Savannah-Chatham board hears GMAS results; leaders urge deeper reading interventions, coaching

Laura May, a district staff member who presented the results, told the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education on Sept. 2 that the 2025 Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS) shows mixed results across grade bands and subjects. The district outperformed its comparison group in several elementary math and science measures but fell below the state in many content-mastery measures and overall proficiency levels.

The presentation included a matched-cohort analysis comparing the same students’ scores year over year (for example, third grade in 2024 vs. fourth grade in 2025). May said the analysis showed gains in some elementary cohorts in ELA and math but drops when students transition into the middle grades.

Why it matters: Board members said the data show many students remain below grade level in reading — “proficient” was described by one member as the minimum expected standard — and that persistent low proficiency has long-term implications for students’ academic trajectories.

Discussion and reactions Dr. Stephanie Watts, the district’s chief academic officer, told the board she accepts responsibility for the results and asked for patience while the district implements changes. “Until every kid in this district can read, we should all be big mad,” Watts said, pledging that she will “lean in” on instruction and coaching.

Board members and classroom teachers who spoke at the meeting pointed to several recurring themes in the discussion: pandemic-era learning disruptions, previous shifts in literacy pedagogy, implementation of a new curriculum (referred to in the meeting as HMH), and the district’s more recent move toward the “science of reading” and phonics instruction. A classroom teacher who spoke during the meeting said many older students lack phonics foundations and that consistent, fidelity-driven instruction will take time to produce gains.

Administrators described the district’s instructional response as multi-pronged. Dr. Barnes, an academic team member, said the district plans to increase “knee-to-knee” coaching, strengthen principal instructional leadership, unpack new standards with teachers, and systematize monitoring so teachers receive timely, actionable feedback. The district said it will continue pilots and targeted interventions while studying what can scale across schools.

Board-level options and debate Several board members raised retention-with-intervention, expanded summer or year-round instruction, and smaller class sizes as possible strategies. Some members warned against a blanket retention policy and urged “retention with intent” — i.e., retaining individual students only with a clear, individualized instructional plan and different interventions rather than repeating the same program.

Public comment and MTSS In public comment, a teacher and a parent speaker urged a clear, districtwide MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) framework so interventions and student data follow students between schools. A community presenter who works with students recommended consistent 1-on-1 diagnostic screening (for example, phonics assessments) and said that strong MTSS implementation could reduce the need for retention.

Decisions, directions and next steps No formal board policy change was made at the meeting. Administrators said an administrative response and more detailed materials (including school-level tables and the academic excellence committee’s August briefing) are available and will be used to guide next steps. Dr. Watts and staff said they will prioritize coaching, core-instruction fidelity, and targeted interventions at schools identified as most in need. The board asked for continued reporting and for the district to provide more detailed school-level and K–2 reading data in future briefings.

Ending note Board members praised staff transparency and urged faster, measurable progress, while staff cautioned that deep curriculum and instructional shifts will take multiple years to show systemic gains.