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Belmont Elementary coach reports early reading gains after new curriculum, cadre support
Summary
An instructional coach described a multi-tier reading program, a partnership with the Indiana Literacy Cadre, and early signs of improved scores in checks for grades 3–5 following targeted interventions and new curriculum adoption.
An instructional coach told the board that a coordinated reading curriculum and external coaching support are producing early gains at Belmont Elementary.
The coach described adopting Wit & Wisdom for language comprehension along with Orton-Gillingham for phonics, using the Acadience screener to gather data and the 95% Group for targeted interventions. The district also partnered with the Indiana Literacy Cadre and Marion University for professional development and on-site coaching.
“I’ve already seen test scores go up,” the instructional coach said, describing how third-, fourth- and fifth-grade teams use baseline checkpoints and standard-based quizzes to identify gaps and run remediation groups. District figures presented at the meeting included a 3rd-grade math checkpoint reported as 18 percentage points above the state average and a 5th-grade reading gain of about 7 percentage points between checkpoints.
Staff explained the coaching cadence: monthly on-site visits by a cadre coach, biweekly virtual collaboration, classroom visits, and logged coaching interactions. Administrators said the approach includes special education and intervention staff so that remediation is coordinated across support roles.
Board members praised teachers’ work and external feedback from the cadre coach, and agreed to continue supporting professional development and data-driven instruction. No formal vote was required.
