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District 100 shifts to structured literacy; board hears first‑year implementation report
Summary
Berwyn South District 100 presented the first‑year rollout of new literacy curricula (CKLA, Caminos, Amplify) and described classroom practices, pacing and early classroom assessment data; leaders said major curricular change is year‑one work and teachers reported the transition is challenging but promising.
Berwyn South School District 100 officials updated the board Tuesday on the first year of a districtwide move to structured literacy, reporting early classroom gains, the adoption of new curricula and classroom pacing plans for K–8.
Beatrice Maldonado and Teresa Adelphia led the presentation on implementation, saying district curriculum work began after a curriculum selection committee overwhelmingly recommended adopting CKLA and Caminos and Amplify ELA and Skills for the district’s K–8 program. They described the district’s move "from a balanced literacy approach towards a structured literacy approach," citing guidance from the Illinois Literacy Plan and research such as Scarborough's Rope.
Nut graf: District leaders said year one focuses on lesson unpacking, coach‑supported classroom implementation, and building teacher capacity, while acknowledging the changes have created heavier workloads for teachers and that the district will use teacher feedback to refine pacing and assessments.
Presenters described grade‑level units and instructional time allocations: kindergarten uses Creative Curriculum paired with 60 minutes of phonics and 60 minutes of knowledge work; grades 1–2 use 60 minutes of Amplify knowledge and 60 minutes of phonics; third grade sees a combined 120 minutes; fourth and fifth grades are scheduled for 90 minutes; middle school lessons are paced to 50 minutes with integrated components. Maldonado and Adelphia said classroom‑based assessments already show learning gains even though standardized measures typically lag in year one.
The presentation included classroom examples across K–8: kindergarten engineering and architecture investigations, first‑grade studies of body systems and ancient civilizations, upper‑grade close reading and argument writing (example: a Don Quixote unit with persuasive essays), and middle‑school work on narrative writing and text‑dependent analysis. Dual‑language classes use Galleria and other bilingual resources, and teachers are tracking vocabulary and writing volume to support both language development and assessment readiness.
Board members asked about teacher feedback and workload. Maldonado and Adelphia acknowledged pacing is the most frequent concern, and said the district collects feedback with grade‑level forms and will use those responses to inform next year’s planning. The presenters said coaches and school leaders are providing in‑class support and that the district is reviewing formative assessments and rubrics where needed.
Ending: District leaders asked for continued patience in year one and for ongoing feedback from teachers as the curriculum rollout moves into its second year.
