District committee recommends new K–8 science curriculum, three-year quote $865,000

Erie City School District curriculum staff and a teacher committee presented a recommendation for new kindergarten-through-eighth-grade science instructional materials at the board's Jan. 8 meeting, recommending an Activate Learning implementation of OpenSciEd materials to align with Pennsylvania's updated science standards.

"This whole process really started back at the very beginning of 2022," committee co-lead Melanie Miller said, describing professional learning and committee review that led to the selection. The committee described shifts in the state standards toward three-dimensional instruction—science, technology, engineering, environmental literacy and sustainability (STEELES/"STEMS" concepts in committee discussion)—and a move to phenomena-based, inquiry-driven lessons.

Adam Boakes, one of the participating teachers, described classroom practice the materials support: "You start with a phenomenon, you let students ask questions, you don't answer them immediately, and you take them through inquiry and the 5E model," he said. The committee emphasized hands-on kits, reproducible investigation materials, and digital supports, including accessibility features and translations into many languages.

Administrators told trustees the quote on the board agenda covers middle-school materials: a three-year quote that includes teacher nonconsumables, three years of student consumables and science kits. "The 3-year quote is $865,000," a district finance staff member said during the meeting. That same staff member said the district had $1.5 million in the current budget for curriculum.

The presenter said the committee favored Activate Learning's version of OpenSciEd because it provides teacher-facing supports and digital accessibility (including voice-to-text and multiple languages) and because the vendor provided ready-to-replicate student materials and lab kits. The committee described a phased implementation: middle school to begin in the second semester, elementary rollouts to follow after additional professional learning, and continued professional development and learning walks during the first full year of implementation.

Board members asked about scope and cost. Administrators said the proposed materials would be new for the district; the last major science adoption dates back roughly two decades. Officials said they would provide the board a breakdown of alternative education program vendors and supports used when students move out of their home school for disciplinary reasons if requested (question asked during the earlier expulsion discussion). Trustees did not take a final vote at the Jan. 8 meeting; the materials recommendation appeared on the next meeting's business agenda for action.