Miss Poustay, the district’s ELA lead, told the committee the district reviewed five vendors in September and October and will pilot two resources at K–5 (Amplify CKLA and EL Education/Kiddom) and two at middle school (Amplify and CommonLit). The pilot will begin in December for elementary teachers and in January for grades 6–8; administrators plan check-ins, professional development and data collection through March, with a formal recommendation to the board in May.

Why it matters: Administration said ELA scores have been relatively flat and that the pilot’s focus on the science of reading and explicit, systematic instruction could address historically underperforming subgroups. The pilot is intended to produce implementation and cost comparisons before any full-adoption decision.

Key details: The pilot’s professional development for participating teachers is budgeted at $4,000; pilot materials (digital and print) will be provided at no cost for the pilot period, while district leaders will seek early vendor quotes during the pilot to estimate full implementation costs if the board later adopts a program. Administrators said the vendors are standards-aligned and that crosswalks exist to align program standards with Pennsylvania standards.

Board concerns and follow-up: Members asked for classroom examples, durability and platform costs, and whether peer districts use the same programs. Miss Poustay said several nearby districts already use Amplify and the other vendors, and district staff will collect cost estimates from vendors as the next step. Board members also requested that estimates of full implementation expenses (novels, trade books, workbooks and digital platforms) come back to the board as the pilot progresses.

Next steps: Administration will monitor the pilot through February and March, report comparative data to the board, and return with a formal adoption recommendation in May.