Boys & Girls Club · Hatchie River Region
Reading Success Academy
Building Strong Readers. Creating Great Futures.
The Reading Success Academy is a literacy initiative of the Boys & Girls Club of the Hatchie River Region designed to help students strengthen reading skills, build confidence, and achieve academic success. Through individualized instruction, small-group learning, and experienced educators, students receive the support they need to become lifelong readers.
About the Program
What is the Reading Success Academy?
The Reading Success Academy began in August 2025 through a partnership between the Boys & Girls Club of the Hatchie River Region, Ford Motor Company, and Tipton County Public Schools.
The program is led by two certified Reading/ELA teachers from Tipton County Schools, each bringing more than 20 years of classroom experience.
Instruction is based on the Aimsweb Plus Universal Screener, the assessment used by Tipton County Schools to measure reading growth throughout the school year.
The Academy provides targeted intervention and enrichment for students in Kindergarten through 12th Grade while creating a positive environment where reading becomes engaging, rewarding, and confidence-building.
Launched
August 2025
Partners
Ford Motor Company · Tipton County Public Schools
Led By
Two certified Reading/ELA teachers (20+ yrs each)
Assessment
Aimsweb Plus Universal Screener
"Every child deserves the opportunity to become a confident reader. Reading is the foundation for learning, future careers, and lifelong success."
How Students Learn
A Targeted Approach to Literacy
Individualized Instruction
Students receive instruction based on their individual reading needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Small Group Learning
Students work in small groups that allow teachers to provide personalized support and meaningful interaction.
Evidence-Based Reading Strategies
Lessons focus on phonemic awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, syllable patterns, prefixes, suffixes, and decoding strategies.
Experienced Educators
Instruction is provided by veteran certified Reading and English Language Arts teachers with decades of classroom experience.
Progress Monitoring
Student growth is measured using Aimsweb Plus assessment data to ensure instruction remains targeted and effective.
Program Highlights
By the Numbers
Years
Average teaching experience per instructor
Students Served
Kindergarten through 12th Grade
Times Per Year
Progress measured via Aimsweb Plus
Ford + Tipton County + BGC
United for literacy
Student Success
Measurable Growth, Real Impact
August 2025 – Winter 2026
of students performed at grade level (Tier 1).
of students in grades 3–8 showed growth in Oral Reading Fluency between Fall and Winter.
of students in Tier 2, 3, and 4 improved their overall Reading Composite scores from Fall to Winter.
January 2026 – Spring 2026
The Academy shifted its primary focus to 43 students identified as Tier 2, Tier 3, and Tier 4, allowing teachers to provide more intensive intervention.
Overall Reading Composite Growth
Growth in Phoneme Segmentation (K–1)
Growth in Oral Reading Fluency (Grades 1–8)
Growth in Reading Comprehension (Grades 2–8)
Assessment results are based on Aimsweb Plus data collected with parental permission through Tipton County Public Schools. Spring assessments increase in difficulty and benchmark expectations as students progress through the school year, meaning direct comparisons between Fall and Spring require careful interpretation.
Meet Our Reading Teachers
Decades of Dedication
Kelli Cousar
Certified Reading/ELA Teacher
More than 20 years of experience helping young readers build foundational literacy skills through phonemic awareness, word recognition, fluency, and reading confidence.
Sarah Dunavant
Certified Reading/ELA Teacher
More than 20 years of experience teaching reading comprehension, vocabulary development, decoding strategies, and advanced literacy skills for upper elementary and middle school students.
Why Reading Matters
Reading helps children:
Build confidence
Improve academic performance
Strengthen communication skills
Prepare for future careers
Develop critical thinking
Discover a lifelong love of learning
Community Partnership
Stronger Together
Ford Motor Company
Supporting literacy and educational opportunity.
Tipton County Public Schools
Providing educational expertise and assessment data.
Boys & Girls Club of the Hatchie River Region
Providing a safe, encouraging environment where every child can thrive.
"Our Reading Success Academy data is more than documented proof of improvement in the reading ability of our Club Kids. Reading is the key to learning, and it opens doors to worlds that our Club Kids would never see or imagine."
— Ed Doyle
CEO, Boys & Girls Club of the Hatchie River Region
Help Build Great Futures Through Reading
Whether you're interested in volunteering, partnering with our Club, or supporting literacy initiatives, your investment helps create brighter futures for the children in our community.