Chariho RegionalSchool District

Friday, September 3rd, 2021

Congratulations on successfully completing the first week of school! I know that this was a very busy week of preparing, planning, and finally welcoming our students back to school. We are off to a great start!

 Please read below for updates on the curriculum resources and assessments, as well as information about the Right to Read Act.

Curriculum Resource Update:

Thank you for your participation in the professional development this week on our new curriculum resources! I know that a lot of information was presented in a very short amount of time, and I appreciate everyone's patience and professionalism as we navigate this implementation. Though most of you have received all of your materials and online access, we continue to work with the vendors to ensure that all materials will be at schools within the next two weeks. We will continue to provide professional development with these new resources to ensure that we can implement them with fidelity. As you know, anytime a new resource is implemented, it takes time to learn about and become comfortable with all that the resources offer. That is why it is critical to implement each resource as they are meant to be used, and with fidelity, in this initial year of implementation. Any modifications to the curriculum resources will not give us a clear understanding of the curriculum's impact on the level of instruction and student outcomes. Please reach out if you have any questions.

Assessment Calendar Update: 

You can find the 2021-2022 Assessment Calendar here. Please review important assessment information below:

1.     We will continue to use the Fountas and Pinnell Running Record. Into Reading has a version of this 
      that we will learn more about and consider using for the next school next year.

2.     We will continue to use KSA for Kindergarten in reading and math in the ESGI platform.

3.     Into Reading: Module assessments will be administered at the end of each module (replacing common assessments)

4.     StudySync: End-of-Unit Assessments will be administered at the end of each unit (replacing QCAs 6-8).  Benchmark Assessments will be used in place of STAR for grades 6-10.

5.     iReady: Assessments will be administered at the end of each unit (replacing QCAs).

 Right to Read Act – Awareness Training

To all teachers who are participating in the Awareness Training of the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy:

 Teachers, please fill out Chariho 21-22 Right to Read Awareness Course Completion Form  as you complete the courses for the Awareness Training of the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy. This form will be used to track PLU’s that you receive for each course. Please note that only the first course is live. According to the RIDE website, courses 2 & 3 will go live on November 1^st and the final two courses will go live on January 1^st, 2022. You will be provided time during upcoming professional development days to complete the courses. 

 Upon completion of all 5 courses you will be asked to submit a copy of your certificate of completion. You can find additional information about both the awareness and proficiency training on the Chariho website under Teaching and Learning-àRight to Read.

 Thanks again for all you do!

Dear Chariho Certified Staff,

On May 25, 2021, you were sent an email about the Rhode Island Right to Read Act, which is a law requiring ALL educators to exhibit either ”Proficiency” or  “Awareness” in the knowledge and practices of the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy.

• All PreK-5 classroom teachers, PreK-12 special educators, and PreK-12 Reading Teachers, and our PreK-12 ESOL Teacher will need to exhibit “Proficiency”.

In order to help you meet this requirement, our RI Right to Read Act Committee has selected AIM Pathways to Proficient Reading, and we are working with the provider to potentially schedule the training to begin in the Spring of  2022.  Due to the implementation of the new Gr. K-12 ELA High Quality Curriculum Materials next year, “Proficiency” training would not begin until next Spring.

Further information can be found on the RIDE Right to Read Act webpage.

 Chariho’s Right to Read Act Selection Committee

Co-Chairs:  Jane Daly, Jen Durkin & Committee Members:  Stefani Anderson, Jill Burke, Mary Beth Florenz, Giuseppe Gencarelli, Dana Hall, Sandra Hanley-Stansfield, Jennifer H Krekorian, Paige Leddy, Mary Markovitz, Mary Ann Mello, Iris Ornberg, Kerry Pastore, Karen Pellegrino, Rene Rosivach, Andrea Spas, Mary Ellen Sposato, Jean Westcott

Westerly Community Credit Union (WCCU) is pleased to offer the Teacher Grant Program for the 2021-22 school year!  They will be awarding up to $8,500 in teacher grants.

Link to view both the 2021 Grant application updated with a deadline of October 31, 2021 and the Awarding Guidelines.

The Teacher Toolbox and i-Ready have been rolled into the one platform. As a reminder, you no longer need to login to a separate website and use a separate login! To access the Toolbox, login to i-Ready Connect and simply click on “Assess & Teach” > choose “Resources” > select a subject under “Teacher Toolbox.”  

Dea. Dear  Chariho Certified Staff,

The Rhode Island Right to Read Act was passed in July of 2019. This law requires ALL educators to exhibit either ”Proficiency” or  “Awareness” in the knowledge and practices of the Science of Reading and Structured Literacy.

 Pages 6 and 7 of the RIDE RI RIght to Read Act LEA Guidance identifies which staff need to exhibit “Proficiency”, and which staff need to exhibit “Awareness”.  

 Chariho has created a committee of administrators and teacher representatives to research and then select our provider(s) from the approved RIDE listing, and plan for providing this professional learning.  

 Due to the implementation of the new Gr. K-12 ELA High Quality Curriculum Materials next year, “Proficiency” training and Gr. 6-12 ELA Teacher “Awareness” training will begin no earlier than Spring 2022 or during the 2022-2023 school year.  All other certified staff who require “Awareness” training will begin in the fall of 2021.

Here are some resources and professional learning groups for further information:

• RIDE Rhode Island RIght to Read Act Webpage,  RIDE RI RIght to Read Act LEA Guidance,  The Rhode Island Right to Read Act FAQ

• You can also listen to the first 25 minutes of RIDE Right to Read Act Presentation for general information: http://media.ride.ri.gov/IAC/Literacy/RightToReadActWebinarRecording-2021-05-04.mp4

•  RI Science of Reading Group  Rhode Island Chapter of the Science of Reading:  “What I  Should Have Learned In College” Facebook Group. The purpose of this group is to connect the research of how we learn to read to our teaching practice.

•  The Science of Reading: A Defining Moment A coalition developed by The Reading League. 

From your Right to Read Act Selection Committee

Co-Chairs:  Jane Daly, Jen Durkin

Committee Members:  Stefani Anderson, Jill Burke, Mary Beth Florenz, Giuseppe Gencarelli, Dana Hall, Sandra Hanley-Stansfield, Jennifer H Krekorian, Paige Leddy, Mary Markovitz, Mary Ann Mello, Iris Ornberg, Kerry Pastore, Karen Pellegrino, Rene Rosivach, Andrea Spas, Mary Ellen Sposato, Jean Westcott