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Groton board adopts Wit & Wisdom for grades 6–8 to align middle‑school literacy with K–5
Summary
The Groton Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the Wit & Wisdom English language arts program for grades 6–8, citing pandemic‑era score declines, independent reviews that rated the program highly, and the goal of K–8 instructional coherence. The district outlined costs and an implementation plan with teacher supports.
The Groton Board of Education voted 8–0 on May 11 to adopt Wit & Wisdom as the district’s English language arts curriculum for grades 6 through 8.
Dr. Anne Marie Mason presented the recommendation, saying the change aims to reverse pandemic‑era declines in middle‑school ELA performance and to give teachers high‑quality instructional materials aligned with standards. “Our goal here is to select a research‑based and standards‑aligned resource that serves as the foundation for our middle school English language arts curriculum,” Mason said during the Committee of the Whole meeting.
Mason cited district assessment trends showing declines since 2019 — roughly a six‑point drop at sixth grade and larger drops at seventh and eighth — and said teachers reported that curriculum and schedule shifts after the district’s building transition contributed to the decline. She also noted that Wit & Wisdom has received top ratings from independent reviewers (EdReports and the Knowledge Matters Campaign), and that other districts implementing the program reported measurable gains.
The superintendent’s office described a multi‑step pilot and review process: the district evaluated CommonLit 360, My Perspectives and Wit & Wisdom across grade teams, conducted classroom visits to neighboring districts using Wit & Wisdom, and collected teacher and student feedback. Mason said pilots showed strong engagement in the Wit & Wisdom units and that the program offers built‑in supports for multilingual learners and struggling students.
On implementation, the district plans a launch day of professional development on Aug. 27 followed by publisher‑supported co‑planning and co‑teaching sessions, Science of Reading training, and ongoing pacing support with district literacy staff. Cost estimates presented to the board included teacher and student digital licenses (roughly $11,000), student workbooks (about $52,000), and professional learning; an initial vendor quote in the $100,000–$110,000 range was reduced by identified offsets and potential grant funding, with the superintendent noting about $30,000 could come from a DoDEA grant and some PD costs could be covered by Title I funds.
Board members asked how the curriculum would affect daily schedules and how the district would identify students ready for AP/IB coursework; Mason cited Smarter Balanced and PSAT results as tools that will inform placements and said the district will support teachers with pacing and training so the program can be adapted to classroom needs. Several members praised the thorough review and the plan for teacher supports.
The board’s vote was called after questions and discussion. The motion to adopt was made by Mitch Schimbrock and seconded by Jen White; the chair announced the motion passed 8–0.
The district plans to move forward with ordering materials, offering summer planning time for teachers, and providing the professional development outlined in the implementation plan.
