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Board approves 30-day public review for new middle‑school ELA materials
Summary
The board agreed to post Into Literature (HMH) — the teachers' recommended middle‑school English language arts program — for a 30‑day community review before returning for a final vote on June 4. The six‑year contract cost and teacher training needs were discussed.
Bridget Passon, the district's English language arts supervisor, told the board the middle‑school ELA team piloted three programs and is asking the board to release one product for a 30‑day public review.
Passon said middle‑school teachers piloted CommonLit, MyPerspectives (Savvas) and Into Literature (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Fourteen teachers participated in staged pilots across the year and then voted; Into Literature averaged the highest score on the district's rubric and a majority of pilot teachers favored that series.
Passon described the proposed contract terms: a six‑year license cost of $324,229.45 (about $55,000 per year), which would provide teacher and student digital licenses and student consumables. Passon said the district's current tier‑one (year‑to‑year) middle‑school materials cost more than $120,000 in the recent year and that adopting a multi‑year contract would reduce recurring procurement uncertainty and allow teachers time to implement a new curriculum.
Professional development expectations were discussed. Passon said implementation training would include an initial program overview and hands‑on sessions; because Into Literature includes an integrated writable writing platform the rollout involves additional training (roughly two three‑hour blocks described by staff). She estimated a one‑time, full‑day trainer cost of roughly $4,000 and said informal coaching and follow‑up supports would be provided to teachers in buildings.
Next steps: Passon said the district will post an access code and materials on the QACPS ELA homepage for a 30‑day community review and will place sample teacher and student materials in each middle school front office and the central office. She asked the board to allow the 30‑day read; the board voted to release materials for public review and scheduled a return discussion and potential vote for the June 4 meeting.
Ending: The board thanked Passon and the teachers who piloted the programs.
