Cascade School District adopts refreshed middle school ELA curriculum

LEAVENWORTH — The Cascade School District Board adopted a new curriculum for middle school English Language Arts during its Nov. 9 meeting.

Though the name of the program, StudySync, is what is currently used by the district, the platform and structure is expected to change. The program’s new publisher, Imagine Learning, recently launched a refreshed 2027 edition.

“They have made improvements to it. So even though you're seeing the same title, it's not going to be identical going into next school year,” said CSD Superintendent Dr. Tracey Edou.

According to Imagine Learning, the 2027 edition includes more professional development and support for teachers. It also shifts toward student-led learning, primarily facilitated through small group instruction.

The company’s representatives explained that small groups can break up a long lecture, enabling collaborative conversation among students. Meanwhile, teachers can meet with each group to monitor their individual progress and needs.

The company says the new edition also restructured the learning sequence to be built around deeper knowledge-building themes. Fluency, vocabulary, and sentence composition have also been strengthened with a scaffolding that is “grounded in the science of reading.”

While the instructional routine is expected to feel familiar, representatives said the rigor within the assignments has changed significantly. For instance, grammar skills and writing practice will be more integrated into reading assignments and lessons, rather than just existing in isolation.

Teachers in attendance said they were excited about the changes, particularly with the integration of small group instruction.

Board member Mike Worden questioned whether the company sought feedback from teachers or students, noting concerns he had heard from students on the current program about technical difficulties and dull material.

Imagine Learning said the changes were driven by teacher feedback, but students had not been surveyed. The representatives encouraged any comments from students to be passed along to the company.

Sarah Horowitz, a parent of a student, echoed frustration with the current model. She said the program had issues with saving progress, and that her student found the content mind numbing and miserable.

“It does not hold her attention and it does not engage her,” said Horowitz “If the new one's great, then that's fantastic. But ours has not been a good experience with this program.”

Imagine Learning representatives said progress saving should improve on the new platform, especially with the use of the mobile app, which allows students to download their homework and complete it offline. In regards to reading, the new edition is said to have an expanded library, updated texts and opportunities for students to self-select texts for assignments.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media