Southeast Polk staff recommend Amplify CKLA for grades 3–5; board to consider adoption May 15

Carrie Bernstein, the district’s elementary literacy coordinator, told the Southeast Polk Community School District Board of Education on May 1 that a cross-district committee of teachers and specialists recommended adopting Amplify CKLA for grades 3–5.

Bernstein said the process began this school year when the district convened a 27-member committee and later expanded pilot participation to 52 teachers and about 1,642 students so teachers and students could test candidate programs in classrooms. After piloting multiple vendors, she said teachers’ top selection received a 75% preference and the recommendation is to adopt Amplify CKLA, which Bernstein noted appears on the Iowa Department of Education’s list of high-quality instructional materials that align with the science of reading.

The recommendation emphasizes a reading–writing connection, vocabulary development and cross-curricular units (science and social studies) and includes online components for differentiated student practice. Bernstein said professional development and optional training days for 3–5 teachers, coaches and specialists are planned in June, July and August; some materials will be available online before hard copies arrive. District administrators said the state’s participation in the high-quality instructional materials program will subsidize a portion of the district’s cost and that packets in board materials include a quote and a line-item summary; district staff said the state subsidy reduces the district’s net cost substantially but the packet should be consulted for the specific dollar figures.

The board will consider formal approval of the adoption at its May 15 meeting.