Auburn committee approves i-Ready K–8 math adoption; district plans two-year rollout using CIP funds

The Auburn School Committee voted to adopt i-Ready Classroom Mathematics for kindergarten through eighth grade on Feb. 26, following a multi-year district review of K–8 math instructional materials.

Director of Teaching and Learning Mr. Keller presented the recommendation, saying the review began in fall 2023, used Massachusetts’ curated review (Curate) and EdReports scores, on-site visits and surveys of other districts, and that two finalists were considered. “It is our recommendation that Auburn Public Schools adopt I Ready classroom mathematics,” he said.

Keller told the committee the district has used i-Ready’s diagnostic tools in K–5 ELA and math for several years and praised the vendor’s professional development and technical support. He said surveyed districts rated i-Ready’s professional development and technical support highly (4.6 and 4.83 out of 5 in the district’s summary), and that i-Ready’s combination of diagnostics and personalized lessons was a major reason for the recommendation.

Implementation and funding: Keller said a professional development day in March will begin training and the district plans two years of implementation support with summer and August trainings and classroom monitoring, including walkthroughs and data review (i-Ready diagnostics and MCAS). The district intends to use Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) funds to pay for the adoption so the operating budget previously discussed would not be changed.

The committee approved a motion to adopt the i-Ready K–8 math program; the vote was taken during the meeting and the motion passed. Keller listed committee members who served on the textbook review committee and thanked them for on-site visits and time spent reviewing materials.

Ending: Staff will proceed with vendor arrangements and the planned professional development schedule and will monitor classroom implementation and student data as the program is rolled out.