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District recommends Benchmark Advance for ELA and new science cores for secondary schools
Summary
After teacher pilots, district staff recommended adopting Benchmark Advance as the core K-6 ELA resource (six-year contract preferred for cost savings) and recommended Amplify for grades 6–8 and Sabus for grades 9–12 as science core resources; staff said recommendations will be action items at the May 27 board meeting.
District academic staff told the St. Joseph School District Board of Education they recommend new core instructional resources following multi-school pilot work.
On literacy, Dr. Stacia Studer (academic services) said Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) approved three core ELA resources in August 2024 and that district teachers piloted Benchmark Advance and Amplify CKLA during the school year. After pilots and teacher feedback, staff recommended the district lead with Benchmark Advance and pursue a six-year contract for long-term cost savings. Studer described Benchmark Advance as providing on-grade-level mentor texts that can anchor both reading and writing instruction; she said the resource aligns to district curriculum maps and DESE-approved materials.
On science, academic staff said teachers piloted middle- and high-school resources and, after teacher and student feedback, recommended Amplify for grades 6–8 and a resource identified in the presentation as "Sabus" for grades 9–12. Staff said the science recommendations grew from teacher pilots and DESE consultation; staff also described redirecting some software funds purchased during the pandemic toward core instructional materials to emphasize content knowledge over engagement-only tools.
Why it matters: Adopting DESE-approved core resources affects classroom instruction, equity across schools and curriculum alignment. Staff said the Benchmark Advance adoption would provide a consistent, print-rich core across elementary schools to reduce variability caused by teacher-sourced materials.
Discussion and next steps: Board members asked how writing instruction is addressed in Benchmark Advance and how the literacy resource integrates with the district's structured phonics (UFLI) and reading foundations. Studer said mentor texts in the Benchmark series serve as anchors for reading and writing and that the resource supports grade-level instruction across quarters. Staff said action items to adopt the recommended materials will come to the board at the May 27 meeting and that administration will share the DESE vetting rubric used to approve state core resources.
Ending: The board received the informational presentations and will consider formal adoption contracts at a future meeting.
