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Greenville narrows K–5 ELA finalists to three; decision targeted by June
Summary
A district committee reported it has narrowed a review of 14 K–5 ELA programs to three finalists — Benchmark Advance, Amplify CKLA and Open Up Resources — and aims to reach consensus in June with full implementation planned for September 2025.
The Greenville Central School District’s ELA selection committee told the board on May 13 that it has narrowed a search of 14 K–5 English language arts programs to three finalists and expects to make a selection by early June.
"We started with 14 programs… we narrowed it down to 4 and then to 3," Matthew Birch, who led the selection update, said. The three finalists named were Benchmark Advance; Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA); and Open Up Resources/Bookworms (the committee noted the free Open Up version was scored differently in national reviews because some differentiated-instruction materials were not included in the free package).
Birch said the committee’s work included a district rubric, vendor presentations tailored to Greenville, hard-copy materials distributed to teachers, classroom visits to other districts, pilot lessons and discussions with teachers, coaches and administrators. The committee considered implementation time, how the program aligns with existing foundational phonics instruction (the district uses "really great reading" for tier 1 foundational skills), and how writing instruction is integrated into each program.
On next steps, Birch said the committee will begin consensus-building conversations at its next meeting and hopes to have a decision by early June. If the committee reaches agreement, the 2024–25 school year will be used as a learning year for professional development ahead of a k–5 rollout in September 2025.
Why it matters: choosing an ELA curriculum affects instruction, teacher training and materials purchases across elementary grades. Board members asked about writing instruction, pilot feedback, time needed for implementation and how the district will provide professional learning to ensure fidelity of instruction if a new program is selected.
The committee emphasized the importance of training teachers, coaches and administrators before full classroom rollout and said teachers will have opportunities to test-drive program units during the learning year.
Provenance: committee update and Q&A recorded during the board meeting (committee meeting timeline and finalists discussed).
