C&I Connections Newsletter

With just 11 school days left in the year, we want to cheer you on as you head toward the finish line. Your hard work and dedication have made this year incredible, and we hope these final days are filled with meaningful moments and smooth transitions.

Please note that our next newsletter, scheduled for May 20, will be our final edition of the school year. Let’s make it a great couple of weeks!

Take Care,

The C&I Team

When we think about time in our day, there is never enough. Our learning from the research in the Science of Reading has helped us prioritize word work and fluency across all content areas as we strive for students to understand complex text. While this 30 year old research is not new, we constantly need to be reminded of this Simple View of Reading. Current research is also reminding us to consider the influence of oral discourse on both reading and writing.

So what is first? A famous quote by James Britton, an educational researcher, states, "Reading and writing float on a sea of talk." As explained by a Google Search in an AI response, this means that oral language (speaking and listening) is the foundational foundation for literacy development. Rich, consistent conversation allows children to develop vocabulary, syntax, and comprehension skills necessary for writing and reading. The deliberate inclusion of oral discourse will strengthen students’ efforts in sharing what they know and are able to do.

Consider the following resources in Tier 1 ELA/English curriculum:

Wonders (K-5):

• Respond to the Text Routine (Talk-Cite-Write)

• Oral Language Sentence Frames by grade band (K-1, 2-3, and 4-5)

• Protocols found in the Instructional Routine Handbook

• Collaborative Conversations routines on pages 17-27, prompt and frames, pages 191-192

• Reading Thinking Codes, pages 115 and 123

• Guidelines for Peer Conferences for reading, page 126 and for writing, page 127

• Grades 3-5 Peer Conference Rubric, page 128

• Weekly Family Letters (choose comprehension) to have students practice discussions at school and at home

• Book Talk suggestions found in the Teacher Resources

MyPerspectives (6-12):

• Collaboration Center

• Speaking and Listening Center resources for 6-8 and 9-12

• Sharing Perspectives: Reflecting on the Texts have specific discussion prompts to use

• Overview of Small Group Learning expectations outline the success criteria for student discussion which are consistent unit to unit

Now is the time to plan for talking about it, reading about it, and writing about it whatever “it” might be!

MATH FEEDBACK SURVEY

At the start of this school year, updates were made to the Grades K–Geometry Into Math pacing and sequencing based on teacher feedback. The End-of-Year Math Feedback Survey highlights the key changes and the rationale behind them, and asks teachers to indicate their level of support based on their experiences this year.

Thank you to everyone who has already completed the survey. Grades K–5 will have time during this week’s GLTM meetings to complete it. Teachers in other grade levels are asked to complete the survey by May 18. Your feedback will help guide revisions to next year’s pacing and instructional supports.

Click here to complete the survey.

IXL SURVEY

Thank you to all of the secondary teachers who participated in the IXL pilot during the second semester. As we reflect on this year’s implementation, we would appreciate your feedback regarding the program’s usage, ease of use, instructional value, and overall effectiveness in supporting student learning.

Your input will help guide future decisions regarding digital instructional resources and supports.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey by Friday, May 22.

Thank you for your participation in this week's elementary GLTM. You can find the presentation & document with linked resources shared by Rebecca below. These are also linked into the Google Classroom for each grade level

If you have not yet participated in the Clarity Cohort and are interested in joining next year, please add your name to the interest form. You only need to do this once.

If you have already been part of the Clarity Cohort (last year or this year), you do not need to add your name here.