Montgomery County Public Schools staff briefed the Board of Education on Oct. 16 about ongoing curriculum work the district says is intended to align local materials to recently updated Maryland frameworks and to improve instructional coherence across grade levels.

Stephanie Brandt, director of curriculum implementation, said the district has a five‑year curriculum review cycle that aligns with regulation IFRA (curriculum review) and that the current priorities include early literacy acceleration, a math RFP for kindergarten through eighth grade, and the first‑year rollout of kindergarten‑through‑12 literacy interventions for students requiring intensive support.

Highlights staff presented:
- Elementary and middle literacy: Continued implementation of Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) for early grades and the CKLA rollout into middle school; staff said they will assess implementation fidelity and are working with external partners to study outcomes.
- Math: The district has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for K–8 math materials aligned to updated MSDE standards and said it is prioritizing open‑source, research‑based programs that emphasize conceptual understanding, procedural fluency and problem solving.
- Secondary ELA and social studies: A new grade‑10 ELA curriculum was developed and reviewed by MSDE; staff are developing grades‑6/7 social studies curricula to emphasize geographic inquiry, civic engagement and historical competency and to reflect MSDE’s new frameworks.

Tracy Oliver‑Gary, social studies supervisor, said the proposed grades‑6/7 work will integrate inquiry‑based learning and primary sources, include financial literacy in grade 7, and add community listening sessions specifically for sensitive topical coverage (e.g., regional conflicts) to ensure MCPS remains neutral while providing historical context.

Board members asked for implementation evidence and data. Several asked for clarity on implementation fidelity across schools — for example, whether teachers have the necessary materials and training and whether materials are available for emergent multilingual learners and students with disabilities. Staff said the district is conducting implementation studies and working with external partners to collect classroom‑level data and to ensure access for ELL and special‑education populations.

Ending: Staff said further details and pilot results will be presented to the board as the review cycle continues and as vendor RFPs are evaluated.