The process began in June with the assembly of a support team, application for the Texas Education Agency Strong Foundations Grant, and development of a rubric and review materials. Now, the district is on the third step of the second phase of implementation, said Sanée Bell, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning.
“Which involves the rewriting of the reading and language arts curriculum and instructional guidance documents,” she said.
The second phase is planned to conclude in May. The entire plan for implementation has a timeline that ends in August 2024, ahead of the next school year.
Bell said a number of activities have taken place since the Jan. 23 board meeting, including the purchase of core instructional materials from education and learning technology company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in the amount of $5.63 million.
A plan to collect previous materials will be disseminated to teachers and principals in March.
The new literacy framework will possibly require a two-day training for all teachers, likely to happen over the summer, Bell said. On March 6, the support team will collaborate with HMH to develop a training plan for teachers and principles on the new materials.
Additionally, in mid-March, the district anticipates the release of phonics instruction from the TEA to inform the literacy standards statewide. Once these are released, it will also be incorporated into the new literacy framework for elementary students.
Bell said cross collaboration of many departments is necessary for the transition to a new framework to be efficient and effective. The following departments have worked together to develop the literacy implementation timeline:
- Elementary curriculum and instruction;
- Offices of other languages;
- Special education;
- Interventions;
- Gifted and talented;
- Instructional technology;
- Research, assessment, accountability;
- Library services;
- Professional learning;
- Communications;
- School leadership support;
- Federal programs and external funding; and
- Purchasing.
