Collaborative for Educational Services updates school committee on district literacy review, pilot plan and mCLASS rollout

Tom Chang of the Collaborative for Educational Services updated the Winchester School Committee on March 27 about the Elementary Literacy Team (ELT) work: a multi‑year program review and pilot process, assessment selections, and staffing steps designed to strengthen K–5 literacy instruction across the district.

The CES team said its research organized needs into three buckets: curricular coherence, communication and culture, and assessment and student support. Using DESE’s CURATE rubric and EdReports as screening tools, staff reduced an initial long list of programs to roughly a dozen and then to a working list of seven literacy core program candidates for a pilot process. The ELT plans to select two finalists at the May meeting and run a June pilot design process, with a soft launch of assessment tools and phased PD to begin in April–June and a 4–5 year implementation roadmap.

Why it matters: The ELT’s work is meant to address gaps identified in a prior CES review and teacher and parent surveys. The review covers program content (foundational skills, knowledge building), teacher supports, assessments and the multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS). District leadership and the ELT emphasized that curriculum adoption alone is not a complete solution; PD, coaching and coordinated intervention systems must accompany any core program.

Key takeaways and next steps reported by CES: - Program review: Vendors were screened with CURATE and EdReports; seven programs advanced for deeper review. ELT members are doing focused deep dives on domains across vendors, watching introductory vendor videos and arranging site visits to districts using candidate programs. - Pilot plan: The ELT intends to recommend two programs in May for a summer/fall pilot design; the pilot will aim to give teacher teams the opportunity to compare materials side‑by‑side rather than assigning different cohorts different programs in isolation. - Assessment: CES reported a recommendation to adopt mCLASS (Amplify) for K–5 literacy screening and DIBELS measures to provide longitudinal data; the district leadership is working with Amplify on PD sessions in April, May and June and a soft launch with grades 4–5 next year to build longitudinal K–5 data. - Expert support: Dr. Grimaldi is scheduled to provide districtwide PD on the science of reading and to consult with ELT working groups during program selection and implementation planning. - Staffing: The district has posted a literacy coordinator position; CES said the hiring process will include teacher input and align with ELT priorities.

Direct quote: “This is truly like an academically rigorous process that’s taking place,” Chang said, describing the ELT’s use of teacher voice, data and iterative adjustments.

CES also acknowledged limits and cautioned that no single program is likely to be a complete, permanent solution; the ELT expects to combine core materials with carefully selected supplemental and intervention supports and to monitor outcomes continuously.

The committee opened questions about pilot logistics, teacher selection and program suitability for English learners and requested that the district and CES return with implementation details and cost estimates at future meetings.