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Jenkintown SD to roll out Bookworms ELA, add assessments and adjust recess schedule for grades 4–6
Summary
Administrators said the district will implement new Bookworms ELA materials and Pennsylvania science standards, expand LinkIt data use, and adjust Tuesday–Thursday scheduling for grades 4–6 to accommodate Bookworms 'flex' instruction while keeping recess on Mondays and Fridays.
District administrators told the board the 2024–25 school year will focus on three goals: strengthen curricular and co‑curricular experiences, increase staff engagement and leadership, and deepen data collection and analysis across the district.
"These are the new science standards from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and we will be implementing them next school year in full," Administrator (S5) said, describing work by the science department over the summer and a timeline for adoption.
Elementary teachers took part in a six‑hour Bookworms ELA training on Aug. 28 led by curriculum director Kathleen Skelly. Administrators said the training is the start of ongoing professional development and a leadership forum that will connect local teachers to researchers and practitioners across the country.
To support implementation, the district uploaded PSSA and Keystone data into the LinkIt platform and plans to present PACE data at the Sept. 16 board meeting so staff can analyze cohort strengths and needs. S5 said the data will be used to identify students for Title I support and to form differentiated groups.
As part of Bookworms scheduling, administrators proposed a small change for fourth through sixth grades: students will keep recess on Monday and Friday, while Tuesday–Thursday will be used for "flex" instruction tied to Bookworms (silent sustained reading and targeted small‑group work). "I don't want the impression to be that we're taking recess away," Dr. Janke said. "They still have more recess than they did for fourth, fifth, and sixth."
Administrators also described a pilot "hybrid" math specialist role in fifth grade using Megan Owen to create smaller instructional groups for targeted math support; the district will evaluate the experiment for possible expansion.
Next steps: administration will continue Bookworms professional development, monitor LinkIt data, report PACE results to the board on Sept. 16, and communicate scheduling changes to families before students notice adjustments.
