News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Literacy Implementation Network working across the state to implement a high-quality English Language Arts curriculum.
Diana Wood is the Putnam Schools PreK through 4th Grade Instructional Supervisor. She said Putnam County is a mentor district for surrounding areas because it was an early adopter of this curriculum.
“So the goal is we’re mentoring them in the implementation, they’re a little bit newer in their adoption fo the materials,” Wood said. “So we share some of our glows and grows and things we have learned along the way in order to help them with their implementation.”
Wood said that mentee districts, such as Jackson County and Overton County, participate in what they call “learning walks” once a month. She said they walk through classrooms and see how the implementation is going, and what the next steps are to improve.
Wood said the Literacy Implementation Network has a broader goal of improving the reading and literacy skills of Tennessee students. By adopting the curriculum and having districts help one another, Wood said they are able to make sure all students have access to the same core of information.
“It’s just helping our teachers understand that ‘why’ behind the curriculum and the fact that it is research-based, it’s systematic, building knowledge for students of different topics,” Wood said. “And it’s also promoting equity among students so all students are getting the same curriculum.”
Wood said that is the teachers who bring the curriculum to life and make it magical in the classroom, understanding the ‘why’ behind the curriculum can help teachers get behind it.
Wood said the school system is already seeing marked improvements with the implementation of the curriculum plus the mastery of its teachers in disseminating the lessons from the curriculum.
