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District recommends adopting Connect for Learning curriculum for pre-K; board hears pilot results and cost estimate
Summary
Early childhood staff recommended adoption of the Connect for Learning (Kaplan) preschool curriculum after a multi-class pilot; the team estimated $178,158.75 for kits, portal access and professional learning over six years but did not record a formal adoption vote at this meeting.
Shawnee Mission School District staff recommended adopting the Connect for Learning (C4L) early-childhood curriculum following a pilot across four preschool classrooms that reached 98 students.
Becky Blizzard and pilot teachers described the selection process, fidelity checks and rubrics used to evaluate C4L against alternatives (including World of Wonders). Pilot teachers said C4L offered a developmentally appropriate, interdisciplinary approach with strong supports for language development, ELL adaptations and hands-on, project-based learning. Pilot teacher Meredith Bush said the curriculum helped include students across the continuum (special education, unified, gen-ed) and allowed teachers to plan for differentiated instruction.
Staff presented a procurement plan and an estimated six-year cost: $161,493.75 for kits, portal access and consumables plus $16,665 for professional learning, for a total estimated expenditure of $178,158.75 (about $5,000 per classroom). Staff said Kaplan provided five full pilot kits at no charge and offered locked-in pricing for a six-year term (07/01/2026–06/30/2032) if the district proceeds. Administration said the expense would be funded through the instructional resource adoption cycle.
Board members questioned family engagement and access for non-English-speaking families. Pilot teachers described strategies used during the pilot (timing unit demonstrations during drop-off/pickup windows, videotaping student presentations for parents who cannot attend, use of interpreters and portal content in English and Spanish). Staff said ELL coaches and special-education facilitators participated in the pilot and provided feedback.
No formal vote on district-wide adoption was recorded in tonight’s meeting; staff said next steps would include vendor contracting, digital rostering, professional learning in April and curriculum mapping for implementation if the board decides to adopt the resource in a future action.
Staff emphasized that if the board approves the purchase in a future action item, they would return with final contract terms and exact costs tied to final classroom counts.
