For a long time, Stacy Bailey-Lard has taught students to read. She’s strict and effective.

"You study your standards. You know what you’re going to teach. I believe in the traditional way," said Bailey-Lard. "Going back to when I started teaching it was just you learn to read now the research is saying that’s not so there’s a process to learning to read."

Reading academies require teachers to get constant training on new methods to help kids learn. Teachers have both regular and summer classes, so they must bring what they’ve learned to the classroom. 

Debbie Murillo runs early learning for Dallas ISD. She says it’s small changes that make a big difference. It’s worked across the district, especially in bilingual classrooms.

"Probably they never hear that sound," said Llanely Siebold, a bi-lingual teacher, of her students from different backgrounds. "They never have seen that symbol or the letter right?  So I have to help them and now I have resources believe me the academy gives all that." 

" I would say the majority of those at-risk readers showed tremendous growth if it wasn’t just moving up one grade level some of them advanced but it was making sure we looked for their growth," said Bailey-Lard.

If you know a teacher who is going the extra mile to help students succeed, contact education reporter Wayne Carter here.