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Bennington High School English department reports first‑year rollout of HMH ELA program and writable integration
Summary
High school English teachers told the board they are implementing a new HMH English curriculum aligned to Nebraska standards, expanding senior course options, using Writable for peer feedback and Turnitin similarity reporting, and planning professional development and curriculum refinement.
Bennington High School English department teachers briefed the board on the first year of implementing a new HMH English language arts curriculum and related tools.
Teachers Lauren Rue and Bethany Stacey said the department sought improved vertical and horizontal alignment with the 2021 Nebraska state standards and wanted to expand senior‑year course choices. The new pathway keeps a common foundation in grades 9 and 10, allows selection of Advanced Placement Language and Composition in grade 11 for prepared students, and adds three senior options (British literature, world literature and college‑level literature and composition).
Staff described classroom and curricular work over the school year, including one‑on‑one support from an HMH representative, summer curriculum planning grants, grade‑level checkins, and refresher training. Teachers said students are generally engaged with units and that the department is focusing on core standards, ACT preparation, grammar and nonfiction reading strategies.
The teachers reported technical and integration challenges with Writable but said they have worked with the technology department to develop workarounds that preserve student work by combining Google Classroom workflows with Writable uploads. They noted that Writable’s Turnitin integration provides similarity reports and may yield cost savings compared with separate Turnitin subscriptions. Teachers plan additional curriculum review and professional development during the district’s summer training and on the April curriculum day (note: the April 9 day was converted to a full school day and district plans will be adjusted accordingly).
