Cartwright approves Houghton Mifflin English 3D purchase for middle-school English learners

The Cartwright Elementary Governing Board approved an increase in annual expenditure authorization to purchase Houghton Mifflin materials for an English learner curriculum pilot in middle school grades.

District staff said the pilot used Houghton Mifflin's English 3D and a complementary program, Language Launch, at four middle-school sites this year and proposed expanding to additional schools with seventh and eighth grades next year. Valerie Miller, the district's director of language acquisition, described training provided to teachers, vendor-led supports and a plan to use federal Title 3 funds to cover materials.

"English 3D is a program specifically dedicated for our English language learners," Miller said during her presentation, explaining that the curriculum is designed for students who have been classified as ELs for multiple years and focuses on academic language skills.

Board members asked about teacher-to-student ratios, professional development time and whether principals would adopt the program voluntarily. Miller said the initial rollout covered roughly 30 teachers across the pilot sites and that additional professional development sessions were planned; principals opt in to adopt the materials for their campus.

After the presentation the board moved to increase the annual authorization to a not-to-exceed $130,000 for the 2025-26 school year; the motion passed on a roll-call vote with all voting members recorded as "aye." Staff said Title 3 funds will be used for the purchase and that administrators will return with implementation details and evidence of usage.