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Mukilteo staff recommend Amplify and CommonLit as new secondary ELA; board to vote next meeting
Summary
District staff presented a two‑year review and pilot and recommended adopting Amplify and CommonLit as core secondary English language arts curricula and Norton as an AP supplement; the board was told a formal vote will be held at the next meeting.
District curriculum staff on Thursday recommended the Mukilteo School District adopt Amplify and CommonLit as its core secondary English language arts materials and use Norton as an AP‑level supplement, following nearly two years of evaluation and classroom pilots.
Dr. Gerem, the district director who presented the recommendation, told the board the review began after College Board announced it would stop supporting the district’s SpringBoard materials. "We cannot go into a school year and not have curriculum for our teachers," Dr. Gerem said, arguing the committee’s work aligned with the district’s strategic plan and equity policy.
K‑12 literacy tutor Jen Karlsruhe described the committee’s 18‑month process: district‑wide surveys of teachers and students, vendor demonstrations, independent reviews (EdReports, Reading League), bias and representation reviews after classroom pilots, and repeated classroom observations. Staff piloted three programs and surveyed both pilot teachers and the students they served before narrowing recommendations. Karlsruhe said the committee’s recommendation was "almost unanimous." She added the implementation plan would begin with summer training and continue as a coordinated multi‑year professional‑learning effort.
Staff told the board the recommendation rests on four evaluation priorities: text quality, instructional design, alignment with state standards and AP expectations, and accessibility/scaffolds for multilingual and special‑needs learners. Presenters said teacher feedback emphasized cohesion—reading, writing and language work that fits together—and that many teachers who piloted the materials reported improved instructional practice.
Board President Kennedy and other trustees asked about the implementation timeline; staff described a "year‑0" set of summer trainings followed by ongoing site‑based coaching and teacher committees to select units and supports. The board was told it will vote on the recommended materials at its next meeting.
No purchase or multi‑year contract was approved at the meeting; the board will consider formal adoption and related budget impacts at a future meeting.
