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Board awards contracts for assessments and curriculum tools, approves Turnitin and pilot of I‑Ready
Summary
The North Penn School District board approved multiple curriculum and assessment contracts on June 18, including Renaissance STAR as the districtwide universal screener for an initial year, a one‑year pilot of Curriculum Associates’ i‑Ready, a three‑year Turnitin agreement for plagiarism detection, and purchases of PebbleGo and Hanover Research services.
The North Penn School District board on June 18 approved multiple curriculum and assessment contracts and a one‑year pilot intended to help the district decide which universal screening tools to use long term.
Key awards and actions - Renaissance (STAR) universal screening assessment: Board approved a one‑year contract for $290,741 with an option to extend for three additional years at $280,194.50 per year. The contract will be used as the districtwide universal screener during the initial term. - Curriculum Associates (i‑Ready) pilot: The district will engage in a one‑year pilot of i‑Ready (ELA) with a board‑approved option to pursue a three‑year contract at the end of the trial in April 2026. Administrators said some grades and teachers will pilot the product to evaluate alignment to primary‑grade needs. - Turnitin (plagiarism and authorship detection): The board approved a three‑year contract totaling $100,913.34 (yearly breakdowns in the contract), with optional virtual training sessions available to staff. - PebbleGo (Capstone) elementary library/digital research product: Approved three‑year purchase at $105,225.90 (approx. $35,075.30 per year) with optional renewals. - Hanover Research (data & analytics): Awarded a five‑year contract for $123,455 (yearly escalations listed), continuing an existing partnership.
Board discussion and evaluation Assistant Superintendent Dr. Deanna Waters and curriculum leaders said the STAR product has been in use and that the i‑Ready pilot aims to determine whether having screening and instructional resources from the same vendor improves outcomes in primary grades. Dr. Hart said different resources perform better at different grade levels and that the pilot is intended to inform a board decision at the end of the trial.
Dr. Hart said the district will report metrics and evaluation criteria to the board through the appropriate curriculum oversight committee; board members asked that staff bring assessment metrics and results when recommending multi‑year renewals.
Turnitin and AI Administrators discussed Turnitin as a tool to help teachers evaluate student authorship amid increasing discussion of artificial intelligence. The contract includes optional virtual training sessions; curriculum staff said online training would be coordinated by department supervisors to manage costs and participation.
What the board voted on Each contract motion was moved, seconded, and approved by voice vote during the meeting. Specific award amounts and contract terms were read into the record by administration.
