Millard Public Schools presents Phase 1 English language arts plan emphasizing "science of reading" and districtwide field study

Millard Public Schools curriculum staff presented a phase 1 update on English language arts to the board committee, outlining the district’s approach to the “science of reading,” current student assessment results and the timeline for selecting new instructional materials. Staff said they will bring a curriculum framework in April and propose a field study next year that would include every elementary building in the district.

The update explained that the “science of reading” is a broad body of research rather than a single program, and that it combines phonics, phonemic awareness, fluency and higher-level comprehension work. District presenters described training already underway for elementary and secondary teachers and said intervention programs are in place in a subset of schools while the district evaluates core instructional materials.

District context: why this matters

School leaders said the review matters because Nebraska has raised its college- and career-ready standards, and the district wants curriculum materials and professional learning that align with those expectations. Millard staff noted the state’s literacy goals and recent attention around reading scores statewide, and said the district needs a clear narrative to explain differences between internal benchmark tests and the state assessment.

What the district reported

- Current performance: District presenters said Millard’s third-grade students are on track at roughly 77 percent on the state on-track measure. District benchmark (MAP) data and middle- and high-school results vary by grade; the 11th-grade measure uses ACT performance. Presenters cautioned that state and local assessments use different methods and that comparisons require context.

- Science of reading: Doctor Phipps explained that “Not. The science of reading is not a program. You cannot buy the science of reading. Nobody owns the science of reading.” District staff emphasized that phonics is one component of a much larger set of skills identified by reading science and often illustrated by Scarborough’s rope.

- Intervention and professional learning: The district has piloted and expanded an intervention program called Language Live; staff said it is currently being used for intervention in six schools. Professional learning activities cited included partnerships with the University of Nebraska at Omaha, regional modules from the Iowa Reading Research Center and district-led workshops to train teachers on both lower-level decoding skills and higher-level disciplinary literacy.

- Curriculum adoption process and timeline: The district described a multi-step curriculum cycle. Staff said they are in phase 1 (research) and will hold a vendor fair next week to let curriculum teams evaluate shortlisted programs. A framework will come to the board in April, and selected materials will enter a field-study period. Presenters said the plan is to include all 25 elementary buildings in the elementary-level field study next year to build implementation capacity across the district.

Board questions and data concerns

Board members pressed on how the state test relates to local measures and on subgroup reporting. A board member identified as Mr. Kennedy said the district has faced criticism in public discussion, adding, “What I'm really kind of concerned about is this. We are getting bashed.” District staff acknowledged media and public confusion and explained that state cut scores represent a high bar; they also noted that recently arrived English learners who have been in the U.S. less than a year are exempt from the reading portion of the state assessment.

Next steps and external funding

Presenters said the Nebraska Department of Education has secured federal funds for a grant program that could help replicate successful district models; staff said the NDE process is still unfolding and that some funds may be guaranteed for an initial year but that final award details and timing are subject to the state process. The district will return with an April framework, run the vendor fair and begin the planned field study next year if the committee approves the recommended field-study sites and vendors.

Ending

District staff recommended continuing professional development, using the field study to build school-level capacity and coordinating with NDE and local partners to pursue external grant funding. The board committee did not take any formal votes during the presentation; members asked clarifying questions and signaled interest in the April framework.