Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Special Education Curriculum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District presents TeachTown for specialized programs; public review extended and staff say funding available
Summary
District staff presented TeachTown, an alternative curriculum for specialized and autism self‑contained classrooms, and said public review has exceeded 60 days; administrators said capital funds could cover licensing costs and the program would serve about 400 students.
Yuma Elementary District staff presented TeachTown on Feb. 11 as the recommended alternative curriculum for students in specialized classrooms, including students with autism who cannot access the general education curriculum.
Matt Casti, director of exceptional student services, and other district staff said the program is developmentally appropriate, aligned to Arizona standards, and designed to provide hands‑on and multisensory instruction with supplemental physical materials. Casti said the district has made the TeachTown materials available for public review and that the review period has exceeded the 60 days required by district policy; the district extended the public review period to roughly 90 days for additional input.
Funding and scope: District staff estimated TeachTown would serve about 400 students within the district’s roughly 1,600 special education population. Staff cited a licensing model (membership/subscription) for student access and discussed a per‑student annual cost in the materials presented; administrators said capital funds are available to purchase the program and that the district is exploring multi‑year discounts and possible federal funding options.
Alternatives and existing supports: Staff said the district currently uses multiple tools — including the STAR curriculum for behavioral supports and other adaptations of general education materials — and that TeachTown would not replace those programs but would provide more academically rigorous and developmentally appropriate content for students who need it.
Why it matters: The curriculum is aimed at students whose cognitive, developmental or language needs require specialized, age‑appropriate academic content. Staff said TeachTown’s combination of digital lessons, printed materials and teacher supports (including professional development) is intended to improve access to standards‑aligned instruction for students in self‑contained classrooms.
Next steps: Administration will return to the board with a recommendation and a possible contract for consideration at a future meeting; board members asked that the curriculum remain available for review by board members and the public and that the district publicize review opportunities in upcoming Friday reports.
