Image Courtesy LAPS
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
Los Alamos Public Schools is soliciting community feedback in this year’s K-8 English Language Arts (ELA) Textbook adoption process.
The public is invited to attend the monthly meetings of the K-8 ELA Adoption team from 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. to view and provide comments on the samples that the adoption team is considering. Here is the schedule:
Thursday, October 21: Mountain Elementary
Thursday, November 18: Piñon Elementary
Thursday, December 16: School Board Room
Thursday, January 20: Aspen Elementary
Thursday, February 17: Chamisa Elementary
Thursday, March 17: Barranca Elementary
Thursday, April 28: School Board Room
“The K-8 ELA Adoption team will seek to adopt a comprehensive ELA program that supports structured literacy,” explained Dr. Sharon Fogle, Director of Curriculum and Instruction. “The goal is to find a program designed to incorporate key components into the curriculum, rather than have to add them on to a program that does not support structured literacy and the training that teachers are receiving.”
The committee is comprised of teachers from all five elementary schools and Los Alamos Middle School, representing grade levels K-8, as well as special education and EL teachers, students and family members. Their goal is to review materials from the New Mexico Public Education Department list of adopted instructional materials taking into consideration the needs of students and teachers. The adopted multiple list is a menu of options for districts in the state that were vetted by NM PED.
“We put the students first,” said Dr. Fogle. “In reviewing the materials, we ask ourselves a number of questions, including does it meet the academic needs of students, will it be engaging or interesting to students, can it be differentiated to meet the needs of students, and are the materials culturally and linguistically relevant for the student population.”
Districts may spend 100% of their instructional material fund budgets for any materials on the adopted list; however, they cannot spend more than 50% of their budgets for materials not on the adopted list.
Materials selected for adoption will be introduced in the 2022-23 school year.