Plano ISD outlines 2026'027 sixth-grade acceleration plan: ELA/Math labs, electives and Future Ready course

Plano ISD leaders presented a multi-year plan to expand acceleration and differentiated instruction for sixth graders beginning in the 2026'027 school year.

Key components: - ELA structure: All sixth graders will take ELA 6 or honors ELA 6 in a 45-minute block. Students needing targeted literacy support will be placed in a 45-minute ELA Lab 6 grounded in the science of reading. - Math support: Math Lab 6 will provide additional time for foundational skill-building through targeted, small-group instruction. - Elective options: Students demonstrating readiness in ELA (meeting or mastering grade 5 standards, using multiple data points) may take an additional elective in sixth grade, including band, orchestra, choir, theater, visual art, Spanish I for high school credit or Spanish II for native speakers. District officials emphasized compliance with state requirements: four semesters of P.E. and one year of fine arts before leaving middle school. - Future Ready: A new sixth-grade course focused on technology, organizational/AVID skills, intervention/enrichment and optional Google certification; intended as a "safe landing space" and bridge to middle school.

Principals from Bowman, Robinson and Haggard middle schools explained how the plan will be tailored to campus needs (for example, higher ELL support at some campuses and stronger fine-arts enrollment at others). District staff explained staffing and curriculum plans, including two pullout professional-development days in 2026 and embedded PLCs and counselor and parent information nights. Student course selection is scheduled for December during the current school year to permit master-schedule and staffing decisions.