Wayland School Committee hears Bridges math, SBIRT and learner-portrait updates

WAYLAND — January 7, 2026 — Wayland School Committee reviews Bridges math year three, SBIRT data and learner-portrait planning. Donna Krikorian, the new elementary math and science coordinator, and coaches Ella Walker, Michael Clayton and Matthew Birch told the committee Jan. 7 that all three elementary schools have moved to Bridges 3rd Edition and launched the district's first system-wide math intervention program, though most Bridges lessons are designed for 60 minutes against current 50-minute blocks. Dr. Randy Schuster of Mass General Hospital reported that youth wellness coach Hyacinth Toriak has screened roughly 180 Wayland High 10th graders this year, with about 15 percent endorsing substance use — closer to regional norms than prior years. Survey data showed about one in three students at risk for depression or anxiety and one in 10 reporting suicidal thoughts in the past year, all trending downward. Superintendent David Fleishman said parent and recent-graduate focus groups for the "portrait of a learner" process begin Jan. 22, with a draft framework targeted by June. "SBIRT is not about discovery," Schuster said.