Silver Lake adopts Open Up Resources ELA for grades 6'8 after yearlong review; year-end assessment trends reported

The Silver Lake Regional School Committee heard a year-end data presentation and approved adoption steps for a new middle-school ELA curriculum.

District staff described a curriculum review process that included teachers from sixth through eighth grades, pilot lessons and visits to schools using candidate materials. The committee and administration announced the selection of Open Up Resources ELA for grades 6'8; the district held a publisher-led launch training attended by classroom teachers, special educators, reading specialists and multilingual learner staff, and administrators said the materials are aligned to state standards.

Nicole Dennis, the district's 7'8 ELA coordinator, said teachers will receive coaching visits four times per year from the publisher and that the district will provide family-facing informational sessions in the fall. Dennis emphasized that common assessments and STAR testing will be used to monitor implementation and set goals.

Curriculum coordinators across subject areas reported mixed but generally positive spring trends: middle- and high-school STAR reading showed improvement, social studies reported a notable civics project success (a student team invited to the Massachusetts Court of Appeals), and science coordinators identified unit-level areas needing instructional refinement. Staff also described changes to common-assessment timing to reduce test fatigue and to better align with MCAS/MCCAST windows.

Administrators said they will continue professional development over the summer and fall and will provide families with more information before open house events.