The task force exploring products to replace the elementary schools’ literacy curriculum has narrowed the choices to three.
Assistant Superintendent of Schools Tricia Clifford told the Bedford School Committee on Wednesday that the finalists are CKLA (Core Language Knowledge Arts), Into Reading, and myView Literacy.
The School Committee last fall approved replacing the curriculum, after sustained criticism from educators and parents. Town Meeting this week approved funding for a replacement, with implementation in time for the coming academic year.
A District Literacy Leadership Team, composed of about 30 teachers, administrators, specialists, and parents, has organized into subgroups to evaluate the offerings in a number of categories, Clifford said. Discussion will continue at the next meeting, scheduled for April 11. The team hopes to have a recommendation ready by the end of May.
Working with the committee are consultants from the firm Hill for Literacy, which specializes in this type of transition.
The consultants provided a tool for gauging the products through a wide range of categories, such as phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and fluency instruction, comprehension, writing, assessment, motivation and engagement, and listening and speaking.
Clifford said the task force will interview the publisher of each of the three curricula as well as teachers from districts where they are in use.
“This is an amazing amount of work and I am in awe of all the effort people have put into this process,” Clifford said. Superintendent Cliff Chuang added that other school districts are emulating the structure Bedford is using to execute the transition.
In answer to a question from committee member Sarah McGinley, Clifford said there are no indications that supply-chain issues will delay early implementation.
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