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District highlights teacher development, reading fundamentals and new dual‑enrollment courses
Summary
District curriculum leaders described investments in job‑embedded professional learning, expansion of reading fundamentals from BRS into a middle‑school pilot, and new Syracuse University dual‑enrollment courses for seniors in personal finance and public policy analysis.
The district’s curriculum, instruction and assessment presenter, Dr. Lisonbee, told the board the curriculum budget focuses on sustained, job‑embedded professional development and regional partnerships that help implement district priorities.
Dr. Lisonbee said two staff‑development lines support internal professional learning and partnerships with BOCES and regional consortia; she identified a $12,000 increase in the BOCES line to rejoin the Putnam Northern Westchester Curriculum Council, a move she said will provide access to aligned programming and potential cost savings.
The district is continuing to implement the reading fundamentals program at Bedford Road School and is piloting a version in the middle school to assess whether it should expand. Dr. Lisonbee emphasized the use of smaller, choice‑based professional learning sessions run by teacher leaders, which administrators said were well‑received at a recent district professional‑development day.
At the high school, administrators described dual‑enrollment partnerships with Syracuse University that will let students take half‑year courses for college credit: a personal finance course and a public policy analysis course that can meet graduation requirements in economics and government. The presenters noted Syracuse’s selective requirements for instructors and said some Syracuse courses will be open only to seniors under the university’s rules.
Administrators said Tri States consortium site visits and self‑study processes are useful for external feedback and may be scheduled again when the district is ready to host or visit with a specific focus area.
What happens next: the district will continue piloting reading fundamentals in targeted grades, finalize BOCES/consortium subscriptions and present any related budget details at the facilities and business office review ahead of May public hearing.
