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Wakefield committee hears district progress on early literacy, preschool alignment and data systems
Summary
Administrators reported year‑end progress on early childhood curriculum (Doyle), elementary literacy shifts (science of reading), use of DIBELS and i‑Ready diagnostics, and data‑team structures; speakers described pilot tools, iPad-based data collection for IEPs, and a planned OpenArchitects dashboard for parent access.
Shannon Blacker presented the Doyle (preschool) School Improvement Plan Wednesday, outlining curriculum alignment, formative assessment and new data tools used in the preschool program.
"We are tracking all students," Blacker said, describing work to implement the Hegarty curriculum and to measure early literacy outcomes with baseline, midyear and end‑of‑year assessments. Blacker said a sample of nine students tracked through the year showed improvement: "We've only had 1 student not meeting expectation," she told the committee. She also said every preschool classroom was issued an iPad this year to support IEP data collection and that the school is using the app Taliflex for some goal tracking.
Elementary principals described districtwide literacy work tied to the science of reading, partnerships with Hill for Literacy consultants, and a shift toward structured small‑group intervention lessons. Tiffany Beckham, Greenwood principal, summarized district gains and professional development: "When they work with a small group of kids that's struggling to learn to read, they're implementing a plan that is shown to be useful, and they're all doing it together," Beckham said. She reported DIBELS and i‑Ready results showing students moving from higher‑risk categories into benchmark ranges across kindergarten through grade 3.
Beckham cited I‑Ready results the committee used to measure curriculum impact: for grade 3 the district recorded 83 percent of students at grade‑level expectation at the end of year and 74 percent achieving typical growth; for grade 4 the district reported 71 percent at grade level and 68 percent meeting typical growth. Principals said teacher leaders and curriculum visits helped align instruction and that Hill for Literacy consultants coached reading specialists and building leaders.
Principals and curriculum staff described steps to make student data more accessible to families. Shannon Blacker and others said the district is onboarding the OpenArchitects platform for a parent‑facing dashboard and that the change should improve year‑to‑year data access.
Committee members asked about how data are shared with families, how professional development is organized and whether teachers have time for targeted small‑group instruction. Presenters said conference meetings and report cards already convey individualized early childhood data and said the district will continue to expand teacher‑led professional development and refine the timetable for data‑team meetings.
Administrators described next steps including continued curriculum alignment, expanded use of i‑Ready at more grades, coaching focused on small‑group lessons, and continued rollout of OpenArchitects. No committee votes were taken; the reports were informational.
