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Newton County Schools outlines Q2 progress on literacy, instructional framework and resource audit
Summary
District staff presented a quarter‑2 report highlighting a district literacy strategy, a proposed Newton County Schools Framework for Excellence in Teaching, findings from an instructional resource audit and a new leadership development cohort called Thrive.
Ben Rountree, presenting the Board of Education informational item 11A1, told the board the quarter‑2 quarterly report is intended “to both monitor and communicate our progress toward implementing the board's priorities for the year.”
The report summarizes three academic priorities: develop a comprehensive literacy strategy; strengthen the instructional core by clarifying expectations for curriculum, planning, delivery, interventions and assessment; and implement consistent systems of support while investing in instructional leaders and support personnel. Rountree said the district has completed research and begun identifying core literacy elements, including districtwide training in the science of reading for K‑5 teachers and a REAP pilot at South Salem Elementary and East Newton Elementary that is informing district practice.
Rountree said the district selected a new universal screener for reading and math for grades K–12 “aligned with state requirements,” and staff are developing interim assessments and improving summative unit assessments with a plan to gather feedback on district‑created items.
On instructional expectations, staff reported progress toward a single, districtwide instructional framework. Rountree described planned elements—engagement, exploration, explanation, extension and evaluation—and said the framework will be “unique to our district” while drawing on research‑based practices and local teachers’ best practices. In later discussion, Superintendent Bradley and board members clarified the district will not adopt a static 5E framework wholesale but will include elements that best reflect local classroom practices.
The quarter‑2 report also covered operations: completion of a classification and compensation study intended to help recruitment and retention; an instructional resources audit that identified redundancies and underused platforms; and initial steps to refine procurement and renewal processes to capture cost savings. Rountree said the audit produced analytics showing platform usage rates and recommended tighter coordination so Title I purchases and building decisions feed districtwide procurement to leverage pricing and reduce duplicate spending.
Under culture and engagement, the district launched its first State of the District event, inaugural counselor‑of‑the‑year and support‑professional awards, and the Thrive executive leadership development program, which began with an initial cohort of 11 participants. Rountree also reported early work to expand dual‑enrollment opportunities with Georgia Piedmont Technical College and a cohort model to increase pathway completers.
Board members praised the report for aligning with previously stated priorities and requested follow‑up: they asked that findings from the instructional resources audit and any new procurement processes be shared with the community. Rountree and Superintendent Bradley said summary reports will be distributed to stakeholders and that additional staff engagement on the instructional framework will continue.
The presentation was informational; no board action on the Q2 report itself was recorded in the transcript.
