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State board honors first graduates of Literacy Coach Academy of Mississippi
Summary
The board recognized the first cohort of graduates from the Literacy Coach Academy, a year‑long, evidence‑based training program aimed at preparing K–5 literacy coaches to support districts with low third‑grade reading scores.
The Mississippi State Board of Education on June 20 recognized the first cohort of graduates from the Literacy Coach Academy of Mississippi, a professional development program designed to train kindergarten through fifth grade teachers and district coaches in evidence‑based literacy coaching methods.
Ms. Cook introduced the graduates and invited eight in‑person participants forward. The board read the list of graduates from several districts, including Kristen Gilmer (Lamar County), Leslie Holloway (Pearl School District), and Tia Thompson (Meridian Public School District), and acknowledged five additional graduates who were not present.
Program facilitators Amanda Malone and Dr. Jennifer West were thanked for leading the Academy. The presenter described the Academy as a rigorous, year‑long course comparable to a college‑level class and said it was created to enable districts that wish to hire their own literacy coaches to have access to well‑trained candidates using methods used by the Department of Education’s literacy coaches.
Several graduates spoke briefly about their experiences. Kristen Gilmer said the program had been “very, very beneficial” as she supports teachers in her district. Other graduates stressed hands‑on coaching, on‑site observations, virtual classes and an emphasis on the science of reading as program strengths.
Board members praised the initiative as a way to expand trained literacy coaches across the state and to strengthen evidence‑based reading instruction in districts that need additional support.
