Portland Public Schools curriculum committee lays out yearlong priorities and approves calendar

The Portland Public Schools Curriculum and Student Success Committee met online on Aug. 11 to set the committee's purpose for the coming year and to approve a proposed 2025-26 meeting calendar.

Chair Julianne Oberman opened the meeting and said the committee would focus on curriculum development and alignment, student success and achievement, policy and communication, and oversight and accountability. "What you'll also notice is that we, out of discussion, make a determination of yes or no, as far as in answer to the question," Dr. Cheryl Proctor, the district's chief schools and academic officer, told members as she outlined the four lenses the committee will use.

Members emphasized tying the committee's work to the district strategic plan so the board can measure outcomes. Vice Chair Mickey Bridal asked that each lens be linked to strategic-plan indicators; Dr. Proctor said the agenda presented to the committee already maps topics to the plan and will bring data and regular reports back to the board.

Committee members raised practical questions about how the district collects teacher feedback on curriculum implementation and how different materials align. New committee member Lena said she had heard anecdotally that some elementary teachers were struggling to align the Wabanaki studies unit with English-language curriculum. "How do we gather that information in a more formal way?" Lena asked.

Angela Atkinson Duena, assistant superintendent for elementary schools, said staff use surveys, instructional coaches and field testing to gather feedback and that the district has revised pacing and specific units based on teacher input. "We have done a survey this past year, around the curriculum implementation," she said, and cited a five-year review cycle for content areas.

The committee also discussed social-emotional learning and a "portrait of a graduate" tied to high school success. Dr. Proctor said the portrait of a graduate was developed through an engagement process and that the district is beginning to socialize it with the committee. "We are launching some new, for example, SEL curriculum," she said.

On data, Hailey Didrikson, senior director of data and technology, described progress on district dashboards and the work to build data literacy and data-quality practices across schools. "We've made, I think, some really great progress on our dashboards," Didrikson said, noting that Infinite Campus feeds will load into the PowerSchool dashboard on a nightly basis and that some academic datasets remain complex and subject to timing constraints.

Members asked for materials in advance of meetings and for attention to middle-school curriculum and transition periods. The committee agreed that agenda items may be adjusted through the year as priorities emerge.

Before adjourning, the committee voted by a show of hands to approve the calendar as drafted with the understanding it can be changed later; the record on the meeting does not include the individual names of the motion's mover or seconder or a numerical tally of votes. The meeting adjourned at 8:29 p.m.

The committee said it will return to the strategic-plan-aligned topics throughout the year and present brief reports to the full Portland Board of Public Education at the board's second monthly meeting.