Winslow board approves teacher-led ELA adoption after multi-month pilot
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Summary
After a teacher pilot involving 88 instructors, the Winslow Township Board approved Benchmark Advance for K–6 and Savas (My Perspectives) for middle school; the curriculum office said an Impact Grant of $200,000 will help materials and training.
The Winslow Township Board of Education voted March 25 to approve new English-language-arts instructional materials selected after a multi-month teacher pilot.
Curriculum staff described a process that began in September 2024 during which 88 teachers piloted five candidate programs across K–8 using a 46-question rubric endorsed by the New Jersey Department of Education and the Reading League. Board members who attended the pilot reveal participated in the celebration of the selection.
“We apply for and were awarded $200,000 for the impact grant,” a curriculum presenter said, identifying a funding source to help with rollout. The presenters and board emphasized that the selections were teacher-driven: the teachers voted for the materials and administrators said there were no administrative votes in the selection.
The approved choices — Benchmark Advance for K–6 and Savas (My Perspectives) for grades 7–8 — will move to implementation. Curriculum staff outlined next steps: order instructional materials, adjust schedules to create instructional time, establish teacher ambassadors who piloted the programs to lead peer support, and provide summer training and ongoing coaching. Staff said they will post a recording of the selection reveal on the district website for broader access.
Board members and curriculum staff framed the decision as the next phase in improving literacy instruction and noted the teacher-led nature of the selection process.
The board recorded a roll call vote approving the superintendent’s report (which included the ELA selections); the motion carried.
