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Board pursues expanded reading training and coaching; department outlines scale‑up plan for LETRS and ARI supports
Summary
Board members discussed the state effort to expand Science of Reading training (LETRS/letters), reading coaches and regional supports; staff said training cohorts, regional coaches and ARI specialists are being scaled with federal funds and that districts may use ESSER funds to pay for local cohorts and coaching.
Board members pressed department leaders for specifics about the state’s reading initiative, training capacity for LETRS/letters, coaching structures and the use of federal funds to expand professional development.
Department staff said they have been working to clear waiting lists for LETRS cohorts and to align regional literacy coaches with local needs. Staff said training and coaching are being rolled out through regional teams and that some regional coaches are still completing their training while coaching cycles continue. "We've made that clear. We have the money. We've got the money," a department official said, noting ESSER funds can be used for reading and math professional development.
Board members asked whether members of the textbook committee or literacy task force are LETRS‑trained; staff said the literacy task force will form a subcommittee to vet early‑grade reading materials and that the department hopes to complete that vetting by around June so the textbook committee and districts can use the results.
Members emphasized coaching as a critical component: veteran teachers said classroom‑level coaching following training produces better results than training alone. Staff described a “bridge to practice” model—train, return to classroom with coached implementation, and use regional coaches for side‑by‑side support.
Why it matters: expanding evidence‑aligned reading instruction and coaching is central to recovery and long‑term literacy improvement; training scale, funding sources and local coaching capacity will determine whether districts can sustain changes in classroom practice.
