Curriculum Quarterly Update

The Curriculum Hub is a one-stop shop for teachers in search of curriculum documents and information. If you have not visited the Curriculum Hub yet, I would highly suggest taking some time to explore its content.

If you are not sure how to access the Hub, follow the steps below.

• tools.rlasd.net
• RLASD Workspace
• Curriculum Hub
• Choose either Elementary or Secondary
• Once in the Hub, use the titles on the left to visit areas of interest.

Some areas I would suggest visiting are:

• Your specific content area
• PBIS, PRIDE
• MTSS
• Curriculum Writing Documents

The Red Lion Area School District is dedicated to providing an exceptional education for all students. To ensure our continued improvement, we’ve developed a Comprehensive Plan that is data-driven and focused on our top priorities. This plan outlines our shared vision and mission, setting a clear path forward for our district.

By collaborating with parents, teachers, staff, and community members, we’ve created a plan that reflects the diverse needs and aspirations of our educational community. This three-year plan is a roadmap for our district’s success, and it aligns with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s requirements.

To learn more about our Comprehensive Plan, please visit the Red Lion Area School District website. Below is a snapshot of our goals and progress to date.

What's happening with each goal?

ELA:

• 3rd grade, English Learner, and second-year primary teachers have started LETRS (Language Essentials of Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training
• Secondary ELA teachers received two professional development texts in the area of ELA (The Writing Revolution and Explicit Instruction)
• Secondary ELA teachers will be receiving training in the spring on Morpheme Magic Sets. This is a program that is a continuation of the 95% Group materials that are being used at the elementary level)
• K-6 ELA Reading Curriculum Writing will begin again this month.
• Secondary ELA Curriculum writing will begin after the new year. The curriculum documents once written will be critical in developing the 7-12 Structured Literacy plan.
• District-wide, we will be discussing and making plans for a scope and sequence for writing instruction. Writing conversations have already begun with reading specialists.

Math:

• Step one of building an effective MTSS structure requires a strong tier 1. To help develop a strong tier 1, Into Math was adopted as the new K-6 math program. Teachers have begun implementing the program. This spring we will develop a clear scope & sequence of skills and a pacing timeline.
• Elementary Intervention Specialists have begun meeting to develop an MTSS structure for math that mirrors what is already happening in ELA.
• Six secondary teachers, from both the JH and SH, will be attending two days of training on the science of math. The sessions focus on math proficiency and best instructional practices. The teachers attending will be bringing back the information to their colleagues in the math department.

STEELS:

• Elementary teachers are piloting Mystery Science as a possible resource for the future.
• K-12 science teachers are implementing and refining items in the instructional units created by curriculum writers this past summer. In the winter and again in the spring, curriculum writers will be brought together to continue working on curriculum documents.
• The IU will be providing a STEELS assessment writing training to science curriculum writers in the spring to support assessment development.
• Carrie Lankford has been providing STEELS support across the district in a variety of ways.
• Carrie Lankford and Sam Smith are working closely with Pleasant View Elementary and Clearview Elementary on a STEELS lab pilot.

School Climate & Culture:

• The Professional Development Committee is working on developing the March in-service plan which will incorporate teacher choice. Teachers will have the opportunity to decide on which sessions to attend. This will allow them to personalize their learning for the day. Teacher representatives from a variety of grade levels are helping to plan the day. Many of the options tie directly into high-quality instructional practices.
• The Renaissance Fundamentals (formerly known as PASS) survey will be completed soon at the elementary level. Building leaders, PBIS teams, and Pupil Services members will use this information to improve the school experience for students.
• PBIS and READY! initiatives are in full swing across the district.

Great things are happening across the district! Check out some of the great examples of Class Vision, Class Code, Standard Operating Procedures, and Deconstructing Standards in classrooms near you!

Visit the following links to see District Examples of Class Vision, Class Code, and Standard Operating Procedures. I also encourage you to add your examples to the appropriate file.

Class Vision

Class Code

Standard Operating Procedures

Deconstructing Standards

Below, you will find the most updated version of our Curriculum Review Cycle. You may notice some changes in the structure.

1. The review cycle is now aligned with the stages of the UbD curriculum document.
2. The cycle builds over time. This is evident in the blacked-out boxes. We cannot make this large of a change at one time, instead, the change will be rolled out over multiple years.
3. When the review cycle is fully implemented, all content areas will be reviewing parts of the curriculum every year. This allows our curriculum documents to truly guide our instruction and assessment and keeps them from becoming outdated.
4. When the review cycle is fully implemented, all teachers will be involved in the curriculum writing process, not just a select few.

The changes to the Curriculum Review Cycle are thoughtfully designed to engage all teachers in the process of creating and implementing a guaranteed and viable high-quality curriculum to all students grades K-12.

Some changes are coming to Pennsylvania State Testing.

• During the 24-25 school year, the science assessment will move from grade 4 to grade 5. Grade 8 will continue to take the science assessment as in the past.
• During the 25-26 school year, both the PSSA Science assessment and the Biology assessment will be fully aligned with the new STEELS standards.
• In the 26-27 school year, all state testing (PSSA and Keystone) will be conducted online. Red Lion is already testing online so no changes will be needed.
• PDE is piloting Firefly, a new benchmark assessment aligned to PA standards.

Across the district, PBIS has received an update with the PBIS Reboot that was implemented this year. PBIS teams have been working behind the scenes to set the Reboot up for success. At the start of the school year, PBIS teams shared the new documents throughout the district. Due to the hard work of teachers, administrators, and students, three of our schools are eligible for recognition.

• Junior High- Will receive recognition for all three tiers of fidelity. They will be honored in Hershey for their achievement. This type of recognition requires a great deal of effort on the part of everyone. Congratulations to the JH!
• Clearview and Mazie Gable have received a 70% or higher on their Benchmark of Quality and can move to the next phase and attempt to receive recognition for their efforts.
• The remaining buildings across the district increased their Benchmark of Quality score from last spring to the fall.

Congratulations to all!