District recommends Great Minds materials to align with science of reading; estimated $285,000 implementation
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Summary
The New Albany-Plain Local district told the school board on March 17 it plans to adopt Great Minds elementary English language arts materials to align with state changes and the science of reading, after teacher and parent feedback; implementation is estimated at $285,000 for 2025–26 and will come before the board for formal adoption.
The New Albany-Plain Local School District on March 17 said it intends to adopt instructional materials from Great Minds to support kindergarten through fifth-grade reading and writing instruction and to align with the state’s science-of-reading requirements.
Tara Bogle, the district coordinator of structured literacy, told the board the selection followed vendor presentations, teacher feedback during a February professional development day, and parent review at school open houses. Bogle said teachers favored Great Minds for “the emphasis on students reading physical books,” a clear lesson structure and supports for above-grade and intervention students.
Why it matters: House Bill 33 and the state’s shift toward evidence-based reading instruction prompted the district review. The district stated it did not identify another elementary ELA program that provides stronger phonological awareness, phonics or word-study supports than the planned addition.
Program details and timeline: District staff said teachers and literacy coaches completed structured feedback forms and that parent open houses in February drew positive comments. The district plans to continue some existing resources—Heggerty, Wilson’s 95 Percent Group and Lexia—alongside Great Minds where appropriate. The estimated cost for implementation in the 2025–26 school year is $285,000, according to the presentation. Bogle said the adoption process will proceed through curriculum-adoption requirements and appear on a future board agenda for formal approval.
Board follow-up: Staff said they will return with a formal adoption recommendation and finalized quotes to meet statutory alignment. No final adoption vote occurred on March 17.
Ending: The district told the board it will continue parent and staff engagement and bring a formal recommendation to a future meeting so the program can be adopted in time for the 2025–26 school year.
