Philadelphia Classrooms Get Upgrades To Boost Literacy
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- When the new school year begins, some of the district's youngest students will see brighter, more colorful classrooms. And that's by design.
A tour of kindergarten, first, and second grade classrooms at Stearne Elementary in Frankford reveals a stunning transformation: from drab to bright and inviting with modern teaching tools.
The classrooms have wobble seats for fidgety kids, 'whisper phones' for teachers to listen to individual readers, and desks shaped to be arranged into small or large groups.
Superintendent William Hite says the district spent $4.4 million to upgrade early-grade classrooms in eight elementary schools where reading scores were among the lowest.
"This is not just about buying new furniture, but buying the types of things that will be conducive to us creating the literacy environments that we know, based from evidence, are effective," Hite said.
Teachers will be trained next week on using the new tools.
The upgrades are in pre-K to second-grade classrooms at Stearne, Pennell, Locke, Lea, Duckrey, Gideon, and Meade Elementary Schools; and the Haverford Learning Center.
The William Penn Foundation provided an additional $700,000 to fund the literacy effort.