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Auburn committee narrows math-textbook finalists, plans recommendation in February
Summary
A curriculum committee has completed site visits and deep reviews of two finalists, i-Ready (Curriculum Associates) and Reveal Math (McGraw Hill); the district plans a February recommendation and expects to use some CIP funds for purchase, potentially near $400,000.
Auburn Public Schools officials told the School Committee on Feb. 5 that a multi‑year review of K–8 math materials has produced two finalists and a recommendation will follow this month.
The curriculum review team, convened in 2023 and composed of K–8 teachers and administrators, evaluated materials using an internal rubric and statewide resources such as EdReports and Curate (Massachusetts). The committee identified i‑Ready (Curriculum Associates) and Reveal Math (McGraw Hill) as the two finalists after district deep dives, publisher presentations and on-site visits. The team said it has completed classroom and site observations and follow-up Q&A sessions with both publishers.
Why it matters: The district said adopting new core materials would be a multi-year implementation with professional development beginning in spring and continuing through the summer and fall to support teachers. Officials said the programs were in the same general price range and that the district is coordinating with the town to use capital-improvement-program funds to cover purchase costs, which could be close to $400,000.
Timeline and process details provided by the committee: the textbook committee solicited candidates across the state, developed evaluation criteria, conducted site visits (elementary and middle-school teams visited model sites in December and January), and surveyed approximately 20 districts about their implementations. The goal is a recommendation to the School Committee in February so training and materials acquisition can begin before the next school year.
Committee members emphasized that high-quality instructional materials are one component of strong instruction and that teacher practice and resources remain central to student outcomes. The committee said it will monitor implementation with observations, assessment data and feedback from teachers, students and families.
Next steps: The superintendent and curriculum leads plan to present the formal recommendation at an upcoming meeting and outline a comprehensive implementation and professional development plan.
