Canal Winchester reports first‑year progress and glitches in K–5 'Into Reading' rollout

The Canal Winchester Local Board of Education heard a multi-part update on the first year of its K–5 English language arts adoption, Into Reading, on July 13.

District instructional leaders said administrators and teachers selected Into Reading after a two‑year pilot and that the program’s consumable student texts and aligned assessments helped classroom engagement. "You’ll see our students working within the text," said Alyssa Locker, the district’s instructional coach, describing classroom use and small‑group discussion structures. She told the board coaches modeled lessons, co‑taught with teachers and provided a library of follow‑up professional development resources.

Leaders framed the rollout as an early stage of a multi‑year change. The director presenting the report cautioned that it typically takes three years to realize the full systemic impact of a new language‑arts program; the district will focus in year two on pacing around novel studies, using teacher‑based teams (TBTs) to maintain consistency, and expanding coaching supports.

Board members pressed for attendance and access details for the optional professional development sessions. Locker said attendance varied by building — "Indian Trail was always a little more attendant than Winchester Trail" — and that recorded PD and shared slide decks let teachers review sessions they missed. She said weekly coach meetings and a rolling set of in‑house PD would continue next year so the district can scale training without paying for external coaches.

Presenters also described a recurring technical issue. The Classcraft add‑on inside Into Reading caused login and access failures early in the school year, frustrating teachers and disrupting classroom momentum. District staff said the vendor acknowledged the problem and offered a credit to offset future integration purchases; the district plans a cautious, gradual re‑introduction of Classcraft as reliability improves.

The board asked how the curriculum’s AI features will be used. Locker said AI components, introduced late in the pilot year, will primarily help teachers adapt units when they substitute a novel for a scripted selection — the system can generate assessment items and vocabulary lists tied to the standards to preserve uniform assessment goals.

District leaders emphasized measurement plans: they cited growth percentiles and quintile movement at building level (for example, a median growth percentile rising from the mid‑50s to the mid‑60s in some cohorts) and said they will refine assessment pacing and reporting in year‑two implementation. The board took no formal action on the report but asked staff to return with further year‑two metrics and continuing PD plans.

The board moved on to other agenda items after a brief Q&A about assessments and coaching cadence.