Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum Adoption topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board reviews Amplify/Desmos middle‑school math pilot, staff recommends public review before adoption
Summary
District staff presented results from an eight‑week pilot of Amplify/Desmos, saying teachers and 750 students favored the program for engagement and alignment; the board was given an eight‑year cost estimate of about $1.715 million and opened a public review window through April 17.
District curriculum staff on March 24 presented results of a pilot of Amplify/Desmos for sixth‑through‑eighth‑grade math and asked the board to examine materials as part of a potential adoption process.
Staff said 23 teachers piloted the two competing programs for eight weeks each and that a 750‑student survey indicated stronger engagement with the Amplify/Desmos option. Presenters told the board the materials align with California’s math framework and include digital resources, performance‑task style assessments and supports for English learners and special‑education settings. Curriculum staff said the publisher provides professional learning and that district teachers praised the platform’s visual modeling and formative assessment features.
Staff provided an eight‑year price quote for the preferred publisher package that includes teacher and student licenses, kits and professional learning: a total not to exceed $1,715,000 (staff characterized that as an eight‑year commitment, or roughly $178,000 per year for core materials, plus $36,250 per year for digital licenses when averaged across eight years). Curriculum leaders said materials would be available for community review beginning immediately and continuing through the next board meeting on April 17.
Board members asked for sample access to the online components, Spanish‑language materials for dual‑immersion sites, alignment documentation to the California math framework and a plan for professional development so teachers and families can understand the new instructional approach. Trustees also asked the district to track student outcomes (CAST, MAP) before and after implementation to evaluate the program's effect on achievement.
Ending: Staff said they will provide the board and community with online access to publisher materials, an executive summary and alignment documentation and will return with a formal adoption recommendation after community review and further cost details.
