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Bolivar middle school to adopt Savvas 'My Perspectives' ELA program after teacher pilot
Summary
District leaders recommended, and middle‑school teachers favored after a pilot, a six‑year adoption of the Savvas My Perspectives ELA program at an approximate cost of $88,000; training and rollout plans were shared with the board.
Bolivar R‑I administrators recommended the district adopt Savvas Learning Company's My Perspectives as the middle school English language arts resource after a multi‑step review that included teacher pilots, external reviews and comparisons with other districts.
District staff described a selection process that began with six candidate programs vetted through EdReports and local district feedback. Teachers piloted the two finalists and used a scoring rubric to evaluate materials against priorities including alignment to Missouri priority standards, science‑of‑reading elements, embedded vocabulary and grammar instruction, formative/summative assessments and classroom resources.
Administrators said the selection rose from that scoring process and teacher input: "Teachers thought it felt like a true resource... they have a variety of resources for students," one administrator summarized of the pilot feedback. The district plans to provide a full‑day training for teachers on Aug. 14 and a train‑the‑trainer model led by the building instructional coach; the package includes digital access for students and a classroom anthology model (hardbound anthologies available in classroom sets and digital access for all students).
Cost and timeline: staff reported the six‑year license and materials package is priced at just over $88,000. The administration said training and coaching supports are included in the implementation plan and the district will monitor student outcomes to confirm the curriculum's impact.
Why it matters: district leaders said middle school ELA scores have been stagnant and the district sought a research‑aligned, ready‑to‑use curriculum to support more consistent instruction across classrooms and to embed writing and vocabulary practice tied to priority standards.
What happens next: administrators plan teacher professional development in August, classroom rollout in the fall and regular progress monitoring; the board received the report as an informational item and the administration said it will proceed with implementing the chosen resource.
