K-5 Curriculum Update: Amplify CKLA
English Language Arts: K-5 Curriculum Update
The Everett Public Schools is excited to announce that a new K-5 English Language Arts Curriculum has been selected and will begin to be implemented in the 24-25 school year. Amplify CKLA is the curriculum that has been chosen. The adoption of these high-quality instructional materials will help to ensure that all K-5 students will be provided with the best possible learning experience every day. These experiences will keep them on a path to success that enables them to meet their future goals for college and career. Because the district had a chance to gather input from teachers, students, and families, we believe that this choice will be the best fit for our community. The rich and diverse selection of texts within this ELA curriculum will ensure that our students are being challenged to engage with complex texts. Our ELA curriculum also provides students with ample opportunities to deepen their understanding of texts through writing and discussion.To select these new instructional materials, a Selection Team of teachers and administrators was put together in September 2023. One of the first things the team did was create a list of selection criteria that would be used to evaluate each option so that the best decision for our students could be made. A main priority was that the team wanted to choose a program that was committed to equity and equitable outcomes. With Everett being so amazingly diverse, the curriculum chosen should reflect and celebrate that.
Other priorities included:
- Foundational skills component - explicit phonics instruction
- Culturally relevant authentic texts - mix of genres
- Writing component
- Home/school partnership
- User-friendly platform and materials
- Differentiation/scaffolding guide
From there a number of curricula were explored. The Selection Team went through a rigorous process of training, observing lessons, talking with teachers, consulting with other districts, reviewing the materials, and implementing lessons to ensure that we chose the right materials for Everett’s teachers and students. Over 60 teachers helped to pilot the two programs. Teachers were given surveys weekly to give feedback on the curriculums and students were also asked for feedback at the end of each pilot. Administrators and non-piloting teachers had the opportunity to observe piloting classrooms and offer feedback as well.
Our goal is to provide regular updates and communication with you as we begin to use these materials next year. The students of Everett Public Schools deserve access to high quality instructional grade level materials. We look forward to seeing what Amplify CKLA can do for the success of our students. If at any time you have any questions regarding the curriculum or the process that was followed to choose it, please feel free to reach out to K-8 Director of ELA and Literacy Louise DeSisto.
Our goal is to provide regular updates and communication with you as we begin to use these materials next year. The students of Everett Public Schools deserve access to high quality instructional grade level materials. We look forward to seeing what Amplify CKLA can do for the success of our students. If at any time you have any questions regarding the curriculum or the process that was followed to choose it, please feel free to reach out to K-8 Director of ELA and Literacy Louise DeSisto.