Saint Paul Public Schools raises reading proficiency to 86% with Amplify Caminos.

Programs:

Amplify Caminos, mCLASS Lectura

State:

Minnesota

Grade level:

Grades K–5

Demographics: 

• Approximately 32,000 students
• 55.2% eligible for the federal free- and reduced-price-meal program
• District demographics: 
  • 29.2% Asian
  • 23.8% Black
  • 22.6% White
  • 15% Hispanic
  • 0.9% American Indian or Alaska Native
  • 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Study year:

2023–24 school year

Overview

Saint Paul Public Schools lacked a consistent Spanish literacy curriculum across its three Spanish immersion elementary schools, leaving 80% of its students scoring below benchmark. After reviewing available curricula, Principal Stivaliss Licona-Gervich and her team at Riverview Spanish/English Dual Immersion Elementary School selected Amplify Caminos for its authentic Spanish-language content and Science of Reading alignment, pairing it with mCLASS Lectura for assessment.

After the first year of implementation, kindergarten benchmark scores grew from 23% at the start of the year to 65% by winter and 86% by year’s end. In 5th grade, preliminary Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) Reading scores rose from 25.8% to 44.8%, meeting benchmark in a single year.

Key takeaways

• Saint Paul Public Schools lacked a unified Spanish literacy curriculum across its three Spanish immersion elementary schools, resulting in 80% of students scoring below benchmark before implementation.
• After adopting Amplify Caminos and mCLASS Lectura, kindergarten benchmark scores rose from 23% at the beginning of the year to 65% by winter and 86% by the end of the 2023–24 school year.
• 5th-grade students saw preliminary Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) Reading scores rise from 25.8% to 44.8%, meeting the benchmark in a single year.