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Board approves K–5 Amplify CKLA after teachers report stronger phonics and engagement
Summary
The Granville Board of Education approved purchase of the Amplify CKLA K–5 ELA package, following testimony from pilot teachers who said the program better integrates phonics, vocabulary and knowledge-building; the purchase was presented as fully grant-funded.
Granville Public Schools on Monday voted unanimously to adopt the Amplify CKLA K–5 English language arts curriculum after teachers who piloted the program described higher student engagement, stronger integration of phonics and comprehension, and teacher-friendly materials.
District leaders recommended the purchase as a replacement for the district’s prior tier‑one materials and said the package — including classroom texts, teacher materials, digital licenses and three years of student consumables — would be paid for with state grant funds. The administration told the board the investment would place the district in compliance with recent state dyslexia legislation and provide a comprehensive tier‑one ELA resource for kindergarten through fifth grade.
The recommendation followed a pilot that included 26 K–5 teachers from six buildings and three rounds of data collection. Scott (presenter) introduced pilot members and summarized the selection process, noting that CKLA scored highly on a rubric used by the committee. Pilot teachers Ashley Dickinson (first‑grade teacher, East Elementary), Alexis Lefver (second grade, East Elementary) and Megan Bacon (fourth grade, Graham View Elementary) described classroom results and why they supported adoption.
"Science of reading was like the number one thing I was looking for," Ashley Dickinson said, describing why she favored CKLA. Teachers told the board CKLA weaves phonics, writing, vocabulary and comprehension into a single program so students encounter and practice skills in connected texts rather than in separate, siloed lessons.
Pilot teachers also reported practical benefits for classroom use: teacher manuals that are easy to follow, prepared slide decks and reader materials that let substitute teachers run lessons, built‑in tools for students to look up vocabulary and decodable texts that reinforce phonics lessons.
Board members questioned implementation timing, assessment formats and the role of tier‑two interventions. Presenters said CKLA’s skills portion embeds decodables and that approved tier‑two programs the district uses (for example, UFly) would remain available for targeted small‑group support. The administration said the program includes both knowledge‑building domains (content units such as science and social studies topics) and explicit phonics instruction.
Board members also pressed for a clear implementation plan. The district said, if approved, orders would be finalized immediately to receive materials before July 1 and full implementation would begin in the fall with a combination of initial training, PLC‑based rollout and ongoing supports. The presenters said they will work with grade‑level teams to integrate lessons into PLCs and track student data as part of compliance measures.
The motion to approve the purchase was moved and seconded; the board recorded a roll‑call vote and approved the recommendation unanimously.
The administration framed the purchase as grant‑funded and said it includes professional development and three years of consumable materials; board members asked for follow‑up reporting on training effectiveness and measurable compliance targets once implementation begins.
The board thanked the pilot teachers for participating in the process. The board’s approval does not change the district’s tier‑two supports, which the presenters said will be used for targeted interventions where needed.
