TIFTON, GA – Tift County Schools is proud to announce a new partnership with the Rollins Center for Language and Literacy at the Atlanta Speech School beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, continuing the district’s strong investment in improving literacy instruction and supporting teachers in the classroom.
Following a recent two-day site visit where Rollins Center representatives observed classroom instruction and met with district leaders and educators, Tift County Schools was selected to participate in the partnership aimed at strengthening evidence-based literacy practices and building sustainable systems that support student achievement.
As part of the partnership’s first year, Annie Belle Clark Elementary School, Charles Spencer Elementary School, and J.T. Reddick Elementary School will serve as the primary sites for classroom observations, coaching support, and on-the-ground implementation of the Rollins Center’s literacy model.
While these schools will serve as the initial focus for site-based support, the partnership will include educators from across the district. Literacy coaches from all eight elementary schools, along with principals and assistant principals, will participate in professional learning sessions facilitated by the Rollins Center. This approach allows Tift County Schools to strengthen leadership capacity and develop a shared understanding of effective literacy instruction while concentrating intensive support in the initial partner schools.
Superintendent Natalie Gore explains, “the partnership reflects the district’s continued commitment to investing in teachers and strengthening classroom instruction, which is ultimately what leads to increased rates of students reading on grade level”.
“Tift County Schools has made a significant investment in literacy by ensuring our teachers have the tools, resources, and training needed to support every learner,” explains Jennifer Howell, Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. “This partnership with the Rollins Center builds on that work by providing ongoing professional learning, and within the classroom coaching and modeling that helps translate research and knowledge into effective classroom practice.”
In the past two years, Tift County Schools has strengthened its literacy initiatives through several key efforts, including:
1. Providing High-Quality Instructional Resources & Curriculum Alignment to ensure all students (Prek-12) have access to rigorous, standards-aligned literacy materials
Purchased new ELA curriculum resources for grades K–5
Upgraded ELA curriculum resources for 6-12 to align with Georgia Standards
Implemented Read 180 (research-based program aligned with the Science of Reading) for secondary reading interventions
Implemented AMIRA for elementary reading interventions
Aligned District Curriculum resource documents to standards and instructional materials
Pacing guides
Unit plans
Assessment Guides
Provided District Guidance for Lesson Structure following the Gradual Release model of instruction
2. Providing Professional Learning & Training to build educator expertise and ensure consistent, high-impact evidence-based literacy instructional practices across all grade levels
Provided Science of Reading training through Cox Campus/GA Learns for every elementary school teacher
Providing Adolescent Literacy training to secondary ELA teachers
Implemented multiple LETRS (specialized literacy training) cohorts for teachers and administrators to deepen their understanding of literacy instruction
Trained Special Education teachers and provided additional literacy resources to support structured literacy and Science of Reading research
3. Providing additional Tiered Literacy Supports & Intervention Systems to Strengthen Tier 1 and Tier 2/3 supports to meet diverse student needs
Provided dedicated Early Intervention Teachers and Remedial Education Program teachers to support reading instruction and interventions for Tift’s most at-risk students
Provided training and aligned resources (AMIRA, Read180, and Tier 1-3 interventions) to intervention teachers to support literacy instruction
4. Designed and Implemented Assessment, Data, & Progress Monitoring Systems to assist in using data to inform instruction and ensure timely intervention
Utilized common assessments so teachers have a consistent metric to plan, evaluate, and adjust instruction
Implemented a state-approved universal screener
Implemented diagnostic assessments for targeted support
5. Established Instructional Time & System Structures to protect time and create conditions for effective literacy instruction across all schools
Defined literacy block expectations for K-5
Protected time for:
Core instruction
Interventions
Collaborative planning
6. Created Collaborative Professional Culture & Instructional Planning to ensure literacy is a shared responsibility across classrooms and content areas
Implemented collaborative planning protocols and expectations
Job embedded coaching
Instructional Coach, RESA, and partner organizations Modeling & Support
Administrator participation and facilitation in Professional learning communities
District level support for collaborative planning, coaching, and walk throughs to provide feedback
7. Provided Instructional Coaching Positions, Training & Leadership for Literacy to build internal capacity to sustain high-quality literacy practices
Clearly defined and articulated role of instructional coaches in literacy instruction and professional learning
Provided professional learning for instructional coaches and administrators for literacy instruction and support
Provided literacy training for district leaders and administrators
Created Literacy walkthrough tools aligned to best practices
Enhanced Parent & Family Communication and Engagement by extending literacy resources beyond the classroom.
Provided Summer Literacy Calendars
Summer Read Alouds through each school’s website/social media pages
Developed Family literacy workshops to build parent knowledge and family literacy practices
Addition of Book Taco for students to use at home or school
Provided Public Library Play Card in partnership with the Tifton-Tift County Public Library and partnered to provide schools with engaging literacy activities
Books given to every child during summer feeding with activities aligned to the book
Addition of Birth-5 Initiative to support early literacy development through parent workshops, play to learn workshops, milestone literacy development cards for each milestone birth to five
Partnered with Southwell to provide milestones and a book for every newborn
The partnership with the Rollins Center will expand on these efforts by pairing continued professional learning with on-site coaching, classroom modeling, and collaborative planning support, helping ensure that research-based practices are implemented effectively in classrooms. Rollins Center facilitators will work closely with district and school teams throughout the partnership to support implementation and collaboration of research based literacy practices.
The partnership is designed as a three-year collaboration, though progress is evaluated annually to ensure the work continues to meet the district’s goals and needs. Over time, the partnership will help build instructional expertise, strengthen leadership capacity, and support improved literacy outcomes for students.
This initiative supports Goal #1 of the Tift County Schools Strategic Plan: Achieve Academic Excellence for All, by strengthening literacy instruction and ensuring every student develops the foundational reading skills necessary for long-term academic success.
For more information about Tift County Schools and its literacy initiatives, visit www.tiftschools.com.
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