Literacy education is a hot topic nationally. Needham Public Schools (NPS) have been using the Units of Study curriculum for K-5 literacy education for the last 10 years. This year, the district is piloting four new K-5 literacy curricula. CNS recently sat down with NPS Literacy Director Lisa Messina to learn more about this pilot project.
Goal, background, and cost – NPS’s goal is for all students to reach high levels of literacy and become proficient readers, writers, and communicators. While NPS’s performance is well above state averages, there are still students who are struggling with proficiency in these areas. The district felt that it was time for a review of our literacy program as, after 10 years, the current materials are outdated and many of the physical materials have aged significantly and require replacement. After an initial review of the curricula on the market by NPS leadership and K-5 teachers, four programs were chosen to pilot this year. These programs represent a variety of instructional methods. Curriculum cost estimates for initial implementation, including Program Materials, Software Licensing fees and Professional Development, range from $700,000 to $2,000,000.
Pilot programs – the four programs being piloted during SY 2024-2025 are:
- ARC (American Reading Company) – Grades 1 & 4
- Benchmark Advance – Grades 2 & 3
- Collaborative Classroom – Grades 1, 2, & 4
- Units of Study, 3rd edition – Grades K-5
Program details –
- All programs are being piloted in grades K-2 and 3-5 to ensure that both lower and upper elementary students experience the curriculum.
- The ARC and Benchmark Advance curricula have been approved by the MA CURATE Curriculum Rater.
- The Units of Study, 3rd edition and Collaborative Classroom curricula are both new this year and have not yet been reviewed by CURATE.
- All four of the curricula are aligned with MA Curriculum Standards.
- The district hopes that at the end of the year there will be clarity on a new curriculum to implement in SY 2025-2026. This timeline may change if there is no clear favorite after the pilot or due to other factors including DESE guidance, outcomes of proposed legislation, and funding.
- Fundations, the phonics curriculum which is currently being used alongside the Units of Study curriculum, will also be reevaluated. A number of the literacy pilot curricula also include their own phonics instruction so Fundations may no longer be necessary with those curricula.
- All students will continue to have their usual phonics assessments and DIBELS screenings through the 2024-2025 year.
Curriculum selection process – A Selection Committee consisting of teachers, reading specialists, Special Education and English Language Learner (ELL) staff, and NPS administrators will evaluate the results of the pilot, including input from and experiences of the pilot teachers, as well as data-driven observations. An evaluation rubric is being developed that will be based on the MA CURATE Rubric to help standardize the evaluation process. The curricula vary in how much of the literacy program is performed online, and the use of technology will also be evaluated.
Community Forums – Families who are interested in the Literacy Curriculum discussion will have the opportunity to participate in community forums throughout the school year. The first of these will likely occur in December/January and will review the initial data from the first few months of the pilot.
For further questions – Please contact Dr. Carmen Williams, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Innovation, at carmen_williams@needham.k12.ma.us, with any further questions about this literacy curriculum pilot.