Decision+Reached

Dear Teachers & Administrators, Representatives from the elementary language arts adoption committee participated in a rigorous comparison and decision-making process which resulted in the selection of Macmillan McGraw-Hill's //Treasures// as the new basal to accompany the K-5 curriculum. //Triumphs//, an intensive supplemental remediation package that aligns with //Treasures//, will also be reviewed for consideration among special education and Title I teachers. Select committee members will also pilot computer programs that further reinforce reading and grammar skills for learners at all levels.

Treasures has been determined to most appropriately address the district's curricular needs, as well as the individual needs of its students. The resources will address the needs for reading, writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and handwriting. The committee will also adopt age-appropriate trade books to accompany the basal. Actual title selections have yet to be chosen. During future in-service days, elementary teachers will have the opportunity to become more acquainted with //Treasures// and recommend trade books as we prepare for implementation next fall.

Attached is a rationale for the decision made on behalf of the entire elementary language arts adoption committee. I trust that you will be as confident as I with their decision. All committee members worked extensively through the research and selection process. They read research articles, examined student performance data with reference to our current curriculum and materials, observed practices in action during site visits, inquired deeply about how each basal addresses the literacy content areas identified through the PA Standards Aligned System, and openly discussed their professional opinions as they reached consensus. It is with much excitement that we proceed toward implementation while continuing to address additional needs to provide for a complete elementary language arts adoption program.

I would like to extend many thanks to all members of the committee. Regardless of the role(s) each individual served, and will continue to serve, the dedication of all is much appreciated as we strive toward the greater goal of continuous improvement in student literacy. Happy New Year!

** Rationale for Elementary (K-5) Textbook Selection ** On December 8, 2009, grade level representatives from the elementary language arts adoption committee concluded its textbook selection process after evaluating a side-by-side comparison of materials defended by the three major textbook publishing companies for the elementary level. Each company’s consulting team met privately for one hour with the teacher committee representatives to address a number of pre-determined questions that were designed to tease out the substantive quality of the product to meet the needs of MASD students, determined from a research-based, data-informed adoption process.

Using a teacher-created rubric aligned to the Pennsylvania Standards Aligned System for Literacy, teachers inquired about how each basal would address the core components of a comprehensive elementary language arts curriculum.

This report includes commentaries from teachers at each grade level as they support the decision of the committee. It is important to note that among the three options, //Treasures// (Macmillan) and //Journeys// (Harcourt) were closely ranked by several grade levels. //Reading Street// by Scott Foresman was ranked third by all representatives with the exception of special education. However, the special education representative expressed the need to review the intervention components with her department since Tier II & III intervention samples were not available.

It is important to note that many committee representatives expressed that they could teach effectively and happily with either //Treasures// or //Journeys//; however, most prioritized //Treasures// because it provided more challenging content, activities, and assessments for students. It also contained respectful strategies and resources to differentiate instruction to meet the unique needs of each student, providing meaningful enrichment and scaffolding to address the full learning spectrum.    · Challenging Reading · Grammar is incorporated into weekly tests · Comprehensive assessment selection with open-ended and multiple-choice question types · Strong in the area of writing · Phonemic Awareness · Robust Vocabulary · Challenging with options for differentiated instruction · Technology · Option for printing (handwriting) · Great Resources · Non-fiction text, variety of text ·  Good spelling  that can be differentiated  Ranked //Treasures// as second choice to //Reading Street// (Scott Foresman). Committee member did not have the opportunity to review the //Triumphs// (Macmillan) intervention package at the time of this activity.
 * __ Grade Level Comments on the Distinguishing Strengths of Treasures __**
 * Kindergarten Representatives **
 * (All ranked //Treasures// as first choice.) **
 * Strong Phonemic Awareness
 * Center Choices
 * Assessments
 * Reasonable number of high-frequency words
 * Grade 1 Representatives (All ranked //Treasures// as first choice.) **
 * Grade 2 Representatives **
 * (__Treasures__ tied for first choice. One teacher preferred __Treasures__; one preferred __Journeys__. Both expressed satisfaction with both options.) **
 * Quality literature
 * Excellent assessments with “cold reads,” requiring the application of learned skills
 * Challenging three “reads” per week
 * Difficult reading and vocabulary
 * Abundance of materials
 * One teacher commented that she was impressed with the implementation of __Treasures__ she saw during a school site visit.
 * Grade 3 Representatives **
 * (All ranked __Treasures__ as first choice.) **
 * Explicit instruction in skills
 * Utilizes researched instructional strategies
 * Weekly cold-read assessments in addition to selection tests which ensure student mastery through application of skills
 * Scaffolding approach to writing instruction using the “Gradual Release of Responsibility Model” recommended by Carol Tomlinson, expert on differentiated instruction
 * Offered most flexibility to the teacher and learner with open-ended story comprehension questions, fostering understanding
 * Good amount of non-fiction
 * Leveled readers are on the same stories
 * High interest stories
 * Many resources that can be used with interactive technologies (i.e., Promethean)
 * Differentiated spelling lists
 * Challenging vocabulary and spelling
 * Grade 4 Representatives **
 * (Ranked __Treasures__ as a “close second choice”) **
 * Strong technology, everything also on a CD-ROM
 * Strong questioning and grammar/writing components
 * Strong assessments
 * Grade 5 Representatives **
 * (All ranked __Treasures__ as first choice.) **
 * Strong grammar/writing components
 * Strong questioning (through and after reading selection) plus online
 * Strong assessment options (selection test and cold reads to apply skills)
 * “Little books” (non-fiction) are leveled but same content
 * Abundance of novels and resources
 * Title I Representative **
 * (Ranked Treasures as first choice.) **
 * Intervention offered a lot of skill and practice resources
 * Interventions in line with basal story
 * Includes oral assessment
 * Special Education Representative **

Additional rationale from the K-5 special education department will be provided after receiving the opportunity to further review the supplemental intervention package, which is designed to address Tier II & III needs.