Curriculum committee removes updated Second Step lessons for grades 5 and 8 pending full review

Melanie Aragott, chair of the curriculum committee, told the board on Sept. 8 that the committee reviewed the district’s Second Step social‑emotional learning (SEL) platform — the district’s primary SEL resource for 4‑K through grade 8 — and recommended removing the updated lessons for grades 5 and 8 for the 2025‑26 school year.

Aragott said Second Step is updated digitally each year and that the curriculum team carefully reviews lesson changes for alignment with board‑approved curriculum. She reported that most elementary updates were minor and preserved lesson integrity, but that changes in grades 5 and 8 “shifted too far from the original curriculum.” The administration supported removing those updated lessons for this school year.

The committee planned a full review of the district’s social and emotional learning and counseling curriculum during the 2025‑26 school year to ensure alignment with standards and an upcoming grade reconfiguration. Aragott said teacher teams are fully engaged across the district curriculum cycle and that recommendations from art, music and world language are expected this fall, with resource recommendations for secondary English language arts and world language later in the school year.

Aragott closed by saying the committee’s actions and the review timeline are intended to ensure alignment and consensus in instructional decisions. No immediate policy action was taken at the board meeting; the report was informational and sets the schedule for curricular review.