Purpose:
- Participate in a PK-2 Foundational Skills program review and adoption process for grades PK-2 Foundational Skills materials.
Basis for Establishment:
- Our current adopted foundational skills curriculum was published in 2003, is outdated, not aligned with current Washington State Standards, and not used by most teachers.
- Research supports the need for systematic, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness and phonics for students to become proficient readers and writers.
- In 2018-19, recommendations from elementary principals, the Understanding and Serving Students with Dyslexia Advisory Group and participants of the Foundational Literacy Skills AdHoc Committee all prioritized implementing a foundational skills curriculum.
Decision-Making Process:
- Advisory group to the superintendent.
- Recommend Foundational Literacy Skills materials for grades PK-2.
Plan of Work:
- Establish representative committee
- Establish stakeholder groups (teachers, principals, Department of Teaching and Learning, community members).
- Establish criteria for materials selection
- Review evidence-based curricula against criteria.
- Review presentations from publishers for finalist curricula.
- Gather input from stakeholders throughout the process.
- Present final recommendation to the superintendent.
Members:
The committee will consist of 17-20 regular members. Committee members will be selected to include representation from K-2 teachers, literacy intervention teachers, and special education resource teachers room with representation from all 14 elementary schools.
- Stephanie Korn, Director of Teaching and Learning, co-chair
- Charisse Berner, Director of Teaching and Learning, co-chair
- Sharece Steinkamp, Principal, Geneva
- Pam Pottle, Principal, Northern Heights
- Nina Ballew, Early Childhood Specialist
- Megan Cooley, Kindergarten Teacher, Birchwood
- Kyla Stefani, Kindergarten Teacher, Northern Heights
- Karin Otterholt, Kindergarten Teacher, Roosevelt
- Julie Johnson, 1st Grade Teacher, Parkview
- Sarah Rose, 1st Grade Teacher, Alderwood
- Julie Sargent O’Connell, 1st Grade Teacher, Geneva
- Jennifer Wilkinson, 2nd Grade Teacher, Alderwood
- Sarah Snyder, 2nd Grade Teacher, Lowell
- Quinn Reno, 2nd Grade Teacher, Cordata
- Jodi Kinzel, Literacy Intervention Teacher, Carl Cozier
- Analisa Ficklin, Special Education Administrator
- Sara Buetow, Parent/ Community Member
- Stephanie Strachan, Parent/Community Member, Wade King
- Ex-officio member: Kristi Dominguez, Executive Director of Teaching and Learning
Responsibilities:
- Attend committee meetings and report back to constituents as needed
- Actively participate as a representative of your stakeholder group including sharing feedback and collecting information as needed.
Timeline:
- Advertise group early January 2020, selection by Feb. 6, 2020.
- March 2020 to May 2020 group meetings. Due to statewide school closure from Covid -19 our meeting schedule has been suspended for the 19-20 SY. Meetings will resume in January 2021-April 2021.
Meetings:
- Eight meetings from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., specific meeting topics may shift over the course of the meetings as a result of the process.
- Meeting 1 – March 3: Clarify scope of work and timelines, establish norms, develop vision and philosophy aligned to The Bellingham Promise, establish screening criteria.
Budget Implications:
- Substitute reimbursements and costs for outside of workday for committee meetings
- This committee’s recommendation will result in budget allocations required to purchase materials and provide professional development that can be provided through LAP funding.