The Fall River School Committee’s Instructional Subcommittee met to discuss a series of curriculum and program updates. The committee reviewed five proposed amendments to the Durfee High School program of studies, including changes to heritage language, CTE, and ESL courses. A proposal to pilot a double-block Algebra 1 support class for 9th graders sparked considerable debate, with committee members expressing concern over its effectiveness and impact on student schedules, ultimately suggesting alternatives like summer programs or project-based learning. The committee voted to refer the full slate of amendments for further consideration.
The subcommittee also approved significant changes to digital learning platforms to improve efficacy and reduce costs. They endorsed a plan to scale back the use of Lexia Core 5, focusing it on grades 1 and 2 while eliminating it for kindergarten and grades 3-5, saving over $70,000. They then approved using $44,000 of those savings to adopt the iReady ELA assessment platform, which is already used for math, to gain more actionable student data. Additionally, the committee discussed discontinuing the underutilized Lexia English program ($125,000 cost) and the professional development component of the Elevation platform ($48,000 cost), resulting in substantial savings.
Other items referred for approval included a pilot of the EL Education ELA curriculum in several elementary classrooms, the purchase of OpenSciEd kits to expand hands-on science in grades K-5, funding for Responsive Classroom social-emotional learning training, and a corrected budget for the Building Blocks preschool curriculum. All items put to a vote were referred unanimously to the full school committee.
Topics discussed
- 0:02 · Roll Call
A roll call was conducted for the Instructional Subcommittee meeting. - 0:55 · Durfee Program of Studies Amendments
Five amendments to the Durfee High School Program of Studies were presented for the upcoming school year, covering world languages, CTE, ESL, science credit recovery, and math support. - 1:23 · To refer the five proposed amendments to the B.M.C. Durfee High School Program of Studies to the full school committee. — referred
To refer the five proposed amendments to the B.M.C. Durfee High School Program of Studies to the full school committee. - 5:44 · Algebra 1 Double Block Pilot Debate
Committee members debated a proposal for a double-block Algebra 1 class, raising concerns about its research basis and suggesting alternatives like summer programs or project-based learning to avoid penalizing struggling students. - 13:31 · To refer the modified renewal of the Lexia Core 5 contract to the full school committee. — referred
To refer the modified renewal of the Lexia Core 5 contract to the full school committee. - 13:54 · Lexia Core 5 Contract Modification
A proposal was discussed to reduce the use of the Lexia Core 5 reading program to only grades 1 and 2, citing concerns about screen time for kindergarteners and scheduling conflicts for grades 3-5. The change would save approximately $73,000. - 14:35 · EL Education Curriculum Pilot
A pilot of the EL Education curriculum was proposed for several K, 1st, and 5th grade classrooms. The committee discussed the need for curriculum consistency, as the district also uses Wonders and ARC. - 22:09 · To refer the purchase of the iReady ELA assessment platform to the full school committee. — referred
To refer the purchase of the iReady ELA assessment platform to the full school committee. - 27:57 · iReady ELA Assessment Purchase
The committee discussed purchasing the iReady ELA assessment platform for $44,000 to provide more granular and actionable data for teachers, replacing the current use of old MCAS tests for benchmarks. - 38:09 · To refer the pilot of the EL Education curriculum to the full school committee. — referred
To refer the pilot of the EL Education curriculum to the full school committee. - 52:15 · Elevation Platform Contract Reduction
The committee discussed renewing the Elevation contract but removing the professional development component due to low usage, saving $48,000 while keeping the essential data management tool for English Learners. - 55:36 · To refer the modified renewal of the Elevation contract to the full school committee. — referred
To refer the modified renewal of the Elevation contract to the full school committee. - 55:48 · Lexia English Program Discontinuation
Due to low usage (under 22% completion) and a high cost of $125,000, the district will not renew the Lexia English contract and will explore a cheaper, more integrated tool called Mote. - 1:02:04 · To refer the purchase of OpenSciEd kits for grades K-5 to the full school committee. — referred
To refer the purchase of OpenSciEd kits for grades K-5 to the full school committee. - 1:02:15 · OpenSciEd Kits Purchase
The committee discussed purchasing OpenSciEd kits to expand the curriculum to K-5, providing two units per grade level to enhance hands-on science instruction and align with the middle school program. - 1:07:16 · CPR Certification in CTE Health Curriculum
A proposal was discussed to add American Red Cross CPR certification to the CTE Health 1 curriculum, leveraging already-certified teachers to provide students with a valuable life skill. - 1:09:41 · Building Blocks Preschool Curriculum Budget Correction
The committee addressed a previous oversight by adding $14,000 for professional development to the already-approved purchase of the Building Blocks preschool curriculum, bringing the total to approximately $50,000. - 1:11:11 · Responsive Classroom Training
The committee discussed funding a training cohort for Responsive Classroom, a social-emotional learning framework, to support school culture, climate, and proactive behavior management. - 1:11:12 · To refer the corrected, full purchase amount for the Building Blocks preschool curriculum, including professional development, to the full school committee. — referred
To refer the corrected, full purchase amount for the Building Blocks preschool curriculum, including professional development, to the full school committee. - 1:11:17 · To refer the funding for Responsive Classroom training to the full school committee. — referred
To refer the funding for Responsive Classroom training to the full school committee. - 1:17:51 · A motion to adjourn the meeting. — passed
A motion to adjourn the meeting.