West Haven Public Schools: Strong Curriculum Starts with Teacher Voice

In this episode of Literacy at the Center, host Cody Fusco talks with West Haven Curriculum Coordinator Dana Paredes and Reading Consultant Jaclyn Cincotta from West Haven Public Schools about the district's collaborative approach to implementing high-quality instructional materials and redesigning its literacy curriculum.

Together, they discuss how classroom teachers, reading specialists, multilingual learner educators, and special education staff worked side by side to create a curriculum that aligns evidence-based instruction with the daily realities of teaching. The conversation highlights the importance of teacher voice, professional learning, collaborative planning, and continuous improvement in building sustainable literacy systems, and more.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome to Literacy at the Center. Today I have the pleasure of having uh two guests from West Haven Public Schools with us. One is Dana Peretis, is the curriculum coordinator for humanities and technology and the student data system supervisor. And also Jacqueline Sincata is a reading consultant at Savern Rock Community School. So I will let them introduce themselves and say a few words about their journey in education. So, Dana, can you kick us off?

SPEAKER_02 0:44

Sure. I taught at the high school level. I started out as an ELA teacher, um teaching English lit. And then I found that I had uh a pretty significant number for the time anyway of EL students in my classroom. So I decided to go back and get my master's degree. Then I decided to teach Spanish for a few years. So I taught Spanish and then went back to ELA and EL, becoming department head for EL. Um, and then after that, I became an assistant. And then two years ago, I started my journey as a curriculum coordinator with Central Office. My whole career has been in West Haven. This is where I was born and raised, and also where I went to school, the mental school system, and now able to work with teachers across the district.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Thank you so much for sharing. Um Jacqueline, can you do the same for us?

SPEAKER_01 1:40

Well, unlike Dana, I'm not a Westie at heart. I was not born and raised teacher, but I have had my whole career here.

SPEAKER_02 1:50

We'll accept you then.

SPEAKER_01 1:53

So I have a spouse here in West Hate. Um, and then my first year as a public school teacher was actually teaching sixth grade math and social studies studies. So I consider that doing my time. Um but uh while I was teaching sixth grade, um, I had the benefit of having a reading coach in my classroom, um, helping me with strategies and close reading. You should really go to the elementary school and teach reading. And I said to her, Well, I do teach reading. Um, and I noticed that with my sixth graders, they really struggled with a lot of those foundational reading skills. So that's kind of what had me make the jump into primary school. So I moved over to first grade as a classroom teacher at the school that I'm at now, second grade and rock. Um, and then while I was there, I just kind of realized I need to know more about how to teach reading to our students. I went back to school. I got my sixth year in reading and language development, my 102. Um, and that really was what brought me back to the classroom then as a second grade teacher, um, able to really do that job well. And that's where everything started to click for me. But then I wanted to do more. So um I went back to school and I got my reading consultant degree. And then that's what led me to be the reading consultant now at RK4 Elementary School. Um, so I get to live and breathe reading and writing every single day. And it is really my true passion and where I was meant to be.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

That's so great because both of you guys, when you guys described your journeys, you really showcased the ongoing professional learning that you know all every educator should should take take on. So um Jackie, I know that uh West Haven has recently implemented Benchmark Advanced, I believe it's in grades K through third grade, but correct me if I'm wrong.

SPEAKER_01 3:47

We're actually a K6 launch.

SPEAKER_00 3:50

Okay, I'm glad I asked. So benchmark advanced in grades K through six. Um, and can you just share what year that you guys began implementation? And then just from your role as a reading consultant currently, how has implementation been going in West Haven?

SPEAKER_01 4:09

Sure things. So we started our launch two years ago, um, and it was a rough start as anything new is going to be a new undertaking. Um, as a reading consultant, my role was not only to learn the curriculum, but also to be able to support teachers. Um, and so with that, it was just getting teachers comfortable with letting go of the old and bringing in something new. Um, and so, you know, we had teachers feeling like this was going to be something, you know, really different from what they were doing. Um, they felt uncomfortable at first, but it was really nice to find that we were all kind of in the same boat together. Um, we were all learning together, we were asking questions, we were collaborating, um, and that was a huge part of making this implementation a success. Um, and then what we found as teachers started to learn the program and do it day in and day out, that benchmark was really not very different from what we were already doing. We had a lot of the same routines and structures in place. We had a lot of the great strategies and resources just at our fingertips. And what was really nice is it made um everybody aligned. Everybody was using the same language, kindergarten through sixth grade. That was something that we hadn't had before. And that was something that teachers really um loved having and really have embraced, I would say. Um, I think, you know, it continues to be a struggle in year two with just now what do we do next? How do we enhance our curriculum? How do we enrich it? Um, teachers have their autonomy. They are able to engage students in lessons in their own creative ways and add resources as they need. Um, and I know Dana will talk a little bit more about our curriculum redesign. Um, but I feel like teachers have really embraced the change and it's given us an opportunity to kind of breathe life back into our curriculum and all be on the same page, which is something that we really needed for a long time.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

Thank you. And before we do jump into the curriculum redesign, I just had a follow-up question with what you just said, Jacqueline. So you mentioned just, you know, bringing teachers together, being on the same page, which we all know is super important to build that coherence in in the schools and then across the district. So can you just talk a little bit about like how West Haven was able to do that? Like, did you guys find um common planning time or did you dedicate professional learning days? Um, if you could just detail a little bit more about that collaboration piece.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Sure things. So we have um collaboration and data teams built into our schedule already. So that is an amazing opportunity for classroom teachers to collaborate with each other, but also with other staff in the building. So we have reading consultants, reading specialists, uh, special education, and EL teachers all collaborating and all learning during those common planning times. Um, it also gave teachers an opportunity to plan together and prepare materials during that time. Um, obviously with data team, it was an opportunity to look at assessments, um, understand what was coming next on the assessments, and prepare our students for that future learning. Um and professional development, a lot of our professional development the first two years was learning the program and also, you know, kind of getting our heads together on what were the next steps, what were things that we needed to continue to work on and celebrate our successes and celebrate the things that our students and our staff and our teachers were doing well.

SPEAKER_00 7:33

Thank you. That's great to hear. Um, we at the center also really try to focus in on highlighting the great um successes that are happening in districts and schools across Connecticut. Um, so Dana, can you talk a little bit about um the curriculum redesign that you as a district engaged in this school year?

SPEAKER_02 7:57

Completely redesign our curriculum because uh our curriculum was not aligned to our HQIM, was not aligned aligned to um the program that we were using. So we realized it was going to have to really be a we've done a lot of work over this year uh with the science of reading master's class through CAPS, and we're lucky enough to work with Mike Rafferty, who's a real expert in the the subject of literacy instruction instruction. So one of the things Mike always talked about was the difference between planning and preparing. And what we really saw with our teachers is they were really doing their best to plan the daily lessons and benchmark, but falling short at you can plan to have to do guests. So we really took that to heart and started looking at how can we create a curriculum that allows our teachers to really internalize the teacher resource system, really understand what the standards are telling us, really understand how the assessments link to those standards, utilize that backward design, and create a curriculum that aligns to our resource, but alertitize the content, prioritize the resources. One of the fantastic things about benchmarks is it becomes it comes with we have all the resources we need, but with benchmark, um there, the number of resources, it's actually overwhelming. So we had to look at how can we prioritize those resources? How do we look at our priority standards and link those to the resources? And what our curriculum teams have been able to do is create a document that links those resources, those standards. The Ascend really prepare so that they're their best when they're in front of their classroom. Um, it also has some great companion products. We use Express and STA. So we've included those special educators and those EL teachers along with our classroom teachers in our reading, so that our curriculum was aligned to all those companion products as well. Um, you know, basically, we're just trying to put together the best possible products so that our teachers can easily implement the curriculum, easily use the resource, um, and really be prepared when they're up there teaching their classes.

SPEAKER_00 10:10

Thank you for sharing that about your curriculum redesign. And in that, you mentioned having curriculum teams. Can you just um give us a little bit more on how those teams were made up and like the different tasks that the teams were involved in throughout the school year?

SPEAKER_02 10:29

Every team consists of two or three classroom teachers, a reading teacher, an EL teacher, and a special educator. And when we formed our teams, we tried to look at kind of varying levels of experience in the classroom to make sure we didn't have all veteran teachers or all new teachers. We wanted every voice represented. So those folks came to the table, and the first thing they did was design a new curriculum template that would align well with our HQIM so that we weren't really reinventing the wheel there. And then they started with the standards and the assessments. So they looked at the standards, they prioritized the standards, they looked at the assessments and at what skills were kind of assessed in each unit, and then they went from there, designing instructional strategies to accompany the lessons, prioritizing the content, prioritizing the standards so that teachers had a resource at their fingertips that allows them to be prepared for every lesson that they're teaching in benchmark.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

That's wonderful. The teachers really did an incredible amount of work on that. I can imagine. And was this um work that was um done outside of the school hours?

SPEAKER_02 11:39

So uh our curriculum teams did meet professional development multiple times during the year to look at the work that was being done. Each of the teams would consistent vertical alignment. We also have three days marked off after the end of school. So we'll be spending the last, make sure it's ready to roll out for the first day of school. Each curriculum team will be rolling out the curriculum to their grade level partners during our first day PD. So uh during the first day, we'll be rolling out to units one through four, and then the second half we'll roll out on election day. But the teachers really have put so much time into this, it's really been a labor of love among each of the curriculum teams. Um, so we're really excited to see how this will move out forward. And of course, you know, curriculum being a dynamic process and a dynamic document, this is something that we'll revisit as needed. We'll be monitoring our data and our progress monitoring and really looking to revise it as needed.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

That's amazing work and it's such a collaborative effort. Um, Jacqueline, can you um share from your role as a reading consultant, supporting teachers and educators in your school building? Um, what are what have been the benefits so far in redesigning the curriculum and bringing in those multiple perspectives that Dana mentioned? You know, the classroom teachers are on the team, the ELML teachers, special ed teachers. Um, what are some of those um benefits that you have seen to date? Because I'm sure there will be more to come as you continue to roll out this curriculum next school year.

SPEAKER_01 13:21

Sure thing. So we were just talking about this. Um, it's a really exciting process for our teachers. I think they feel because they're engaged stakeholders, um, they feel excited and ready to do the work and wanting to do the work and share with their colleagues that hard work that they've put in and gaining the perspectives of people like the reading support staff and the EL and special education staff because they come with their own knowledge and area of expertise when it comes to teaching students how to teach reading. We're talking about our special education population, you know, the cognitive load that it takes them to be able to engage in grade level standards and grade level content. We want to best prepare them for being there for core instruction and how can we scaffold that instruction. Um, same thing for our MLs, when we're talking about the language demands that are necessary for them to engage in conversations and reading and writing tests in the classroom. Um, we need those multiple perspectives. And it's been really nice when we're sitting in a room together, collaborating and working and having those ideas going across the classroom. Um, it's really dynamic work. And it's it's such a great opportunity outside of the day to be working with people that you don't always get to engage with in day in and day out. Um and it really is an exciting project and we're looking forward to sharing with everybody.

SPEAKER_00 14:38

That's great. And talk about building a culture and climate, you know, amongst the school that you're in, Jacqueline, and then as a bigger picture role for Dana and in across the whole district, I think it's great. Um, Dana, you had mentioned that um since you know 25-26 school year is coming to an end now that we are in June, we're moving closer to that end date. Um, you mentioned rolling out the curriculum next school year. Can you just talk a little bit more about that and how it would look? Sure.

SPEAKER_02 15:11

So we have a full-day professional learning session uh on August 26th. So the way it will work is each of the curriculum teams will meet with their grade level partners. And when I say grade level partners, that's classroom teachers, that's inclusion teachers that teach that grade level, ESL teachers who work with that grade level of students, and they will be presenting their curriculum document and really showing them how to most easily access that document. So showing them where all the resources are linked, um where the strategies are linked, um, showing them some best practices as far as implementing those strategies, and really showing teachers how they can best prepare for their lessons. So our biggest emphasis has been on the strategies piece. Benchmark does a great job of designing a program that science of reading aligned, and it's it's a really great tier one instruction product. But what we've really wanted to do is make sure that teachers are aware and engaged with the strategies and what strategies can you use and can you implement in each of these lessons to ensure that your students are meeting success in the best way possible. In West Haven, in any given classroom, probably 25% of your students have an IEP, 25% of your students are ELML, and probably another 25% of your students are classified as remedial readers. So we really have a heavy lift sometimes in the sense that we have a lot of ground to cover and a lot of gains to be made. And our data reflects that those things are happening. Well, we actually just had a meeting today to look at our end-of-year M class data, and we couldn't be happier. I mean, our data really reflects the hard work that we do, which is great because sometimes the data doesn't reflect that, and that's always a letdown when that happens. Um, but in looking at our data at the end of this year, what we're doing is paying off, and we're really proud of that. So I think presenting this document to our teachers along with the data that supports that, that supports that our work is working, it's going to be a really exciting day. I think the teachers who are on the curriculum teams are really looking forward to this presentation. Um, and I keep using the word presentation, that's really not what it's going to be. Of course, they'll, you know, have to do a little bit of that front loading and showing them the document, how to how to kind of navigate the document. But what we really want is a professional learning session where all of those stakeholders will engage with each other in really learning to utilize the document and how to um best prepare their lessons while utilizing this document.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

That's great because then it gives the teachers an opportunity and builds their toolbox really to meet all the different needs that you mentioned, Dana, that are in amongst the classrooms across West Haven. Jacqueline, uh, what are some key considerations that you would share to others? Um, this was actually a hot topic. We recently um engaged with the rest across Connecticut for another round of affinity groups. Um, and curriculum redesign was something that came up often. So I feel that there are lots of districts and schools that are engaging in this work as well. So for those um districts and schools that may not be as far along as West Haven is, um, what are some key considerations that you would identify for successfully launching a new curriculum so that teachers feel supported?

SPEAKER_01 18:34

I think the first thing is to listen to the teachers that are in the classroom. They're the ones that are student-facing every single day. They're the ones that are seeing the results. Um, and if things are not working or not working well, we need to be able to adapt and change. Um, collaboration, obviously, as I said before, working together, letting teachers share ideas. Um, and when we're talking about professional development, not just you know, a presentation once a month, it's learning from each other. I think that the best strategies and resources that we have are in the classrooms right next door to each other. So I think that that is a key component of this, how one teacher interprets a lesson and designs or plans or prepares for their lesson could be benefiting everybody across the district. Um, so that's just more of the plan that we're trying to take with us. And then again, going back to that professional learning by equipping our teachers with the skills and strategies that are necessary. Um, you know, they have their their curriculum document and they have their program. But when a teacher knows what they're supposed to do day in and day out, um there's they're going to be successful. So it's just, you know, really buying into our teachers as well and giving them the support and the resources, the coaching, the modeling, and but all like I said, just listening to them and hearing them out. So I think that that's really what has brought us into year two, being very successful. And we're just looking forward to continuing that success.

SPEAKER_00 19:59

Thank you for sharing. And Dana, just interested, as Jacqueline was talking um from your role, is there anything that you you would add to that for people to consider in rolling out a new curriculum?

SPEAKER_02 20:12

Uh, I don't know about ad, but I can't emphasize enough uh involving those classroom teachers and in really letting them be the loudest voice. Uh, I think when we launched the new program, of course, everyone had an opinion on its implementation. But the reality is the teachers who are in the classroom every day, uh, you know, they're the ones that are really um, you know, boots on the ground and have the best understanding of what is going to support them, what is gonna make their job easier, what is gonna best prepare them to be up there in front of students in every day and teach and instruct in the best way possible. Um, you know, as I mentioned before, we are a district that has a lot of need, but our kids excel. And that's not an accident. Our teachers put in that work to ensure that our kids excel. Um, so when we're talking about curriculum redesign, the most important piece is that those classroom teachers are heard, that they feel supported, that they feel like they have the resources and the time to do what's best for kids. And if and if we're not doing that, and if we're not giving those teachers that, then what are we doing?

SPEAKER_00 21:14

Yeah, and and kudos to you, Dana and your team within um the leadership at the top, because I feel that um you guys as leaders in the district were able to make that possible, right? So you guys were able to listen to teachers, um, hear them out, have them involved in the process so that they do feel supported. And in the end, you're all in it for the students, right? So that the students can succeed. So just I just wanted to say congratulations to you and your leadership team for making that happen. But as we wrap up this episode and we're heading into the summer months, um, I was just interested in learning about um what books are on your summer reading list. So it may be something that you're looking forward to reading um professionally or personally, or even if you wanted to share both. So I'll ask Jacqueline first.

SPEAKER_01 22:14

Sure thing. So my want-to-read list is very long. Um, and one of them is certainly not a beach read, but I've heard um The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb is a bestseller, and many colleagues have uh recommended it. So I'm looking forward to reading that um just in my own time. Um and then I would say a professional development book. Um I'm always reading something for pleasure and something for my own learning uh would be The Seven Mighty Moves, because I know that that was something that came up multiple times this year. Um, so I'm looking forward to definitely taking some time off this summer to enjoy reading.

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Thank you for sharing. The seven mighty moves was a great one. And I actually wrote down your personal one and I have added it to my list. Uh Dana, would you mind sharing too?

SPEAKER_02 23:02

Sure. So uh professionally at Central Office, we actually have a book club. So we just it's interesting you asked that because just today we chose our book for the summer. So we're gonna be reading uh From Phonics to Reading by Wiley Blevins. So that's gonna be our book club book. So we'll all be reading that and meeting to discuss it once a week throughout the summer. So that's on the professional front. On the personal front, I have actually been trying to read the same exact book since Christmas break. Um, it's called Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Wiener. And um, my goal is to finish it by the end of the summer. I just cannot seem to find the time lately for any personal reading. It's all been professional, but this summer I'm going to finish that book. Um, I'm I'm promising myself and Jennifer Wiener that it will be finished.

SPEAKER_00 23:48

That's a good promise to make to yourself. You have to find some time for yourself, although it's it's hard. I can relate to that. Um, but thank you so much for sharing um with everyone today. I think that a lot of the information that you shared around curriculum redesign and professional learning and teacher buy-in will really support um districts and schools across Connecticut. So we at the center just want to extend our thank you to you both for taking the time to share that with us today. Thanks for having us.

SPEAKER_02 24:19

Thank you for having us.