After a review of eight core phonics and instructional resources, all of which are based in the Science of Reading research, three were selected.
The anchor resources recommended by the subcommittee and adopted by the board are:
- Open Court Foundational Skills Kit for K-3 phonics
- Open Court Reading for K-5 core reading/writing
- College Board, SpringBoard ELA for 6-8 ELA
The selection process was led by the HPISD ELA subcommittee that included three Trustees and district administrators who worked under the guidance of two literacy consultants, Robyn Hartzell and Dr. Thea Woodruff. This past spring the subcommittee recommended phasing out the Heinemann Units of Study resources that have been in place since 2019.
Although this selection process was expedited to ensure materials are in place in the fall, as with every HPISD curriculum material adoption, staff and public review and feedback were included in the process. The gathered feedback was considered by the subcommittee as it made its final recommendations for a K-8 vertically aligned ELA program.
The materials were adopted during a called trustee meeting June 23. Trustees Stacy Kelly, Maryjane Bonfield and Bryce Benson served on the ELA subcommittee and during the work session, expressed appreciation to the staff and community members who took the time to participate in the materials review process.
"Thank you to everyone who has participated throughout the process,” Kelly said. “No one resource does it all, but the core of the work includes building the appropriately rigorous framework for how resources will be used in the classroom, and because of the community and staff collaboration, we are very positive about the direction we’re heading and the new anchor resources that have been adopted to support the framework."
Benson added, “There was a strong consensus among every member of the ELA subcommittee and the consultants."
HPISD will primarily use a portion of available Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) supplemental funds to cover the costs of the new materials and the purchase will not impact the district’s year-to-year budget. “One-time revenues like ESSER funds help the district fulfill this type of need without taking away from recurring expenditures like salaries,” Bonfield said.
HPISD English Language Arts teachers in grades K-8 will receive targeted professional development on the selected materials in preparation for use with the start of the new school year. Professional Development will focus on the implementation of materials provided by the newly adopted resources that will replace all Units of Study materials in the Fall.