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School committee approves six‑year Wayside Publishing contract for world language materials
Summary
The Dennis‑Yarmouth Regional School Committee approved a six‑year contract with Wayside Publishing to adopt a proficiency‑based Spanish textbook and online platform for Spanish levels 1–3, with district leaders saying the platform integrates culture, audio and speaking practice and is compatible with existing technology.
The Dennis‑Yarmouth Regional School Committee voted unanimously to approve a six‑year contract with Wayside Publishing to adopt a new proficiency‑based world‑language curriculum for Spanish levels 1–3.
Diane Ross, a district world‑language teacher, told the committee the district’s prior publisher discontinued its online program, and the staff reviewed five options before recommending Wayside. Ross said the Wayside platform supports proficiency instruction — an approach that emphasizes listening and speaking with authentic cultural materials rather than upfront explicit grammar drills — and that the district’s French program already uses the same publisher, easing technology integration.
Ross said the platform includes online readers, integrated pronunciation practice, native‑speaker audio and videos, and the publisher permitted district printing of PDFs for classroom use. She also said the quote for the six‑year package provided more comprehensive access than other bids, which often added per‑student fees for workbooks or other components.
Superintendent Doctor Smith reminded the committee that the vote concerned the contract length (district policy requires committee approval for contracts longer than three years), not the curriculum itself. Following committee discussion the motion passed unanimously.
Why it matters: The new materials are intended to align with the Massachusetts frameworks and the district’s move toward proficiency‑based language instruction, providing online media and speaking assessments the staff said would be difficult to assemble piecemeal. The contract covers Spanish levels 1–3; teachers plan to sequence materials so students can move between first‑ and second‑year materials while the district phases in the new approach.
What’s next: Teachers will begin implementing the materials beginning in the 2025–26 year, with printing and Google Classroom integration planned where needed. The district also noted that Advanced Placement Spanish students and higher‑level courses will continue to use other AP materials already under contract.
