Ralston Public Schools is implementing a new English Language Arts curriculum for kindergarten through eighth-grade students this school year. We are excited to get these high-quality instructional materials into the hands of our students and know they will positively impact student learning.

These materials are aligned to our state standards, and include access to complex text, while engaging students in rigorous learning activities. Our District teachers’ professional learning for 2023-2024 will focus on best practices using their new materials.

• Grades K-5 are implementing Amplify CKLA - Grounded in the science of reading, Amplify CKLA curriculum combines rich, diverse content knowledge in history, science, literature, and the arts with systematic research-based foundational reading skills instruction. It will allow students to dig deeper and make connections across content areas and help them build a robust knowledge base for accessing and unpacking complex texts so real comprehension can happen.

• Grades 6 and 7 are implementing Amplify ELA - Amplify ELA is a blended English language arts curriculum designed specifically to support students and prepare them for high school and beyond. With Amplify ELA, students learn to tackle any complex text and make observations, grapple with interesting ideas, and find relevance for themselves. Students are engaged through dynamic texts, lively classroom discussions, and meaningful digital experiences.

• Grade 8 will implement McGraw-Hill StudySync - Built upon the science of reading, StudySync is designed to captivate students with an unparalleled selection of culturally-diverse literature, tailored to each student’s specific learning needs. This program facilitates meaningful and dynamic interaction with text. Students will respond to an increasingly challenging variety of sources that are read, heard, or viewed in writing and in discussion. They will also engage in a variety of writing activities in response to the reading of texts, including note-taking, annotating, creating short constructed responses, and completing extended writing projects.