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Board splits on reading policy 5525 requiring book reports; committee recommends repeal for rework
Summary
A contentious discussion of proposed revisions to policy 55-25 (reading requirements for promotion) prompted board members and teachers' representatives to recommend either revising or repealing the policy and replacing it with a teacher-informed, evidence-based approach; the item was set for further action at the June 9 business meeting.
The Moore County Board of Education devoted a long, at times heated, portion of its June 2 work session to policy 55'25, a district policy that requires multiple written book'report assignments per year as evidence of reading and writing proficiency.
Policy committee members shared a teacher feedback summary gathered by district curriculum staff: teachers reported that the book'report assignment can require as much as two weeks of instructional time in a nine'week period, is difficult to grade with consistent fidelity, and sometimes yields limited instructional value when students choose previously read books, rely on external help, or use generated text. Some teachers included in the committee'collected feedback said the task diverted time from standards instruction and preparation for state assessments.
Board member comments reflected sharply different views. Several trustees, including Pauline Bruno and Kenneth Benway, argued the assignment is a valuable capstone exercise that measures written communication and should be preserved or reworked to be more useful. Bruno said the requirement gives parents "one snapshot" of what their child can do in writing. Benway said writing is a core skill and the policy helped elevate the district's attention to writing instruction.
Other trustees and several teachers and curriculum leaders pushed for repeal or redesign. They argued the policy was written without sufficient input from classroom teachers, has inconsistent implementation across schools, risks encouraging superficial compliance (including cheating or parent completion), and reduces time available for instruction tied to state standards. The policy committee reported teacher recommendations including fewer book reports (for example, one per semester instead of quarterly), alignment to standards, and cocreation of any new requirement with classroom teachers.
Deputy Superintendent Doctor Metcalfe said the policy stems in part from State Board guidance and that local implementation must align with state requirements; he also told the board the district had not set a specific effectiveness metric tied solely to the book'report policy and that state assessment effects for the current cohort would appear in the fall.
The policy committee sought board direction; several trustees asked that a replacement or revision be prepared with a teacher'led design process before the district retires the existing policy. Board member Miss Davis (policy committee chair) said the committee would bring the item back for action at the June 9 business meeting to meet the timeline needed for summer gradebook and curriculum preparations. No final repeal or adoption vote was taken on June 2.
