Radford schools lay out textbook-adoption process; Kiddom emerges as front-runner for elementary math

Radford City Public Schools on Sept. 10 described the process it will use this year to adopt new math textbooks and other core curricula, emphasizing teacher committee review, public access to sample materials and alignment with Virginia Standards of Learning.

Doctor McDaniel, who led the presentation on the textbook-adoption process, said the Virginia Department of Education reviewed math and literacy materials and provided a narrowed list of approved math programs; staff prepared a spreadsheet showing how each program aligns to Virginia SOLs. "A lot of these textbook companies are national, so they may align more closely with common core than with Virginia SOLs," McDaniel said.

The division has put printed and online samples on a table for parents and staff to review, including materials from Kiddom (elementary), STEMscopes and Savvas (secondary). McDaniel said the district will form a math-textbook committee with at least one teacher from every grade level and broad secondary participation so classroom teachers can assess alignment and usability. She said parents who cannot attend during regular hours can make arrangements to review materials on site.

McDaniel told the board the division’s CIP group negotiated with vendors and found one company willing to align its curriculum to the district’s pacing guides; she identified Kiddom as a candidate that currently aligns closely with Radford’s pacing and noted teachers had spring access to its online materials. Board members asked about purchase options; McDaniel said publishers offer online-only, print bundles and packages that include consumable materials and manipulatives, and that the district can choose which package to buy.

Board members emphasized value for money and the need to ensure materials meet teachers’ needs. McDaniel said the committee will recommend materials and the board will make formal adoption decisions after committee review. The district also noted it will use a similar review format for science and social studies; existing contracts with Discovery Education cover some secondary materials.