Board hears presentation on revised K–6 ELA curriculum as parents raise process concerns

Miss Cummings, the district’s director of curriculum, presented the Oradell Public School District’s revised K–6 English language arts curriculum, saying the 2023 New Jersey Department of Education standards prompted the district to strengthen reading and writing foundations across grade levels.

The presentation outlined several changes: expanded foundations instruction (including phonics and phonemic awareness), formal adoption of Heggerty for kindergarten and grade 1, Orton–Gillingham–aligned reading strategies in the early grades, fewer curricular units per grade to allow depth, common texts to support vocabulary in grades 4–5, and modified reading assessments and progress monitoring (including DIBELS and other measures administered three times per year). "So in 2023, the New Jersey Department of Education updated the standards to ensure that all students would be successful in college, career, and in life," Miss Cummings said during her overview.

Administrator speaker 4 (the meeting presenter) said the curriculum documentation will make instruction clearer, highlighted added content knowledge in grades 4 and 5, thanked Miss Cummings and staff for summer work, and noted that Columbus Day is scheduled as a professional development day to support early rollout.

Board members asked clarifying questions about instructional models and assessments. When a board member asked whether the reader/writer strategy books replace the Readers and Writers Workshop, the administration replied that workshop and student choice remain in place while supplemental strategy materials and revised recording forms will be used. The administration confirmed that Heggerty was already introduced last year and is being added to first grade this year, and that DIBELS will be used K–5 for progress monitoring.

At public comment, Jen Allen of Wildwood Road said she was unsure how school-board decisions are shared with the public and urged greater prior public review of significant curriculum changes. A resident who spoke later praised the attention to foundational reading components and urged comprehensive K–3 staff training and that classroom teachers, not only interventionists, administer DIBELS.

The district said it used research-based materials and collaborated with outside literacy staff developers; the presentation named Patty McGee as a consultant who previously worked with local curriculum centers and currently supports neighboring districts. The board did not vote on the curriculum during this meeting; the presentation served as a report and the topic was discussed in committee motions elsewhere on the agenda.

Next steps: the administration will continue professional development and monitor early assessment data; board members flagged interest in continued public communication and rollout details.