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Rochester schools report early gains, scheduling and pacing challenges as K–5 "Wit and Wisdom" rollout continues
Summary
District leaders and teachers told the school board that the new K–5 structured literacy curriculum, Wit and Wisdom, has boosted student engagement and writing but is creating scheduling and pacing challenges that require district support and time for teacher practice.
The Rochester Public Schools board heard a detailed update Feb. 18 on the district’s K–5 literacy implementation centered on the Wit and Wisdom curriculum, including early classroom gains, training efforts and continuing scheduling and pacing challenges.
District leaders described classroom-level changes they say are producing more student talk, more writing and deeper text-based discussion while cautioning that teachers need time and clearer pacing guidance to deliver 90-minute Wit and Wisdom lessons as designed.
Superintendent Kent Pickell said the district intentionally adopted a new elementary curriculum to align with the Minnesota Read Act and to pair structured literacy work with knowledge-building instruction. “They are literally reinventing the airplane while they’re flying it,” Pickell told the board, praising teachers for implementing the new materials…
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