Spring ISD committee recommends Bluebonnet math and Accelerated Learning for tiered instruction

Spring Independent School District’s curriculum adoption committee recommended at a April 1 work session that the board approve Bluebonnet as the districtwide tier 1 math curriculum and Accelerated Learning for tier 2 and tier 3 supports from kindergarten through Algebra I.

The recommendation follows a review process the district presented as responding to House Bill 1605, which the presenters said reshaped the state’s instructional materials adoption and funding. Assistant Superintendent Tracy Harris told trustees the law created two funding tracks: a State Board of Education–approved materials track that provides $40 per student and an open education resources track that provides $20 per student; the presentation said the $20 per-student amount does not roll over and must be used for print materials and implementation. Harris and other staff said the district intends to use those allotment funds to offset print and implementation costs for the recommended adoption.

Why it matters: district leaders and committee members said the combined adoption would provide a single, coherent K–Algebra I pathway across elementary, middle and high schools and make it easier to align core instruction with intervention and acceleration. The committee’s recommendation addresses gaps the district identified when moving students from elementary to middle grades and aims to supply tiered digital and print resources plus professional development so teachers can deliver lessons with fidelity.

Presenters described the review and recommendation process as collaborative. Dr. Craig Cuellar, chief of academics and schools leadership, and Dr. Tracy Harris walked trustees through the selection rubric and committee activities. Parents, students and teachers who served on the adoption committee spoke to trustees: fifth-grader Abigail (Abby) John said, “Bluebonnet breaks down vocabulary… Bluebonnet has different levels, so if a student is struggling, they have more time to catch up,” and her father William John said participating “was empowering to know that our feedback was not only welcomed but valued.” Parent–staff member Blessing Onorebe told trustees the process “was approached with one shared goal: selecting curriculum materials that would best serve a diverse student population.”

Committee members and campus leaders described how the two resources would work together. Curtis Meekins, a multi-classroom teacher leader, called Bluebonnet and Accelerated Learning “a power couple,” saying Bluebonnet is intended as tier 1 instruction with inquiry-based, manipulatives-driven lessons and Accelerated Learning would provide targeted lessons tied to NWEA MAP risk scores for small-group intervention. Mathematics curriculum specialist Michelle Flores said the recommended materials are TEKS-aligned, student-centered and include “ongoing professional support.” DeWitt Middle School principal Kimberly Doucette recommended the pair for districtwide adoption, citing diagnostic assessments, progress monitoring and small-group materials.

Implementation and costs: staff said the vendor-backed professional development plan would begin in the summer and continue through the year with multiple touchpoints — Summer Leadership Institute, Summer Teacher Extravaganza, PLCs, job-alike sessions, coaches and in-class support. Staff said they will order resources after board approval and provide practice-oriented training so teachers “internalize” lessons before teaching students. The presentation said the district already surveyed teachers (about 450 respondents) to gauge usability and plan supports.

Trustees pressed on data, timeline and cost. Trustee Newhouse asked how long Bluebonnet has been in use elsewhere; staff said Bluebonnet was approved by the State Board of Education in December and there is no long-term outcome data yet. Staff estimated prior multi-year secondary contracts with Carnegie Learning ran in the ballpark of $2 million for a three-year term and said the district’s total multiyear mathematics curriculum expense has been near $34 million across several years; staff said final contract figures would be provided at a later meeting. Trustees asked whether the district considered a pilot; presenters said the recommendation is for a full adoption to maintain continuity from K through Algebra I and avoid the “drop off” teachers reported when switching resources between grade bands.

Concerns recorded on the record: Trustee Adams objected to the state’s role and the incentives tied to Bluebonnet and raised concerns about religious content in the reading/language-arts materials discussed publicly elsewhere; staff and committee members reiterated the committee is recommending math only at this time and that the committee did not bring forward a reading/language-arts adoption. Trustees were instructed to submit additional questions to a shared spreadsheet so administration can provide answers before the board’s vote at a later meeting.

What’s next: staff said they will provide detailed cost estimates, contract terms and implementation timelines at an upcoming meeting, and trustees set a deadline to collect remaining questions prior to the vote.