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Walpole world language department pilots novels, updates rubrics and highlights travel, biliteracy recognitions
Summary
Laura Kaye, world language department chair, told the committee the department purchased leveled novels and a new French textbook, is piloting proficiency-based rubrics, and highlighted student travel, national language exams, and 10 students earning the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy.
Laura Kaye, chair of Walpole Public Schools’ world language department, updated the School Committee on curriculum changes, staffing and student opportunities on Feb. 27.
Kaye said the department is in year three of a curriculum review and during the pilot implementation year purchased French and Spanish novels for all course levels and a new French textbook series. She described classroom activities built around the novels, including group readings, projects that convert scenes into scripts, art projects and student-made films. Kaye said teachers have seen positive student responses; she relayed that AP and honors students created movies and music videos connected to novels.
Kaye listed example novels the department purchased and said the acquisitions are intended to support differentiated, proficiency-based instruction. She described the department’s work to align middle- and high-school rubrics with proficiency targets for speaking, writing, reading and listening, and discussed professional development attended by teachers, including a DESE-funded proficiency academy.
Kaye also reported that national language exams will be administered in March and April, and that the district has 10 students who have already earned the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy for the class of 2025, with three more students finishing testing the next day. She noted one ninth-grade student applied for a global citizen scholarship and one junior won a junior travel award to Costa Rica.
Kaye described recent and planned travel: French students visited Quebec and another group traveled to Chile and Argentina; an April trip to Sicily is planned and a July trip will include stays with host families in France. Kaye said the department continues to offer AP Spanish and AP French, and that Latin students may earn college credit via dual-enrollment with UMass Boston.
Committee members praised the department’s work, asked about outreach to middle-school families about language choices and the Seal of Biliteracy, and encouraged using upcoming eighth-grade events to share opportunities for students and families.
