It's no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound and lasting impact on students, with rates of college enrollment down and standardized test scores plummeting. To support Scholars in these times, Steppingstone has launched a multi-year curriculum designed to strengthen and accelerate academic growth and learning. We’re excited to share that we collaborated with Attuned Education Partners—a national organization that works closely with public schools to ensure all students have equitable access to quality education—to review our current curriculum and practices and adopt new curricula in English Language Arts (ELA) and math. 

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The new curriculum focuses on building a strong academic foundation, preparing Scholars for the challenges of the academic year ahead. It enhances Scholars’ chances of gaining admission to rigorous independent schools with strong college enrollment rates, which far surpass the 38% college-going rates for Boston Public School students as a whole. Their preparation also combats the effect of the nationwide low post-pandemic test scores and low four-year college enrollment rates in Boston and Massachusetts.

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An Impactful Partnership

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We turned to trusted experts on the most current and proven curricular best practices.

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Rachel Skerritt, Steppingstone board member and former head of Boston Latin School, connected the team with Attuned Education Partners, where she serves as Chief Strategy Officer. She says: 

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“This project has been just so exciting and rewarding. For my worlds to connect this way—with an organization with whom I have over a 25-year relationship, and a workplace that I feel so proud to be a part of—it is an honor and a pleasure to collaborate in service of Steppingstone Scholar success.”

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Arlena Gaynor, a Deputy Chief of Academics of Attuned Education Partners, speaks of the synergy between the organization and Steppingstone:

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“This  partnership has been defined by the leadership team’s deep commitment and willingness to come to the table with openness and vulnerability. Their readiness to examine their current systems and structures and embrace change has made it possible to refine and enhance an already strong program.”

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Steppingstone staff and community members contributed input to design the curriculum as well, ensuring that all viewpoints were considered. 

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Benefits of the New Curriculum

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Together, Steppingstone and Attuned Education Partners selected research-backed, academically rigorous, national standards-aligned curricula. 

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For math, Illustrative Mathematics' comprehensive, expert-authored syllabus incorporates students’ lived experiences and the world around them as resources for problem solving, and is designed to encourage inclusive, engaging discussions as students learn critical skills. 

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In English Language Arts, Scholars now engage in the EL Education curriculum. EL Education builds knowledge by using texts on real-world topics in social studies, STEM, and literature. 

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We are already seeing results from the first phase of implementation, completed in summer 2024. The ”summer slump,” a common phenomenon where students lose the academic gains they made over the year over the summer break, was a key focus of the curriculum’s new design. Within just a few months, Steppingstone’s new curriculum not only addressed the effects of the summer slump but also advanced Scholars to new material.

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Rising fifth and sixth grade Scholars spent the summer preparing for the grade ahead, and a post-summer test found that the majority of Steppingstone Scholars’ scores either stayed the same or increased on material from the next grade, showing great ability and readiness for the year to come. Steppingstone Scholars demonstrate proficiency for what they have already learned, and are also positioned ahead of the curve for the upcoming year. The new curriculum empowers Scholars with the skills and confidence to excel in highly rigorous secondary schools, advancing Steppingstone's mission to support their success in college, career, and beyond.

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