Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum Adoption topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District committee recommends McGraw Hill’s Impact Social Studies for grades 4–5
Summary
A Charles County review committee recommended McGraw Hill’s Impact Social Studies for fourth- and fifth‑grade social studies, citing Maryland‑aligned content, digital accessibility and multilingual supports; the purchase remains informational and would include summer curriculum development and professional learning if approved.
A 17‑member Charles County Public Schools committee recommended on April 28 that the district adopt McGraw Hill’s Impact Social Studies as a curricular resource for fourth and fifth grades.
The resource was chosen after a five‑meeting review that evaluated four materials using a rubric focused on Maryland standards alignment, literacy connections, inquiry‑based instruction and supports for multilingual learners. “We wanted something that took an inquiry‑based approach,” said Alan Hopkins, the district’s grades K–8 social studies resource teacher, who led the review.
Why it matters: Fourth and fifth grades in Maryland use U.S. history units with a Maryland lens, and the selection is intended to give teachers a common set of lessons and digitally accessible texts that can be leveled for student Lexile levels and used in Canvas and Clever.
What the reviewers found
Committee members said the McGraw Hill program aligns to the 2020 Maryland standards, provides teacher guidance that highlights Maryland‑specific content and links literacy standards to social studies skills. The program’s digital component includes read‑aloud features, text highlighting and leveled Lexile options per student, reviewers said.
The committee also praised multilingual‑learner scaffolds. Hopkins noted the program includes a teacher guide with a two‑page support plan for multilingual learners at each lesson and that a Spanish edition of student and teacher materials exists — a benefit for the district’s dual‑language program at Arthur Middleton, which reaches fourth grade in 2028–29.
Concerns and next steps
Some committee members said portions of the program rely on traditional, scripted activities and were concerned that the volume of available resources could overwhelm teachers without explicit curriculum guidance. Hopkins said the district would not simply distribute the materials; instead, staff plan to create unit plans, model lessons and suggest a scope and sequence during summer curriculum work and to use McGraw Hill’s four hours of professional learning that accompany the purchase.
The social studies team will continue outreach to local stakeholders, including the Charles County NAACP and community foundations, and plans to bring feedback and a formal recommendation back to the board at a May 19 work session.
