School committee adopts Amplify Science for grades 5–8 after pilot

The Webster School Committee voted unanimously May 26 to adopt Amplify Science as the district science curriculum for grades 5 through 8 following a year‑long pilot of two programs.

Debbie Rivera, director of curriculum and instruction, told the committee teachers piloted matched units for both Amplify and OpenSci/OpenSite and completed rubrics on standards alignment, classroom application and culturally responsive supports. "A lot of our students are kinesthetic — they need to be engaged in the learning," Rivera said, explaining one reason the pilot team recommended Amplify.

Rivera said the pilot included teacher and student feedback, exit tickets and a rubric process that emphasized supports for English learners and students with disabilities. She described three options for launching Amplify — staged lesson sets that allow teachers to begin without covering every component at once — and said kits and consumable materials are included in the quoted purchase and were budgeted for FY27.

Committee members asked about reading level, translation and online versus paper components. Rivera said materials include student books and printable handouts, online components with translation features, and teacher guidance on differentiating articles and assessments. "Everything that is available online is also available for print," Rivera said.

The motion to adopt Amplify Science (moved, seconded) passed on a roll call with members recorded as voting yes and no abstentions noted in earlier procedural votes. "Motion passes," the chair announced after the vote.

Next steps outlined by Rivera include summer planning sessions with stipends, an opening‑days rollout, October full‑day training, and ongoing coaching or consultation for teachers as classrooms transition to the new curriculum.