How Lyons Central School District is Investing in Instructional Coherence

This impressive instructional coherence has progressed in stages. In 2022–2023, Lyons began implementing Collaborative Literacy (Being a Reader™ and Being a Writer™) as their Tier 1 ELA curriculum in grades K–5. The instructionally aligned, accelerative foundational skills program, SIPPS, has been used as an intervention since 2022. 

In summer 2025, Lyons joined a cohort of districts through Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES to participate in Collaborative Classroom’s SEEDS of Learning Professional Learning framework for educators who work with children ages 3 to 5. This school year (2025–26) Lyons further strengthened the coherence by participating in a pre-publication pilot of Pinecone Path, Collaborative Classroom’s new PreK literacy curriculum that aligns instructionally with both SEEDS of Learning and Collaborative Literacy. 

In this interview, Valerie Michaels, Collaborative Classroom’s Manager of Educational Partnerships for New York, spoke to Lyons Elementary School Principal Erin Hysick and Kaya Lani Panneitz, a Universal PreK teacher, about their experiences and partnership with Collaborative Classroom.

Background

Valerie Michaels

Erin, can you tell us a little about Lyons’s partnership with Collaborative Classroom and what you appreciate about the programs?

Erin Hysick, Principal

Our kindergarten through fifth grade classrooms are using Collaborative Literacy (Being a Reader and Being a Writer). From my own experience and what I’ve heard from other educators, Collaborative Literacy is a solid Tier 1 program. It’s easy to learn and easy to follow. Most importantly, it aligns with the standards in which our curriculum is grounded. 

In addition to that, Collaborative Classroom also offers SIPPS, which is probably the strongest Tier 2 literacy intervention program I’ve worked with. 

Our PreK program right now is in a pre-publication pilot using Pinecone Path.

I really appreciate the Tier 1 components. The kids are super engaged with the text and it’s very diverse. Our students are able to learn about different cultures and people in different settings, and that has been great. It’s a curriculum that is not taught in isolation; it’s very much integrated. That has also been really great for teachers. It’s not just one exposure; students have multiple exposures to the content.

Valerie Michaels

Lyons has had a growing partnership with Collaborative Classroom for many years. What do you appreciate about the relationship?

Erin Hysick

As a building leader, I appreciate that everybody I’ve worked with at Collaborative Classroom has been really supportive. They’re all educators themselves so they know what a classroom teacher is doing on any given day, at any given moment.

Having the Collaborative Classroom experts coming in and supporting us by teaching alongside us, observing, and providing feedback, has never felt intimidating or overwhelming. It has been very much tailored to the needs of our individual teachers. And I’m able to sit and learn and reflect alongside my team and use that information to help move us forward.

It truly is a partnership. Not all programs I’ve worked with have the type of connection and support that Collaborative Classroom offers, which is why as long as I’m principal I’ll make sure that this relationship continues. Because, at the end of the day, it’s most importantly about helping our students achieve and be the best readers and writers they can be.

It truly is a partnership. Not all programs I’ve worked with have the type of connection and support that Collaborative Classroom offers, which is why as long as I’m principal I’ll make sure that this relationship continues.

Kaya Lani Panneitz, Universal PreK Teacher

As a teacher, I’d say that the best part of partnering with Collaborative Classroom is the amount of educator support. It is a blessing to have coaching and helpful feedback about any aspect of the program that we’re implementing.

Additionally, the support this first year that we’ve worked with Pinecone Path in Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) has been very helpful. Especially as a new teacher—having people that I can look to who know the curriculum and know the functions and the systems and what this is going to look like and can guide us.

We went from not having any curriculum and coming up with these things on our own—as traditionally teachers have done—to having Pinecone Path, and it reinforced the instruction that we were already doing.

It took a big load off because it felt like I could really be more attentive with my class. I wasn’t so worried about all of these other things that I had to put together. It was all there in the program and there were people to support me.

How Pinecone Path Supports the “Portrait of a Graduate” Initiative

Valerie Michaels

Erin, there has been a lot of buzz in New York State around aligning PreK through graduation. From your perspective as an administrator, can you speak to what we’re hearing around the Portrait of a Graduate initiative?

Erin Hysick

Part of my role as principal is to stay up to date on all the latest education initiatives put out by New York State. One of those is called Portrait of a Graduate, which emphasizes holistic development, culturally responsive practices, and future readiness. 

As an educator for more than 20 years myself, I understand the importance of those pieces of learning that are inquiry based: hands-on learning discovery, asking questions, and being curious.

What’s really nice about Pinecone Path for our youngest learners is that it gives them opportunities to explore things in their own world. Not only through books but through play and hands-on experiences.

One of the things I love about our PreK classrooms is seeing the kids doing “turn and talk.” They’re asking each other questions and listening to each other’s answers. And you know, pre-kindergartners have a lot to say about a lot of things! But it keeps them naturally curious, and also teaches important vocabulary and skills. It teaches them to be lifelong learners and active participants in their community.

Aligned Professional Learning and Curriculum: SEEDS of Learning and Pinecone Path

Valerie Michaels

Kaya Lani, as a Universal PreK teacher, you went through the SEEDS of Learning Professional Learning framework and now you’re using the Pinecone Path curriculum. Could you talk just a little bit about how those two are connected and how they support each other?

Kaya Lani Panneitz

I came to Lyons at the beginning of last year to teach UPK. I attended all of the SEEDS Professional Learning sessions during the summer last year. SEEDS offers insight into how to teach using concept structure while introducing early literacy skills. Then, it goes on to show how to implement in a classroom of three- and four-year-olds in an effective way. All this, while honoring where each child is at. 

Some things we were able to implement early on were the transition songs, sign-in, journaling, and waiting and listening before reacting—because children often do surprise you!

SEEDS shows us how to use connection as the core to our practice. It shows how to give our students the best chance of success as they move into kindergarten. 

This year we have been piloting Pinecone Path as a grade level and we’re almost done. What was fortunate is that we were able to have that SEEDS foundation as a framework prior to starting Pinecone Path. We can see the way that SEEDS is embedded within Pinecone Path.  

We began the year having knowledge of those connection strategies that we knew we had to do with children to have the best success in our classrooms and offer them the best chance at success in their futures. Pinecone Path comes alongside SEEDS as well as any additional PreK program by providing an age-appropriate, responsive curriculum with approaches to learning that are fun, engaging, and most important, student centered. 

Pinecone Path comes alongside SEEDS as well as any additional PreK program by providing an age-appropriate, responsive curriculum with approaches to learning that are fun, engaging, and most important, student centered. 

Pinecone Path embraces the nature of preschool by offering minimal to maximal instruction in the classroom, with various activities and supports that are offered to enrich and support all students.

The curriculum meets students where they are without ever halting them from continuing their education. It allows all students the opportunity and equity to continue in their education, even at that PreK level. Pinecone Path incorporates scripted moments of connection and allows flexibility to ensure those SEL connections and needs are being met within the daily activities. Morning meeting, reading, and then vocabulary—there are always moments of connection during those activities.

Differentiation is encouraged and student engagement and connection are at the forefront of the curriculum, whether coming in as a three-year-old turning four or a four-year-old turning five.

Valerie Michaels

Kaya Lani, is there any data that you can share with us that you’ve seen along the way?

Kaya Lani Panneitz

I’ve noticed an increase in engagement with letter learning. There are so many opportunities within one day to be exposed to multiple letters, letter sounds, beginning sounds, and there’s repetition for the letters we’ve already learned. 

I just took assessments from last quarter and one student really stood out to me. She went from 13 uppercase to 18 uppercase and from 8 lowercase to 12 lowercase within three weeks.

Valerie Michaels

That’s amazing! The sign-in routine and students learning to write their names is a big part of Pinecone Path. Do you see an increase in the number of students who can write their names coming out of PreK?

Kaya Lani Panneitz

Absolutely. I did sign-in last year as well because I had the SEEDS training. With the exception of one student, all 18 of my students left PreK with at least their first name being legible, writing it independently. A lot of them were working on their last names, and I’m seeing the same thing this year as well. 

This year we started right away in September. It’s now April and some kids have already been working on their last names for about a month. We still have two and a half months left of school and I’d love to see if a majority can write both their first and last legibly by the end of the year.

The Power of Vertical Alignment from PreK Through Grade 5

Valerie Michaels

Erin, I know you were just in a vertical alignment meeting with some of your other teachers. Lyons has made a huge investment in Collaborative Literacy and now PreK. Can you tell us how you see the connection from PreK all the way to fifth grade? 

Erin Hysick

This afternoon we brought together PreK, kindergarten, and first grade. We talked about the vertical alignment of our priority standards at the elementary school and how PreK fits into that.

We had some rich conversations, particularly around letters and sounds and what that looks like beginning in PreK through first grade. What skills can we expect our students to have by the end of PreK in order to be successful in kindergarten? What skills are necessary to achieve those standards that we’ve prioritized?

It’s great that our PreK teachers are able to have those instructional conversations outside of their professional learning UPK team.

The other thing I want to share about Collaborative Classroom and particularly Pinecone Path is that it’s been really nice for intervention as well. We have kindergartners who haven’t participated in Pinecone Path in PreK and are having difficulty writing their name, as Kaya Lani mentioned. So we’re able to use some of the materials and resources [in Pinecone Path] to provide intervention to students with need in areas like writing their names or identifying letters or sounds. Those routines become really important as we intervene with some of our older students.

Valerie Michaels

Is there anything else you want to add before we wrap up today?

Erin Hysick

What I appreciate is that the program has everything you need—there’s no second guessing or wondering. Learning the program and seeing the connections give you the ability to have more autonomy. It’s a great way to embed what’s best for kids.

The Reading League gave Collaborative Classroom [the Collaborative Literacy curriculum] a really great review recently, due to its grounding in the science of reading. The evidence and research behind it say to me as a leader that this is a direction that we should go. 

What I appreciate is that the program has everything you need—there’s no second guessing or wondering.

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Related Reading:

How 4K–Grade 12 Alignment Supports Literacy Success in Wisconsin’s Belleville School District

The Reading League: A Curriculum Navigation Report on Collaborative Literacy

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