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Board hears personal finance and science adoption progress; staff recommend postponing health adoption
Summary
District staff presented recommendations and pilots for a new personal finance requirement and a science adoption pilot; the board was asked to approve a health curriculum postponement while the district refines implementation plans.
District staff presented three curriculum tracks the district is developing: personal finance (now a state graduation requirement for the Class of 2027), a recommended science curriculum pilot across K–12, and a requested postponement of a health curriculum adoption.
Jennifer Bell, teacher on special assignment for curriculum, said the state timeline requires districts to adopt materials on a rotating schedule and described three pathways: choose from the state‑approved list, conduct an independent adoption, or seek postponement. Personal finance required an independent adoption because the state had not released a publisher list, she said.
Sean Coetzee, a business teacher at Oregon City High School, summarized the personal finance review. He said the adoption team piloted materials in classrooms and surveyed families and students; families prioritized budgeting, investing and taxes, while students wanted engaging, interactive materials. The team recommends three vendor packages—Knowledge Matters, NextGen Personal Finance (NGPF) and Everfi—to provide a combined set of modules and classroom‑ready resources for teachers.
The nut graf: With personal finance now required for all high school students, the board was briefed on a recommended mix of curricular options designed to give teachers turnkey materials and hands‑on, game‑based learning opportunities; staff will return with a formal recommendation in May.
Science department chair Kate Fisher described a 20‑teacher K–12 adoption team piloting curricula that model the Next Generation Science Standards and emphasize hands‑on investigations, student reasoning and vertical alignment from elementary through high school. Fisher said teachers want materials that lower barriers to participation, support bilingual learners and focus on scientific practices rather than rote memorization. A recommendation will come to the board in May.
On health instruction, Dr. Sarah Crane asked the board to approve a postponement of the formal adoption. Crane said the district is reviewing fidelity of its current seven‑year‑old health materials, watching possible changes at the federal level, and prefers to align any future health adoption with recently updated physical‑education standards. The board voted later in the meeting to approve a health curriculum waiver/postponement so staff can pilot improvements before adopting new materials.
Board members asked about implementation, professional learning and how AI influences curriculum. Staff said courses will include teacher supports, professional learning time and a clear scope and sequence; Dr. Crane noted the district has an AI think tank of educators working on information literacy and classroom design.
Ending: Staff set a family information night for April 17 to gather input on the recommended materials and said formal recommendations for personal finance and science will be presented to the board in May.
