Samantha Culver

The 'Tennessee Succeeds' strategic plan, developed by the Tennessee Department of Education, aims to build upon the state's existing educational achievements and growth. It introduces five new priorities designed to enhance current initiatives and elevate educational outcomes across Tennessee, supporting ongoing efforts in classrooms statewide.

The Lauderdale County Strategic Plan (2024-2028) prioritizes academic achievement and social development, focusing on improving literacy and numeracy across all grade levels, enhancing post-secondary/career readiness, and promoting positive social development skills. It also emphasizes family and community engagement by increasing community awareness of educational priorities and expanding opportunities for family/community involvement. The plan includes maximizing and aligning resources in budget/operations, defining capital outlay priorities, and developing a long- and short-range plan to address those needs. Finally, it addresses political advocacy by communicating with legislative bodies and elected officials to advocate for local education concerns.

The Lauderdale County Schools Foundational Literacy Skills Plan focuses on improving literacy skills in grades K-5 by implementing a Science of Reading approach. The plan details daily foundational literacy instruction for grades K-2, including whole group instruction, differentiated small group work, and explicit phonemic awareness instruction using the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum. Grades 3-5 utilize the Wit & Wisdom ELA curriculum, emphasizing knowledge-building and embedded foundational skills instruction. The plan also outlines additional supports such as professional development, intervention structures, parent notification, and the use of various assessment tools (universal screeners, diagnostic assessments). The goal is to improve literacy skills, address skill gaps, and support students who are at-risk or have significant reading deficiencies.