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Board hears first reads for math and English curriculum adoptions under state guidance
Summary
Curriculum teams presented first reads for K–12 math and secondary English instructional materials under Virginia's high‑quality instructional materials guidance; proposed vendors include Kiddom, Mathspace and My Perspectives with multi‑year purchase options and an overall five‑year estimate below $400,000.
At the March 17 meeting, curriculum staff presented a first read of proposed K–12 instructional materials aligned with recent Virginia requirements for high‑quality instructional materials.
Kim Waller and Jamie Hutchinson told the board they were bringing recommendations after staff review, classroom pilots and vendor demonstrations. For elementary math the district recommended expanding a Kiddom pilot and purchasing one hard copy set per school plus electronic teacher access; staff estimated an annual cost just over $35,000. Secondary math leaders asked to expand Mathspace beyond its current “skills” component; staff recommended a five‑year purchase to allow steady implementation, estimating about $25,391 per year on a five‑year contract. For secondary English the adoption team recommended My Perspectives for its text complexity, assessments and vetted text sets; the five‑year option was presented at about $47,381 per year.
Staff described the review process: sample materials were made available for teacher review in school buildings, then placed for public review (originally at Heritage Library). Because the library asked staff to relocate materials, the display was moved to the Department of Innovation and Student Services and the public review period was extended to April 10.
Board members pressed staff on alignment, printing versus digital access, measures of success and classroom standardization. Ms. Waller said the priority would be on printed student materials in classrooms while providing digital access for students with extenuating needs: "It is more fiscally responsible for us to print the ones we need than to purchase workbooks," she said. Staff said they would use unit assessments, benchmarks and PLC data to evaluate early implementation and usage reports to confirm teacher adoption.
If the board approves the second read in April, staff planned to purchase materials and offer professional development over the summer so teachers have early access before the school year.
