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Board hears first reading on 6–12 English curriculum; committee recommends HMH package
Summary
A teacher-led committee recommended HMH (including Writable) for a district-wide 6–12 English language arts adoption. The board received the first reading and staff said costs will be phased across years to reduce single-year budget impacts.
The J O Combs Unified School District governing board received a first reading on a recommended 6–12 English language arts adoption on March 12, the product of a multi-stakeholder review that included teachers, learning specialists and parents.
Instructional staff presented the committee—indings and said the committee prioritized standards alignment, support for struggling learners, culturally relevant texts, digital access, and embedded writing supports. "We wanted to adopt a diverse, culturally relevant, and viable curriculum that provides rigorous standards-aligned learning with necessary scaffolds and support for all of the students that we serve," literacy specialist Jen Nevins told the board.
The committee advanced HMH's Into Literature (including the Writable writing platform) for the core 6–12 program and recommended separate materials for AP and dual-enrollment courses (Perfection Learning / AMSCO). Teachers on the committee said they valued the digital courseware, audio-read-aloud texts, scaffolded supports for co-taught classes and a writable component that gives quicker writing feedback.
Costs and financing: Staff told the board the full eight-year adoption package is estimated at about $5.65 million total for 6–12 materials, with an average yearly cost shown in staff slides. The district negotiated terms to spread payments over multiple years to reduce one-year budget impact, and staff said AP/dual-enrollment components will be paid year-to-year from AP program funds because participation can fluctuate.
What happens next: The presentation served as the first reading; staff said they will return with a second reading and a request for approval. Administrators also said teacher professional-development support will be part of implementation planning if the board approves the adoption.
Evidence and process: The adoption committee met beginning in October, used rubrics with "must have," "want to have," and "bonus" criteria, reviewed materials, hosted vendor presentations, and included classroom teachers from grades 6–12 and representatives for special education and English learners.
