Dr. Hartman outlines seven-year curriculum review, cites early gains from UFLI
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Summary
Curriculum director Dr. Hartman described a seven-year review cycle, criteria and committee composition, and said preliminary FastBridge data show notable gains in grades using UFLI phonics supports; vendor presentations and implementation planning are scheduled ahead of a planned purchase and 2027–28 rollout.
The Lewis Central Community School District’s curriculum director, Dr. Hartman, presented the district’s curriculum review cycle at the Jan. 19 board meeting, describing how the district evaluates and selects instructional materials across a seven-year rotation.
Dr. Hartman said the review follows six stages — defining standards, examining data, evaluating resources, piloting materials, making a board recommendation, and planning implementation — and involves building principals and teacher representatives who receive stipends for the out-of-hours work. She said the process is designed to align instruction K–12, identify gaps, and ensure materials are evidence-based.
On literacy, Dr. Hartman said the district moved literacy earlier in the cycle because of new standards, legislation and local data. She described the district’s examination of "structured literacy" versus "balanced literacy" and said the team will use national rubrics and third-party reviews (edreports.com) when vetting vendors. "We added UFLI ... and in the grade levels where we're using UFLI, we are seeing some of the biggest gains that we've seen in our FastBridge data," Dr. Hartman said, adding she will share more detailed data with the board later.
Board members asked whether past purchases drove measurable change; Dr. Hartman acknowledged that some changes take one or two years to appear in outcomes and emphasized the importance of implementation planning, professional development, and monitoring. Questions also addressed the role of PE grading (separate from curriculum adoption), committee membership turnover, and inclusion of special education staff in curriculum work.
Dr. Hartman said vendor presentations are scheduled in spring (March–May), with additional fall presentations if needed; the purchase decision is expected toward the end of the 2026–27 school year and full implementation in 2027–28. She emphasized that adoption is only the start: the district plans detailed professional development and monitoring to support teachers during rollout.