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Staff recommends two-year pilot of Big Ideas math curriculum; board to consider adoption at next meeting
Summary
After a yearlong review, teacher and parent committees recommended Big Ideas learning for grades 6-8 and the AGA sequence; staff proposed a two-year adoption beginning 2026-27 with a performance review before a longer-term commitment, citing needed digital-platform enhancements from the publisher.
District staff recommended that the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District adopt the Big Ideas learning mathematics program for middle school and the Algebra-Geometry-Algebra 2 (AGA) sequence, beginning with a two-year adoption for 2026-27 and a performance review prior to a longer-term adoption.
What staff presented: A 27-member review committee of teachers and parents piloted three curricula (Amplify Desmos, Envision, and Big Ideas) and reported back to the board. Staff said middle-school teachers and the AGA group ranked Big Ideas highest but raised concerns about the usability and features of the publisher's digital platform. The publisher told staff it planned enhancements to the platform this summer and agreed to honor current pricing for the district if it moved forward with a two-year pilot.
Parent and teacher feedback: Ken Schwab, the parent representative on the pilot committee, told the board the process was thorough and said Big Ideas felt like "a very traditional textbook'very well organized, logically structured" with features teachers appreciated, such as selected answers in the back of the book. Teachers asked for professional development and publisher office hours to support rollout and for a two-year pilot to verify promised technology improvements.
Why staff recommended a two-year adoption: Staff said a two-year adoption balances instructional continuity and fiscal responsibility while allowing the publisher time to deliver the digital-platform updates and giving teachers time to implement and evaluate the program. If the publisher delivers, staff said they would return to the board with a recommendation for a full longer-term adoption; the publisher assured staff it would honor 2026 pricing for that potential continuation.
Board response and next steps: Board members welcomed the teacher-led process. Several said a two-year pilot followed by a data-driven review made sense given earlier adoptions of the same publisher and to minimize classroom disruption. Staff will plan summer professional development, publisher-supported office hours, and teacher supports for a launch if the board places the adoption on the consent calendar at the next meeting.
Closing: No formal adoption vote was taken the night of May 13; staff will return with a consent-item placement for board action at a future meeting and will coordinate PD and publisher follow-up if the board affirms the two-year plan.
