Chandler Unified recommends i‑Ready for K–5 math; 60‑day public review set

District leaders presented a recommendation to place the i‑Ready math program (Curriculum Associates) on public display as the proposed Tier‑1 K–5 curriculum following a three‑phase evaluation that included teacher, parent and administrator input.

At a study session, Dr. Edgar and math coaches described a rubric that prioritized standards alignment, instructional supports, assessment and design/usability. The evaluation started from an RFI issued July 31 and included 135 participants across teacher representatives, instructional coaches and community reviewers. The vendors were reduced from 11 submissions to two finalists: i‑Ready and the McGraw Hill offering; i‑Ready received the highest rubric score (72.12 out of 81) and higher median ratings in qualitative and quantitative reviews.

Administration proposed a six‑year procurement with an estimated total cost of $4,044,226.17 (average annual cost roughly $674,038). Officials said an upfront multi‑year purchase would produce estimated savings of about $1,835,000 versus single‑year contracts. If approved for public display, the required 60‑day review will run Nov. 13–Jan. 11 with digital and physical access to materials; administration plans to return adoption recommendations to the governing board on Feb. 11, 2026.

District staff emphasized that i‑Ready includes diagnostic tools, unit and formative assessments, progress reports and family‑facing videos intended to support transparency and teacher workflows. "This is our Tier‑1 resource that we're proposing," Dr. Edgar said, noting that the adoption is intended to complement five years of professional development and coaching work in CUSD.

Board members asked how accelerated students (CTA) would be served; presenters said licensing is managed through Infinite Campus so students coded for higher grade access receive the appropriate digital license. Concerns about rote drill were raised by board members and community; presenters responded that i‑Ready centers on conceptual instruction aligned to National Council of Teachers of Mathematics practices but provides supplementary materials for automaticity and practice where teachers choose to use them. Curriculum Associates staff noted the district can monitor or reset diagnostics and that teachers receive reports that flag rushed or anomalous attempts.

Administration said vendor negotiations are ongoing and that professional development, technical support and first‑year technology management are included in the proposal. If adopted, the district plans PD ahead of classroom implementation and iterative coaching so teachers can integrate the program into existing Multi‑Tiered Systems of Support.

The proposal will enter the 60‑day public review period; community input gathered during that period will be included in the February recommendation to the board.