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District 25 selects Amplify Desmos as middle-school math curriculum, plans phased rollout
Summary
After a two‑year review, District 25’s math leadership recommended the Amplify Desmos curriculum for grades 6–8 and select upper elementary classrooms; the plan includes professional learning, summer planning and research participation with opt‑in student surveys.
District 25’s math leadership announced the selection of the Amplify Desmos mathematics curriculum for middle schools and some upper elementary grades after a two‑year pilot and review process.
The district said the choice grew from the New York City Solves initiative and a review process that included pilot classrooms, vendor lesson demonstrations, teacher professional learning and school walkthroughs.
Beth, a member of the District Math Leadership Team who presented the selection, said, “we've chosen the Amplify Desmos mathematics curriculum.” She told the committee the curriculum was selected because it supports sense‑making tasks, student conversation, hands‑on manipulatives alongside digital lessons, and built‑in differentiated supports for students and families. “Students will use manipulatives and, again, explore different topics. And then as the lessons progress … continue to build that procedural fluency,” Beth said.
The selection followed a two‑year process: (1) a district team analyzed achievement gaps and instructional needs; (2) three pilot sites ran Amplify Desmos (and other pilots tested Illustrative Mathematics and i‑Ready); (3) vendors modeled lessons and teachers trialed routines; and (4) principals and families were invited to observe and provide feedback. Beth described participation by pilot schools and thanked parents and CEC members who joined walkthroughs and feedback sessions.
Rollout steps presented included two‑day professional learning sessions this spring for all middle‑school math teachers, a one‑week July training for job‑embedded support providers and school‑based coaches, in‑school coaching for middle schools, a three‑day summer planning series for 6–8 algebra teachers, optional elementary implementations in departmentalized grades, and a research partnership to gather qualitative feedback. Beth said the research surveys would be opt‑in for students and would collect perceptions about classroom talk and engagement; families must give permission for student participation.
Catherine and other CEC members praised Beth’s outreach and asked how the selection aligns with state assessments and existing diagnostic tools. Beth and district staff said Amplify Desmos is standards‑aligned and that the curriculum contains embedded digital and paper resources; it is not intended to replace existing diagnostic tools such as i‑Ready. As Beth summarized: “This is District 25. … This was truly a collaborative effort.”
District staff also described implementation choices: coaching will be provided to middle schools, and about 11 elementary schools have opted in for grade‑level use (primarily grade 5, and some 3–4 where departmentalization exists). Beth said schools piloting lessons in June will be observed so teachers are prepared for September implementation.
The district will provide family resources from the Amplify Desmos resource hub and host an informational session on May 28 to explain the high‑quality instructional materials and the research partnership.
Ending: The district framed the selection as a locally driven decision intended to increase consistency across middle schools, raise classroom discourse, and narrow achievement gaps. No formal CEC vote was recorded in the meeting minutes; staff described the selection and a scheduled phased rollout with training and research supports.
