Lowcountry Literacy Project and CCSD partner to expand literacy support in Title 1 Elevation Schools

The Lowcountry Literacy Project and Charleston County School District (CCSD) are partnering to expand literacy support into Title 1 Elevation Schools. Beginning this academic year, the initiative will bring Orton-Gillingham (OG) training and yearlong coaching support to two schools: Matilda F. Dunston Elementary School and Ladson Elementary School.

Last year, the Lowcountry Literacy Project supported 45 classrooms. With the addition of 31 new classrooms this fall, the program will now reach 76 classrooms across the district. This expansion marks a milestone in the organization’s mission to equip teachers with research-based tools and strategies to transform literacy outcomes.

The partnership provides educators with Orton-Gillingham professional development and embedded coaching. This effort is one of several strategies CCSD is deploying to strengthen Tier 1 instruction and targeted interventions. Each school has developed a multi-year implementation plan in collaboration with leadership, aligning with CCSD’s English Language Arts curriculum and tailored to readiness levels.

Training began in August for Tier 1 classroom teachers, reading interventionists, and special education staff. The goal is to ensure a consistent, schoolwide approach to literacy instruction.

“Our goal has always been to transform literacy outcomes by equipping teachers with the tools they need,” said Lindsey Ballenger, Executive Director of the Lowcountry Literacy Project. “This partnership represents an important step forward—working alongside CCSD’s broader literacy efforts to support the students who need it most.”

Dunston Elementary and Ladson Elementary were selected for their strong commitment to literacy improvement. Both schools will follow a phased two to three-year implementation process, giving teachers sustained support to translate training into measurable gains for students.

The initiative builds on promising results from other Charleston schools, including James B. Edwards Elementary, Jennie Moore Elementary, and St. Andrew’s School of Math and Science. At these schools, OG-trained educators have seen measurable improvements in decoding, comprehension, and student confidence. Data show that classrooms led by OG-trained teachers achieved twice as much overall growth on iReady compared to other classrooms in the same school. In addition, long-standing achievement gaps for vulnerable student populations shrank by nearly 40 percent over three years.

In addition to CCSD’s investment, the Lowcountry Literacy Project is actively raising philanthropic funds to supplement the initiative. These contributions will help ensure high-fidelity implementation with ongoing coaching and specialized support—resources made possible by generous community partners.

The Lowcountry Literacy Project is a Charleston-based nonprofit that partners with schools, districts, and teachers to close opportunity gaps and improve reading outcomes—one classroom at a time.

For more information or to support this initiative, visit www.LowcountryLiteracyProject.org.