Muskegon Public Schools staff say literacy gains may take years; math interventions limited by resources

At a Feb. 3 Muskegon Public Schools board workshop, curriculum staff presented updates on literacy and math, saying the district expects the new literacy curriculum to take several years before showing full results.

Deanna Holman, listed in the agenda as Curriculum and Instruction, introduced the presentation. Alecia Hoppa told board members, "It can take 5 years to see results from the new curriculum," and staff said that cohort-level results for students currently affected would be expected by 2028 when they reach ninth grade. Staff described positive feedback on the current literacy materials, identifying Bookworks and Amplify as the primary curricula in use.

Holman and Hoppa said intervention capacity differs by level: elementary grades have more effective intervention options, while secondary interventions remain a challenge. For math, Holman reviewed K–5 and K–8 data and described a three-tier support model — the core math program, small-group instruction within classrooms, and pull-out small groups — but noted that "most of the available strong intervention tutoring is being used towards literacy needs, only a few available for math needs right now." The district named Bridges for K–5 and Big Ideas for grades 6–8 as the adopted math curricula.

The workshop was informational only; no formal decisions or votes were taken. Board members may request further data or follow-up at a future meeting as staff refine intervention strategies for secondary literacy and expand math tutoring capacity.