Fox Chapel Area School District elementary students enrolled in the accelerated reading program can expect a more rigorous curriculum this fall.
The new classes will include a blend of fiction and nonfiction, with students not only reading but writing about the stories.
At the same time, eligibility for the program will be broadened, said Ashley Nestor, director of elementary education and instruction.
“The accelerated reading program change involves teachers and administrators looking at several points of measures for each student, as opposed to just one measure, to determine a student's eligibility,” she said.
Currently, a student might not be eligible for the program based on a single piece of data.
“But we want to expand student opportunities and want to look more deeply at each student,” Nestor said.
A committee of teachers met during the school year to analyze the Pennsylvania Core Standards for English and language arts.
“They wanted to determine what aspects of the program were working and what aspects needed improvement,” district spokeswoman Bonnie Berzonski said.
The group wrote a new program that considered state standards and includes new texts, assessment procedures, potential writing prompts and vocabulary lists. A focus group of parents from all four elementary schools met this spring to review the proposed program, Berzonski said.
Ongoing evaluations also will be among the changes.
Students in the accelerated program will need to demonstrate that they understand what they're reading by completing assessment measures.
Nestor said student success will be reviewed as they move from grade to grade to determine continued appropriate placement.
“We have a lot confidence that this newly developed program will help our students grow at a much higher level,” Nestor said.
Tawnya Panizzi is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at 412-782-2121, ext. 2 or at tpanizzi@tribweb.com.
