A Growth Mindset: Continuously Improving English Language Arts 7-12 in the West Bend School District:

Results of the 2015 spring Wisconsin State Assessments (Badger Exam, ACT/Aspire, ACT) in the subject area of English Language Arts 7-12, indicate that students in the West Bend School District (WBSD) demonstrate proficiency levels slightly above the state average as referenced in the graphs below.

To strengthen student readiness in the skill areas of reading, writing, and English (grammar), the WBSD established an English/Language Arts (ELA) Goal Team during the fall of 2015 comprised of ELA teachers from Badger and the high schools and district Instructional Literacy Leaders to focus on the following tasks:

• review student performance data
• review curriculum standards
• review current curriculum for grades 7-11
• review current instructional practices
• recommend improvement opportunities to ELA design for grades 7-11

After reviewing the work of the ELA Goal Team from semester 1 of the 2015-2016 school year, the Instructional Leadership Team recommended that the team further investigate redesign of the English Language Arts curriculum utilizing the Engage New York framework to fit the needs of the WBSD starting with the fall of 2016 for the following five course variations:

• ELA 7 (Badger)
• ELA 8 (Badger)
• English I (High Schools)
• English II (High Schools)
• English III (High Schools)

The ELA Goal Team and Instructional Leadership Team are not redesigning or modifying the Advanced Placement (AP) English courses or 9-12 English elective courses at this time.

The Engage New York ELA curriculum framework originally developed by the New York State Education Department is now published by Jossey-Bass (Wiley) as Paths to College and Career (PCG).  The rigorous framework was designed to allow for adaptation and flexibility in each classroom, while providing a focus on strong instructional practice and student experiences with college and career ready skills.  The curriculum empowers educators to implement and adapt the material to best support students with the English (grammar), reading, and writing skills that are necessary for career and college success while utilizing varied classic and contemporary selections, as well as fictional and informational text.

To prepare for the 2016-17 school year, the ELA Goal Team is customizing the framework, selecting curriculum resources, and deciding on the pacing of each unit/module.  In addition, the WBSD will provide teachers with on-going professional development and one-on-one instructional coaching during the 2016-17 school year. Currently, ELA teachers in 7^th and 8^th grade will use the customized modules during the fourth quarter of the 2015-16 school year to familiarize themselves with the new framework and provide improvement opportunities based upon their experiences with the framework.