While budget discussions have taken up much of the recent Board of Education (BOE) meetings, other work is still ongoing. At the February 26, 2024, meeting, the board voted to adopt the Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) program, piloted in several classrooms throughout the district. But what is it? At the meeting, Dr. Laura Norbut, Chief Academic Officer, tried to explain.
Let’s start at the beginning. In 2023, Connecticut passed “Right to Read” legislation, which aims to have every student reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade. In recent years, more than half of third graders have failed to meet this benchmark. Despite those alarming stats, the legislation has not gone uncriticized.
The law requires that every school district in the state adopt a reading program aligned with the Science of Reading, and the state Department of Education identified several programs that met the criteria. Districts must fully implement one by 2025. The Science of Reading research suggests the most effective way to teach reading is through five pillar skills:
phonemic awareness
phonics
oral reading fluency
vocabulary
Comprehension
Sounds pretty standard for those of us who grew up with “Hooked on Phonics” commercials! As Dr. Norbut pointed out during her presentation, this is a return to foundational skills that most people have used to learn to read (as opposed to “whole language”).
In Stafford, the district explored all the options, ultimately choosing the Amplify CKLA program through a unanimous vote among the piloting teachers.
A marketing video from Amplify CKLA explaining the program’s approach.
To understand how this translates to Stafford’s students, watch the video of the BOE meeting where Dr. Norbut explains how the program is playing out at all grade levels. She also noted that most of the feedback has been positive, highlighting some of the comments shared.
The program will be fully implemented during the 2024/2025 school year.