New elementary language arts curricula

[Anonymous]

https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/D3ASBR71CEAB/$file/English%20Language%20Arts%20Curriculum%20Adoption%20240319.pdf

On the board's agenda for Tuesday March 19th: the adoption of Amplify: Core Knowledge Language Arts for elementary ELA and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ¡Arriba la lectura! for elementary Spanish immersion programs.

Anyone have opinions about these?

[Anonymous]

I was involved in the process, and Amplify was the one that I preferred. But all three finalists were much better than Benchmark (though that is a low bar). Amplify CKLA is much more rigorous than Benchmark, so the transition may be tough--but outcomes should be better after students/teacher adjust.

The older version of the curriculum is available for free online--I think Amplify has the newer version so not sure how these compare:

Grades K-3: https://www.coreknowledge.org/language-arts/

Grades 4-5: https://www.coreknowledge.org/language-arts/

I hope that ultimately MCPS will continue the Amplify CKLA curriculum for grades 6-8, presuming implementation goes well at the ES level, as StudySync also leaves lots to be desired.

[Anonymous]

^^^That's good to hear!

[Anonymous]

If these get adopted, would they get implemented next school year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If these get adopted, would they get implemented next school year?

Yes, in the memo linked above there's a proposed timeline which includes a curriculum launch in summer 2024 and "guided implementation" for 2024-25.

[Anonymous]

Whatever it is DCUM will hate it in a year...

[Anonymous]

I'm pleasantly surprised that they're looking at Core Knowledge. I don't know Amplify specifically, but Core Knowledge is an approach I like (and use at home for guiding what we read and talk about).

[Anonymous]

My 5th grader is in APS and they've been using CKLA for the past two years. My daughter absolutely loves it. At our recent parent teacher conference her LA teacher spoke about how it was a hard transition initially because it covered a lot of content she didn't know, but that now she loves it too. She's seen huge gains in writing skills, vocabulary, reading comprehension and engagement by students who really like the units.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher, I'm happy to hear that is the curriculum that we are adopting. It should teach more content (science/social studies) and I've heard good things about it. My question is are we keeping Really Great Reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm pleasantly surprised that they're looking at Core Knowledge. I don't know Amplify specifically, but Core Knowledge is an approach I like (and use at home for guiding what we read and talk about).

Amplify is the publisher for Core Knowledge, so it is the same content.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher, I'm happy to hear that is the curriculum that we are adopting. It should teach more content (science/social studies) and I've heard good things about it. My question is are we keeping Really Great Reading?

I don’t think so. Amplify follows the science of reading and has extensive phonics built in.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't matter what curriculum we adopt if the teachers don't have some explicit training on the content. I'm never not surprised when talking to friends here and in other places on the things that elementary teachers don't know that I would think would be standard knowledge for teaching that level.

Also, if teachers don't have the time and bandwidth to review and provide feedback it won't be worthwhile. I just reviewed a prefix/suffix root sheet of my kids returned from school where there was not correction for the following misspelled words: Controversy, appropriate, astronaut, procrastinate and procrastinator. Granted kid did spell them how they sounded.

[Anonymous]

Any idea on the effect on ELC? Would it remain complementary to the base curriculum? If not, will it be modified or abandoned in favor of something that comes with the curriculum? If the latter, is that viewed as something that would provide a proper local alternative to CES?

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, we will not be able to continue using Really Great Reading when the new curriculum rolls out. It's so unfortunate because it's the first program I've used with kids in twenty years that has worked wonders. Go figure we'd get rid of it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any idea on the effect on ELC? Would it remain complementary to the base curriculum? If not, will it be modified or abandoned in favor of something that comes with the curriculum? If the latter, is that viewed as something that would provide a proper local alternative to CES?

ELC is for kids who demonstrate a need for enrichment. This curriculum is the base curriculum for all kids.