Bettendorf middle‑school committee recommends Amplify ELA; district plans full 2025–26 rollout

A committee of Bettendorf Middle School teachers and specialists unanimously recommended the Amplify ELA curriculum after a multi‑month review of vendors, district staff told the Bettendorf Community School District board.

The committee — described in meeting remarks as 13 members including classroom language‑arts teachers, special‑education staff and interventionists — began vendor evaluations in January after professional development last school year introduced 22 secondary teachers to Lexia Aspire, training grounded in the science of reading. After vendor presentations and a rubric‑based evaluation, the committee narrowed the field to three curricula and then selected Amplify based on rubric scores and classroom suitability; 12 committee members present voted in favor and one member voted by email, the presenters said.

Why it matters: The selection represents a district effort to provide a unified middle‑school ELA program across grades 6–8 that staff say will better align instructional practices, support differentiated instruction and reduce the workload of teachers who currently create much of their own materials.

What the committee reviewed and why it chose Amplify The committee conducted vendor presentations (some in person and some virtual), used an evaluation tool identified through district professional networks, and applied a rubric that included text complexity, supports for diverse learners, and materials for honors/enrichment. Presenters said the committee deliberately included special‑education and English‑learner teachers to review materials from multiple perspectives.

Presenters said Amplify scored highest across sixth, seventh and eighth grade materials. Key strengths cited were built‑in scaffolding and accessibility features (read‑aloud options, sentence starters), AI‑assisted grouping and assignment tools that can suggest groupings while permitting teacher overrides, a 100‑day honors pathway for accelerated students, integrated writing and grammar supports, and a mix of printable and online materials to work in the district’s 1:1 device environment. Presenters also noted built‑in “flex days” for reteaching and options to print materials for students who need paper copies.

Implementation timeline and training District staff told the board they plan to provide Amplify access to the entire ELA department rather than piloting a single classroom. Amplify will run professional development in the district on June 5, with a refresher planned for the fall. The district’s stated goal is full implementation in the 2025–26 school year, with ongoing professional development and periodic evaluation; administrators described the adoption as a multi‑year commitment and said they expect to monitor implementation and student outcomes over at least three years.

Cost and operational notes Presenters flagged consumables and platform licensing as budget items to work through, noting that some vendors add optional paid components. The district’s 1:1 device status was identified as a reason the team prioritized a curriculum with both online and printable components. Presenters emphasized that while some curricular features reduce teacher planning time, the district will continue to evaluate pacing guides and make adjustments during implementation.

Teacher involvement and selection process Presenters described an iterative process: initial professional development (Lexia Aspire) to build shared knowledge of the science of reading for secondary teachers; vendor presentations; committee debriefs and an anonymous vote after in‑depth review of three finalists. Presenters said some vendors were dismissed early for lacking viable middle‑school implementation options.

Board questions and next steps Board members asked about piloting, data and RTI (response to intervention) use with the new platform, costs for workbooks/consumables, how the program supports students who need Tier 2 intervention, and whether other Iowa districts use the program. Presenters said the platform includes automated grouping and student performance dashboards that can help identify students needing reteaching; they also said the district will seek example sites and user feedback from neighboring districts during PD and early implementation.

The presenters requested the board’s support for proceeding with the planned implementation and training schedule and said they will return with more detailed cost information and an implementation timeline for classrooms and families.

Sources and evidence in the meeting transcript: committee members’ descriptions of the vendor process, the rubric scores shown in presentation slides, unanimous committee vote (12 present, 1 by email), planned June 5 professional development, and stated 2025–26 implementation goal.