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Jenkintown SD to pilot Amplify K–5 math program with $25,000 initial investment
Summary
District staff outlined a K–5 pilot of the Amplify math curriculum covering all elementary students, a $25,000 one-year investment for materials and digital access, embedded professional development, and a plan to measure success with both program assessments and state tests.
Jenkintown School District officials on Aug. 18 presented a plan to pilot the Amplify K–5 mathematics curriculum across the district’s elementary grades, saying the program is intended to boost coherence, math fluency and targeted interventions.
The district’s curriculum presenter (speaker 6) told the board the pilot would include all 14 K–5 math teachers so every elementary student would experience the program. The presenter described Amplify as a more linear, skills-progressing approach compared with the district’s previous spiral program and said the pilot will emphasize conceptual understanding, fluency and targeted supports for students who struggle.
“The goal is stronger math fluency, problem solving and coherence,” the presenter said, noting the district will use Amplify’s embedded assessment tools (referred to in the meeting as MCAS) alongside PSSA results and a separate benchmark (AIMSweb) to provide two competing data points in year one.
The district estimated the year-one investment at $25,000 for the K–5 pilot, which the presenter said covers center kits, print and digital materials, teacher guides and platform access. The presenter added that the district intentionally purchased a portion of durable goods in case the pilot did not continue, and that ongoing costs in year two were expected to be similar minus the initial durable purchases.
Professional development is embedded in the pilot, the presenter said: two trainers will visit in person the next month, monthly virtual coaching will be available, and some training will occur during contracted time while other sessions will be voluntary. The presenter said the program’s assessment-to-intervention matching would allow staff to more quickly identify and respond to students who need additional supports.
Board members asked how success would be measured and whether a modest drop in overall proficiency in a pilot year would constitute a failure. The presenter and the superintendent (speaker 2) said they expect an initial implementation dip may be possible while teachers develop mastery with new materials; they emphasized looking at subgroup and cohort gains (for example, students previously scoring basic or below-basic) as an important measure of success rather than only a single proficiency percentage.
The board also discussed ensuring the district can report cohort- and grade-level results and how the district will limit duplication of testing. The presenter said the district plans to use both Amplify’s assessment suite and an external benchmark so the results ‘‘talk to each other’’ and are not solely reliant on a single platform.
Next steps: the board approved the consent and business items on the agenda during the same meeting (see "Votes at a glance"), and district staff said they will monitor the pilot, hold a midyear check-in and report back to the board before any decision about broader adoption.
