Nearly a decade ago, Cecil County Public Schools faced significant challenges with low-performing elementary schools and inconsistent use of curriculum. Teachers were using varied, homegrown resources with limited success, prompting calls for change from both the teachers’ union and Central Office. In 2016, the district adopted Bookworms, a structured, open-source curriculum from the University of Delaware. This swift implementation led to noticeable improvements in student performance on statewide tests for grades 3-5. The district has since fine-tuned its practices to sustain this progress. To address these issues, the district formed a committee in 2015 to select a standardized English language arts curriculum. The committee chose Journeys and Wonders by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and McGraw-Hill, but the adoption of Bookworms later proved more effective and sustainable, showing that rapid, well-implemented reforms can lead to lasting improvements.
