Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum Adoption topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board narrows K–5 ELA options; preview period and pilot planned, costs estimated
Summary
Big Walnut administrators presented two state-approved K–5 ELA options — Wit & Wisdom and Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) — and outlined a timeline for family previews, possible pilots next semester and an adoption recommendation in April; rough six-year cost estimates were cited.
The Big Walnut Local School Board heard a detailed update on the district's K'1 ELA adoption process on Sept. 16, when district staff said two state-approved curricula remain under consideration and that families will be able to preview materials before the board makes a recommendation.
Ryan Robertson, who led the presentation, said the state requires districts to adopt a comprehensive K'5 ELA curriculum from a state-approved list. The district is seriously vetting two options: Wit & Wisdom and Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA). Robertson said preview materials will be available in the board office until the Oct. 21 meeting and that, absent major concerns, the district plans pilots during the second semester and an adoption recommendation to the board in April.
The presentation focused on implementation details and costs. Robertson told the board he had sought initial quotes and estimated a six-year implementation cost of about $400,000 for CKLA, including consumable student materials, and an approximate $200,000 estimate for Wit & Wisdom for permanent materials (Robertson said he would seek updated, comparable quotes for both vendors). He emphasized that adoption includes purchase, time for professional development and ongoing onboarding costs.
Board members pressed staff on research and comparability. Robertson said both curricula are considered evidence-based and have supportive studies, but noted much research is conducted or promoted by publishers and can be noisy; he offered to gather independent studies and to track implementation-era research. He also explained that Wit & Wisdom is designed to work alongside the district's existing phonics program (Fundations/Foundations), while CKLA includes skill sections that could replicate phonics if purchased in full; that difference affects how the district could keep Foundations in place while filling the comprehension component.
Robertson said vendor presentations were staff-only but materials would be available for public review and comment. He asked the board to provide input on assumptions and implementation choices before the district brings a draft five-year forecast and final recommendation to the board.
The board did not take an adoption vote. Administration will make preview materials available to families, continue to refine cost comparisons, and return with pilot and adoption-planning details at future meetings.
