Wilmette SD 39 curriculum committees preview Bridges math, new social studies standards and UFLI-based K–2 literacy work

Katie Lee, a curriculum committee representative, described what triggers a curriculum review (new or revised state standards, instructional best practices, or data showing unmet student needs) and walked board members through the committee process: kickoff, representation from teachers and administrators, development of criteria, vendor review and implementation with year-one reflections.

On elementary math, Lee said the K–4 committee found a need to strengthen mathematical discourse and recommended implementing Bridges Math 3rd edition in core classrooms beginning in the fall, along with Number Corner and an intervention program to support differentiated instruction. "Number Corner is the piece of Bridges that really focuses on those number talks or those math talks," Lee said, and the committee planned a measured rollout to align with the publisher's third edition timing.

Lee also summarized the social studies review for grades 5–8: the committee responded to the Illinois State Board of Education's updated social science standards (finalized in January 2024) and prioritized inquiry-embedded learning while preserving historical chronology and ensuring diverse voices and human stories are included authentically. Finalists for supplemental resources include TCI Social Studies Alive and Traverse (Imagine Learning).

For K–2 literacy, Lee said the district will implement a foundational skills program based on guidance from the Illinois literacy plan and research from the federal Institute of Education Sciences. The district plans to adopt UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) foundational materials and decodable texts to strengthen phonics and decoding practice, with teacher professional development and alignment to district early-literacy indicators. "We will be implementing the foundational skills program next year starting in the fall," Lee said.

Board members asked about opportunities for teachers to visit other districts and provide feedback after implementation; Lee said visitations, representative feedback and built-in reflection meetings in the first year of implementation are part of the process. The committee emphasized that curriculum maps are living documents and that assessments will be reviewed and adjusted as needed.

The curriculum updates were informational; no formal adoption votes were taken at this meeting. The district will continue committee work over the summer and return with recommended implementation details and any adoption requests when ready.