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Cape Hatteras Elementary reading interventionist Beverly Hagy was honored with the distinguished Northeast Region Science of Reading True Trailblazer Award by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI). Recognized with one of only eight awards statewide, Hagy received this honor for her dedicated, systematic approach to improving literacy outcomes for students.

Hagy was surprised with this award during a special presentation before the entire school on Tuesday, October 29. During the presentation, Amy Rhyne, senior director of the NCDPI’s Office of Early Learning, praised Hagy’s commitment to strengthening literacy within her school community. “This individual has worked tirelessly not only to support others in adopting and implementing a systematic, explicit curriculum, but has also consistently sought out support and feedback to continuously improve the integrity of her own implementation as a reflective practitioner,” Rhyne stated.

Rhyne further commended Hagy’s role in empowering her colleagues, saying, “She has co-facilitated professional learning opportunities and supported teachers and instructional assistants as they learned new Tier 1 and Tier 2 instructional routines and practices.

Additionally, she has worked to refine her own instructional methods with a true learner’s mindset, to ensure that she is providing high-quality, intensive interventions aligned to student needs and data.”

Hagy’s impact on literacy at Cape Hatteras Elementary is profound. Collaborating closely with her fellow educators, Hagy has been instrumental in implementing the Science of Reading framework, which has led to significant growth in students’ reading skills as evidenced by significant improvements on the DIBELS^® (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) assessments.

Rhyne highlighted Hagy’s collaborative spirit and her role as a mentor and coach: “She is a team player, always willing to help her colleagues analyze literacy data as they focus on improving instruction in real-time. As the school has continued to improve, she has been a cheerleader, coach, and leader along the way.”

The Science of Reading framework is rooted in evidence-based research on how students best learn to read, emphasizing mastery in five key areas: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension.

Reflecting on the significance of Hagy’s accomplishment, Dare County Schools Superintendent Steve Basnight noted the major shift that the Science of Reading represents for Dare County Schools’ literacy instruction. “This has been a huge transition for our elementary schools in a very short timeframe from the way literacy was previously being taught to the new Science of Reading,” said Basnight. “Ms. Hagy deserves this and so much more. We are thrilled to see her efforts recognized and so grateful to the NCDPI staff who traveled to Cape Hatteras Elementary to celebrate her!”

“Dare County Schools congratulates Beverly Hagy on this remarkable achievement and are grateful for her unwavering dedication to her students’ success,” noted the announcement of her award.

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