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Board moves forward on science textbook adoptions after yearlong pilot; $1M in materials on display
Summary
District staff presented first readings of recommended high-school and elementary science materials after a yearlong pilot; board was told combined initial costs would be about $1 million ($300,000 for grades 9–12; $700,000 for K–5) funded from restricted lottery, with materials on public display and final approval expected after a 30‑day review period.
Santa Paula Unified trustees heard a yearlong pilot review and first readings for new science instructional materials at Monday’s meeting, with staff recommending OpenSciEd for biology and chemistry at the high‑school level, HMH for physics, and TWIG for grades K–5.
Dr. Moore introduced the high‑school recommendation, telling the board the teachers conducted a multi‑phase process with WestEd and that the high‑school materials will be a six‑year adoption with an estimated financial impact of $300,000 funded from restricted lottery funds. "The high school teachers have gone through a very good process... It will be a 6 year adoption and the financial impact is $300,000 and that will be funded out of restricted lottery," Dr. Moore said.
Staff described a quantitative paper‑screen followed by classroom piloting. Biology and chemistry teams selected OpenSciEd alongside HMH in pilots; physics favored HMH. Teachers and pilot leads said they scored materials on foundations, student work, assessments and teacher supports and combined paper‑screen and pilot scores to reach recommendations. Barbara Weiser, the chemistry teacher who participated in piloting, said classroom observations showed high student engagement and collaborative learning with OpenSciEd: "We saw that the students were working together in groups and they were having... moments where they were really understanding the material."
Elementary materials (K–5) were presented as a separate first reading; staff said the recommended TWIG adoption would have an estimated impact of $700,000 to the restricted lottery. Staff noted the current elementary science curriculum dates to 2007–08 and predates NGSS standards.
Board members pressed on continuity across disciplines, math rigor in physics, implementation costs for materials and experiments, and whether OpenSciEd could be used across all three high‑school courses. Staff said OpenSciEd is open‑source and could be used supplementally, and that some allocated funds could shift to professional development to support teacher implementation. Dr. Moore corrected the earlier calendar note, saying the approvals will return after a 30‑day public display and be brought back at the first board meeting in June for final action.
Next steps: the recommended materials will be on public display at the district office for at least 30 days; staff will return to the board for final approval after that period and advance implementation planning including professional development and supply funding.
