For the second consecutive year, the top three finalists for the South Carolina International Reading Association’s Exemplary Reading Schools Award were schools from Spartanburg School District One.

Campobello-Gramling School was named the SCIRA Exemplary Reading School for 2013. Holly Springs Motlow School was named an honor/ first runner-up school.

District One Schools is extraordinarily proud of this accomplishment and it serves to validate that our schools are at the forefront of the best in literacy instruction across the state. When making the announcement of the winning school, the Chairman of the Awards Committee stated that all three schools from District One could have been the winner but the International Reading Association recognizes only one school from each state.

Each school was required to submit an extensive paper application that describes the literacy and reading program and covers these areas: the reading program is consistent with sound theory, research and practice; the reading program facilitates student learning; students have access to a wide variety of reading materials; students demonstrate success in reading; comprehension strategies are taught and applied across the curriculum; listening, speaking, viewing and writing are integrated into and support the reading program; administrators and teachers provide leadership and vision for the building and/or district reading program; the school and/or district offer support services to the program; literacy activities occur outside of school; and the community, including parents, is involved in the reading program.