FCPS staff outline literacy blueprint, screenings and teacher training; materials review set for public comment in February

Frederick County Public Schools staff presented the district's comprehensive literacy plan to the Curriculum & Instruction Committee, describing a package of universal screening, tiered interventions and expanded professional learning intended to align instruction across grades.

The district's Curriculum Specialist for English/literacy (name not specified in the transcript) told the committee that SCPS uses a universal screening tool and a response-to-instruction program referred to in the meeting as 'iGRID', and that the personalized instructional and assessment platform i-Ready is used for growth monitoring. The specialist said the district's plan includes 'standards for English language arts', a social and systematic foundation for skills instruction, and tools to monitor progress and prescribe supports.

Why it matters: universal screening and consistent instructional materials are central to identifying struggling readers early and targeting interventions. Committee members pressed staff on how screening data is applied in classrooms and on long-term cost and sustainability of materials.

Meeting details and staff roles The presentation described a multi-tiered approach: universal screening to identify needs; literacy specialists who coach teachers and provide onsite, job-embedded professional learning; quarterly PLC nights for teacher collaboration; and the Accelerated Learning Process (ALP) for teacher-led, data-focused instruction. The Curriculum Specialist said literacy specialists receive a 'diverse toolkit' to support teachers and students and that new hires receive preservice onboarding to district curriculum and assessment resources.

Staff described LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) as a required professional learning sequence; the Curriculum Specialist said the district has heard ''positive, positive vibes' about LETRS from teachers across experience levels and that veteran teachers report it as validating. The committee was told that literacy leaders monitor benchmarks and use prior-year data in school-improvement planning.

High-school materials review and budget note A textbook review committee for high-school English language arts has recommended some products to move forward, staff said. Those materials will be posted for public display in February and opened for public comment, the Curriculum Specialist said. Staff noted that purchasing new high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) for secondary ELA involves budgetary considerations; the timing and amount of any purchase were not specified during the meeting.

Assessment and alignment Staff described benchmarks modeled on state assessments and local formative checks. They emphasized administering benchmarks after the standard is taught and aligning benchmark design to the state's expectations so students encounter familiar item types. The Curriculum Specialist said this helps students demonstrate knowledge on formal assessments rather than be surprised by unfamiliar item formats.

Quotes and attributions 'The LETRS course has elicited 'positive, positive vibes' from teachers across experience levels,' the Curriculum Specialist said, describing classroom-level reactions to the professional learning.

Next steps and outlook Staff asked the committee to help share timelines for public review of recommended high-school materials and said they will continue reporting on benchmark revisions, LETRS rollout and ALP implementation. No formal vote was taken at this meeting; committee members asked staff for follow-up materials, including visuals of the ALP process and additional budget clarifications.

Ending Staff said they will make recommended high-school ELA materials available for public comment in February and will bring additional implementation visuals and budget detail back to the committee for future meetings.