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District credited with early-literacy gains after statewide LETRS rollout
Summary
NHCS officials told the board that districtwide LETRS training, new curriculum and newly funded early literacy facilitator positions produced a 10% mid-year gain on DIBELS and at least 60% proficiency across K–3 grades at mid-year, prompting a state board invitation to present the work.
New Hanover County Schools staff told the board on May 5 that a districtwide push on early literacy—including LETRS training for teachers, adoption of new core materials and a three-year endowment to fund literacy facilitator positions—has produced measurable reading gains in elementary grades.
At a presentation led by district literacy leaders, the board heard that the district added dedicated early literacy facilitators in every elementary and pre-K program and invested in aligned professional development and coaching. Maureen Hill, who led the professional-development portion of the presentation, said the facilitators coach teachers, co-teach, analyze classroom data and lead targeted interventions tailored to each school’s needs. "We grew 10% in our overall DIBELS assessment from the beginning of the year to the middle of the year," Hill said, and staff reported that every K–3 grade reached at least 60% proficiency on DIBELS at mid-year.
Superintendent Barnes and board members framed the growth as the product of sustained, districtwide implementation: common curriculum resources, LETRS cohort training, and targeted supports for schools with the greatest needs. Board member Pat Bradford highlighted the committee’s work to model total compensation for staff and the district’s ongoing advocacy for increased allotments and funding formulas at the state level.
District presenters credited a 2024 three-year grant that funded the literacy facilitator roles as central to sustaining change. They also described learning walks, cross-school collaboration, and a coaching course for facilitators as mechanisms that helped translate LETRS training into classroom practice. Hill told the board the facilitators gave teachers time during the day to complete LETRS coursework and then demonstrated how to apply that learning in lessons.
The presentation prompted public praise from board members and an invitation from the State Board of Education: district teams were asked to present the program and outcomes to statewide audiences. The board did not take any formal action at the meeting on literacy funding; the presentation was informational and positioned the district to seek continued support from the county and state for scaling and sustaining the work.
The board is scheduled to meet again June 2; any requests for additional funding or structural changes to expand the literacy initiative would be considered through the budget and committee process.
