Watertown School District Details Major Curriculum Changes for Social Studies, Reading and Writing

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown School Board received one of its most comprehensive academic briefings of the year Monday night, as Curriculum Director Trisha Walker delivered an in‑depth update on the district’s curriculum revisions, summer work, and instructional changes set to launch this fall.

Walker opened her presentation by underscoring the significance of curriculum work in shaping student learning.

“I might be a little biased, but I think this is probably the most important report you’ll hear,” Walker told the board. “It’s all about what our students are learning and what changes are in store for them to make our work the most successful that it can be.”

Her report covered the district’s seven‑year curriculum cycle, the completion of year one of the new K‑12 social studies adoption, and a sweeping multi‑year overhaul of English Language Arts (ELA) that touches every grade level.

Social Studies: Year One of New State Standards

Walker said the district has completed the first year of its social studies adoption, aligning instruction to South Dakota’s updated standards and implementing new materials across elementary, middle, and high school.

Elementary: Studies Weekly Adopted Statewide

Grades K–5 began using Studies Weekly, a state‑provided publication resembling a weekly reader.

“It’s very visual, but it is very challenging,” Walker said. “There’s a lot of content within them… it really takes a lot of guidance to get through those issues.”

The district purchased matching materials for pre‑K, junior kindergarten, and sixth grade to maintain continuity. Teachers revised pacing guides and coordinated adjustments with elementary science, which shares instructional blocks with social studies.

Middle School: American History Shifted

Seventh and eighth grade American history content was redistributed:

·         Former eighth‑grade material now taught in seventh grade

·         Eighth grade extends the historical timeline further

Sixth grade continues to focus on ancient civilizations with added South Dakota‑specific content.

High School: New Native American Studies Course

At the high school level, teachers redistributed standards across courses and continued developing the new South Dakota Native American Studies class, which launched last year.

“You kind of have to live with it and test it out,” Walker said, noting teachers met earlier that day to refine the curriculum map.

Writing expectations were strengthened across all secondary social studies courses, and common assessments remain a districtwide goal.

Walker displayed committee rosters showing that every middle and high school social studies teacher participated in the revision process.

ELA: Districtwide Overhaul Driven by Science of Reading

ELA remains the district’s largest curriculum project, spanning foundational reading skills, phonics, writing, grammar, literature, speaking and listening, and vocabulary.

Walker said the committee’s priorities were clear:

·         Phonics and foundational reading skills at the lower grades

·         Writing at the upper grades

She emphasized that the district’s work is grounded in the “science of reading,” describing it as an interdisciplinary body of research on how students learn to read and write.

“It’s not one thing, and there’s not one product that can meet those needs,” she said. “It’s everything we know about how students learn to read and write.”

Early Childhood & Elementary: Major Changes Begin This Fall

Handwriting Without Tears

Pre‑K, JK, and kindergarten will adopt Handwriting Without Tears, a tactile, fine‑motor‑focused handwriting program.

“We know our students have weaker fine motor skills than they have over time,” Walker said. “This will give them more support and our teachers more strategies.”

Grades 1–2 will use consistent language and models but will not adopt a new program until future cycles.

Really Great Reading (Phonics)

Grades pre‑K through 3 will adopt Really Great Reading, a phonics program emphasizing phonemic awareness, systematic instruction, and diagnostic tools.

The program includes “reading playgrounds” that track student progress during RTI.

Simplify Writing (Grades 4–6)

Grades 4–6 will adopt Simplify Writing, which integrates:

·         Writing instruction

·         Grammar

·         Word study

·         Spelling

Teachers also enhanced read‑aloud selections, background‑knowledge supports, and vocabulary instruction.

Secondary ELA: Writing Alignment, New Literature, and English 12 Redesign

While middle school changes are on hold due to staffing shifts, the high school completed significant work:

Writing Alignment

All students in grades 9–12 will write:

·         Informative pieces

·         Persuasive pieces

·         Narrative pieces

every year.

“We believe all students should write to all three styles at every grade,” Walker said.

Teachers refined paper topics to ensure variety, depth, and alignment with standards.

Updated Literature Selections

Walker shared a full list of novels for each course, noting differences between regular and accelerated tracks based on length, depth, and writing expectations.

English 12 Redesign

English 12 underwent a major redesign to emphasize British and global literature, reflecting updated state standards.

Grammar & ACT Preparation

Teachers spent two full days realigning grammar skills and reviewing ACT‑style questions.

“Utilizing better sentence patterns and different structures of sentences will improve your writing,” Walker said. “Not just your test score.”

New hires participated in the work, ensuring consistency across the department.

Summer Work: A Packed Schedule of Training and Curriculum Development

Walker detailed a full summer of curriculum work, including:

·         Foundational reading training

·         Phonics selection

·         Social studies and science mapping

·         English 12 redesign

·         Grammar alignment

·         New teacher academy

·         State mentoring kickoff

·         MANT de‑escalation training

She said summer work allows teachers to think more deeply and programmatically.

“People can take a breath and take a step back,” she said. “Summer allows us to dig a more dedicated focus.”

Pre‑Service: Heavy Training Ahead

Pre‑service will include full‑staff training on:

·         Handwriting

·         Phonics

·         Writing

·         Foundational reading skills

“It’s going to be a heavy lift,” Walker said. “But we need everybody to be on the same page.”

Board members thanked Walker for the comprehensive update, noting the scale of the changes — particularly in ELA — and the amount of staff involvement across grade levels.

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