In an effort to strengthen learning in reading, the Chelsea School District (CSD) has brought on a new curriculum for kindergarten through fifth grade. They’re now looking at doing the same for middle school and high school, while also reviewing other areas of learning as well.
To learn more about the changes and updates, the Sun Times News (STN) asked Michelle Hilla, CSD’s Director of Curriculum and Instruction, some questions about what’s happening.
Hilla said the most recent update was the review and adoption of a new K–5 English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum. This comprehensive, two-year process included in-depth data analysis, research, presentations, pilot programs, grant writing, and great collaboration among staff and administrators to identify the best fit for Chelsea students’ needs, she said.
As far as what are the main changes with this new curriculum, Hilla said the most significant shift in K–2 instruction “is the integration of a structured phonics approach grounded in the science of reading.”
Hilla explained, “This body of research outlines the key skills that contribute to early reading development, emphasizing that reading comprehension results from both word recognition and language comprehension. The new curriculum highlights instructional practices proven to be most effective in building these foundational skills.”
The reasoning behind these changes came after the school district looked into some data.
“When we analyzed our academic data, we noticed a downward trend in reading performance,” Hilla said. “A deeper dive revealed that many students were struggling with foundational skills, particularly word recognition. It became clear that we needed to strengthen our Tier I instructional practices to better support all learners in early literacy.”
Currently, the 6th–12th grade teams at CSD are engaged in an ELA curriculum review. Hilla said they are also in the early stages of reviewing Social Studies, Art, and World Language programs.
STN asked Hilla what school district families should know about the changes.
“Families should know that the new curriculum is intentionally designed to help students learn how to read and comprehend a wide variety of texts,” she said. “Many of our teachers have completed or are currently participating in LETRS (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training through the state of Michigan, which further supports our instructional goals. The district and school teams will closely monitor student progress over the next three years, using multiple progress checks throughout each year to ensure the curriculum and instructional practices are effective.”
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