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Staff report mixed on curriculum adoptions; district to pilot science and Character Strong SEL materials
Summary
District staff reported mixed satisfaction with recent curriculum adoptions: K–3 Wit & Wisdom showed generally positive familiarity but varied satisfaction, 4–5 ELA had lower satisfaction, middle-school math scored well; the district will run K–5 science pilots and a Character Strong SEL pilot and continue strategic planning work.
Ridgefield — District leaders told the board that staff feedback on recent curriculum adoptions is mixed and outlined planned pilots to gather more evidence before large-scale changes.
Dr. Rodriguez summarized results of a staff survey with 123 respondents. For K–3 English language arts (the Wit & Wisdom adoption), about 70% of responding teachers said they are familiar with the materials; roughly 25% said they were very satisfied, about half somewhat satisfied and roughly a quarter dissatisfied. Fourth- and fifth-grade ELA materials (a different vendor) drew lower satisfaction: about 16% very satisfied, 31.6% somewhat satisfied, and about 21% saying they were very dissatisfied. Middle-school math materials received strong positive marks, with most respondents very satisfied.
On elementary math, staff interest in moving forward with an adoption was mixed: a small share said they were ready, about 31% said they were interested, about 44% said they could defer another year and around 7% said they preferred the current materials. Dr. Rodriguez said that given the learning curve from recent ELA adoption, the district is cautious about launching a major elementary math adoption immediately.
District staff reported pilot plans for science: a small group had piloted an open-source science curriculum and returned positive feedback; the district plans a broader K–5 pilot next year that would purchase the first two units (teacher guides and consumable/non‑consumable kits) so teachers can provide implementation feedback.
Staff also reported substantial dissatisfaction with current social-emotional learning materials (Second Step). The district will pilot Character Strong at secondary levels (partially funded) and provide six months of free access to tier-one/tier-two elementary and preschool materials so teachers can trial the program and offer recommendations next year.
The strategic-planning process — four public sessions with roughly 100 participants — is ongoing; staff said those sessions yielded priorities and values that will be used to align curricular and instructional decisions.
What’s next: District staff will run the science pilot across K–5 next year, monitor Character Strong results, and return implementation recommendations to the board based on pilot feedback and additional staff PD needs.
