Scranton School District launches committee, expands training to implement Pennsylvania structured‑literacy shift

Anne, a district presenter for Scranton School District, outlined the district’s curriculum work and next steps to align with Pennsylvania’s incoming structured‑literacy requirements. She said the district has begun districtwide professional development, is forming a broad literacy committee and will provide cohort-based trainings and resources for teachers and parents.

The updates aim to prepare teachers for a shift in instruction across elementary and middle grades under the STEALS standards, which Anne said the district plans to fully implement by June 2025 with professional development planned in the 2024–25 school year. She told the committee the district “had our 1st professional development district wide, and we will have part 2 in the fall.”

Anne said the literacy committee will include specialists, administrators, central-office staff and community members to map curriculum priorities and plan deeper, ongoing training. She described partnerships with the local NEIU and with labor organizations, noting “I’ve partnered with the SFT, on this as well as the AFT,” and credited Holly Mead and Catona Miller for contributing to curriculum‑and‑instruction resources on the district website.

The district plans a new curriculum page with links to Pennsylvania standards, pacing guides by quarter, and grade‑level materials intended as a one‑stop reference for teachers and parents. Anne said content‑literacy work (social studies and science literacy) and middle‑school science updates are underway, that the shift emphasizes discovery and hands‑on learning, and that classroom materials for that approach have been budgeted in the 2024 budget.

No formal action or vote was taken; Anne invited questions and none were raised. The district said staff will continue committee meetings and report back with implementation steps and professional development schedules.