Montgomery County Board adopts Core Knowledge Language Arts for grades 6–8, authorizes $1.2 million for materials and training

The Montgomery County Board of Education voted unanimously May 22 to adopt the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum for grades 6 through 8 and authorized the superintendent to negotiate agreements not to exceed $1,200,000 in the first year to buy required instructional materials and fund professional learning.

Board and staff leaders said the move is intended to improve middle‑school literacy by adopting a knowledge‑building program aligned with the district's existing K–5 materials and to provide a consistent scope and sequence across grades.

"I'm thrilled that MCPS is focused on instruction and making decisions about curriculum," Superintendent (Doctor) Taylor told the board as the district presented the recommendation. Chief Academic Officer Nikki Hazel and Chief of Student Support Services Margaret Cage described implementation steps and commitments to supplemental supports for students who need scaffolding. "Our primary goal here today is really focused around improving student achievement," Cage said during the presentation.

Why it matters: MCPS and speakers at the meeting framed the adoption as a response to stagnant literacy outcomes and persistent achievement gaps. CKLA is a knowledge‑building approach that sequences content across years and includes full novels and unit texts intended to build background knowledge and academic vocabulary — elements district staff cited as missing or thin in the current middle‑school materials.

What the board approved: The board resolution authorizes the superintendent and board president to execute contracts and agreements up to $1,200,000 in the first year to purchase printed teacher materials and to fund outset professional learning and consultant support. Central office staff described the curriculum as open source (no licensing fee), with costs concentrated on printing, packaging, training, and vendor support for implementation.

Implementation plan and timeline: Staff said mandatory tier‑1 professional learning for teachers is planned for July, followed by ongoing coaching and classroom modeling during the school year. Central office staff told the board they will package lesson pacing calendars and assessments for teachers, add targeted scaffolds for emergent multilingual learners (EMLs) and students with special needs, and work with central ELD and special education teams to co‑develop additional supports this summer.

Supporters and classroom perspective: Multiple classroom teachers, reading specialists and parents spoke in favor of CKLA during the public comment period and in subsequent board discussion. Reading specialist Laura Oldroyd told the board, "CKLA works not because it's easy, but because it's right," citing her experience using the program with multilingual learners and struggling readers. ELD teacher Laura Finnezi said, "With CKLA, I've seen a huge jump in motivation and enthusiasm for reading among all students," and described gains in vocabulary and listening comprehension. Middle‑school English teacher Ashley Delaney, who addressed timing and logistics, urged the board to finalize the decision soon so teachers can prepare: "If we are to begin in August, we must be armed with knowledge of the curriculum."

Concerns and commitments: Public commenters and some board members raised concerns about implementation details rather than the curriculum concept itself. Those concerns included: ensuring sufficient training and classroom coaching; adding specific scaffolds and shortened texts for upper‑grade newcomers; clarifying the assessment and grading procedures; and making sure highly able learners receive appropriate challenge within grade‑level instruction. Staff responded that the curriculum includes unit‑level extension tasks and small‑group lesson designs, and that the district will provide co‑planning time, packaged pacing documents, and summer co‑writing to add additional scaffolds for EML and special education students.

Evaluation: Staff told the board MCPS will monitor implementation with typical timelines used for new curricular adoptions — early implementation monitoring in year one and a fuller outcome review within three years. Staff also noted they will use CKLA domain and unit assessments together with district MAP and state results to assess impact.

Formal action: The board moved and seconded the resolution to adopt CKLA; the motion passed unanimously. The resolution also authorizes the superintendent to execute purchase and professional learning agreements necessary for implementation.

What's next: Central office will begin the summer professional learning schedule, produce printed/packaged materials for teachers, and deploy teams from ELA, ELD, and special education to co‑design scaffolds and monitoring tools. Staff said they will return to the board with progress reports and outcome data as implementation proceeds.

Sources: Board meeting presentation and the public comment record at the May 22, 2025, Montgomery County Board of Education business meeting. Direct quotes in this report are drawn from district staff and public testimony at that meeting.