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Kutztown Area SD committee reviews Arts & Letters pilot, proposes purchase ahead of budget
Summary
District presenters told the committee the Arts & Letters curriculum pilot showed similar first‑year proficiency to comparison classes but strong engagement; administrators proposed expanding the pilot to grades 1–5, with estimated first‑year costs of roughly $74,000 and PD funded in part by Title funds or existing budgets.
Administrators presented results of an elementary Arts & Letters pilot and proposed expanding the program across grades 1–5, saying the curriculum addresses the knowledge‑building strand of reading while the district’s existing UFLI program continues to provide foundational phonics instruction.
The proposal, discussed at a Finance, Property & Operations committee meeting, was framed as a complement to Pennsylvania’s structured‑literacy expectations under Act 135. A district director told the committee the district’s current resource “is not aligned to the structured literacy framework,” and that Arts & Letters was selected to strengthen language‑comprehension instruction alongside UFLI’s phonics focus.
Presenters summarized first‑year pilot data from second and fourth grades showing the pilot class performed roughly in line with other sections, noting that limited teacher professional development in year one makes larger gains unlikely until years two through five. A presenter offered classroom examples of student engagement, saying one fourth‑grade student “couldn't wait to come in and tell his teacher about it” after buying his own copy of a book used in the unit.
On costs, committee members discussed earlier budget estimates. The chair said an initial $58,000 figure “is included in the current budget projection,” and later clarified that curriculum materials were budgeted at about $60,000 with roughly $16,000 in professional‑development costs, putting the first‑year total at about $74,000; presenters said recurring annual costs thereafter would be lower and were estimated roughly at $14,000. The district identified Title funds as one option to cover some PD expenses and said the purchase could be timed so teachers receive materials well before the school year.
Administrators outlined an implementation timeline that would schedule professional development late this school year and in early next year, with possible summer flex opportunities and learning‑walks and professional learning communities during the school year to support teachers. They noted schedule adjustments would be needed at elementary schools because Arts & Letters combines reading and writing into a single 60‑minute block, freeing time for targeted small‑group instruction.
Committee members asked about comparison districts and long‑term results; presenters said Parkland’s multi‑year implementation showed notable PSSA increases in some grades and that Parkland’s PD and scale differ from Kutztown’s first‑year pilot. With questions addressed, members indicated support for recommending that administration place an approval‑of‑purchase item on an upcoming board agenda so materials can be ordered ahead of final budget adoption, and asked administration to return with polished language and a finalized timeline.
The committee did not take a final adoption vote during the meeting; next steps are for administration to bring back a formal recommendation and cost details to the committee and then to the full board for action.
