Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum Adoption topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Worthington district recommends Amplify CKLA after 46‑class pilot; teachers report stronger engagement and alignment
Summary
After a year‑long pilot of two state‑approved elementary ELA curricula, district staff recommended adopting Amplify CKLA for K–5, citing alignment with the science of reading, vertical knowledge progression, and favorable pilot feedback from 46 classrooms.
The Worthington City School District’s academic team recommended adopting Amplify CKLA (Core Knowledge Language Arts) for kindergarten through grade 5 after a pilot that involved 46 classrooms and substantial teacher feedback.
Steve (district curriculum staff) told the board the pilot compared Amplify CKLA to Great Minds’ Wit & Wisdom and that CKLA “was by far the leader on the feedback.” Angi(e) Adrianne, assistant superintendent of academics, introduced the pilot teachers who spoke to the board about delivery, rigor and how CKLA integrates foundational skills with a knowledge strand aligned to the science of reading.
Pilot teachers Juliana King, Melanie Bridal and Michelle McCourt described classroom experience: they said CKLA reduced time spent creating lessons, strengthened vertical alignment across grades, and increased engagement among English‑learner and gifted subgroups. Teachers noted the program’s digital component (Amplify Boost) and said the platform includes translated readers and embedded workbook pages.
Board members asked about pilot length, teacher agency, online components and training. Steve said teachers were involved throughout, the pilot produced about 970 written comments that were summarized for review, and that district planning includes launch training in May and ongoing professional learning through the summer and school year. Board members and administrators emphasized that teachers retain discretion over classroom delivery and that the district will provide multiple training opportunities prior to full implementation in 2025‑26.
No formal adoption vote occurred at the Feb. 24 meeting; staff presented the recommendation and answered board questions.
