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Board debates $145,000 ALEKS renewal as members call for program audit
Summary
District curriculum leader Dr. Shanice Woods asked the board to renew ALEKS for high‑school math at a one‑year cost of $145,000 while trustees raised concerns about data gaps, overlapping digital platforms and grade/attendance integrity.
District curriculum leader Dr. Shanice Woods presented data Nov. 12 on ALEKS, an adaptive math platform used in Montgomery Public Schools for grades 9–12, and recommended a one‑year renewal. Woods said the one‑year renewal would cost $145,000, with a lower $123,000 quote available if the district extended coverage to July 1 to include summer school and avoid losing the year’s student data.
"This one year subscription is a $145,000," Woods said during her presentation, and she warned trustees that canceling ALEKS mid‑year would scramble the district’s ability to maintain balanced assessments for high‑school math because other platforms were not used at the beginning of the year.
Trustees pressed Woods on evidence of effectiveness and implementation. Several board members noted that the teacher survey sample was small (30 of 48 high‑school math teachers responded) and that only 7 schools had consistent high‑school ALEKS usage. Board members also raised concerns that overlapping tools — such as Progress Learning and I‑Ready — complicate data interpretation and that some students were completing out‑of‑school makeup assignments that could inflate grades or mask attendance gaps.
"If you're looking at the price of $145,000 ... and you're looking at a $123 (thousand) option, you might as well spend the rest to figure it out," one trustee said, summing up concerns about committing significant funds without clearer data. Trustees repeatedly urged a program audit and a clearer, district‑wide policy on which supplemental platforms should be required across the system.
Superintendent Dr. Byrd agreed the district needs a program audit to reduce duplication and to require consistent use of fewer resources, telling trustees the district would conduct a program audit and present findings to the board. Board members asked for clearer implementation expectations and fidelity metrics before a procurement decision.
No formal vote to renew ALEKS is recorded in the meeting transcript. The board’s work session concluded with agreement to pursue an independent review of supplemental digital resources and to bring clearer usage data and recommendations back to the board before final renewal action.
