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Lincoln Parish board hears K–2 literacy plan, hears Louisiana Tech offer UFLI pilot and research partnership
Summary
District academic leaders identified K–2 literacy as the top priority for 2024–25 and introduced a proposed partnership with Louisiana Tech to pilot the UFLI Foundations phonics curriculum and collect student proficiency data; the board asked for periodic progress reports.
Dana Talley, the district’s academic lead, told the Lincoln Parish School Board the district’s top instructional priority for 2024–25 is K–2 literacy and outlined a district plan to monitor classroom instruction and student mastery.
“Students must have grade‑appropriate assignments, strong instruction, deep engagement and teachers with high expectations,” Talley said, summarizing a national study the district used to frame its goals and the district’s expectation that principals and coaches implement regular walkthroughs, check‑ins and coaching plans.
Michelle Thrower, the district’s K–2 ELA facilitator, introduced a Louisiana Tech team and described why the district is piloting UFLI Foundations, a structured phonics program that Louisiana Tech faculty said has 128 lessons and a two‑day lesson sequence designed to build phoneme‑grapheme mapping through daily whole‑group instruction plus targeted small groups. “My personal goal is for all students to be reading on grade level by the end of second grade,” Thrower said.
Dr. Libby Manning of Louisiana Tech explained the curriculum’s approach and evidence base, noting the program emphasizes explicit, systematic instruction, checks for understanding and frequent progress monitoring tied to DIBELS screening. “We believe literacy is essential for academic, social, and economic success,” Manning said, describing prior district and university observations in classrooms and effect sizes reported in early implementations.
Talley said district DIBELS and LEAP data motivated the priority: K–3 DIBELS proficiency was reported at about 43% in Lincoln Parish (the district’s LEAP proficiency for the total population moved from 44% to 43% proficient year‑to‑year), and the district’s goal is measurable improvement. Talley said beginning‑of‑year results will be shared next month, with mid‑year updates and an end‑of‑year comparison planned.
Louisiana Tech representatives said they have offered teacher training, manuals and classroom resources and proposed collecting proficiency data to evaluate implementation. The university and district reported volunteer teacher workshops this summer and early classroom walk‑throughs; district staff said they will monitor weekly progress‑monitoring checks and use coaching plans to support priority teachers.
Board members pressed for accountability and public updates. A board member asked for periodic reports on implementation and student progress; Talley replied the district will provide beginning‑of‑year and mid‑year data and return to the board for updates. The board did not take any formal action to commit district funds beyond routine procurement in this meeting; the presentation closed with staff promising to return with data and next steps.
Next steps: the district will begin classroom monitoring and teacher coaching, proceed with Louisiana Tech training and provide the board with a sequence of reports comparing beginning‑ and mid‑year results against last year’s benchmarks.
