District plans K'12 structured-literacy rollout and elementary curriculum review
March 01, 2024 | Unionville-Chadds Ford SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
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District leaders updated the Curriculum & Instruction committee on structured literacy work, describing how revisions to Chapter 49 and proposed legislation (Senate Bill 801 and House Bill 998) are driving professional-development and curriculum-review decisions.
Mr. Hoffman and other administrators said the district already administers DIBELS assessments three times per year in early grades, uses structured-literacy approaches in remediation, and has a district structured-literacy committee plus train-the-trainer programming through the Chester County Intermediate Unit. They said the district plans to provide structured-literacy professional development for all teachers (K'12) and to conduct a full elementary-level resource review, noting the current elementary core resource (Wonders) has been in use since 2014 and may need supplementation or replacement with research-based materials.
Administrators emphasized that literacy instruction affects all subject areas and called reading their top academic priority. They said planned next steps include: moving English back to Year 1 in the curriculum cycle to allow a systematic resource review, scheduling professional development with a district team of trained structured-literacy trainers, and adding reading support to full-day kindergarten when the program begins in 2025'6.
"If anyone were to ask me what is the most important academic priority, it's teaching kids to read," one administrator said. Staff noted the market now offers more high-quality, research-grounded reading resources and that alignment with potential state requirements would help guide adoption decisions. The committee deferred discussion of a separate MTSS update to the work session later that evening.
Mr. Hoffman and other administrators said the district already administers DIBELS assessments three times per year in early grades, uses structured-literacy approaches in remediation, and has a district structured-literacy committee plus train-the-trainer programming through the Chester County Intermediate Unit. They said the district plans to provide structured-literacy professional development for all teachers (K'12) and to conduct a full elementary-level resource review, noting the current elementary core resource (Wonders) has been in use since 2014 and may need supplementation or replacement with research-based materials.
Administrators emphasized that literacy instruction affects all subject areas and called reading their top academic priority. They said planned next steps include: moving English back to Year 1 in the curriculum cycle to allow a systematic resource review, scheduling professional development with a district team of trained structured-literacy trainers, and adding reading support to full-day kindergarten when the program begins in 2025'6.
"If anyone were to ask me what is the most important academic priority, it's teaching kids to read," one administrator said. Staff noted the market now offers more high-quality, research-grounded reading resources and that alignment with potential state requirements would help guide adoption decisions. The committee deferred discussion of a separate MTSS update to the work session later that evening.
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