NPS Reading curriculum heavily debated at School Committee meeting

A staff update on the NPS reading curriculum was on the agenda at the October 3 School Committee meeting, and multiple parents took the opportunity to share their views about reading instruction at NPS, as well as the $2 million in ARPA funding that Mayor Fuller has allocated for updating the reading curriculum. Much of the debate centered around the present and future inclusion of the Fontas and Pinnell Classroom (F&P) concepts in NPS reading instruction.

Eight commenters, well above the typical number of commenters for a School Committee topic, addressed the reading curriculum and what NPS should consider when allocating future resources. Seven of the commenters, including Nadine Gaab, Associate Professor of Education at Harvard and an expert in reading development, and Jenny Klein-Sosa, co-chair of Newton’s Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), raised concerns about F&P.

The criticisms of F&P generally consisted of the method not being evidenced-based, not being suitable for special needs and dyslexic young readers, being discouraged by DESE, using texts that negatively portray racial minorities, and not properly diagnosing struggling young readers. The commenters also cited negative reviews of the program by educational periodicals and raised the concern that the district may have increased special education costs in the future if it continues with F&P.

In addition to the commenters criticizing F&P, a retired NPS reading specialist commented to defend the district’s reading curriculum, questioned one of the sources that negatively evaluated F&P, and pointed out that F&P is only one component of NPS’s reading program.

Following the public comment period, Renee McCall, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, and Deana Lew, K-5 Literacy Coordinator, presented the Elementary Reading Curriculum Advisory Committee’s analysis and recommendations. The Committee, comprised of NPS educators including many literacy specialists, was formed in 2019 with the goal of making curriculum recommendations to the district, and it has indicated F&P to be a preferred program.

The presentation at Monday’s meeting attempted to address several of the parents’ concerns, many of which were anticipated by the presenters. It emphasized that NPS employs both “Balanced Literacy” — generally understood as more contextual instruction methods such as F&P — as well as “Science of Reading,” which includes more phonetics and decoding work. Superintendent Kathleen Smith said that while the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has an advisory role, reading curriculum is controlled locally. The presentation concluded with a recommendation to conduct F&P pilot studies in seven NPS classrooms.

School Committee members concluded the discussion by making clear that they considered the F&P pilot in academic year 2022-2023 to be experimental, without commitment beyond this year, and they urged the NPS administrators to be transparent with the results of the pilot testing.

The School Committee meeting is available for replay on NewTV.