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Roundstone Elementary principal outlines literacy push, expanded coaching and departmentalized upper grades
Summary
At a Rockcastle County Board of Education meeting, Principal Debbie Coleman showcased Roundstone Elementary’s plans to implement common reading screeners, expand phonics instruction and bring a math coach through the Kentucky Center for Mathematics; students described classroom changes and departmentalization in grades 4–5.
Debbie Coleman, principal of Roundstone Elementary, told the Rockcastle County Board of Education on Tuesday that her school is rolling out a districtwide reading-assessment plan and several instructional supports aimed at raising literacy and math outcomes.
Coleman said the elementary schools have developed a shared diagnostic and screener process and are aligning interventions so student records move with the child between schools. "By 2027–28, every student will read on grade level or above," she said, presenting the district’s reading goal and describing the school’s literacy strategy tied to Senate Bill 9’s diagnostics requirement for students at or below the 40th percentile.
Why it matters: Early literacy and consistent assessments shape how schools identify students who need targeted instruction. Coleman said the district plans to use the same screeners and diagnostics across elementary schools so interventions are consistent when students transfer.
Coleman described a slate of supports for teachers and students: full implementation of UFLI phonics instruction in pilot grades, a math coach provided through the Kentucky Center for Mathematics to co-teach and plan lessons, and a science coach to help teachers build lessons. She said PBIS (positive behavioral interventions and supports) is in place with common expectations across classrooms.
On staffing and scheduling, Coleman said Roundstone has added new teachers and a food-service employee for the year and has departmentalized instruction in grades 4 and 5 so students rotate to teachers focused on math, reading, science and social studies. Students who spoke to the board agreed the new schedule is more engaging: one student said, "I like math."
Coleman also highlighted school culture items — Eagles of Excellence awards, growth parties, increasing PTG participation and attendance that she said started the year at roughly 98% — and invited board members to observe classes implementing the new practices.
The presentation closed with board members thanking Coleman and the school staff for the work preparing the building for the year. Coleman asked the board to visit classrooms and observe the new instructional routines.
