Governor and first lady DeWine honor elementary schools as Science of Reading Champions
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine visited Hamilton Elementary School in Columbus and Wheelersburg Elementary School in Scioto County this week, continuing his tour across Ohio to celebrate schools that have earned the Governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award.
“These schools and their teachers are doing a phenomenal job using the Science of Reading as a foundation to help their students grow as readers,” said Governor DeWine. “Reading is the key to everything for our children – it opens the door to education, to employment and to life.”
At Hamilton Elementary School, Governor DeWine, first lady Fran DeWine, and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Director Stephen D. Dackin joined district administrators, school leaders and teachers for a roundtable discussion about how they use the Science of Reading to shape their literacy instruction.
Hamilton Elementary was one of the earliest pioneers of the Science of Reading in Ohio. They began using a language arts program aligned with the Science of Reading 10 years ago. Their curriculum for K-3 students combines phonics instruction with knowledge-building content, meaning students learn to read while they also read to learn. As the largest K–3 building in the state, serving over 1,000 students, Hamilton’s implementation has positively impacted countless young readers.
After the roundtable, the Governor and first lady visited a class of second grade students to observe literacy instruction in action, before presenting the school with a congratulatory Science of Reading Champions banner.
“Our Science of Reading Champions Award gives us a chance to hold up schools and teachers that are doing this work especially well and setting their students up for lifelong success,” said Governor DeWine. “It’s inspiring to visit these schools and see firsthand the incredible work that is happening in their classrooms.”
At Wheelersburg Elementary School, Governor DeWine joined district and school leaders and several teachers from kindergarten through third grade to discuss their school’s work to improve literacy achievement.
Wheelersburg’s foundation starts with strong professional development, with 93 percent of their teachers and 100 percent of their administrators having completed professional development training in the Science of Reading.
The school also strategically utilizes data to enhance literacy outcomes. They use screening tools to identify students who may need literacy interventions and have multiple specialists at the ready to step in and provide tailored support if a student needs help.
Their dedication has yielded remarkable results – most notably, an 84-percent third grade proficiency rate in English language arts during the 2023–2024 school year.
After the discussion, Governor DeWine visited and observed literacy instruction in a class of young students. Once again, the Governor concluded his visit by presenting school leaders with a Science of Reading Champions banner.
First announced during his State of the State Address last month, the Governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award honors schools that are excelling with their implementation of the Science of Reading, embracing professional development for teachers, and raising literacy achievement among their students.
Hamilton and Wheelersburg elementaries were among the inaugural group of schools to be honored though the program.
Governor and first lady DeWine kicked off the Science of Reading Champions tour two weeks ago with a visit to Harold Schnell Elementary School in West Carrollton.
The Governor’s Science of Reading Champions program will honor a new group of schools each year.
About the Science of Reading:
Based on decades of brain research and literacy development, the Science of Reading informs the most effective strategies for teaching students how to read. Governor DeWine has long supported the implementation of Science of Reading practices in all Ohio educational settings, including early childhood education, K-12 education, and higher education.
Every day, more schools are becoming fully aligned with the Science of Reading and the results are noticeable. This past year’s School Report Cards showed significant improvement in English Language Arts proficiency among elementary students, climbing by 2.2 percentage points among Ohio third graders, 5.2 percentage points among fourth graders, and 3.1 percentage points among fifth graders.
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