District highlights foundational‑literacy gains and plans curriculum pilots

District leaders used the board meeting to highlight gains in foundational literacy and to lay out next steps in curriculum pilot work.

Dr. Romanelli introduced a video narrated by Dawn Morrison that frames the district’s approach as rooted in the science of reading and focused on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. The video states the district has seen measurable growth in screening data and a decrease in students requiring intervention. "When a child learns to read, it changes everything," a segment of the presentation said.

Dawn Morrison and the education committee described three elementary literacy pilots that align with the district’s foundational framework and said teachers are piloting materials and assessing instructional impact. The education committee also reported recent professional development for fourth‑ and fifth‑grade teachers on word study and said the district plans additional pilots for grades four and five next year.

At the middle‑school level, the board discussed course modifications to expand acceleration options and to move away from explicit ‘Regents’ and ‘honors’ labeling in grades 7 and 8 for language arts and social studies, with the district planning multiple math paths (including Algebra 1 options with laboratory components) for grade 8.

Board members called the literacy work an area of strength and praised the staff for sustained implementation; administrators said they will continue to monitor screening data and teacher feedback as pilot choices are finalized for the coming school year.