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Marion County highlighted in national study; board spotlights new literacy and math curricula
Summary
Board presenters said a national study ranked Marion County among the highest post-COVID academic "bounce backs," and district leaders credited curriculum changes, coaching and LETRS training for measurable classroom gains. The board discussed CKLA, EnVision math, weekly screen-free days and professional development.
The Marion County Board of Education on May 20 showcased a national study and local instructional changes the superintendent and staff said helped the district recover academically after the COVID downturn.
District presenters told the board that a study conducted by researchers at Harvard, Dartmouth and Stanford combined state reading and math data with national NAEP results and ranked Marion County among the highest "bounce backs" in the nation. "Marion County scored not just one of the highest bounce backs in Kentucky, but the highest academic performance coming out of COVID nationally," the presenter said during the report.
Why it matters: Board members and instructional staff linked the gains to coordinated curriculum adoption, coaching and targeted teacher training. Superintendent Brady and instructional leaders said the district adopted Amplify's CKLA for K-5 and Amplify ELA for grades 6-8 to create a knowledge-building sequence across grades and that co-teaching and lesson internalization were central to implementation.
Instructional coach Cathy Madigan described the CKLA approach as "a knowledge building curriculum" that bundles standards and spirals vocabulary and background knowledge across grades so students encounter and retain key terms. "This knowledge building curriculum is going to be a great thing, because these kids are going to know this," Madigan said, adding that coaches model lessons and work directly with teachers in classrooms.
Teachers and administrators also emphasized LETRS training. Jennifer Russell summarized LETRS as a multi-year professional development pathway for teachers and a one-year pathway for administrators that aligns with the adopted curriculum. She said LETRS helps leaders and teachers implement the science of reading and that the program "meshes so well together" with the district's chosen materials.
Other instructional initiatives noted at the meeting included a move to weekly screen-free Wednesdays next year (instead of monthly screen-free days) to encourage hands-on lessons without Chromebooks, and pilot classroom strategies such as KWL charts and "window notes" that teachers say increased engagement. One classroom teacher reported notable gains in her room after implementing the tools.
Board members framed the improvements as the result of sustained instructional choices, coaching and collective teacher efficacy rather than a single program. The board will continue monitoring outcomes as the district transitions to these curricula and professional development programs.
