Ventura Unified adopts Anovamat/Innovat K–5 math curriculum under seven‑year contract

The Ventura Unified School District board voted unanimously to adopt a new K–5 core math curriculum after a multi‑school pilot and a recommendation from a 16‑member teacher pilot committee.

The board approved a seven‑year contract totaling $2,500,176 for the publisher’s Anovamat/Innovat program, which staff said includes all student materials, teacher editions (English and Spanish), assessment tools and 90 days per year of professional development plus a 50% math coach role for the district. The motion passed 5–0.

Pilot committee members said they compared two state‑approved programs for six weeks in classroom units and evaluated them on a rubric aligned to district goals. "Thinking Math by Anovamat scored 66 on the rubric; Amplify scored 55.75," one pilot summary reported, and 81.3% of the 16 classroom teachers who implemented both programs voted for Anovamat.

Teachers and district leaders told the board they valued Anovamat’s student‑centered lessons, integrated Spanish materials and the vendor’s coaching model. A pilot teacher said the program’s "streamlined student materials" and embedded coaching allowed teachers to run more purposeful number talks, small groups and individualized practice.

Board members pressed staff on implementation supports and technology needs. District staff said initial onboarding sessions are scheduled for the week teachers return, followed by sustained in‑year coaching. The vendor package, staff said, includes printable alternatives to the digital practice so classrooms without one‑to‑one devices can still run the Friday individualized practice.

Trustees also discussed the standard adoption timeline and the rationale for a seven‑year contract, which the district described as typical for a core curriculum because large shifts in instruction require multiple years of professional learning and coaching.

If implementation proceeds as planned, staff said the district will phase in materials and professional learning and use the contract’s built‑in coaching to support sites with combination or dual‑language classes.

Next steps: the board approved the contract and staff will begin vendor onboarding and site‑level implementation planning with school leaders and teacher leaders.