District pushes tighter math and literacy core instruction, new monitoring to detect problems earlier

Chatham County Public Schools staff told the Academic Excellence Committee that the district will emphasize tighter core instruction, expand literacy supports and institute more frequent, district-level monitoring to detect learning gaps earlier than end-of-year standardized tests. Staff framed the effort around four priorities: strengthen core instruction, close literacy gaps, expand instructional and leadership coaching, and provide differentiated support where needed. Dr. Raymond Barnes, chief of schools, said the district will consolidate monitoring so leaders can answer the question, "If you ask me in October, how are the students doing? I have to be able to respond to that." He added, "We firmly believe that you can't intervention your way out of a learning deficit," underscoring staff's emphasis on improving core instruction alongside targeted intervention. Key elements discussed included: - Literacy: continued rollout of the science-of-reading approaches in early grades, expanded secondary strategies for students who are behind, and use of diagnostic tools such as Amira and i-Ready to identify specific deficits. - Assessment cadence: calls from board members and staff for more frequent classroom- and grade-level checks (daily exit tickets, weekly four-question checks, and nine-week or quarterly assessments) so teachers and leaders can adjust instruction in real time. - Tutoring and intervention: staff described plans to explore high-dosage tutoring and other tutoring initiatives for secondary students, particularly ninth graders, but the committee debated whether tutoring should supplement strong core instruction or be relied on as the primary fix. - Data protocols: the district will standardize a plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycle across schools so data analysis, lesson adjustments and replication of effective practices occur in a common framework. Board members emphasized family communication and teacher supports: several trustees urged regular positive and corrective communication to parents and asked that teachers be given clear, usable resources rather than an array of disconnected tools. No formal policy changes or funding actions were approved at this meeting; staff said the district previously approved budget support for instructional and leadership coaching at an earlier meeting and will return with implementation details.