S05E06 - Building Strong Readers in Rural Schools: An Interview with Ms. Tracy Kingsley and Ms. Ashley Wood

About this episode

The episode discusses a literacy coaching initiative in rural Missouri that improved early reading outcomes.

This episode of The Rural Voice podcast features a conversation with Superintendent Tracy Kingsley and teacher Ashley Wood from the Newburgh R2 School District in rural Missouri, highlighting how a structured literacy coaching initiative transformed early reading outcomes in their schools. In response to post-COVID learning loss, teacher inexperience, and inconsistent literacy instruction, the district partnered with TNTP to implement a coaching model grounded in the science of reading. The approach emphasized collaboration over evaluation, with coaches working directly alongside teachers through classroom visits, modeling, and ongoing feedback. This support led to curriculum changes, stronger alignment between grade levels, and significant gains in foundational literacy skills, including a dramatic increase in first-grade reading proficiency. District leadership played a key role by prioritizing professional development, protecting instructional time, and fostering teacher buy-in through trust and shared decision-making. The discussion also underscores the importance of family engagement, data-driven assessment, and long-term sustainability planning in small rural districts…

People in this episode

Hosts: Dr Allen Pratt, Mr. Jared Bigham

Guests: Tracy Kingsley, Ashley Wood

Topics covered

• literacy coaching
• rural education
• reading proficiency
• teacher development
• post-COVID learning loss

Keywords

• literacy coaching
• rural schools
• reading outcomes
• teacher support
• professional development

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Newburgh R2 School District, TNTP

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