The Cornwall Central School District’s curriculum committee recommended adopting i‑Ready for kindergarten through grade 5 and IntoMath for middle‑school math after a yearlong review and classroom pilot program, presenters told the Board of Education on Feb. 10.

The recommendation follows vendor presentations in March–April 2024, classroom pilots, teacher feedback forms and a six‑hour committee analysis using a 12‑component rubric, Curriculum Presenter Mrs. Argenio said. "No program is perfect, and we know that we're gonna need work to do," she said, describing the process of norming the rubric and tying teacher evidence to each component.

Why it matters: The district has used Go Math since 2013; the current Go Math edition sunsets at the end of the school year, meaning the district must select and implement a new elementary/middle resource for fall 2025. Board members said teachers and families will need materials, training and supplemental supports if the change is adopted.

What the committee reviewed: Mrs. Argenio told the board the committee—composed of building and department chairs and district administrators—met with multiple vendors and scored materials on 12 components including online platform, differentiation, diagnostic tools, lesson pacing, supplemental materials and family support. After pilot feedback and rubric scoring, "our K–5 program will be i‑Ready and our K–6 and advanced algebra program will be IntoMath," she said. (The committee noted strengths and gaps in both programs and identified areas for summer curriculum work and SIP‑meeting follow‑up.)

Board reaction and requests for data: Several board members pressed for the scoring rubric and the underlying teacher evidence. Christian (board member) said he wanted to see the precise metrics used to rank vendors. "I'd be curious to see how the scoring was done," he said. Another board member, who earlier reported mixed feedback from school visitation, asked whether the committee had investigated why neighboring districts (including Washingtonville and Newburgh) had reduced or stopped using i‑Ready. Committee members responded that Washingtonville had implemented only the diagnostic and built its own materials around it, making sustainability difficult.

Teachers and special programs: The committee noted that the diagnostic tools will be used by AIS (academic intervention services) teams to identify gaps and guide tier‑2 instruction. Mrs. Argenio said AIS staff will be trained on the diagnostic tools and that pilot teachers and administrators will continue planning through SIP meetings, summer curriculum hours and fall 2025 rollout. Board members and parents asked for family supports to help caregivers understand different problem‑solving approaches used by the new programs.

Implementation steps and supports: District presenters said next steps include training AIS staff on diagnostics, continuing pilot teacher training through spring and summer, ordering materials as soon as practicable, and preparing supplemental materials to fill identified gaps. Mrs. Argenio described ongoing summer curriculum hours and principal‑led planning to build alignment by grade level.

Concerns and caveats: Board members raised concerns widely reported in teacher reviews and national coverage about i‑Ready—including gamification, adaptive‑assessment limits and the potential for students to game diagnostic routines—though committee members emphasized mixed district experiences and said local evidence showed student growth on the pilot diagnostic, which the district analysts reviewed. One board member summarized the district’s stance: curriculum resources are tools to help reach New York State standards, and high‑quality instruction and targeted small‑group work remain central regardless of the vendor chosen.

What happens next: The presentation did not record a formal board vote adopting a curriculum; it reported the committee’s recommendation and described training and implementation steps. Board members asked the administration to provide the full rubric and teacher evidence used in scoring before final procurement and to continue building teacher and family supports.