Portage’s PACE Virtual Academy Expands to Middle School Grades
Portage Township Schools has announced an expansion of the newly launched PACE Virtual Academy to include grades 6-8. Initially intended as an online high school, the academy will now accommodate younger students due to significant parental interest. The Portage Township School Board approved this change during a recent meeting on March 11, 2024.
The virtual school is accessible to students beyond the district’s boundaries, allowing for a broader reach. However, students who struggle to keep up with lesson completion will need to attend in-person sessions at Portage High School, where they will meet with designated mentors. According to Superintendent Amanda Alaniz, no additional full-time staff will be needed for this expansion, although mentors will receive a stipend for weekly meetings, with each mentor assigned a maximum of ten students.
Growth in Literacy Scores Highlighted
In other developments, Linda Williams, Director of Grants and Assessments, presented the school board with encouraging updates regarding the district’s literacy scores, particularly the IREAD assessments. Williams expressed enthusiasm about the district’s overall performance, noting that “every single one of our buildings showed growth from this time last year.”
The Portage school district’s average IREAD passing score this year reached 89.3%, surpassing the state average of 87.3%. This positive trend is particularly notable as the district had previously been below the state average. Central Elementary School, which benefited from a literacy coach as part of a state-required initiative, demonstrated a remarkable increase in passing rates. In 2024, 66.1% of students passed the IREAD test, while this year, the percentage rose to 86.8%, reflecting an improvement of 20.7%.
Jones Elementary School recorded the highest passing rate at 97.4%, while Aylesworth Elementary School, despite having the lowest rate, still achieved 80.3%. Williams highlighted the success of Saylor Elementary, which saw an 18.7% increase in its passing rate, closely followed by Jones Elementary with a 17.1% rise.
Future Initiatives and Challenges
The district’s approach to literacy improvement has involved various strategies, including the use of WIN (What I Need) time, where students receive tailored assistance. Summer school has also been framed as an intervention program, employing multiple instructors focusing on specific literacy lessons. Williams emphasized the importance of a coordinated curriculum and noted that more teachers are embracing the Science of Reading literacy training.
While the success of the literacy coach program at Central Elementary School is evident, board Vice President Wilma Vazquez cautioned that expanding this initiative across all elementary schools may be financially unfeasible. The state is phasing out funding for the coach’s salary, which will require the district to absorb a larger share of the costs until state support concludes, as explained by Associate Superintendent Michael Stephens.
As Portage Township Schools moves forward with both the PACE Virtual Academy expansion and continued improvements in literacy, the community remains hopeful for sustained progress and positive outcomes in education.
