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Northern Lehigh committee outlines literacy rollout and explains state testing changes
Summary
District curriculum committee heard updates on the K–6 Amplify literacy rollout, plans for professional development and family outreach, and state testing shifts including the PSSA move to grade 5 and a new state benchmark called Firefly.
The Northern Lehigh School District curriculum committee heard a progress report on literacy and assessment changes at its committee meeting.
Mr. Pine said K–6 teachers are "well underway" with the Amplify/CKLA program and that early tech and materials issues have been resolved. "A main concern... has been pacing," he said, noting a targeted PD session next week on lesson design and a November booster to help teachers prioritize content. He said the district will hold a literacy night on Oct. 21 from 6 to 7 p.m. and will share an introduction video and a one-sheet describing unit topics for families.
Dr. Stoker gave an overview of statewide assessment changes, saying the science PSSA will move to a census field test in grade 5 (and remain in grade 8) in 2025. "They're really focused on participation. They wanna see a 95% participation rate," he said, adding that the state has applied for a federal waiver so field-test results will not affect accountability. He said the Keystone biology assessment will also shift to new standards in the spring and that statewide testing is moving online, with paper-and-pencil options limited to students with IEP provisions or specific language needs.
On a new benchmark option, Dr. Stoker described Firefly as "a new, free, high quality benchmark assessment that's designed for Pennsylvania" aligned to state standards for ELA and math (grades 3–8) and select Keystone areas. He said the pilot window is Nov. 18 to April 18 and that Northern Lehigh is not planning to pilot this year but will monitor its rollout.
Committee members and principals reported early classroom signals of increased engagement and consistency: elementary leaders said DIBELS screening is now aligned across buildings, and teachers described daily writing and stronger classroom discussions. Administrators emphasized that early units are intentionally less grade-heavy to avoid penalizing students during adjustment to more rigorous expectations.
The committee asked the administration to return with progress-monitoring data in the second quarter, details from upcoming PD sessions, and family-facing materials ahead of the literacy night. The committee also noted ongoing conversations about a future math curriculum review.
