Board hears status of K–3 core-reading vetting, textbooks and summer literacy programs
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Summary
The literacy task force vetted K–3 core reading materials and approved two vendors under a national rubric; one widely known program passed vetting criteria but was ineligible for state textbook adoption because its materials are more than five years old.
Board members reviewed the department’s work vetting K–3 core reading materials, the interaction with the statewide textbook process and data from expanded summer literacy programs funded with federal ESSER and state resources.
Vetting and textbook rules
Staff explained the literacy task force evaluated submitted core reading programs using a national evidence rubric. Reviewers marked items green or red and set a rule that any program with three or more ‘‘red’’ flags would not be considered. From a pool of vendor submissions only two programs passed the full vetting process. Staff said one commonly used program (Open Court) met the literacy task-force content standards but could not be adopted as a state textbook because the state textbook law disqualifies materials older than five years; however, districts may purchase vetted materials with federal or local funds.
Summer programming and assessments
Staff reported expanded summer programming this year under ESSER funding and other state allocations, with many districts increasing participation dramatically (for example, large districts increased summer-program enrollment from a typical 2,500 to more than 12,000). Staff said summer programs used approved formative assessments and that the department is collecting data to compare program effectiveness and identify common factors — for example, staff noted transportation as an important correlate of stronger summer-program participation and gains.
Other operational notes
The department said it is pressing vendors to provide interoperable data feeds so the state can analyze outcomes centrally. Staff also reported that the TEAMS teacher-contract program is rolling out and that scheduling and certification questions remain under active department review.
Next steps
Staff will circulate the list of two vetted core-reading vendors to board members, publish guidance on allowable purchases versus state textbook adoption constraints, and continue to collect summer program assessment data to identify promising practices and report back to the board.