In East Baton Rouge Parish Schools, Teachers and Students are Growing Stronger with Amira
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The Challenge
East Baton Rouge Parish School System is the second-largest district in Louisiana, serving over 65 school sites with approximately 48 elementary schools, 15 middle schools, and 15 high schools. With a high population of students receiving free and reduced lunch and a large minority student body, the district has long prioritized early literacy instruction, particularly for K-3 students.
However, significant challenges stood in the way of effective literacy instruction. The district had an influx of novice teachers, many operating under temporary teaching authority without full certification. Many of these teachers entered the classroom with limited training in foundational literacy and Science of Reading instruction, leaving them without the confidence to support students performing below grade level effectively.
Before implementing Amira, teachers struggled to provide targeted instruction. "We would pool students, and we would try to work on their deficits based on common formative assessments," explains Bianca Plummer, literacy trainer for the district. "But sometimes, teachers wouldn’t know where to start with students and how to deliver instruction specific to their needs."
Large class sizes compounded the challenge and the logistical difficulty of meeting individual student needs through traditional small group instruction, especially if entire classes were performing below grade level.
The Solution
East Baton Rouge first piloted Amira in the English as a Second Language (ESL) department. Administrators sought a solution for students taking the ACCESS test who were on the cusp of being on grade level, but weren’t quite there yet. After having ESL students at Cedar Crest, Southmore, and Audubon Elementary schools start practice with Amira, the district saw significant reading growth and decided to expand the program.
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The state of Louisiana provided Amira licenses for K-5 students, enabling district-wide implementation. When it came time to roll out Amira, the district took a comprehensive training approach. Literacy coaches attended monthly meetings and received implementation guides with teacher and district goals. These coaches then conducted campus-based training sessions through professional learning communities, while administrators participated in onboarding courses to understand the program's capabilities.
Amira serves a dual purpose in East Baton Rouge: supporting students’ reading growth while providing scaffolding for less experienced teachers. Teachers use Amira's skills diagnostic reports to group students and align interventions with their EL education curriculum. The program's alignment with the district's tier 1 curriculum has been particularly beneficial, providing teachers with ready-made resources rather than requiring them to search elsewhere for materials.
East Baton Rouge uses Amira to build fluency and monitor reading growth. And because Amira is proven to produce reading growth with just 30 minutes of consistent weekly practice, Amira has been easy to integrate into classroom schedules without overwhelming teachers. Several middle schools also use it as part of an intervention block.
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The Outcome
Today, East Baton Rouge uses Amira across all elementary schools and select middle schools, where it’s incorporated into intervention blocks and ESL classes.
Like many large districts, East Baton Rouge is managing multiple literacy programs. However, schools like Claiborne Elementary, Audubon Elementary, and Cedar Crest demonstrate Amira’s effectiveness when used with fidelity. Their students—who consistently practice with Amira at the recommended 30 minutes per week—demonstrate the strongest reading growth, with some students advancing multiple grade levels.
Bianca quickly points out that the district measures success not just in absolute achievement, but in consistent progress. Kiera adds that teachers have also become more confident and effective in their instruction, particularly those new to the profession. Amira’s structure and ready-made resources make it easy for inexperienced teachers to deliver targeted literacy instruction confidently and successfully.
Students also demonstrate high engagement with Amira. It’s not unusual for students to get excited about reading with Amira and to be disappointed when their sessions end. The district has even launched competitions to promote usage, with some students moving multiple grade levels because of their investment in the program.
For Teachers Just Starting Out or Decades In, Amira Brings Clarity to Reading Instruction in East Baton Rouge
