Norwalk subcommittee outlines plan to pilot new 6–12 ELA materials, final decision set for May

The Norwalk Board of Education curriculum subcommittee on March 11 reviewed a newly written K–12 literacy vision and described a district-led process to select new high‑quality English language arts instructional materials for grades 6–12, including a classroom pilot April 1–May 16 and a planned consensus decision meeting on May 22.

The work is being carried out in partnership with TNTP, a national nonprofit, and uses a 39‑member curriculum selection committee drawn from teachers, principals and district staff representing each of the district’s nine secondary schools. Allison Bridal Johnson, Executive Director of Leadership Development for the Norwalk School District, said the district set parameters that candidate materials must meet, including being published within the last five years, aligning with state standards, providing scaffolds for multilingual learners and students with specialized learning needs, and including formative and summative assessment tools.

Meredith Burdick, partner at TNTP who oversees the organization’s Connecticut work, framed the need for the effort with national literacy data and evidence about instructional materials. “Virtually all kids can learn to read,” Burdick said, adding that research shows only about…