Curriculum

Welcome to Curriculum Corner

Each month, I’ll share a brief look at the teaching, learning, assessment, and professional learning happening across SAU 70, from kindergarten through grade 12. This year, we are continuing to strengthen our instructional practices, support thoughtful curriculum implementation, and build greater consistency in how we use evidence of student learning to support every student. My hope is that this newsletter provides families with a window into the work happening behind the scenes to support great teaching and learning across our schools. This space will also feature information about other important learning and initiatives across the district, including safety and preparedness, student support and well-being, technology and digital learning, professional learning, and opportunities that enrich student and teacher experiences.

K–5 Spotlight: Arts & Letters

Arts & Letters is our new English Language Arts (ELA) knowledge-building curriculum for students in grades K–5 at both Bernice A. Ray School and Marion Cross School.

Selecting this new curriculum was a collaborative process that occurred over three years. Teachers and administrators identified the qualities we wanted in a K–5 ELA program and reviewed curriculum options for standards alignment, high-quality and engaging texts, writing instruction, knowledge and vocabulary development, accessibility, assessment, and teacher usability. Teachers had opportunities to explore the materials, consider how they would support instruction in their classrooms, and provide feedback throughout the selection process. Arts & Letters was selected because it provides a coherent K–5 approach to literacy, with rich texts, knowledge building, discussion, writing, and integrated literacy skills. The committee made a final recommendation, which was presented to the school boards during last year’s budget cycle.

Our implementation has been intentionally designed as a process rather than a single training or launch. Last spring, teachers participated in the Launch professional learning module. This introduced the Arts & Letters approach and gave teachers an opportunity to begin exploring the curriculum and its resources.

Over the summer, teachers were invited to engage in planning through paid curriculum days. This fall, teachers have been familiarizing themselves with the books and modules and beginning instruction in their classrooms. As teachers get started, our ELA Coordinators at each school are providing just-in-time coaching and support based on the questions and needs that arise in classrooms and across grade levels.

Our October in-service day will be the next step in this professional learning sequence: the Teach module. By October, teachers will have had several weeks of experience using Arts & Letters with students. Our Arts & Letters coach will be able to use those early experiences to provide targeted professional learning, coaching, and support that is directly connected to what teachers are experiencing in their classrooms.

Implementation support also extends to the adults leading and supporting the work. School leaders, district coordinators, and district curriculum leadership are also receiving ongoing coaching and support from the Arts & Letters implementation team at Great Minds. This helps ensure that everyone supporting implementation has a strong understanding of the curriculum and can provide consistent, meaningful support to teachers.

Although Arts & Letters includes four modules, our focus this year is on successfully implementing three modules across most grades. This intentional pacing gives teachers the time and support needed to build confidence, learn from their experiences, and refine their practice.

Students will experience greater coherence and consistency in K–5 literacy instruction across both elementary schools, while teachers continue to use their professional expertise to respond to the needs of their students. Our goal is to strengthen literacy instruction and ensure that every student has access to high-quality reading, writing, discussion, and learning experiences.

Families and caregivers can explore Arts & Letters curriculum and module overviews on our SAU 70 Curriculum webpage and will continue to receive information and resources as implementation moves forward.  Link: SAU 70 Curriculum webpage

Across K–12: Assessment & Data

This year, SAU 70 is continuing to build more consistent K–12 assessment and data practices across our schools. We are working to use meaningful evidence of student learning to better understand where students are in their learning, identify opportunities for growth, and make thoughtful instructional decisions.

This work also connects to our SAU 70 Portrait of a Learner, which describes the knowledge, skills, and dispositions we hope every student develops by the time they graduate. As we strengthen our assessment practices, we are thinking not only about what students are learning, but also about how they are developing as independent, reflective, collaborative, and engaged learners. Link: SAU 70 Portrait of a Learner

Across grade levels and content areas, teachers are engaging in conversations about questions such as:

• What are students learning, and how do we know?

• What opportunities do students have to reflect, set goals, and demonstrate growth?

• How can we use what we learn from students to make better instructional decisions?

• How are we creating learning experiences that develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions reflected in our Portrait of a Learner?

This work is an important part of our strategic plan and reflects our commitment to using assessment as a tool to support learning, strengthen student agency, inform instruction, and ensure that every student has opportunities to grow toward the vision we have for them as SAU 70 learners.

Looking Ahead

As we move through the school year, our focus remains on strengthening teaching and learning across SAU 70. Whether we are implementing a new curriculum, refining how we use evidence of student learning, or supporting educators through professional learning and coaching, our work is grounded in a shared commitment to helping every student grow. I look forward to keeping families and caregivers connected to this work and sharing more throughout the year.

Sincerely,

Lauren Amrhein
Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment