Board finds science curriculum work at 'capacity building' stage after teachers' review; endorses further piloting
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Summary
The board accepted a monitoring report that marks science curriculum capacity-building progress for middle school and ninth-grade biology. Curriculum teams recommended Amplify Science for grades 6'8 and OpenSciEd (via vendor support) for ninth-grade biology; board approved the monitoring report as "capacity building."
The Verona Area School District on April 21 approved a monitoring report that finds the district's science curriculum work at the "capacity building" stage and heard recommendations for curriculum resources for 6'8 and ninth-grade biology.
District curriculum leaders described a multi-month review process: teacher-led audits of standards alignment, development of a rubric grounded in the Wisconsin science standards' three-dimensional framework (science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, cross-cutting concepts), piloting of candidate resources, vendor Q&A and teacher feedback from classroom pilots.
The renewal team recommended Amplify Science for grades 6'8 and OpenSciEd for ninth-grade biology (to be delivered through vendor support that adds Spanish-language and classroom supports). Presenters said both resources provided clear three-dimensional alignment, scaffolds for multilingual learners, and classroom units built around phenomena and inquiry.
Board members and administrators clarified that the vote taken at the meeting approved the monitoring report as "capacity building," not curriculum adoption; additional steps, including implementation planning and evaluation metrics, will follow before any formal purchases.
A motion by John (mover) with Joe (second) approved the monitoring report moving science curriculum work from "needs development" toward capacity building. Curriculum staff outlined summer professional learning and PLC (professional learning community) time to support rollout if the district later adopts the recommended resources.
