District presents recommended new instructional materials — literacy, chemistry, Spanish and arts among top picks

District 11 curriculum leaders brought forward recommended instructional materials after year-long pilot and review teams that included teachers, principals, parents and district staff. The recommendations were presented for board feedback; the items will be returned as action items at a future meeting.

Key recommendations and rationale

- Elementary and middle-school literacy: Amplify (CKLA at K–5 and Amplify middle-school ELA) was recommended as a K–8 continuum based on the teams’ review and pilot feedback; reviewers cited alignment with the science of reading and strong classroom engagement observed during pilots.

- High-school English language arts: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Literature earned the most support from reviewers; the adoption team noted integrated writing tools (including an AI-assisted writer feedback feature) and curated text sets that aligned with standards.

- Chemistry: Savvas (phenomenon-based, three-dimensional science instruction) was the unanimous top pick for high-school chemistry; the team cited inquiry-based, hands-on design and alignment to standards.

- Spanish: Wayside’s Spanish curriculum was recommended with unanimous support; reviewers pointed to performance assessments, differentiation and a proficiency-based approach that fits district priorities.

- VAPA (visual and performing arts) and health: New K–8 art curriculum (Art of Education) and an updated Glencoe health curriculum were recommended to replace older materials.

Professional learning and rollout: District leaders described a rollout plan that includes summer and in-year professional-development sessions, department-chair training, coaching support and PLC-based implementation. High-school ELA staff noted teachers will be provided scope-and-sequence materials (with a goal of first-quarter readiness at the start of the 2025–26 school year) and that the district will continue scaffolded supports for teachers across grade spans.

Questions from board members covered AI-assisted writing tools and teacher review of machine feedback, course alignment for IB pathways, funding sources for particular purchases and district support for teachers to become familiar with new materials.

Next steps: Staff said curriculum adoption will come back to the board as action items after the remaining review work is complete. Board members asked for additional detail on specific course partnerships (for example, a media practicum tied to outside partners) and requested written follow-up on those questions.

Ending: District staff will return with a final adoption package and implementation timeline for board approval; schools will begin teacher-facing professional learning in late spring and early summer.