Students will experience an expansion of the 1:1 laptop initiative, as well as additional curriculum programs
Washington Township students in district classrooms in 2017–18 will reap the benefits of several new programs and initiatives.
Elementary program highlights
- Students in grades K-2 now will be issued report cards through PowerSchool. The district will continue to report on standards, skills and concepts using a scale that shows parents how well their child is progressing toward a specific standard in grades K-2. Parents will be able to access the parent portal of PowerSchool to view their child’s progress at the end of each marking period. The reporting system also will help parents see how their child progresses with the standard as the concepts become more rigorous throughout the year.
- Students in grades 1–4 will be introduced to “First in Math,” an online curriculum supplement that provides students the fundamental skills they need to achieve their academic goals. The program delivers fluency in basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, while advancing higher-order thinking skills such as mental math, problem solving, pattern sensing, reasoning and number sense through deep practice. First in Math’s game-style activities provide immediate feedback to ensure that students engage in the amount of deep practice necessary for skill retention. Students will have access to the program in school and at home.
- The expansion of the district’s 1:1 laptop initiatives now puts laptop computers into the hands of students in grades 3–5. Assigned laptops will give these students their first exposure to a true mobile learning environment. Computers at these grade levels will remain in school and will not be transported home.
- The district’s science curriculum will be implemented in 2017–18 for all students in grades K-5, and Washington Township will be fully aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards this fall. The district’s elementary science committee selected “National Geographic — Exploring Science” as it provides rich, leveled informational texts and instruction in science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas (physical sciences, life sciences, earth and space sciences, and engineering, technology and applications of science) and crosscutting concepts for students in grades 1–5. The program also provides for 21st century learning through the use of an interactive e-book. The e-book will allow students to engage with videos, simulations and differentiated content. Students will be evaluated using a variety of assessment including performance-based tasks, science notebooks, and technology- enhanced assessments. Kindergarten students will be using resources from “Teacher Created Materials” to develop inquiry-based learning skills through a combination of engaging leveled books that combine science and literacy. This program will develop students’ understanding of scientific concepts with exciting, fact-filled text while learning to analyze scientific data and draw conclusions through simple science experiments and other digital resources. At all levels, students will engage in scientific inquiry and engineering design through the 5E model of inquiry-based science: engage, explore, explain, elaborate and evaluate.
Middle School Highlights
- The expansion of the district’s 1:1 laptop initiatives now puts laptop computers into the hands of all middle school learners. All students will be provided with either a Dell 3340 or 3350 laptop that is installed with Windows 10, is touch sensitive and will empower all of our students to learn in a true mobile learning environment.
- Middle school students also will benefit from the redesign of English Language Arts classrooms that include flexible seating and level libraries. These classrooms will foster an environment where independent reading is encouraged. They will feature libraries that appeal to students’ interests and preferences with their proximal independent reading levels. Technology will be available to inventory and organize books, and grade-specific logs will be developed utilizing digital student accounts.
