Cheltenham staff present instructional framework and post district assessment calendar online

Cheltenham School District staff presented the district's new instructional framework and its district assessment philosophy to the Educational Affairs Committee and said the district assessment calendar and related documents are now available on the district website. The presentation described district belief statements, what the district will treat as the standards "floor," and how assessment types (screeners, diagnostics, formative and summative, and high-stakes tests) will be used across grade bands.

The instructional framework, staff said, begins with belief statements that include that "all students can achieve academic success," that students belong in inclusive, engaging environments, that instruction should be engaging and rigorous, and that decisions should be data-informed. The presenter described the framework as a tool to set common expectations across buildings and to guide curriculum, materials purchases and staffing.

The district assessment philosophy organizes assessments by grade bands (K'2, 6'8, 9'2) and defines the roles of universal screeners (for example, FastBridge used in ninth grade), diagnostics (to identify skill deficits), intervention programs (for remediation or extension, including ALEKS in high school math), classroom formative assessments (homework, exit slips) and locally designed summative assessments. The presentation noted that high-stakes state tests such as the Pennsylvania Keystone Exams and national assessments (SAT, ACT, AP) remain separate categories with different implications for graduation pathways under state law.

On timing, staff described routine windows: universal screeners given at the beginning, middle and end of the year (example: August/September, January, April'May), diagnostics following screeners when indicated, intervention cycles that extend over a period of instruction, and common assessments at regularly scheduled marking-period or semester checkpoints. Staff said the full assessment calendar, a Gantt-style timeline for teachers, the instructional framework and the district assessment philosophy are posted on the Office of Education landing page on the district website and include point-of-contact information.

Committee members asked how parents will know when results are available and what information families can expect to receive. The presenter said families already have access to student-level data through PowerSchool and LinkIt and that the district will send letters and use principal newsletters and other communication channels; staff called it a work in progress and said they will plot timelines for when results can be turned around and pushed to parent portals. Board members also raised questions about whether teachers can share printed assessment items and whether vendor test-security rules limit sharing; staff said vendors'security requirements are a consideration and the district will determine what assessment artifacts can be shared while respecting publisher restrictions.

Staff described other work streams tied to the framework: a community process to finalize a "portrait of a graduate" (community feedback planned for November with finalization expected in spring), forthcoming course descriptions (a "blueprint") for K'12 subjects, and future pacing guides linked to those descriptions. Staff said the goal is to make the district's learning expectations visible so parents can support students and teachers can align instruction.

No formal board action was taken on the framework or calendar; the item was presented for committee review and discussion and will return in future meetings for updates and reports.