'Rolling Classrooms' Help Fulton Students Improve Literacy

JOHNS CREEK, GA — Literacy plays a major role in the success of students in the Fulton County School System. The district's Transportation Department, eager to help the district meet those expectations, has developed an intriguing new rolling classroom initiative for some of Fulton County students.

As part of the school system's Strategic Plan, educators are aiming for third-grade students to recognize 250 to 300 words by sight by the end of that year. For the new school year, the School Nutrition and Transportation departments have started a sight word program to help boost students’ reading ability.

Each week, a new sight word will be chosen from a list suggested by High Point Elementary principal Carrie Pitchford and signs will be posted for students to see and memorize. Magnetic signs with any given week's word will be posted at the front of the bus for each week, then moved to the ceiling of the bus as the next week’s word is posted. The same sight word will also be posted in cafeteria serving lines. Bus drivers and School Nutrition staff will interact with students on sight word recognition.

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The weekly sight words are broken up into three 12-week periods, with the words getting slightly more complicated as the year goes on. Sight words at the beginning of the year include "the," "and," "it," "you," and "me." The final 12-week period includes words like "walk," "above," "mother," and "think."

“The sight words are good, especially for the younger students," said Fulton County school bus driver Samantha Thomas. "But it’s also a good way for the older kids to prove what they already know."

For now, this pilot version of the program covers four elementary schools: High Point, Esther Jackson, Mimosa, and Asa Hilliard. A survey will be done in November to get feedback on the program from teachers and students.

Vickie Cross, director of Transportation Operations, was inspired to start the program while reading Nancy Drew with her granddaughter, and the idea was quickly embraced by her colleagues.

“Buses are the hallways to the classroom,” said Sam Ham, executive director of Transportation Services. “This initiative dove-tails naturally with student achievement.”

Images via Fulton County Schools