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Teachers back Twig Science for grades 3–8; board asked to place adoption on January agenda
Summary
District curriculum review team recommended Twig Science for grades 3–8 after a multi‑month vetting process; teachers praised its phenomenon‑based, hands‑on approach and built‑in assessments. Board agreed to place adoption and five‑year purchase on the upcoming agenda; estimated five‑year cost under $500,000 and PD schedule proposed.
Pleasant Valley School District staff recommended the adoption of Twig Science for grades 3–8 following a year‑long curriculum review process that included teacher review teams, vendor presentations, surveys and virtual visits with peer districts.
Dr. Ayer, who led the review, told trustees the team narrowed an initial pool to three finalists and ultimately to two (Twig Science and Amplify). Based on teacher feedback, alignment to STEEL standards, hands‑on materials, Spanish supports, and usability for substitutes, the review team selected Twig with an 85.7 percent favorable score from reviewers.
Several classroom teachers and department leaders described why they supported Twig: teachers emphasized easy navigation of teacher materials, built‑in formative assessments, color workbooks and manipulatives, Spanish language resources and a phenomenon‑based instructional model designed to develop scientific inquiry and the scientific method from elementary through middle school.
Dr. Ayer presented an estimated five‑year implementation cost (licenses, manuals, module kits, refill kits and PD) of under $500,000 and laid out a professional‑development schedule including four on‑site six‑hour sessions and seven virtual sessions. If adopted, the district proposed a March rollout for initial PD and implementation that would be followed by ongoing support.
Board members asked about payment timing (staff said vendor terms required up‑front payment in some cases), refill/supply expectations in subsequent years, and whether funds were available; staff said initial funds were in hand and additional years’ refills could be budgeted later. Trustees asked for formal documentation of total cost, PD schedule and procurement language and agreed to place the adoption item on the Jan 26 board agenda for vote.
Next steps: the board requested a summary that includes final vendor pricing, payment terms, detailed PD timeline and confirmation of funding sources before the adoption vote.
