Souderton Area School District
Souderton, Pennsylvania
The Souderton Area School District includes an area of 49 square miles in Upper Montgomery County and is the largest school district, in square miles, in the county. The district is situated midway between the cities of Allentown and Philadelphia, and due to its locale, has the best of both worlds: proximity to the city, but located in the semi-rural setting. The population of the school district is 39,000.
Site Leader: Mrs. Dona Italiano, Secondary Language Arts Coordinator
Mr. Jack Silva, Director of Secondary Education
Dr. Dale Burkhard, Principal of Indian Valley Middle School
Mr. Jeffrey Pammer, Principal of Indian Crest Junior High
Mr. Samuel Varano, Principal Of Souderton Area High School
School Website: http://www.soudertonsd.org/
School Demographics:
Enrollment: 1,499
Caucasian 91%
Asian 3.5%
African American 2.9%
Hispanic 2.3%
Other 1%
Approximately 93% of the class of 2003 is pursuing degrees in post secondary colleges and universities.
Reason for Affiliation
The overall goal and benefit Souderton seeks is to increase student achievement in reading at the middle and high school levels. Further, the district seeks to train professional staff in all content areas in the best instructional practices related to reading. We anticipate that the gains in student reading achievement will result in higher achievement in all other content areas.
Why was this program chosen in lieu of others?
This program was chosen because of its focus on the direct needs of students and their achievement. NCTE’s Reading Initiative complimented our district’s commitment to improve student performance on standardized measures of reading including those mandated by NCLB. Further, the inquiry based approach to staff development including the plan for long-term support aligned well with our philosophy for optimal staff development.
Major Changes as a Result of Participation
The participation in NCTE’s Reading Initiative has resulted in growing consensus about the importance of reading among secondary teachers and administrators. Greater classroom practice of reading strategies can already be seen in grades 6-9. As strategies and best practices are shared and implemented we expect to see corresponding gains in students reading achievement on both internal and external assessments.
How was participation funded?
Affiliation with NCTE’s Reading Initiative was funded through a commitment of dollars in the 2003-4 regular instructional school budget. A combination of allocations from Indian Valley Middle School, Indian Crest Junior High School and Souderton Area High School comprised the $10,000 participation fee.
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