The Canyons Board of Education on Nov. 11 heard a proposal to adopt new K–12 math curricula, with Dr. Amber Roderick presenting Amplify Desmos for elementary grades and Reveal Math (McGraw Hill) for middle and high school.

Roderick told the board the district’s adoption follows the board’s instructional materials selection policy and that the district is currently on step 18 of a 25-step adoption process. "We are again looking at three different curricula, but they are all in the same content area for math," she said, describing the process the committee used to vet materials.

Why it matters: Roderick said Utah’s core standards are being revised and that growing research and practitioner consensus favor inquiry‑based, problem‑solving approaches over strictly procedural instruction. "We're really trying to move away from our students just plugging algorithms and mimicking whatever their teacher is modeling for them and getting them to really utilize their critical thinking skills," she said, arguing the change better supports college and career readiness.

What the district recommended: For kindergarten through fifth grade, the district recommended Amplify Desmos, which the presenter said is organized to support problem‑based learning, build students’ math identity, and provide teacher supports for inquiry practices. Roderick said the program intentionally weaves manipulatives and unit themes into lessons to make math meaningful for young learners.

For middle and high school, the district recommended Reveal Math. Roderick said Reveal uses lesson structures that "organize components of the resources and lessons with critical questions that support that depth of discourse within each lesson," and that the program helps teachers implement student‑centered discussion and connections to real‑world contexts.

Assessment and digital tools: Roderick highlighted assessment platforms as a significant difference from current materials. "We're actually really excited about the assessment platform within Amplify because it provides a better format for teachers to be able to actually assess the learning that they are teaching that day," she said. She also noted Reveal includes an AI‑powered digital tutor and built‑in assessment prompts intended to give students immediate feedback.

Board concerns and implementation questions: Board members asked how new assessments align with mandated testing and how the materials would work for families who prefer paper workbooks. Roderick said middle school materials include consumable workbooks and high school will include a textbook. She stressed the magnitude of implementation work: teacher professional learning, pacing adjustments and support for families using new digital tools. "Anytime you adopt a new curriculum, there's always challenges with pacing and figuring out how to differentiate with your students given the new standards," she said.

Costs and next steps: The presenter said purchasing is negotiating with vendors and she expects to return at the board’s second reading with vendor cost estimates, implementation timelines and explicit STEM/ science connection details. "If there aren't any questions between now and the next two weeks, I'll plan on coming back with costs, implementation, and explicit science connections," Roderick said.

What was not decided: The board did not vote on the adoption at this meeting; the presentation was informational and the item will return for additional questions and a formal vote at a later reading when costs and implementation plans are available.