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Quincy board work session maps curriculum adoption timeline, prioritizing math and AI pilots
Summary
At a Quincy School District board work session, district staff described a multiyear process to review and adopt core instructional materials, emphasized math priority standards and interventions for compounding gaps, and said the district is piloting AI and adaptive math tools as supplemental support.
A district presentation at a Quincy School District board work session outlined a multiyear process for selecting core instructional materials and signaled a districtwide focus on math priority standards and pilot use of adaptive AI tools.
The presenter (district staff member, speaker 5) told the board that adopting a new core program is a lengthy, multiyear commitment requiring curriculum study teams, an independent instructional-materials committee and board approval for large purchases. “Core instructional materials . . . are a critical, critical element of what we do in teaching and learning,” the presenter said, emphasizing that the board's involvement is important because adoption typically becomes a multi-year investment.
Why it matters: Washington state issued new priority math standards in December, and staff said gaps in early grades compound over time. The presenter and administrators argued that the district must identify priority prerequisites (the foundational skills that enable access to later standards), build early assessments, and design targeted interventions so students do not fall behind as they progress into higher-grade math.
District academic leaders described specific approaches the schools use: STAR assessments to measure growth; PBIS and structured recess zones to reduce behavior-related disruptions; intervention/acceleration blocks and targeted "lunch-bunch" counseling groups; and professional learning community (PLC) time for teachers to analyze data and align instruction. The presenter said the state requires implementation of new standards by the 2027'1028 school year and that the district expects to convene curriculum teams and make adoption decisions during the 2026 cycle.
On technology, staff said they are piloting math-specific adaptive tools tied to an Elevate grant and experimenting with AI tools that can supplement instruction. “It's pretty mind-boggling and impressive what you can do,” the presenter said, while cautioning that AI should not replace teachers. Pilots are intended to assess how AI and adaptive programs can support targeted catch-up work and differentiation without supplanting classroom instruction.
Costs and timeline: The presenter warned that a full K'12 adoption can exceed $1,000,000 and typically is implemented over several years, with significant professional development and coaching required. Staff noted a likely "implementation dip" in year one as teachers learn a new program, followed by gains in later years if training and monitoring continue.
Next steps: District staff will continue curriculum study-team work, run pilots, provide regular updates to the board and aim to align any adoption with the state's implementation timeline. The board did not take a final adoption vote at the session; staff framed the meeting as a work-session update and planning step.
