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District to replace Benchmark after state removes program from approved reading list; new quote about $106,000 price tag
Summary
District leaders told the board that the state removed Benchmark from the approved curriculum list for not meeting the science-of-reading phonics standard; the district plans to adopt 'Arts and Letters' (Wit & Wisdom) at an estimated $106,000 and said recovering prior Benchmark costs (~$96,000) appears unlikely.
District administrators told the Nashville School District board on Nov. 17 that the state informed districts that the Benchmark reading curriculum’s phonics component does not meet the state’s science-of-reading standard and that Benchmark was being removed from the state-approved list.
Miss Kim (speaker 9) said the district spent about $96,000 on the K–3 Benchmark materials and that the state’s reading specialist has declined to keep Benchmark on the approved list. She said the state and vendor discussions have been contentious and that districts are pursuing multiple avenues for relief; the presenter and other administrators said they do not expect reimbursement and that some districts may litigate the vendor or the approval decision.
Because the district must use a state-approved curriculum for reading, administrators recommended adopting Arts and Letters (the Wit & Wisdom program) as a replacement. The quoted purchase price for the recommended replacement was about $106,000. Staff told the board the transition will take substantial teacher professional development and that Year 1 of a new curriculum typically requires two to three years of adjustment for teachers and students.
Why it matters: the removal affects classroom instruction, district fiscal planning and teacher preparation. Administrators said they will seek to align coding of concurrent-credit and AP course codes and verify student records to maximize the district’s performance under state accountability measures.
Next steps: staff will proceed with procurement and professional development planning for the replacement curriculum and will return to the board with final purchase and implementation plans. The board discussed the trade-offs of changing curriculum midstream and the district’s efforts to recode courses and track students to improve report-card scores.
