Board adopts I‑Ready math materials for grades 6–8 after pilot and grant support

The Jefferson Elementary School District board unanimously approved adoption of I‑Ready Classroom Mathematics (California) for grades six through eight, following a selection process supported by a grant from Core Learning and Unbound Ed. Jessica Pace, the district’s teaching and learning program director, said the grant provided free coaching and implementation support that helped the district evaluate materials aligned to the 2023 California math framework.

Pace described a five-month selection process during which the district convened an adoption committee, piloted materials and surveyed teachers, students and families. She told trustees the pilot produced 371 student survey responses; 84.9 percent of students said they understood what they were doing in the lesson, and 77.4 percent reported they were able to achieve the learning goal for the day. Educator feedback emphasized that the program places learning targets "front and center" and includes teacher-facing engagement strategies and sentence frames.

Trustees asked about program complexity, digital versus print components and fidelity of implementation. Pace said the materials include both digital and print components and that implementation support and coaching are planned this spring and next year. Superintendent Mikulik and trustees emphasized trust in teacher expertise and requested ongoing monitoring to ensure the program is used with fidelity.

The board approved the instructional-materials adoption by motion and voice vote. District staff said the next steps will include training, coaching, and monitoring of classroom implementation.