Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wit And Wisdom Review topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board members ask to review Wit and Wisdom modules after initial presentation; staff to pull materials for committee review
Summary
Leanne, the district's instructional coach, reviewed the adoption history and implementation supports for Wit and Wisdom; several board members requested targeted access to teacher and student materials for specific modules after raising concerns about possible persuasive content.
Leanne, the district instructional coach, gave an overview of the Wit and Wisdom adoption process, explaining the research, site visits, EdServices review, pilot work and phased implementation supported by professional development and coaching. She said the district worked with CISA 2 and used EdReports as part of a vetting process before adoption.
Leanne described fidelity expectations, coaching and supports for teachers and acknowledged the curriculum is rigorous and writing intensive. "After year 1 of implementation of everybody trying that, we saw 40% growth in our writing scores," she said, citing district assessment gains.
Several board members requested direct access to specific modules and teaching materials for closer review. One member said modules they had found online "might tend to persuade students toward a particular point of view" and asked that staff make teacher guides and student-facing materials available for board members to inspect. Leanne offered to pull teacher copies and arrange time for small-group review, noting digital access can be expensive and that staff could bring physical copies for board members to examine before the next curriculum committee meeting.
Action: the committee directed staff to pull Wit and Wisdom materials for board review and to schedule time for members to examine modules (target items identified included grade 7 modules on identity and language and a grade 8 module on teams as change agents). The committee said further discussion will await that review.
