WCUUSD Curriculum Newsletter
September 30, 2025
Introduction
Hi, WCUUSD educators--
Happy fall! I hope this email finds you settling into the new school year.
I sent the first newsletter of the school year at the end of August just as you were welcoming students into our schools. My readership was LOW, which should not surprise me (next year I will aim to get it out earlier in August)!
I am repeating a few articles from the August newsletter below and I am also including a few updates. I hope you'll take a few minutes to at least peruse the entire newsletter.
As always, I welcome your feedback. If you have thoughts or ideas about how to make this monthly newsletter more accessible, more user-friendly, or just better in general, please share them. And please reach out with any questions or concerns about the contents of this newsletter as well.
Warmly,
Jen
Curriculum Council Update
September Update
Curriculum Council meets on second and fourth Monday afternoons when school is in session. This year all of our building principals are attending Curriculum Council in addition to teacher leaders from each school. We are excited about this partnership!
A major area of focus this year will be thoughtfully and consistently planning and supporting the rollout of the universal professional learning modules that were created during Curriculum Camp this summer. Those areas include the newly revised Education Quality Standards, Effective Practices in Functional Skills, the DESSA (our social emotional learning screener), and the Science of Writing (elementary only). Additionally, we will be supporting training about Universal Design for Learning (UDL) across all of our schools.
In the months to come we will focus on identifying the outcomes for students that we would like to see as a result of engaging in the professional learning modules. We are also planning to leverage the badging system in Vector Solutions to keep track of and recognize our new learning about UDL.
Please complete the feedback forms after each module. We routinely look at them during our meetings, and your feedback will inform next steps.
Each principal has developed a professional learning schedule. Please reach out to them if you’d like more details.
Curriculum Council Members 2025-2026
Berlin: Celia Guggemos, Melissa Maring
Calais: Ainsley Burroughs, Jenna Howard, Jarrod Weiss
Doty: Allison Fayle, Gillian Fuqua
East Montpelier: Alicia Lyford, Hilary Paquet, Dave Willard
Rumney: Veronica Fair, Karoline May
U-32: Jenn Ingersoll, Brittany Perry, Becca Tatistcheff
WCUUSD: Ellen Dorsey, Jen Miller-Arsenault
Education Quality Committee (EQC)
Updates and Next Meeting
The EQC met on September 11. They reviewed district level data (i-Ready math, i-Ready reading, Acadience K-6 reading) from Spring 2025. Here is the presentation.
At the next meeting on October 9 they will again look at district data from Spring 2025, this time with a focus on disaggregated data and differences in performance between groups of students.
We continue to experience differences in performance among some groups of students, especially those who are economically disadvantaged and those who are not and those who are eligible for Individualized Education Plans and those who are not. We also pay close attention to two of our equity indicators, Grade 8 algebra readiness and Grade 3 reading. Below are a few slides that demonstrate our students' performance in recent years.
I will include the full presentation in next month's newsletter; I'm not quite done with it as of the publication of this newsletter.
Humanity and Justice Work
Humanity and Justice Coalition (HJC) 2025-2026
We are looking for more educators to join us. We are also inviting middle and high school students to join us. We typically meet on second Thursdays from 12:30-1:55 p.m. at U-32 and there is a virtual option as well. Our next meeting is Thursday, October 9. Look for an email with more information soon!
Current members of the HJC include:
- Ellen Cooke (U-32 school counselor)
- Steven Dellinger-Pate (superintendent)
- Natasha Eckart (school board member)
- Jen Miller-Arsenault (curriculum director)
- Amy Molina (U-32 assistant principal)
- Steve Sheeler (U-32 social studies teacher)
- Michael Sherwin (East Montpelier Elementary behavior coach)
- Flor Diaz Smith (school board chair)
- Shelley Vermilya (district scholar-in-residence)
- Erica Zimmerman (community member)
Local Comprehensive Assessment System (LCAS)
Local Comprehensive Assessment Plan (LCAP)
We are in the middle of the fall assessment window.
This month's LCAS section is a repeat of what was included in the August newsletter:
Did you know that in addition to referring to the LCAP regularly, you can add the WCUUSD LCAP and Intervention Cycle calendar to your Google calendars? Here is a shareable link to that calendar.
Note: While the LCAP is mostly set for the school year, we will update it as we solidify dates such as VTCAP testing dates in the spring. Always look at the footer to check the update history. See the photo below as an example.
Multi-Layered System of Supports
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
This is a repeat announcement from the August newsletter:
During the 2025-2026 school year we will be rolling out professional learning for all teachers and administrators regarding universal design for learning using a professional learning plan and materials designed by Katie Novak. Principals will share more details in the weeks to come.
UDL resources shared last year:
- CAST's updated UDL guidelines
- Katie Novak's monthly newsletter
- Lesson planning template
- Loui Lord Nelson's podcast series
- Novak Education Teacher's Guide to UDL
- The Science and Research Behind the UDL Framework
- UDL Personalized Learning Profile
- Video about implementing UDL in a manageable way (2:31)
- Video likening UDL to planning a successful dinner party (3:21)
- WCUUSD unit design template
VT Agency of Education
AOE Licensing System Update
If you have not yet registered for your new account please do so soon, following the AOE's directions above. If you need support, please reach out to a member of our Local Standards Board (LSB).
LSB members for 2025-2026 include:
- Berlin: Lynn Wagner (co-chair)
- Calais: Lauralea Curavoo
- Doty: Maureen McDermet
- EMES: Claire Gallagher
- Rumney: Diana Costello
- U-32: Brian Divelbliss, Erin Mooney, Rebecca Sweeney
- Administrative representative: Jen Miller-Arsenault (co-chair)