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Board adopts new math and ELA textbooks for K'12 after multi-school review
Summary
After review by committees and community review sessions, Petersburg's school board approved K-5 math (Kiddom), 6-12 ELA (Savvas My Perspectives), and 6-12 math (Savvas Envision) and affirmed continuation of Amplify K-5 ELA; the adoptions are three-year adoptions and include professional development supports.
The Petersburg City School Board on Wednesday approved a package of curriculum adoptions recommended by the district's curriculum teams following school- and community-level review.
Director of Elementary Education Ebony Massey and the curriculum team recommended a K-5 mathematics curriculum by Kiddom, secondary mathematics (grades 6-12) by Savvas Envision and a secondary English language arts program (grades 6-12) by Savvas My Perspectives. The board previously adopted Amplify for K-5 English language arts and will continue coaching and implementation supports for that program.
Massey said the district's review prioritized teacher supports, digital and in-hand student access, and alignment to Virginia Department of Education Standards of Learning. The committees that evaluated materials included teachers and curriculum specialists; the team presented parent engagement and feedback opportunities, including textbook displays in school vestibules and QR-code surveys.
The recommended adoptions include consumable student workbooks, teacher editions, manipulative kits for K-5 math, and professional learning. The district will fund on-site and virtual professional development and seeks to place an on-site full-time implementation specialist for each adopted curriculum, mirroring support provided last year when Amplify was implemented.
Board members asked about teacher feedback and response rates on piloting and implementation. Superintendent Brown and Massey said response rates for surveys were limited in some cases but emphasized that the district will provide embedded coaches to help teachers across certification levels (fully licensed, provisionally licensed, and long-term substitutes) implement the materials.
The board voted to approve the adoptions 7-0. The adoption period is three years; staff said VDOE approval of selected materials is required and being pursued as part of the adoption.
Ending: Administrators said they will coordinate implementation timelines and professional learning plans and return to the board with rollout details ahead of the new school year.
