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Leading In Literacy: Building Early Literacy Partner Teams

September 26, 2024

Teachers trained in Tennessee are staying in Tennessee to teach. So, what can their training institutions (educator preparation providers, or EPPs) and future districts do to foster an even deeper connection between training and the classroom? 

The question is particularly important to ensure effective instruction reflecting Tennessee’s new literacy policies. Collaboration between EPPs and school districts is critical. This paper offers both a framework for this new model and an elementary school site visit toolkit.  

Key Takeaways:

  • Eight out of 10 teacher candidates at Tennessee’s 44 EPPs begin teaching in a Tennessee public school within a year of graduating. When they enter literacy-focused roles, the high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) adopted by their school will guide daily classroom instruction in reading foundational skills and knowledge building lessons, so preparation to use these materials is paramount.  
  • The emerging model in this report — Early Literacy Partner Teams — is being refined by Lead in Literacy Network participants and can support EPPs and school districts as they work together to support excellent literacy instruction.  
  • The Lead in Literacy Network collaboration between Tennessee EPPs and districts resulted in the elementary school site visit tool kit offered here, which includes guidance, agendas, and materials used by the partner EPPs and districts over the last school year.