Grafton elementary principals describe shift to EL reading curriculum, new 6th-grade math and Project Lead The Way modules

Grafton — Principals and assistant principals from Millbury Street Elementary School and North Street Elementary School told the Grafton School Committee on Jan. 7 that the district has implemented a new EL English language arts curriculum this year, adopted a new 6th-grade math program and launched Project Lead The Way modules in the elementary innovation zone, and they described early academic and classroom observations.

The principals said the district’s shift toward EL aligned instruction reflects a broader “science of reading” approach that combines phonics foundations with language-comprehension work; teachers are midway through the first year of implementation and are adjusting pacing and planning time. They also reported that 6th-grade teachers have adopted an accelerated illustrative-math sequence intended to align more cleanly with middle-school courses, and that Project Lead The Way (PLTW) has replaced a former computer/technology rotation in a multi-week innovation module model.

School leaders described why the changes matter: the EL curriculum emphasizes classroom discourse, explicit vocabulary and writing about reading, which principals said has led to deeper student talk and early improvements in writing and comprehension measures. One classroom video shown to the committee featured a third grader explaining her reading strategy and “reading contract,” which presenters said illustrated the EL…