Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum Adoption topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves $1.57 million I-Ready renewal and districtwide K-5 pilot to replace supplemental program
Summary
The board approved a $1,573,957.29 contract renewal for I-Ready to cover diagnostics, classroom components, reading and phonics supplements and an expanded K-5 pilot, funding to come from Step 7B allocations as presented.
The Berkeley County Board of Education voted to renew its I-Ready contract and approve a districtwide K-5 reading pilot Monday, authorizing $1,573,957.29 in expenditures as presented by staff.
Superintendent Sachs and staff presented the recommendation for the contract renewal, which the district described as covering multiple components: the I-Ready diagnostic (K-8), the I-Ready classroom math curriculum (K-5), a reading curriculum labeled in the materials as "magnetic reading" (K-5), the Toolbox supplemental resources (K-8), and a phonics component targeted at the district's lower grades (K-3). The district said the purchase includes expanded professional development and an extension of personalized learning paths into middle school that had been previously served by a different provider.
Staff told the board the recommendation is intended to accelerate literacy improvements after a curriculum audit that showed only minimal recent gains. Presenters said principals had generally supported the recommendation in consultations this spring. The district emphasized that magnetic reading would not be fully available to classrooms until later in the fall (the presenter said December), and staff outlined a crosswalk plan to align teachers to standards and supplemental resources while the full program rollout is staged.
Board members asked questions about per-school allocations and differences between elementary and middle school purchases. Staff explained that the cost per school varies because the district is purchasing "core" instructional materials (ELA and math) at elementary grades but is purchasing only the I-Ready diagnostic and digital/personalized components for most middle schools, where a different ELA core (StudySync/McGraw Hill) and McGraw Hill math adoption remain primary.
President Long called for a motion. A board member moved, a second was recorded, and the board voted "Aye;" President Long announced the motion carries.
The contract amount was presented as $1,573,957.29, funded from district Step 7B allocations as shown in the staff materials. Staff said implementation would be supported by expanded professional development and the district's academic specialists, with follow-up monitoring by principals and supervisors.
The board recorded no roll-call tally in the public transcript; the motion was approved and will move forward during the 2025-26 school year.
