District staff recommends Illustrative Math for K–3 after positive pilot

Ed Burke, the district’s math curriculum supervisor, recommended that the board consider adopting Illustrative Math for students in kindergarten through third grade, citing results from a recent pilot.

Burke told the committee that pilot teachers reported higher student engagement, more meaningful math discourse, a variety of instructional representations and assessment options that helped teachers identify student needs. "The feedback was extremely successful and positive," Burke said, summarizing the pilots’ findings. He said the program aligns with Pennsylvania core math standards and the mathematical practices the district has used for years.

Presenters emphasized that the digital component of the program functions mainly as a teacher resource and is not necessarily part of daily student-facing instruction. When asked about support for students who need tiered remediation, staff said the resource itself does not provide all remediation but integrates with supplemental materials and teacher-led interventions.

Board members asked about family outreach and how parents would be supported as the district rolls out a new K–3 curriculum. Curriculum staff said the district plans to highlight the resource at open houses, host curriculum nights and publish supplemental resources on the district website so families can see what students are using and how to support learning at home.

No formal motion or vote on the adoption was recorded during the meeting. Staff presented the recommendation for future board consideration and said they will continue to monitor benchmarks and formative data to guide implementation decisions.