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Curriculum and technology committee reports ESL gains, mentoring plan and Chromebook guidance exhibit
Summary
At the Aug. 11 meeting the Caldwell-West School District board received a curriculum and technology committee update reporting record ESL exits, a mentoring plan for new teachers, new-teacher orientation for 30 hires, and an exhibit (R5516E) proposing Chromebook guidance and protective-case/maintenance-fee provisions for middle and high school.
Terry, speaking for the Curriculum and Technology Committee, summarized highlights from the committee's Aug. 4 meeting and the administrative summer work during the Aug. 11 board meeting.
The committee reported that 21 English Learner students exited the district’s ESL program this year — a record compared with roughly seven or eight exits across the prior three years. The committee attributed the increase to several actions: increasing ESL staffing from 2.5 to 5 full-time-equivalent positions, creating an ESL coordinator role, investing in professional development for ESL and classroom teachers, stronger family engagement (including a dedicated family event), targeted reading intervention supports, and district strategic-plan attention to multilingual learner achievement.
The committee also outlined a mentoring plan for the 2025–26 school year that will pair new teachers with mentors and provide additional supports and in-year sessions led by teachers, principals and directors. New-teacher orientation is scheduled for August; the administration said about 30 new staff members will attend and receive training on classroom management, curriculum implementation and technology use.
On technology and policy, the committee and the director of secondary education presented an exhibit (R5516E) that outlines Chromebook guidance for middle and high school use, including recommendations for protective cases and a possible maintenance fee. The board discussed the exhibit and confirmed it is being presented as an exhibit (nonbinding) so the community can review it; board members asked for further clarification on case requirements and any proposed fee and directed administration to return with additional detail and a finance review before any costs are passed to families.
The committee also discussed assessment data (2025 scores to be publicly posted in the fall), plans to include the special-education director in regular committee meetings going forward, and annual leadership-institute work on classroom discussion strategies.
Committee follow-up items include sharing full assessment results publicly, clarifying Chromebook-case and maintenance-fee proposals with Finance & Facilities, and integrating special-education updates into future committee reports.
