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Board approves MyPerspectives ELA curriculum for grades 7–12 after district discussion on literacy supports
Summary
The Davis School District board approved a full adoption of MyPerspectives (Savvas) for grades 7–12, with an early-adoption rollout in some schools next year. District staff said the curriculum aligns with their strategy to continue literacy gains and integrates with the district’s assessment tools.
The Davis School District Board of Education voted to adopt MyPerspectives, an English language arts curriculum from Savvas Learning, for grades 7 through 12. The board approved the adoption after administration outlined an early-adoption plan and teachers described positive pilot feedback.
The district will allow an early-adoption phase next school year in which about 14 of the district’s 29 secondary schools will pilot the materials either by grade level or by teacher teams. Administrators said that approach mirrors a recent elementary math adoption that began with teacher-led early implementation before districtwide rollout.
"Teachers get their hands on it and then they become experts and they're able to give us a lot of feedback," said Mr. T. J. Strain (presentation), describing the approach used to smooth implementation. Michelle Barney, a board member who led review work, told the board she had reviewed the materials thoroughly and that teacher feedback has been “wildly positive.”
Board members asked how the curriculum connects to the district’s reading-proficiency strategy. Administration said the district will continue to use CAPTi Assess (a districtwide secondary literacy screener) to identify students’ needs in both language comprehension and word recognition and then place students into appropriate supports. The district emphasized a focus on integrated instruction — teaching phonics/word recognition and language comprehension together rather than in isolation — to align with gains seen in elementary curricula grounded in the science of reading.
The motion to adopt MyPerspectives for grades 7–12 was made by Ms. Hogan and seconded by Ms. Price; the board approved the adoption by voice vote. The board also agreed to keep materials available for public review and noted that publisher resources integrate with the district’s Canvas learning management system.
The administration said additional teacher feedback from the early-adoption cohort will inform any implementation adjustments ahead of full adoption.
