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Moreland district to add systematic phonics, screeners and instructional rounds in push to raise reading scores
Summary
Superintendent and education staff told the board the district will add districtwide screeners and systematic phonics instruction for early grades, expand instructional leadership ("instructional rounds") and focus on grade‑level tasks after mixed state assessment results.
Superintendent Dr. Codd (identified in the meeting) and educational‑services staff told the Moreland School District Board of Trustees that the district plans a research‑driven shift in early‑grade reading instruction and a renewed focus on grade‑level instruction across grades K–8.
At the board meeting the superintendent said the district will add systematic screening and phonics supports alongside existing guided‑reading practices. Educational‑services staff reported the district has already begun giving the DIBELS screener and is rolling out a daily phonemic‑awareness routine (presented at the meeting as the Heggerty phonemic‑awareness sequence). Staff described introducing a structured phonics program at elementary sites and creating a support website and optional trainings for teachers.
The presentation framed the change as an alignment with recent national research (presentations cited TNTP’s Opportunity Myth and Opportunity Makers) and local assessment results. The superintendent summarized assessment findings: districtwide there were “no gains” in grades 3–8 English language arts and math overall on the state CAST assessment; the district noted bright spots at individual schools, including Anderson (+8 points in reading) and Latimer (+5 points in math), and Moreland Middle School (+4 points in math).
To monitor classroom practice and strengthen instructional leadership, the district will conduct “instructional rounds” in which principals and assistant principals observe each other’s schools and calibrate expectations for grade‑level instruction and explicit teaching of grade‑level tasks. The superintendent said these rounds will begin this week at two sites.
Educational services also described changes in student‑support systems: a districtwide Student Support Model, greater distribution of behavioral technicians and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) to sites, and a new district‑managed behavior support model intended to give principals more local control over services formerly provided by outside vendors.
Math and curriculum work were also addressed: the district plans a pilot year for new middle‑ and elementary‑level math materials and will return to the board during the adoption window next spring. The district also plans professional‑learning efforts, including work with Stanford (CSET) for middle‑school math and a district Communities of Practice model for grade‑level teacher collaboration.
The superintendent stressed resources are finite and asked the board to focus on stopping practices that do not advance student learning as well as funding new initiatives. “This is the year,” she said, summarizing a renewed sense of urgency for raising achievement.
Ending: The board heard the report and asked staff to return with implementation details; no new district‑level policy was adopted at the meeting.
