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Southview teachers pair CKLA literacy with Project Lead The Way to boost engagement, pursue STEM certification
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Summary
Southview Elementary staff told the Muncie Community Schools board they are pairing the CKLA literacy curriculum with Project Lead The Way modules, using 5E lesson planning to increase nonfiction reading and writing engagement, pursue Indiana STEM certification over three years, and expand family supports amid rising need.
Southview Elementary teachers told the Muncie Community Schools board that they are combining the district CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) curriculum with Project Lead The Way (PLTW) modules to make lessons more engaging and raise nonfiction reading and writing performance.
The presenters said they are using a 5E lesson plan model (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate) to map CKLA knowledge units to PLTW activities and to strengthen writing practice across grades. A presenter said nonfiction reading proficiency was 62.14 percent on the iRead assessment and science proficiency was about 6 percent, and argued that a knowledge-building approach paired with hands-on PLTW units can address those gaps.
"We looked at each CKLA knowledge unit for each grade and paired that with Project Lead The Way," the presenter said, describing teacher planning, materials procurement and learning walks to support the rollout. Teachers reported that necessary PLTW materials have already been purchased.
The presentation included classroom examples: kindergarten nature walks and a biomimicry mask project that linked habitats and design, and a fifth-grade "infection detection" activity that used a harmless powder and black light to demonstrate germ transmission and then connected the lesson to historical units about disease and indigenous communities. A fifth-grade teacher described using short daily writing routines and longer tasks that prompted students to use evidence from two sources.
Board members asked about the timeline and oversight for obtaining Indiana STEM certification; presenters said the certification process takes about three years and identified the Indiana Department of Education as the certifying authority. The presenters clarified that CKLA remains the district's literacy curriculum and is being enhanced, not replaced, by PLTW activities.
Teachers also highlighted progress on writing: presenters said only four students produced scorable ILEARN writing pieces several years ago and that last year 61 students produced scorable work, framing that as substantial growth though not yet the district goal.
Presenters described family and community supports tied to the school’s work, including a $2,000 supplemental food grant, local donation drives coordinated with the police and fire departments, Ivy Tech-provided codes for student resources, and plans to offer GED/technical-equivalency classes and driver's-license assistance for families. The presenters said weekend food supports and increased community referrals show heightened family need.
The board did not take formal action on the presentation; the school team concluded by describing next steps for professional learning, continuing PLC focus on writing and a plan to pursue STEM certification within the stated three-year timeline.
