Across the pilot classrooms, students with IEPs, 504 plans, and those receiving BSI or ESL services were included. Resource rooms were not part of the pilot. Both programs recommend that, during the pilot phase, the curriculum be used as designed to fully understand how it functions. Modifying the program before implementation could reduce its effectiveness. If the curriculum is adopted districtwide, a modified version or an alternative program could be considered to best meet the needs of these students. Students in resource rooms require personalized instruction that aligns with their present levels of performance and IEP goals.

Yes, each company will host an evening virtual session to provide parents of students in the pilot classrooms with an overview of the program.

Reading specialists will be trained in LETRS. All PK–6 staff—including library media specialists, reading and literacy specialists, educators supporting multilingual learners and students with disabilities, and speech-language specialists—will complete the NJDOE Learning About Literacy modules. Pilot teachers will continue to receive ongoing support from program staff developers.

Additionally, all special education, ESL, and reading specialists have received Orton-Gillingham training, with some already certified. The district plans to continue increasing the number of certified staff across all schools.

All teachers received summer training from staff developers representing each of the pilot reading programs and continue to participate in ongoing after-school sessions. On-site support visits from each company are also underway, and supervisors and principals conduct classroom walkthroughs to monitor implementation.

The district will use The New Jersey Literacy Framework: A Guide to High-Quality Instructional Materials rubric, along with teacher feedback, parent feedback, student feedback, and student performance data, to evaluate which program best meets our needs.

• Teacher feedback: Focus-group style sessions with K–5/6 teachers using consistent questions to gather input on timing, preparation, planning, and overall perceptions. Each session will have a facilitator and a scribe to record responses.
• Student feedback: Grades 3–6 will complete a survey about their experiences this year, how it compares to last year, and whether they would recommend the program to a friend. For pilot students, DIBELS is the primary assessment for comparison, as they are not taking the same assessments as other classes.
• Parent feedback: A survey will be conducted to gather parents’ perspectives.

Principal feedback: Input will be collected in January of the new school year.

A recommendation will be presented to the Board of Education Curriculum Committee and then to the full Board of Education in early spring.

Adoption and implementation will depend on available financial and human resources to ensure that teachers receive the coaching and support needed for effective use of the program. Ideally, the district would introduce the curriculum to grades K–1 in year one, grades 2–3 in year two, and grades 4–5 in year three. Although the grade 6 curriculum is an Amplify product, it is compatible with either of the K–5 programs and could potentially be implemented in year one, pending available financial and personnel resources.