wall township public schools k-12 english language arts
TRANSCRIPT
The Purpose of Program Evaluations
The curriculum renewal process is a five year cycle.
● Evaluate
● Rewrite and pilot
● Implement
● Monitor
● Gather data
During the evaluation process, curriculum in a designated content
area is analyzed in a systematic, collaborative manner to ensure
high-quality instruction and equally high levels of student
learning.
Areas of Focus
❖ Research best practices in literacy instruction
❖ Historical review of the program
❖ Overview of current program
❖ Comparison data with similar and “ideal” districts
❖ Student achievement evidence
❖ Commendations
❖ Recommendations
❖ SMART goals
1
September
Formation of Steering Committee
Oct-March
Sub-committees work in planned meetings
and site visits.
2
March-April
Sub-committees prepare reports for
Steering Committee
3
May
Steering Committee finalizes report for
presentation to BOE
4
Program Evaluation Timeline
Steering Committee:
Dr. Lisa Gleason, Monica Butler, Cathy Brenner, Matthew Kukoda, Dr. Rachel Lella, Dr. Tracy Skinner
Sub-Committee Members:
Leah Appello, Cristin Beirne, Kelly Buckle, Kimberly Bramley, Patricia Carfano, Ashleigh Eagan,Alyson
Ehrlich, Kristin Ferris, Lindsay Gelay-Akins, Kelly Kermick, Kathryn Page, Kelli Palmer, Amber Pine, Joseph
Nardino, Rachel Miller, Jenna Raffetto, Matthew Rusher, Justin Santiago, Maria Tirone, Julieann Rizzitello
Research & Best Practices - Dr. Rachel Lella
Response to Intervention (RTI)
➢
For the RTI model to be successful, there must be consistent and
continuous review, analysis, and professional development.
Research & Best Practices
❖ Vocabulary and Word Study
➢ Collaborative, cooperative, and engaging
➢ Promotes reading comprehension growth
❖ Summer Reading
➢ Self-selected reading and activities
Research & Best Practices
❖ Workshop Model
➢ Increases engagement, self-motivation, metacognition, and
independence
➢ Extensive, consistent, and continuous professional development
❖ Literacy Coaches
➢ Embedded, individualized professional development and
support
Historical Review - Mrs. Cathy Brenner
❖ Reading
❖ Writing
❖ Assessments
❖ Portfolios
❖ Remediation and Acceleration
❖ Staff Development
❖ Summer Reading
Historical Review
Reading
❖ ELEMENTARY - Reading Wonders - Basal/Anthology series
❖ WIS - Novel and Informational reading - General education
and advanced grade level courses have been offered
❖ WHS - Literature study, analytical reading, critical thinking
Historical Review
Writing
❖ ELEMENTARY - Writing workshop - Mini lesson, small group
work, independent work, conferring, editing and publishing
❖ WIS - Writing workshop- Mini lesson, small group work,
independent work, conferring, editing and publishing
❖ WHS - College and Career readiness writing with a focus on
persuasive and expository writing
Historical Review
Assessments:
❖ ELEMENTARY- Program assessments, teacher created,
benchmarks, DRA, Fountas and Pinnell, MAP, Achieve 3000,
NJ ASK, PARCC
❖ WIS - teacher created common assessments, benchmarks,
MAP, Achieve 3000, NJ ASK, PARCC
❖ WHS - teacher created common assessments, benchmarks,
MAP, NJ ASK, PARCC, SAT, HSPA, AP
Historical Review
Student Portfolios:
❖ ELEMENTARY - portfolios are maintained beginning in
Kindergarten with reading and writing samples. Portfolios
are shared with next grade level and the end of the school
year.
❖ WIS and WHS - utilize digital portfolios
Historical Review
Remediation and Acceleration:
❖ ELEMENTARY- Gifted program, BSI reading, reading specialist,
before and after school tutoring, guided reading, co-teaching model
❖ WIS - Study skills classes, reading specialist, Extended School Day,
advanced ELA course, co-teaching model, Knights In Training
❖ WHS - College prep, Honors, AP, elective courses, teacher support at
Unit Lunch, co-teaching model
Historical Review
Staff Development:
❖ In-district for identified areas of need
❖ Out-of-district for staff-selected professional development
❖ Consultants have also been employed by the district for new
instructional models or new programs.
Historical Review
Summer Reading
❖ Various models have been used for summer reading during
the past seven years.
➢ Required reading grades 3-12
➢ Encouraged reading with incentives to students
➢ Suggested reading given at the end of the year
Curriculum Review - Dr. Tracy Skinner
❖ Instructional Strategies
➢ Writing workshop
➢ Reading workshop
➢ Literature circles
➢ Differentiation
➢ Stations
➢ Question stems
➢ Graphic organizers
➢ Socratic seminars
➢ Stations
Curriculum Review
❖ Literacy Strategies
➢ Vocabulary
➢ Grammar
➢ Fluency
➢ Comprehension
➢ Close Reading
Curriculum Review
❖ Technology
➢ Google Classroom
➢ Google Docs
➢ Kahoot
➢ NewsELA
➢ Achieve 3000
➢ Turnitin.com
Curriculum Review
❖ Assessments
➢ PARCC - Grades 3-11
➢ Reading & Writing Benchmarks K-12
➢ Teacher-created assessments
➢ Common Summative Assessments
➢ Piloting digital progress monitoring in K-8
Curriculum Review
Additional ELA Course Offerings
Intermediate
Creative Writing
Short Stories
Pop Fiction
Act It Out
High School
Lost Literature
Creative Writing
Stephen King & The American Nightmare
Harry Potter 1 and 2: A Literary Analysis
Film As Art
Curriculum Review
❖ Interdisciplinary Connections
➢ Historical
➢ Social
➢ Cultural contexts
➢ Science
Curriculum Review
❖ Special Education Services
➢ In-class resource
➢ Pull-out resource
➢ Self-contained
➢ Reading Specialists
❖ Intervention Services
➢ Intervention & Referral Services (I&RS)
➢ RTI - in development
Curriculum Review
❖ Enrichment Opportunities
➢ Elementary
■ Gifted & Talented
➢ Intermediate
■ Advanced ELA Courses
➢ High School
■ Honors
■ AP
Curriculum Review
❖ Curricular Resources
➢ Elementary & Intermediate
■ Media Specialist
■ Reading Specialist
➢ High School
■ Media Specialist
● “Lunch & Learn”
● Reader’s Advisory
Curriculum Review
❖ Works of Study
➢ Reviewed K-12
❖ Cultural Diversity
➢ Examples:
■ I Am Malala - Grade 5
■ The House on Mango Street - Grade 8
■ A Raisin in the Sun - Grade 10
Curriculum Review
❖ Staff Development
➢ In-District PD
■ Instructional Technology
■ Standards-based instruction and assessment
■ Literacy Strategies
■ Book Studies
■ High quality assessments
■ Co-Teaching
➢ Out-of-District PD
■ Tied to district, building, and staff professional goals
Survey Analysis - Mr. Matthew Kukoda
Teachers
❖ Elementary
➢ 68% of K-5 teachers report that at least 80 minutes of ELA
instruction occurs daily.
➢ 20% reported that 120 minutes or more of ELA instruction occurs
daily.
➢ 15% of K-5 teachers reported piloting workshop model strategies
in their classrooms.
Survey Analysis: Teachers
❖ Intermediate
➢ 75% of the ELA teachers are implementing reading
and writing workshop strategies in their classrooms.
➢ All ELA teachers offer 76 minutes of ELA instruction
each day, with supplemental instruction available
through reading specialists, extended school day, and
after-school tutoring.
Survey Analysis: Teachers
❖ High School
➢ 89% of teachers report including at least 50% of reading and 50%
writing instruction during each block.
➢ 58% of the teachers report teaching an equal balance of fiction to
non-fiction texts.
➢ 74% of the teachers report that students are spending
approximately 15 minutes independently reading outside of
class.
➢ 26% of high school teachers are incorporating strategies
pursuant to the workshop model.
Survey Analysis: Students
❖ Questions for student consideration
➢ Level of enjoyment of reading
➢ Importance of reading comprehension to being a good
reader
➢ Believing that reading is important to their future
➢ Preferred method of reading
Survey Analysis: Students
Elementary Intermediate High School
Enjoyment of
reading 95% 87% 91%
Importance of
reading
comprehension to
being a good reader
86.3% 85.9% 87%
Believing that
reading is
important to their
future
90.1% 87.3% 84%
Preferred method
of reading
(silently)
79.5% 75% 64.5%
Survey Analysis: Parents
❖ Questions for parent consideration
➢ Reading selections and other ELA materials are current and meet the
needs of their child
➢ Believe that their child has the opportunity to refine reading and
writing strategies through meaningful homework activities
➢ Enough access to a variety of resources to help them succeed as readers
and writers
➢ Believed their child’s teacher holds high expectations for student
learning
Survey Analysis: Parents
Elementary Intermediate High School
Reading selections and
other ELA materials
are current and meet
the needs of their child
77.6% 77.8% 61.5%
Believe that their child
has the opportunity to
refine reading and
writing strategies
through meaningful
homework activities
50% 62.3% 50%
Enough access to a
variety of resources to
help them succeed as
readers and writers
66.7% 62.6% 83.3%
Believed their child’s
teacher holds high
expectations for
student learning
72% 88% 82.3%
Comparison Districts - Ms. Monica Butler
Similar Districts
❖ NJ School Performance Reports
❖ Reviewed demographic data
❖ ELA programs
High Achieving Districts
❖ Reviewed demographic data
❖ ELA programs
❖ Organized site visits
Similar Districts K-5
Wall Clark Fair Lawn Hillsborough Mahwah Ocean
Total
Population
1461 986 2,293 2,662 1,297 1,353
Special Ed % 20.75% 17% 23.8% 21.8% 18.5% 26%
Economically
Disadvantaged
16% 6.5% 9% 9.6% 10% 25%
ELL 3.9% 2% 11.6% 5.2% 5.5% 8.6%
Average
percentage of
students
PARCC Met or
Exceeded
71.98% 68.25% 74.5% 74.3% 76.8% 59.3%
Similar Districts Grades 6-8
Wall Clark Fair Lawn Hillsborough Mahwah Ocean
Total Population 867 503 467 1187 704 1075
Special Ed % 17% 16% 23% 15% 14% 20%
Economically
Disadvantaged
12% 6% 14% 9% 9% 26%
ELL 1% 0% 0% 1% 1% 3%
Average
percentage of
students
PARCC Met or
Exceeded
57% 72.7% 69.1% 77.6% 74.6% 59.1%
Similar Districts High School
Wall Clark Fair Lawn Hillsborough Mahwah Ocean
Total Population1095 713 1444 2252 928 1134
Special Ed %12% 12% 17% 15% 14% 16%
Economically
Disadvantaged
10% 6% 12% 6% 10% 26%
ELL1% 1% 2% 0% 1% 5%
PARCC Met or
Exceeded
57.1% 40.3% 75.1% 63.1% 68.5% 32%
SAT Critical
Reading and
Writing
574 540 578 601 594 561
High Achieving Districts
❖ Reviewed demographic data of “high achieving” districts
❖ Developed a survey
❖ Site visits of high performing districts
➢ Princeton
➢ School District of the Chathams
➢ Bernards
❖ Committee of teachers and administrators visited K-12 classes
❖ Met with teachers, supervisors and principals
High Achieving Districts K-5
Wall Chatham Summit Bernards
Twp
Princeton Holmdel
Total
Population
1461 1,894 1,617 2,311 1,375 1,565
Special Ed %20.75% 19% 12.2% 15.5% 19.5% 14%
Economically
Disadvantaged
16% 1% 14.6% 2% 18.25% 3%
ELL3.9% 5% 5.8% 2.25% 7.5% 1.5%
Average
percentage of
students
PARCC Met or
Exceeded
71.98% 83.5% 84.56% 75.3% 75.48% 79.15%
High Achieving Districts Grades 6-8
Wall Summit Bernards
Twp.
Princeton Holmdel Chatham
Total
Population
867 951 1391 788 525 1092
Special Ed %17% 10% 14.0% 17% 12% 17%
Economically
Disadvantaged
12% 13% 1% 14% 4% 2%
ELL1% 3% 1% 4% 1% 1%
Average
percentage of
students
PARCC Met or
Exceeded
57% 79% 84% 82.6% 81.1% 76.3%
High Achieving Districts High School
Wall Summit Bernards
Twp.
Princeton Holmdel Chatham
Total
Population
1095 1230 1888 1576 920 1244
Special Ed %12% 10% 14% 13% 14% 13%
Economically
Disadvantaged
10% 16% 2% 9% 4% 2%
ELL1% 3% 1% 3% 2% 1%
PARCC Met or
Exceeded
57.1% 63.1% 49.3% 63.7% 56.2% 53.7%
SAT Critical
Reading and
Writing
574 597 637 661 601 627
Commendations - Elementary
❖ Curriculum aligned to NJSLS - Curricular Frameworks, including maps for the
2018-19 school year that clearly define models of excellence in instructional
practices and assessments.
❖ Master schedule allows for 120 minutes of literacy instruction.
❖ Teachers provide students with balanced exposure to informational and
narrative text in print and digital mediums.
❖ Significant number of teachers with prior reading and writing workshop
training from previous districts and implementing strategies in their current
classroom.
❖ Co-teaching strategies in supported classrooms are integrated and evident
through observations and lesson plans.
❖ Teacher autonomy is evident based upon wide range of teaching and learning
strategies observed during formal and informal walkthroughs and lesson plans.
❖ Standards based reporting has been implemented in K-3 classrooms, with
teachers participating in ongoing professional development to enhance their
understanding and ability to effectively assess using this model. Professional
development underway to support roll out in grades 4-5.
❖ Teachers are consistently integrating instructional technologies, including
Google suite products, subscription-based technologies, and free web-based
resources.
Recommendations - Elementary
❖ Continue to provide district-wide, grade level articulation annually to ensure
uniformity and consistency in instructional practices and curricular resources across
all four elementary schools.
❖ Adopt a structured literacy block that clearly defines the instructional expectations
uniformly across all four elementary schools.
❖ Develop and implement an action plan for the roll out of reading workshop model in
grades K-5, including a timeline for pilot classes, training for all teachers, and
adoption of new curricular materials.
❖ Provide continued professional development for writing workshop model.
❖ Adopt a word study program for grades 3-5.
❖ Align summer curriculum writing with the newly adopted 5 year curriculum
plan, with increased hours for team writing.
❖ Literacy coach to work with teachers in supporting students identified at risk
for literacy achievement.
❖ District RTI model and protocol that is uniform across all four elementary
schools.
❖ Implement a digital benchmarking system to monitor student progress.
❖ Ensure students and teachers have access to technology to increase the
capacity for personalized learning and innovative instructional technologies.
❖ Increase teacher leadership to develop local capacity for sustainable
professional development.
Commendations - WIS
❖ Curriculum aligned to NJSLS.
❖ Master schedule allows for 76 minutes of daily literacy instruction, as well as
opportunities for extended day support.
❖ Reading specialist supports students identified at risk for literacy achievement.
❖ WIS Literacy Team provides internal support to teachers during curriculum
development.
❖ Daily curriculum development periods support teacher collaboration and the
development of common instructional strategies and common assessments.
❖ Teachers provide students with balanced exposure to informational and
narrative text in print and digital mediums.
❖ Significant number of teachers with prior reading and writing workshop
training from previous districts and implementing strategies in their current
classroom.
❖ Co-teaching strategies in supported classrooms are integrated and evident
through observations and lesson plans.
❖ Teacher autonomy is evident based upon wide range of teaching and learning
strategies observed during formal and informal walkthroughs and lesson plans.
❖ Teachers are consistently integrating instructional technologies, including
Google suite products, subscription-based technologies, and free web-based
resources.
Recommendations - WIS
❖ Continue to provide vertical articulation annually to allow teachers time to
analyze student achievement data and work samples, and to bridge curricular
gaps across grade levels.
❖ Develop and implement an action plan for enhanced professional development
of both reading and writing workshop model in grades 6-8.
❖ Increase classroom libraries to include additional modern, post-modern,
contemporary, and informational text.
❖ Adopt a word study program for grades 6-8
❖ Align summer curriculum writing with the newly adopted 5 year curriculum plan.
❖ Propose increased hours for summer curriculum writing to allow collaborative team writing.
❖ Propose the hiring of a literacy coach to work with teachers in supporting struggling
learners.
❖ Continue the development of a district RTI model and protocol, specific to the needs of high
school students.
❖ Implement a digital benchmarking system to monitor student progress.
❖ Ensure students and teachers have access to technology to increase the capacity for
personalized learning and innovative instructional technologies.
❖ Increase teacher leadership to develop local capacity for sustainable professional
development.
Commendations - WHS
❖ Curriculum aligned to NJSLS.
❖ Students are exposed to variety of genres, including poetry, drama, novel, short
story and essay.
❖ Block schedule provides 84 minutes of literacy instruction on alternating A/B
schedule, as well as additional opportunities for literacy-based electives.
❖ Unit lunch provides additional teacher support.
❖ Department meetings provide time for supervisor support and teacher
collaboration.
❖ Some teachers are implementing aspects of reading and writing workshop
model, including conferring or small group instruction.
❖ Co-teaching strategies in supported classrooms are integrated and evident
through observations and lesson plans.
❖ Teacher autonomy is evident based upon wide range of teaching and learning
strategies observed during formal and informal walkthroughs and lesson plans.
❖ Teachers are consistently integrating instructional technologies, including
Google suite products, subscription-based technologies, and free web-based
resources.
Recommendations - WHS
❖ Continue to provide vertical articulation annually to allow teachers time to
analyze student achievement data and work samples, and to bridge curricular
gaps across grade levels.
❖ Pilot reading and writing workshop model in selected classes. Survey student
and teachers to determine efficacy and plan accordingly.
❖ Align pacing of ELA and Social Studies curriculum to maximize student
immersion in content.
❖ Analyze master schedule to identify potential for common planning time for
teachers.
❖ Increase availability of databases for historical and informational text.
❖ Align summer curriculum writing with the newly adopted 5 year curriculum
plan.
❖ Propose increased hours for summer curriculum writing to allow collaborative
team writing.
❖ Continue the development of a district RTI model and protocol, specific to the
unique needs of high school students.
❖ Ensure students and teachers have access to technology to increase the
capacity for personalized learning and innovative instructional technologies.
❖ Increase teacher leadership to develop local capacity for sustainable
professional development.
SMART GOAL #1
By June 2023, improve current K-12 reading curriculum to
include enhanced instructional strategies to improve student
achievement aligned to the expectations of the NJSLS.
● 8 objectives for attainment of the goal.
● Aligned with SP Student Success Goal #1
SMART GOAL #2
By June 2023, improve current K-12 writing curriculum to include
enhanced instructional strategies to improve student
achievement aligned to the expectations of the NJSLS.
● 6 objectives for attainment of the goal
● Aligned with SP Student Success Goal #1
SMART GOAL #3
By June 2023, improve the district protocol and programming of
services for students identified as “at risk” for literacy.
● 5 objectives for attainment of the goal
● Aligned with SP Student Success Goal #1 and Goal #2
SMART GOAL #4
By June 2023, ensure all students and teachers have access to
technology to increase the capacity for personalized learning and
innovative instructional technologies.
● 4 objectives for attainment of the goal
● Aligned with SP Student Success Goal #3
SMART GOAL #5
By June 2023, develop a Teacher Leadership Academy that
supports best practices and sustainability of high-quality
instructional strategies, including instructional technology,
assessment, differentiation, and student engagement.
● 3 objectives for attainment of the goal
● Aligned with SP Student Success Goal #1