Development News for Monroe, Louisiana

Curriculum Committee Approves Multiple Educational Programs and Professional Development Initiatives

The curriculum committee approved the addition of 'contracted services building' to the agenda for discussion [cite: 15-21]. The committee also approved Blink, a visual support platform for speech language technologists, which provides visual tools and instructional supports like daily schedules and social stories. It offers multi-language support and can be used for classroom resources, community-based instruction, and field trips [cite: 28-48, 101-103]. The committee then approved the renewal of Renaissance Star Reading, a program used for several years to determine students needing services and to track student progress [cite: 178-191, 203-206]. Subsequently, the committee approved the use of a platform for classroom observations, which has increased the frequency of observations per principal to ten per week and supports teachers with immediate feedback [cite: 207-234, 293-296]. The committee also approved the use of the 'edu 2020' program, an educational support organization that partners with districts to provide strengthening classroom management and behavior management, particularly for new teachers [cite: 297-326]. Approval was also given for a program to streamline the usage of licenses, focusing on high-dosage tutoring and enrichment activities for students, with a reduced cost from $283,000 to $200,000 [cite: 344-383]. The committee approved professional development for third-grade teachers through the Center for Literacy and Learning academy to address foundational skill deficits [cite: 689-732]. They also approved the Guardian parent assessment platform, which allows teachers to monitor students on Chromebooks and administer weekly assessments with browser lockdown capabilities [cite: 570-639]. Additionally, approval was given for the Study Track platform to monitor interventions and provide real-time insights into tutoring effectiveness [cite: 640-677]. A motion was made to approve the 'Noel' consulting service for creating and developing trackers for high school students, focusing on individual student performance and growth [cite: 842-926]. Finally, approval was sought for a contract with New Directions to support teacher advocacy and instructional feedback, with a focus on strategically placing consultants in schools based on data [cite: 927-1092]. A proposal for a leadership academy and teacher leadership action program was presented, aiming to develop leaders within the district and prepare them for leadership roles [cite: 1106-1158]. A motion to approve a contract with Hester Consulting for $231,000 was made, with a discussion about exploring collaboration with ULM for similar services at a potentially lower cost [cite: 1159-1337]. The adoption of the high school science textbook was approved [cite: 1338-1354]. The adoption of the new US history curriculum, 'Land of Liberty,' was also approved [cite: 1355-1478]. Finally, professional development related to dyslexia training was approved [cite: 1480-1537].