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District staff recommend CKLA for K–4 literacy after teacher pilots; estimated net cost roughly $4,000 annually
Summary
After pilots and teacher feedback, staff recommended adopting Amplify’s CKLA K–4 literacy materials; district said the bundled package would cost roughly $181,000 per year versus the district’s current combined cost of about $177,000.
The Methuen School Committee heard a staff recommendation May 12 to move the district’s K–4 English‑language arts program toward Amplify’s CKLA following a multi‑phase review and teacher pilots.
Why it matters: K–4 curriculum choices drive daily instruction, assessments and professional development. The adoption decision affects classroom materials, supplemental software and teacher training budgets — and it ties into the broader budget conversation the committee is now conducting.
Review process and teacher feedback: Curriculum staff convened teachers to pilot multiple K–4 programs (Amplify/CKLA, EL/Wonders and others). Nineteen teachers participated in classroom pilots and later presented direct feedback during a professional‑development convening. Staff reported teacher polling results that strongly favored CKLA: 39.3% of K–4 teachers said they were strongly in favor of CKLA, 24.3% were in favor of CKLA, and 16.8% said either CKLA or EL would be sufficient.
Why CKLA: Presenters said CKLA aligns with the “science of reading” principles and includes both a knowledge strand and a skills strand, decodable texts for K–2 and integrated writing and research work in grades 3–4. Staff also reported improved student engagement in pilot classrooms; teacher observers described higher participation and more use of background knowledge in CKLA lessons.
Cost and procurement: Curriculum staff presented an estimated annual price for the Amplify CKLA package of about $181,000 for teacher and student licenses and materials (estimate based on current teacher/student counts). Staff compared that to the district’s current combined costs for Wonders, Fundations (phonics), Lexia and the DIBELS assessment system at about $177,000 per year. Amplify’s bundled approach would include curriculum materials, software and professional development; staff noted some transition planning would be necessary and that Lexia licensing remains in place for one more year under existing contract arrangements.
Next steps: Staff recommended the committee move forward with CKLA adoption steps and account for the estimated annual cost in the FY26 planning documents. The administration noted some grant opportunities are being pursued that could offset adoption costs and that a phased implementation (for example keeping Fundations for some existing classes while introducing CKLA skills materials for new cohorts) is possible.
Taper: The recommendation was informational; the committee did not vote on adoption on May 12 and the adoption timeline, funding sources and implementation plan will be finalized if the committee votes to proceed.
