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Cuyahoga Falls board to consider adopting Senderos Spanish curriculum after review
Summary
The Cuyahoga Falls City School District recommended adopting the Senderos Spanish program, citing updated standards alignment, digital resources and cultural materials; the board will consider formal approval at next week's work session. Funding would come from the district's 2017 emergency levy funds.
Julie Doudakis, the district’s world language coordinator, recommended the board approve a districtwide adoption of the Senderos Spanish curriculum and described a multi-year review of materials and assessments.
Doudakis said the review began in November 2022 and included meetings with Kathleen Shelton, a DEW world language consultant, and the district’s Spanish teachers. She told the board Senderos scored well on a rubric that emphasized essential questions, proficiency-based “can-do” goals and integrated performance assessments, which the presentation described as ways for students to demonstrate language use in real-world tasks.
Doudakis also outlined the program’s blended components: print student editions, teacher bundles (teacher edition, workbook, assessment access and a writing-proficiency book) and an online “prime” option with auto-graded practice, diagnostic tools and extensive cultural video and reading materials. She recommended ordering three teacher bundles for Spanish 1 and 2 and one bundle each for Spanish 3 and 4, citing current course enrollment as the basis for those quantities.
Doudakis said Senderos includes supports for differentiated learners — audio-synced readings, instructor notes for accommodations and scaffolded pre-reading strategies — and that the district plans at least one 3-hour in-person professional development session plus two 2-hour follow-up webinars. She also noted that the Somos product is a separate, optional supplement the district may use in novice and intermediate classes but is not part of the adoption request.
President Gomez told the board the district will vote on Senderos at a work session scheduled next week and said the purchase is budgeted from the district’s 2017 emergency levy funds. No final purchase or implementation decision was made at the June 5 meeting.
Board members praised the program’s cultural emphasis and digital features during the Q&A. "If you'd like to see, physical copies, they are over on the table behind you," Doudakis said, inviting board members to review materials in person. A district staff member agreed to share the online-demo link with board members after the meeting.
Next steps: the board will consider the formal adoption at the next work session; staff will provide final pricing and ordering details before a purchase is executed.
