—Ari Kovics, TNTP Senior Manager
Adopting a new curriculum can be a challenging journey, especially when that curriculum will serve Preschool and Pre-K students across multiple district schools and community-based organizations. As challenging as it may be, it is also incredibly rewarding.
At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, Framingham Public Schools launched their implementation of the Boston Focus Curriculum in more than thirty Preschool and Pre-K classes. These classes represent one district Early Childhood building, three classrooms at two district elementary schools, and three Partnerships for Early Learning (PEL) sites, reaching students enrolled in inclusion classes and substantially separate special education settings, as well as one Spanish Immersion classroom.
The district focused the first six months of implementation on ensuring coherence across classrooms and sites. District leaders established clear expectations for the consistent use of Focus materials for all Read Alouds and centers in every classroom. In addition, the team established structures to bring school principals and partnership directors together for bimonthly collaboration meetings.
Pre-K instructional coach roles that provide coaching and support to teachers at all six sites were introduced. These coaches receive professional learning and coaching from TNTP as part of the PRISM grant. In addition, all educators including lead teachers, assistants, and paraprofessionals across the six district and partner sites are participating in a professional learning series facilitated by TNTP, dedicated to oral language development through Read Alouds.
Each session was offered twice, once during the school day and once in the evening; this ensured that all educators, regardless of whether they teach in a district school or at a PEL site, had the opportunity to participate in the learning.
The PD series has been focused on how to best apply DESE and EEC’s Guiding Principles for Early Learning to instruction using Focus curriculum materials. The work in Framingham has been led by Christina Shea, the Director of Early Education, Office of Teaching and Learning, Framingham, with the support of district staff and the Office of Teaching and Learning.
Halfway through the year, the impact has been monumental! From the fall to winter progress monitoring cycles, Framingham Pre-Ks saw a 34% increase in the percentage of lessons focused on a high-quality text and an 84% increase in the percentage of Read Aloud lessons focused on key Tier 2 vocabulary to build vocabulary and deepen understanding in support comprehension.
We know progress is happening not just from our walkthrough data, but also from the many stories teachers, coaches, and leaders have shared that show the full impact of the implementation of HQIM in Pre-K. As one teacher recently relayed during a PD session, she heard a student whispering vocabulary words to himself as he drifted off to sleep during rest time. Is there a more resounding or precious endorsement than that?