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Instructional coaches outline into-reading rollout, small-group and assessment work
Summary
District instructional coaches told the RSU 52 board about how they are working with teachers to implement the Into Reading curriculum, coordinate UFLI phonics instruction and structure small groups, and use assessment data to target instruction.
Instructional coaches from multiple RSU 52 schools presented a progress update on the district coaching program and the rollout of the Into Reading curriculum, telling the school board how they are working with teachers to organize small-group instruction and use assessment data.
The coaches said the work focuses on giving students the specific skills needed to access grade-level content and on using regular assessments and small-group instruction to target gaps. "If the students don't have the skills, they can't access the content," said Alicia Saroy, instructional coach at Levitt, summarizing why coaches are prioritizing discrete skill instruction alongside content lessons.
Coaches described different, school-specific priorities. At Levitt, Saroy said coaches are identifying the prerequisite skills students need to do chemistry lab reports and then building supports so students can meet teacher expectations. "A lot of the cycles that I'm in with teachers ... we're focusing on identifying those skills that students need, seeing where they're at with those skills, and then determining, as a team, what we need to do to support them," she said.
Mallory Murphy, instructional coach at Ashburn Elementary School, said her work centers on structuring small-group rotations and ensuring students receive phonics instruction via UFLI where appropriate. "We have a phonics group, fluency groups, skill-based groups and readers who are above grade level," Murphy said, describing how teachers use flexible grouping to match instruction to student needs.
At Turner Primary School, Elaine Hammond said coaches are supporting read-aloud routines, comprehension talk and use of student workbooks and decodable readers. "The best experts are right in our buildings," she said when coaches discussed peer-to-peer sharing and teachers adapting materials for small groups.
Coaches also outlined the district assessment cadence tied to Into Reading: weekly checks, selection (story-based) assessments, module assessments at the end of 3- or 4-week modules, and benchmark/leveling checks. Coaches said the district is training teachers to use the digital assessment tools that accompany the program and to combine those data with progress monitoring such as UFLI probes.
Coaches and principals described logistical challenges — digital access, teacher time for planning, and learning new materials — but said teachers are sharing strategies across schools and that the early results show students gaining skills as they become familiar with routines. Several board members and administrators asked for follow-up reports on data and for copies of the coaches' materials.
The presentation closed with coaches saying they will continue to run coaching cycles, refine small-group schedules, and support teachers as Into Reading continues to be implemented across grade bands.
