ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Erin Babb smiles as she leads a reading lesson for a small group of second graders at Hickory Hills Elementary School, part of a growing push to strengthen literacy instruction in Georgia classrooms.
The district began placing literacy coaches in all elementary schools in 2021 in an effort to identify curriculum gaps and help students like Mackenzie Quinn learn to read.
“I love reading because some books give us a lot of information about important stuff that we should know,” Quinn said.
Since literacy coaches were added in Marietta City Schools, the district reports third-grade reading scores have increased by 17 points, along with an 11% rise in the number of students reading at or above grade level.
“It’s changed our teachers and how they think about kids and think about reading,” Hickory Hills Principal Kristen Beaudin said.
Beaudin said literacy coaches work alongside teachers to model instruction, provide feedback and refine lesson strategies, while also leading small-group instruction for students who need additional support.
“When a football team wants to run a new play or learn a new skill, they don’t just throw the team out there and say try it,” Beaudin said. “There’s a coach in there modeling, providing feedback, doing repetition, just as many things as they need.”
Starting next year, every elementary school in the state will be required to have a literacy coach following Gov. Brian Kemp’s signing of House Bill 1193. The positions will be funded through state grant money and are expected to be in place by the 2027–2028 school year.
Georgia currently ranks about 30th in education nationwide, according to U.S. News & World Report. Beaudin said she believes the initiative could help improve those rankings.
“It will no longer be a conversation of what’s wrong with Georgia schools, but a conversation of what’s happening in Georgia schools,” she said. “We could lead the nation in literacy.”
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