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Board hears updates on curriculum writing, student voice work and plans for redeploying climate survey
Summary
District staff described curriculum writing work, building‑thinking classrooms strategies, efforts to capture student voice, and a plan to redeploy the safe school climate survey to parents and families in October with tactics to raise response rates.
District curriculum and school leaders updated the Cheshire School District Board of Education on summer curriculum writing, professional development and steps to increase participation in the district’s safe school climate survey.
Assistant Superintendent (title used in the meeting) and other staff described a summer curriculum writing institute that combined and revised third‑ and fourth‑grade opinion writing units, embedded building‑thinking‑classroom instructional strategies across K–12, and produced student‑friendly and teacher‑norming rubrics. Presenters said the units were designed so teachers could pick them up and use them with minimal additional preparation.
Staff highlighted the role of Laurie Holm, the district’s talented‑and‑gifted teacher, who runs online academies in math and writing that provide enrichment and acceleration. Azra (a new curriculum staff member) described working with teachers before her official start date to connect curriculum work to classroom practice.
The board also heard about a multi‑district network improvement effort focused on strengthening math instruction, including techniques tested at Dodd Middle School to engage students in the first five minutes of class. High school and middle school staff — including Kevin, the high school principal, and Garcia Davis, the math department chair — participated in the network and are working to bring coaching and classroom practices into PLCs and teacher teams.
Staff described deliberate work to capture student voice, particularly from students who receive special education services. One case manager has asked students to write directly to teachers describing which IEP accommodations are most helpful "in my own words," and staff said teachers found that first‑person guidance useful for classroom accommodations and planning.
On the safe school climate survey, staff said the district will redeploy the required state instrument in October and intends to target parents more proactively because response rates in the previous deployment were low. Planned tactics include providing QR codes at parent‑teacher conferences and open events, setting up kiosks or Chromebooks in schools for parents to complete surveys, and offering non‑monetary incentives such as a sticker or entry into a small drawing to encourage participation. The board discussed timing (targeting October and parent conferences) and asked staff to include chronic absenteeism data in the packet as context when the survey is circulated.
Board members thanked teachers and curriculum staff for summer work and professional learning and encouraged continued public communication about enrichment options for families. No formal vote or binding policy change accompanied this update; the items were presented as informational and procedural next steps.
