An interview with Micki Ray Marinelli, Chief Academic Officer for the Kentucky Department of Education
In 2022, Kentucky passed the Read to Succeed Act to increase student success in reading by supporting evidence-based early literacy instruction and investing in teachers. To ensure comprehensive implementation of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), evidence-based practices, and assessments, the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) established a statewide literacy coaching program.
TNTP began working with the KDE to support implementation of the State Literacy Coaching model and provide statewide professional learning based on the science of reading. TNTP Partner Cory Epler spoke with Chief Academic Officer Micki Ray Marinelli about how the KDE designed and implemented a coherent vision for improving early literacy instruction statewide.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
An important first step in our work together was developing a statewide vision for strong early literacy instruction. How has having a state-level vision guided this work and supported coherence?
Having a strong, shared vision gives us a clear lens for decision-making and helps us stay focused on what matters most. When new initiatives or ideas come up, we can ask, “Does this align with our vision for strong early literacy instruction?” If it does, we lean in; if it doesn’t, we rethink it. That clarity has helped us build coherence across the system—from the KDE to districts to schools and classrooms—so that coaching, professional learning, instructional materials, and assessments are all working together.
Both TNTP and the KDE see high-quality instructional materials (also called “high-quality instructional resources,” or HQIR) as a critical lever for strengthening literacy instruction. How is the KDE working to strengthen the implementation of HQIM in service of improving literacy instruction?
We’ve been very intentional about strengthening implementation by treating high-quality instructional resources as foundational—not just something districts adopt, but something they are supported to use well. That means aligning our coaching model, professional learning, and messaging around what strong instruction with HQIR looks like in practice.
Through statewide coaching, professional learning, and our leadership network, we’re helping educators deepen their understanding of “the why” behind HQIR, the evidence-based practices embedded within them, and the systems-level conditions that need to be in place for effective implementation. By keeping HQIR at the center of our work and reinforcing their use through coaching, assessment, and instructional support, we’re building coherence and helping schools focus on increasing access to grade-level, standards-aligned instruction for all students.
To strengthen literacy instruction, the KDE hired State Literacy Coaching Specialists (SLCSs). At this point, over 30 schools have been partnered with a SLCS. How have those schools responded?
By intentionally designing this work as a collaboration between the state and districts—rather than something being done to schools—we’ve seen district leaders, principals, and teachers engage more openly with their State Literacy Coaching Specialist. We want schools to see our coaches as thought partners and supports, not evaluators, to create space for honest reflection and growth. That trust has allowed schools to focus on strengthening instruction, knowing the work is grounded in shared goals and a passion for improving student experiences and outcomes.
Your first cohort of coaches received a year-long arc of learning, supported by TNTP, before they entered schools. Why was this investment in your team important?
Taking the time to invest in learning allowed coaches to deeply understand strong early literacy instruction, the materials schools are using, and the role of coaching—before they ever stepped into a school. Partnering with TNTP to design and facilitate that learning helped ensure the experience was cohesive, grounded in evidence-based practices, and aligned to our broader vision. That upfront investment gave coaches the confidence and clarity they needed to enter schools as true thought partners, and it has paid off in terms of the quality and consistency of support schools are now receiving.
As your team gets bigger, how are you ensuring that KDE leaders, along with district and school leaders, have an aligned, shared understanding of what strong early literacy instruction looks like in a classroom?
We’ve been really intentional about creating shared clarity around what strong early literacy instruction actually looks like in classrooms. Whether we’re working with KDE leaders, district teams, or school leaders, we’re using the same language, the same instructional look-fors, and the same understanding of high-quality materials and evidence-based practices. That consistency helps ensure everyone is pulling in the same direction and makes it easier to have meaningful conversations about instruction. We’re all working from a shared definition of strong instruction rather than individual interpretations. But building coherence is not easy and must be ongoing as new team members and district partners join us.
The KDE developed a specific role on your team to support principals, Principal Support Leaders. Why was this role included on your team?
Principals are responsible for setting the vision, creating the conditions for strong instruction, and supporting teachers day to day—but they don’t always get the kind of job-embedded support they need to develop into strong instructional leaders. Principal Support Leaders bridge this gap by working alongside principals as mentors. They help developing leaders deepen their understanding of strong early literacy instruction, use the same tools and look-fors as coaches, and make instructional decisions that align with our broader vision. By intentionally supporting principals in this way, we’re strengthening coherence across classrooms and accelerating schoolwide improvement through leadership as well as school-based coaching.
Our work together has included support not only from TNTP but also from SchoolKit and Rivet Education. From your perspective, how do external partners add value to this work?
External partners have added tremendous value because they bring both expertise and perspective that help strengthen our work. As strategic thought partners, they help us pressure test ideas, stay grounded in evidence-based practices, and move the work forward with greater clarity and coherence. They also bring deep experience from other states and contexts, which helps us learn from what’s worked elsewhere while still tailoring the work to Kentucky’s needs. Perhaps most importantly, our partners help us build internal capacity. Their role isn’t to do the work for us, but to support our team and our leaders in developing the skills, tools, and systems needed to sustain this work over time.
Often, state education agencies are viewed only as regulatory or compliance-driven agencies. How has this work shifted perspectives around the role of the KDE?
Our literacy and numeracy work is helping to shift how people see the role of the state—from being primarily about compliance to being a true partner in improving instruction. By providing expert coaches, professional learning, and leadership support, we’ve been able to engage districts and schools in a very different way. Instead of asking, “What do we have to do?”—to be compliant—the conversation becomes, “How can we get better together?” I think our focus on instruction has helped build trust through consistent actions, credible instructional expertise, and clear, shared expectations that districts and schools experience repeatedly over time.
Learn how TNTP can help strengthen coherence and improve literacy in your state, system, or district.
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