Waco ISD board approves Great Minds Bluebonnet, Carnegie as primary K–12 math resources

The Waco Independent School District Board of Trustees voted on May 20 to adopt a new set of primary K–12 math instructional resources, approving Great Minds (Bluebonnet) for grades K–5 and Carnegie Learning for grades 6–12 as the district's primary math curriculum after an 11-year adoption cycle.

The board approved the recommendation to purchase the two resources following a district- and campus-level review process that included vendor demonstrations, teacher pilot sessions and rubric scoring. The administration said the combined cost of the initial adoption is roughly $1,024,000; district staff told trustees that available Instructional Materials Allotment (IMA) funds could cover part of the purchase while leaving roughly $817,000 in IMA funds on hand for other needs.

Why this matters: The new resources are intended to replace an older math program the district says required substantial teacher supplementation. Administrators and teachers said the new materials aim to strengthen teachers' tier‑1 instruction, provide clearer scope and sequence, and include supports for conceptual understanding and Spanish-language materials for elementary students.

District process and teacher input

District curriculum staff led a multi-stage vetting process that began with a Region 12 symposium where vendors showcased materials, followed by district presentations and a rubric-based review derived from the State Board of Education's instructional materials rubric. Curriculum staff said district reviewers rated vendors on a 1-to-4 scale across multiple categories; those ratings were combined and used to select resources for campus review.

Campus committees then reviewed digital demo accounts, printed samples and lesson materials, using the same rubric and an additional 'look-fors' checklist. Curriculum staff said about 280 math teachers participated in campus-level reviews. According to the compiled campus feedback, 218 of 280 teachers (about 78%) preferred Great Minds (Bluebonnet) for elementary instruction and 62 teachers (22%) preferred an alternative (Kiddom). At the secondary level, the district said four of six campuses favored Carnegie Learning while two favored Agile Mind.

Teacher voices

Teachers who served as campus representatives described hands-on review sessions in grade-level teams and said they evaluated lesson supports, digital platform usability, and alignment to the district's math framework. Christina Munoz, Kendrick Elementary campus representative, told the board teachers "got to play around with the platforms" and used the rubrics to record text evidence of strengths and weaknesses. Anna McNair, a Parkdale Elementary teacher, said she valued Great Minds' use of CRA (concrete–representational–abstract) instructional progression and the availability of Spanish student materials: "More and more bilingual students are coming into my classroom... the Spanish book I was very happy to see."

Curriculum staff also flagged concerns submitted by campus reviewers, including places where a program relied heavily on workbooks, offered limited small-group or extension activities, or required additional teacher-facing supports. Staff acknowledged that no resource is perfect and emphasized the district's plan for coaching and phased professional development.

Data, vendors and implementation

The district said it asked vendors for outcome data from other districts. Tiffany Flores, secondary math coordinator, summarized vendor-provided information and said districts that implemented Carnegie showed incremental gains on MAP/STAAR and teacher-level growth measures, though she cautioned that demographics and baseline performance vary and that results were generally incremental rather than dramatic.

District staff told trustees that both vendors will provide professional development and on-site coaching during fall and spring implementation cycles. The district presented a PD timeline beginning in June for administrators, optional summer training for teachers (with compensatory time back in the school year for those who attend), and additional needs-based sessions through the first year of implementation.

Costs, funding and timeline

Curriculum staff said the initial adoption package would cost about $1,024,000. The district reported approximately $1,000,800 remaining in relevant IMA/holdback funds; if adopted, the district would use those state-approved instructional materials funds for the purchase and would still have funds remaining for future purchases. Staff also said annual recurring costs will include student workbooks and digital access; elementary student bundles were described as containing three student workbooks per student as part of the first-year purchase.

State policy and compliance

Trustees and staff discussed House Bill 1605 (HB 1605) and the state's Instructional Materials Review and Adoption (IMRA) process, including the state's definition of "high-quality instructional materials," limits on teacher planning time tied to that law, and how state approvals affect district adoption. District staff said the selection process used the State Board of Education rubric and campus-level teacher input to align district needs with state-reviewed resources.

Board action and next steps

Trustee Jim Patton moved the recommendation and Trustee Guillory seconded. The motion carried after a roll-call vote; the board approved the district's adoption and purchase of Great Minds (Bluebonnet) for K–5 and Carnegie Learning for secondary grades to serve as the district's primary math instructional resources. (Transcript records the roll-call and a majority approval; the transcript does not include a single, board-published roll-call table with named vote assignments.)

District staff said materials and digital access will be delivered over the summer, teacher training will begin in June, and the district expects teachers to internalize lessons through structured PLC and coaching supports so new instruction can start next school year.

What trustees asked and what remains under review

Trustees asked about pilots, the risk of implementing a new curriculum before a second year of state data is available, whether the district could pilot on fewer campuses, and the possibility of a dip in achievement during the first year of implementation. District staff said a pilot on selected campuses would create inequities for mobile students and would require dual support systems; because the district is mobile, staff recommended a single-district adoption.

Trustees also asked for frequent, documented feedback during implementation and data checks so the district can pivot if adoption does not yield expected results. Curriculum staff committed to collecting teacher and principal feedback and to monitoring implementation fidelity and student outcomes.

Ending

The board's vote moves the district into the implementation phase: teacher training this summer, vendor coaching in the fall and spring, and campus-level monitoring of fidelity and outcomes. District officials said they will report back to trustees on early implementation indicators and provide data-driven updates in future meetings.