Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Letter

Dear Members of the Windsor Southeast Supervisory Union Community,

The Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (CIA) at WSESU is dedicated to supporting educators through comprehensive professional development initiatives, instructional resources, teaching materials (including digital platforms and software), and a coordinated curriculum across WSESU.

Our focus this year at the K–5 level is on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in math instruction. A UDL focus means teachers plan lessons that offer multiple ways for students to access content, express understanding, and stay motivated: for example, combining visual models, hands-on manipulatives, and spoken explanations so learners with different strengths can engage. Structuring classroom discourse with clear sentence stems, accountable talk norms, and small-group routines helps all students practice reasoning and justify solutions. Formative checks like quick exit prompts guide immediate adjustments and differentiated supports (such as simplified language, extended time, or challenge extensions). STAR Math assessments (K–10), in addition to Topic Quizzes and End of Module common assessments, also provide our teachers with data to adjust instruction and support. In addition, all of our K–5 math classrooms have implemented Bridges Number Corner, which provides short, engaging daily sessions focusing on number sense, pattern recognition, and student discourse.

In literacy, Vermont's Act 139 assures a continued statewide focus on building strong reading skills. WSESU is in its second year of partnering with the Agency of Education and READ VERMONT, and schools are participating on a rotating basis to support teaching and learning. As mandated, screening with mCLASS DIBELS is used as the universal literacy screener to identify students' early reading levels; results guide classroom instruction and help prioritize who needs extra support. At the 3–10 grade level, STAR Reading assessments are given three times a year. Educators regularly conduct data dives (structured reviews of assessment results) to spot patterns, adjust lessons, and target skills that need reteaching or enrichment. When screeners or data dives show students are behind, schools provide targeted interventions (small-group instruction, progress monitoring). This coordinated approach (shared curriculum, common measures, frequent data analysis, and timely intervention) helps ensure all students receive consistent, evidence-based literacy instruction and that educators can respond quickly when students need more help.

Grades 6–12 are in their second and third year of implementing performance indicators based on anchor standards from the Common Core, Next Generation Science Standards, ISTE, and other national sources. Aligned assessments have been developed in our core courses, and this year, electives and specials will continue this work. In professional development, our middle and high schools have been working on strengthening the use of advisory/SWARM through a focus on building community, restorative circles, and Personalized Learning Plans. A Personalized Learning Plan is an individualized educational roadmap that empowers learners to examine their academic progress and chart their own course ahead. This framework allows educators to gain deeper insight into each student's interests and learning and assist them in achieving their aspirations. Though documented in writing, this plan remains dynamic and flexible, evolving continuously as learners' circumstances and ambitions shift over time.

In closing, the continued support and invaluable contributions of our Information Technology Services team and Executive Assistant Wendy Moody have been essential to our smooth operation and are deeply appreciated.