarah Walters now supports and coaches educators, fostering collaboration across nine campuses. This unified approach means that a student moving from one classroom to another receives the same instructional techniques, reinforcing skills. The investment in professional development reflects the district’s commitment to equity: when every staff member is equipped with evidence-based tools, English learners receive the targeted support they need to catch up and thrive.