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Board adopts Frog Street preschool curriculum; administration proposes switch from I‑Ready to STAR screener
Summary
The board voted to adopt the Frog Street pre‑K curriculum (approximate cost $9,600 funded via PFA grant) and heard a recommendation from staff to shift the universal screener from I‑Ready to the shorter STAR assessment (estimated $15,000 recurring plus a one‑time $7,000 training cost).
The Westmont Community Unit School District 201 board on June 16 approved adoption of the Frog Street curriculum as the district’s formal preschool program resource at South School, with implementation planned for fall 2026. Tiffany Theresy, director of student services and early childhood, told the board the curriculum embeds social‑emotional learning throughout instruction and that the administration believes it will better prepare students for kindergarten.
“I'm Tiffany Theresy, director of student services and early childhood,” Theresy said during her presentation, and she outlined that the Frog Street curriculum balances academic instruction with social–emotional development. The administration provided an estimated cost of about $9,600 for the curricular materials and said it will be funded through the district’s PFA grant.
Separately, district staff proposed replacing the I‑Ready universal screener with the STAR assessment for K–8. Staff said STAR is far shorter — topping out at about 20 minutes per subject compared with I‑Ready sessions that can take some students roughly 90 minutes per subject — and would free instructional time while still providing proficiency and growth scores the district can use for MTSS processes and progress monitoring. Administration gave cost comparisons: roughly $40,000 annually for I‑Ready versus an estimated $15,000 annual cost for STAR plus an initial training cost of about $7,000.
When board members asked whether concerns about I‑Ready’s ongoing litigation related to privacy had affected the recommendation, administration said lawsuits are part of the background but emphasized the primary reason for recommending a change is that current tools were not meeting instructional needs for students and teachers.
What happens next: the Frog Street curriculum adoption was approved by roll call. The assessment change to STAR was presented as a recommendation for board consideration; the board did not take a formal vote on the screening platform on June 16 and asked for follow‑up information as needed.
