Lynchburg City Schools describes TNTP partnership to implement Benchmark Advance, focusing on five elementary schools

Lynchburg City Schools told the board Tuesday that its partnership with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and the national nonprofit TNTP is helping the division implement Benchmark Advance, the district's selected high-quality instructional materials, and strengthen early-grade literacy instruction.

Dr. Fulton, presenting for the division's teaching and learning team, said Lynchburg was one of about a dozen divisions selected to participate in the VDOE's Comprehensive Literacy Network. "This is focused on implementing, helping divisions implement best practices in reading instruction," she said, noting the work advances the Virginia Literacy Act's requirements in the elementary grades.

Ms. Campbell and Ms. Bennett described the partnership's on-site and virtual support. The division hosted approximately 30 classroom observations in February and about 25 in March, the presenters said, and TNTP consultants Allison French and Blake Barber led debriefs with principals and teachers. "They were able, we were able to visit classrooms and we also, as a division team, were able to do on-site visits," Campbell said.

Presenters said early observation data showed strong use of the district's selected text and instructional materials but identified areas for refinement, notably alignment of teacher questioning and student cognitive engagement. "We're looking for more rigor in the questions," the presenters said, noting that Benchmark includes prescriptive questions tied to the text and that the district is working to ensure teachers use those questions and allow students time to answer and discuss.

The initiative is focused initially on five federally-identified elementary schools: Bedford Hills, Heritage Elementary, Linquin Elementary, R. S. Payne and Sandusky Elementary. Campbell said the division accepted participation in December and the partnership's learning work runs for two years; the presenters told the board the division does not pay TNTP for the partnership work. "We don't pay anything," one presenter said, adding that VDOE provides funding for the network.

The division plans to expand the strategies learned this summer to the other five elementary schools and the three middle schools as it finalizes a literacy plan for grades 4 through 8. The presenters said priorities for 2025-26 will include coaching and feedback, collaborative planning, deepening teacher knowledge and continued implementation of high-quality materials for both ELA and foundational skills.

Board member Dr. Day asked whether the program was experimental statewide; Fulton said the VDOE selected divisions for support based on need and willingness to participate and that there was no indication VDOE planned immediate statewide expansion. The presenters emphasized the work is designed to improve fidelity of implementation and to build principals' capacity as literacy leaders.

No formal board action or funding vote for this partnership was recorded during the public session; presenters described observational data, professional learning and an implementation timeline.