Citing a districtwide need for a curriculum that will better support students with disabilities and special education needs, the Harvard schools will implement a new literacy program at the start of the 2025-2026 academic year.
Dana Labb, assistant superintendent of the Harvard Public Schools, and Rebecca Katsh-Singer, principal of the Hildreth Elementary School, outlined their intention to implement the new curriculum at the School Committee meeting Monday, Dec. 2.
Labb cited the work conducted by the literacy task force that was established in the fall of 2023. The task force is made up of educators in the elementary school, including representatives from all grade levels, special education professionals, and administrators.
The goal of the task force was to evaluate the needs of elementary school students using data collected from in-classroom assessments and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). It was also asked to look at current research in literacy best practices, to see how the current curriculum aligns with that research, and to provide recommendations for ways to improve the district’s current literacy program.
Labb referred to MCAS data indicating that while the general population in the elementary school was meeting or exceeding grade level expectations in English Language Arts, students with special needs in the district were consistently falling behind. One of the ways in which the task force intends to address its findings is by adopting the EL Education curriculum.
“The Task Force identified several high-quality instructional materials (HQIMs) to review,” wrote Labb in an email to the Press. “Two HQIMs were highly rated by the Literacy Task Force. Based on a range of other factors, EL was selected.”
EL Education is a national nonprofit organization that works with public schools across the nation. Its stated goal is to help achieve equitable results among student learners. Its curriculum was developed in partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Outward Bound, an outdoor education program provider.
Katsh-Singer highlighted the flexibility of the learning modules at the School Committee meeting, including the use of trade books, which are materials available in the mainstream. For example, in the kindergarten EL Learning module, which is a unit of study, titled “Toys and Play,” teachers can use popular books by authors like Mo Willems and Dr. Seuss as tools to teach students to read.
“EL is a high-quality instructional program that encompasses all five pillars of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The daily instruction will include themes of high interest with the use of trade books,” said Katsh-Singer.
Professional development for teachers is currently underway. Aspects of the new curriculum will be introduced during the current school year, with a full rollout anticipated for the 2025-2026 academic year.
