District shifts elementary instruction toward 'science of reading'; new screenings and schedule changes under way

District curriculum leaders on Jan. 8 outlined instructional shifts in English language arts rooted in the "science of reading," and described new assessments and schedule changes intended to give teachers more frequent diagnostic information and time for targeted instruction.

"It was really about systematic and cumulative instruction," the district’s elementary curriculum leader said, describing the research‑backed approach that emphasizes phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. The presentation said the district has introduced phonics and phonological awareness programs, added decodable texts, and reorganized library materials to support topic‑based knowledge building.

Leaders also described a new universal benchmark screener that measures letter‑sound identification, concepts about print, high‑frequency words, decoding and encoding. "You can't just hand them those decodable texts and say, what do we do with them?" the curriculum leader said, explaining the need to pair materials with professional development and formative assessment.

The district reorganized the elementary literacy block into a 90‑minute block with rotating emphases through a 10‑day cycle so teachers can teach, model and then meet with small groups while other students read independently. The schedule changes added formal time for phonics centers and for a daily "WIN" (What I Need) or intervention window. School leaders said they also gave teachers a new class‑level data sheet that consolidates iReady benchmarks, fluency measures (words correct per minute), standards‑aligned unit assessments and formative notes to make historical and multi‑measure monitoring easier.

Board members asked how teachers would use the combined data. The curriculum leader said teams are developing decision trees so teachers know whether to prioritize fluency work, additional decoding practice, or scaffolded instruction in content areas. "Sometimes the I‑Ready score doesn't necessarily indicate, but I have all of these other data points to show that the student is struggling in this area," she said.

Leaders said the district is expanding professional development (micro‑credentials in the science of reading) for reading teachers and special education staff, and that initial indications show growth in phonics and phonological awareness measures. They stressed that the district will still rely on multiple measures — because iReady provides useful historical and predictive information but may not capture every child’s needs at a single point in time.

The curriculum team asked the board to expect a mid‑year iReady administration and to follow the first full academic year of new screener data to evaluate impact.