Committee reviews proposal to adopt Illustrative Math for grades 6–7 after declining MCAS results
Summary
District staff presented a plan to replace Reveal Math with Illustrative Math for grades 6 and 7 to address falling MCAS and benchmark results; staff recommended full implementation with professional development and coaching, no formal vote taken.
District curriculum staff told the Northbridge School Committee that falling MCAS and benchmark results in grades 6 and 7 prompted a review of the middle‑school math program and a recommendation to adopt Illustrative Math.
Miss Healy (staff member and curriculum presenter) and Kim Kelly, described in the packet as an instructional coach, told the committee that district benchmark assessments — a strong predictor of MCAS performance — have not improved since fall and that the current program, Reveal Math, lost student-facing digital resources when pandemic-era ESSER funding ended. "Reveal really does not engage students in the way that we were hoping for them to be engaged," Miss Healy said during the presentation.
Staff reported the district surveyed neighboring towns and found several nearby districts using Illustrative Math, an open-source, online curriculum that emphasizes student-centered learning and conceptual understanding. The presenters said Illustrative Math offers a newly released accelerated pathway that restructures three years of work into two (starting accelerated sequences in sixth grade rather than seventh), which staff said would reduce skill gaps that have appeared for students moving into accelerated algebra in eighth grade.
Committee members and a student speaker discussed implementation logistics. Staff proposed full implementation for grades 6 and 7 (rather than a partial pilot) to preserve pacing and to avoid disruption for students who may move between accelerated and general tracks. Kim Kelly and Miss Healy said the district would provide professional development and job-embedded coaching; local partners such as BV EdHub were identified as potential PD providers. Teachers present reported generally positive responses: some had already used Illustrative Math and supported the change; others acknowledged the need to shift instruction and asked for training time.
No formal vote was taken; the curriculum subcommittee recommended moving forward with planning, including PD and coaching to support teachers during the transition.
