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Uxbridge wins PRISM II and III grants totaling $459,840 to support K–8 ELA curriculum and professional development
Summary
Doctor Dwyer told the committee the district secured PRISM II ($270,420) and PRISM III ($189,530) grants to purchase ELA curriculum at reduced cost and fund teacher professional development; most funds were used in August workshops and remaining work will continue through the year.
The district received two competitive PRISM grants that administration says will pay for curriculum materials and professional development for English language arts across elementary and middle grades.
Doctor Dwyer told the committee that PRISM stands for Partnership for Reading Success in Massachusetts and that the district was awarded PRISM II ($270,420) and PRISM III ($189,530), for a total of $459,840. The grants will buy ELA/English curriculum at a reduced cost and cover professional development for teachers and administrators.
Dwyer said the PRISM funds allowed the district to contract with the ELA publisher and with DESE‑assigned consultants to provide implementation guidance and training on the science of reading. She described multiple August workshops for grade bands K–2, 3–5 and 6–8 and said teachers volunteered summer time for intensive PD.
"These were highly competitive grants," Dwyer said. She added the procurement saved the district an estimated $100,000 compared with buying materials at full price and that the curriculum roll‑out will take several years to fully implement and to see any test‑score effects.
The committee asked about timelines and underscored the need to start math curriculum review next; Dwyer said a math review committee will be convened this month and cost estimates will be available by December.
