The Steilacoom Historical School District is thrilled to announce "Operation ELEVATE," a recent $1.5 million grant received from the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) over the course of five years. DoDEA grants aim to enhance educational outcomes, reduce achievement gaps, and offer academic programs for districts with a high number of military-connected students.

Operation ELEVATE's primary goal is to address the challenges that students face in achieving literacy growth, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic. The plan involves implementing a sustainable system of effective classroom instruction that aligns with collective teacher efficacy conditions. Furthermore, Operation ELEVATE will focus on evidence-based early literacy enhancements in K-5 classrooms.

Recognizing the pandemic's disproportionate impact on early learners' literacy skills, the grant will establish after-school Literacy Labs at K-5 military-connected schools. Another significant objective of the grant is to ensure consistency in English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum from K-12. This involves implementing a uniform curriculum aligned with state standards and evidence-based practices/programs under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The 2023-2024 school year will primarily be a planning year for these initiatives.

Steilacoom Historical School District is one of 19 school districts supporting Army installations that received a total of $29,250,000 to support military connected students.  This is the district’s 5^th DoDEA grant award.