Educating Our Eagles - Issue 13

INTRODUCTION
From SBRSD’s Director of Curriculum
and Instruction, Julie Dolan
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and our
district are committed to all teachers having access to high quality
instructional materials because research shows it can significantly
improve student outcomes. We are dedicated to all students enjoying
the many benefits of a strong curriculum.
• What are curricular materials? Curricular materials are
resources teachers use to facilitate sequences of learning
experiences (e.g., lesson and unit plans, texts)
• What is curriculum? A curriculum is a sequence of student
learning experiences teachers facilitate using curricular materials
as a foundation (not a script!)
In the fall of 2021, we implemented our new Math curriculum in grades
K-8, iReady Math. As a part of this we have provided teachers with
many professional learning opportunities to support their facilitation
of these resources. The results have been positive for students’
engagement and performance.
In the fall of 2022, we implemented a new reading program in grades
6-8, Into Literature, and we are currently selecting High-Quality
Instructional Materials for reading in grades K-5 to be implemented in
the fall of 2023. The process to make this selection began in spring of
2022, and we are now in the last step of our process where we will pilot
materials from two programs.
We have been able to secure grant funding to pay for all our new
curriculum to date and hope to receive another grant this spring that
will cover the costs of our new reading program and the Professional
Development necessary for teachers to be able to implement the
program skillfully.
It is exciting to have access to so many new High-Quality Materials
that ensure our students are exposed to exceptional resources that
have been vetted by experts in these areas based on the most current
research around best practices in education.
If you have any questions about the programs used in our schools, you
can reach me at Jdolan@sbrsd.org.
Right: Kindergarten students practice engineering
as they learn about shapes.
EDUCATING OUR EAGLES
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