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East Penn school board reviews broad curriculum revisions covering world languages, ELD and reading pilot
Summary
At its June 8 meeting the East Penn School District received a multi-part presentation on curriculum revisions: an expanded world‑language sequence with an 8th‑grade intro pilot, revised ELD programming for about 193 multilingual learners, and a K–5 reading pilot to meet PA Act 135. Trustees asked about pilot selection, monitoring and staffing; no final adoption was recorded.
East Penn School District leaders presented proposed curriculum revisions June 8 that would reshape world language offerings, tighten English language development (ELD) instruction and pilot an evidence‑based elementary reading program ahead of a statewide Act 135 deadline.
Dr. Campbell opened the presentation with district highlights and turned the floor over to the teaching-and-learning team, which described two years of work on the world‑language sequence. “The end goal is communication and effective communication,” Kevin Biznani, a department chair and German teacher, said. Biznani outlined four instructional pillars—communication, vocabulary, structure and culture—and said the district will continue offering Spanish, French, German and Latin with honors and pre‑AP pathways. “If you ain’t got vocab, you ain’t got nothing,” he added, emphasizing classroom production over rote memorization.
Administrators said the district has arranged dual‑credit approval from Lehigh Carbon Community College for certain language syllabi; those offerings will be brought to the October program‑of‑studies vote for possible student enrollment beginning in 2027–28. The team also described a budget‑neutral introductory world‑language pilot for some 8th graders that cycles students through Spanish, French and German by trimester.
On ELD, Trisha Gutman and Ann Brightenbach presented a revised curriculum aligned to state proficiency guidelines and WIDA frameworks. Brightenbach said the district currently has 11 ESL specialists serving about 193 multilingual learners across 27 languages, roughly 80 of whom are classified as beginners or newcomers. The presenters described annual WIDA testing and a two‑year monitoring period after students meet exit criteria; if concerns emerge, students can be returned to services.
The team recommended HMH’s Into Reading for a K–5 pilot across the district’s seven elementary schools and a year‑two sixth‑grade pilot to test K–6 vertical articulation. The work, administrators said, was vetted against Pennsylvania’s approved program lists and the district’s science‑of‑reading criteria in preparation for the Act 135 adoption deadline in 2027–28.
Board members used the Q&A to press for specifics. Trustee Michael Kelly asked why the introductory world‑language pilot would be offered to students who otherwise would be in reading interventions; presenters said the pilot is staffed with current personnel, aims to increase engagement and will be measured by student achievement, course grades and participant feedback. Trustees also asked about staffing constraints for offering additional languages such as Mandarin or Arabic; presenters cited certification and budget limitations and noted district openness to outside partnerships for classes they cannot staff directly.
The presentation did not include a final board vote on the curriculum package. Several elements described by staff—dual‑credit approvals, the K–5 reading pilot, and changes to English 8 and 10 common assessments—were presented as proposals or pilots that will return to the board later for formal action. The next regular board meeting is June 22, when follow‑up items may appear on future agendas.
