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Board approves McGraw‑Hill Inspire adoption for Eatonville middle schools
Summary
The Eatonville School Board voted to adopt McGraw‑Hill Inspire as the district’s middle school science curriculum after a multi‑year pilot and review that found strong NGSS alignment, robust Spanish support and digital assessment tools; presenters emphasized equity and teacher supports. The motion passed without a recorded roll-call tally.
The Eatonville School Board approved adoption of McGraw‑Hill Inspire for grades six through eight after hearing a detailed presentation from district instructional staff and middle‑school teachers.
Administrators and teachers said the district piloted two finalist programs and evaluated them on standards alignment, teacher readiness, student engagement and equity. Alison Myison Minus, who led the selection work, said the team narrowed the options and found McGraw‑Hill’s revised materials better aligned with NGSS and the district’s strategic objectives. "This has been a long time coming," Alison Myison Minus said, describing a 24‑year gap since the last official science adoption and a years‑long effort to secure materials aligned to current standards.
Supporters pointed to the program’s three‑dimensional design that links disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts and science and engineering practices; color‑coded student and teacher materials; built‑in Spanish supports; and interactive labs and digital dashboards. Teachers who piloted the materials said students responded positively. One teacher summarized student feedback: "It explains stuff better," and another said Inspire’s visuals and chunked lessons helped students stay engaged.
Board discussion touched on pacing, vendor support and the cost of consumables and kits. Presenters said McGraw‑Hill provides consumable and nonconsumable lab materials, and nonconsumables remain with the district; consumables can be replenished using the CTE budget where appropriate. The district also reported high rubric scores for McGraw‑Hill on equity and bias reviews compared with alternatives.
A motion to adopt the McGraw‑Hill Inspire curriculum for all middle schools was moved, seconded and — according to the transcript — the chair stated the motion carried. The motion record in the transcript does not show a roll‑call vote or tally.
Next steps include implementation planning, professional development for teachers and distribution of student materials before the fall term.
