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Board approves new social studies and K–5 language comprehension curricula; 6–8 ELA decision delayed
Summary
Trustees approved recommended materials for 9–12 social studies and K–5 language comprehension and heard recommended options for 6–8 ELA; staff outlined a phased rollout and teacher training plan.
The Shakopee Public School District board on May 12 approved recommendations from the district’s Learning, Teaching & Equity (LTE) team to adopt new curricular materials for secondary social studies and K–5 language comprehension, and to begin further piloting for grades 6–8 English language arts.
Sarah Wareberg, assistant director of Learning, Teaching & Equity, and Nica Summer (assistant director, elementary LTE) presented the multi‑year review process that involved needs assessment, vendor evaluations, teacher pilots, lesson observations, student feedback and reference checks with other districts.
The LTE teams recommended TCI for grades 10–12 social studies. Presenters noted TCI’s scope and digital tools were strengths; the team did not recommend TCI for ninth‑grade social studies because the vendor’s geography materials skewed to middle school and did not align to Minnesota’s ninth‑grade geography expectation.
For K–5 language comprehension, the teams recommended Parts and Letters (presented in the materials as a pilot curriculum), citing authentic text sets, vocabulary development and integrated instruction across ELA, social studies and science content. Presenters said teacher pilots showed strong classroom discussions and vocabulary growth.
Six‑through‑eight ELA: LTE staff said the middle‑level selection required more pilot time. The top three options for 6–8 were identified as HMH, CommonLit and a third nationally published program; staff recommended continued piloting and a final middle‑school decision after additional feedback.
Implementation timeline and supports
If approved, the district will phase in the materials with teacher professional learning, curriculum writing (instructional hubs), assessment development and principal training over the 2025–26 school year with fuller classroom implementation in 2026–27. The LTE team emphasized supports for multilingual learners and special education through pre‑teaching and re‑teaching structures built into the recommended materials.
Board action
Trustee Peterson moved and Trustee Brophy seconded a motion to approve the recommended curricula and the board voted to adopt the recommendations for the listed grade spans; the board asked staff to return with detailed implementation plans, quarterly benchmarks and teacher training timelines.
What to watch
Staff said they will track early implementation indicators and report progress in the 2025–26 school year; the board receives quarterly updates tied to agreed benchmarks.
