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Brockton School Committee subcommittee approves 9-12 English curriculum adoption after pilot
Summary
After a pilot at Brockton High School and other sites, the curriculum subcommittee approved adoption of a Carnegie-developed 9–12 English curriculum, with district leaders saying professional learning and materials will be phased in and financed through planned budget allocations.
The Brockton Public Schools curriculum subcommittee on Feb. 25 approved a recommendation to adopt a Carnegie-developed 9–12 English (ELA) curriculum following staff presentations and a pilot of the materials.
District leaders said the curriculum—described in the presentation as a “lenses” unit structure from Carnegie—includes anchor texts, translated supports for multilingual learners, consumable student books and an online platform. The subcommittee vote to move the recommendation forward was unanimous; members present recorded the motion and second and approved the adoption for forwarding to the full committee.
Superintendent (name not provided) and curriculum staff members described the program as offering staged supports: an initial guided “first read” with audio in students’ native languages for vocabulary and pronunciation; subsequent sections to build background knowledge about topics such as the civil rights movement; and unit-level tasks that include teacher calibration and scoring. Presenters said the program includes both physical consumables (student books for annotation) and a digital platform, and that anchor texts and additional “building knowledge” articles include author summaries and optional language translations.
Jamie (curriculum staff) and Matt (curriculum staff) told the subcommittee that Brockton High School teachers piloted the program. Roughly 10 high-school English teachers participated on the curriculum team and several continued with the pilot; one BVLA faculty member piloted the materials across multiple grades. Staff said pilot evidence to date is primarily anecdotal (teacher feedback and end-of-unit tasks) because of inconsistent pilot conditions, though winter STAR assessment data appeared stronger than fall data across the district.
Staff described the professional-learning plan as extensive: on-site coaching in year one, workshops for teachers, principals and central-office academic staff, calibration of student work to promote equity, classroom coaching, and ongoing data analysis and feedback from Carnegie representatives. The district told the committee it plans to provide targeted training for roughly 40 English teachers who will be part of the initial implementation and additional training for co-teachers, building leaders and curriculum leaders.
Cost was discussed. District staff said program materials total approximately $750,000 over six years, and that roughly $250,000 of the cost will be covered from a net-school-spending carryover the district expects to present in the next week’s budget materials. Staff said the district has prioritized both purchase and implementation funding (professional learning, coaching, materials) and that details will be included in the budget submission.
Committee members pressed on comparisons with StudySync and other options; presenters said Carnegie’s product offered a more cohesive unit design and broader supports for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. Members also asked about use of the program to meet “MassCore” graduation-course expectations; staff said the curriculum would be used in core English classes and that its role relative to MassCore requirements for other subjects is limited.
The subcommittee recorded a formal motion to approve the 9–12 ELA curriculum adoption process. Mister Sullivan made the motion and Mister Gomes seconded; the vote was unanimous among members present, and the adoption will be forwarded to the full school committee for final action.
District staff and members said families and teachers will receive information about training timelines; formal rollout and intensive professional learning are planned to begin over the summer and continue through the following school year. Staff said consumable books are part of the package and will be replaced annually for incoming students, and that digital updates are included in the ongoing price so the district receives updated curriculum materials over time.
Committee members and staff emphasized equity supports in the materials, including chunking of complex texts, graphic organizers, and the ability for students who miss class time to access scaffolded activities at their own pace.
The subcommittee vote concluded the curriculum item; the subcommittee then adjourned and later reconvened for accounts review business.
