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Board renews digital curriculum contracts and orders stakeholder review of screen-time and I Ready use
Summary
After sustained public concern about screen time, the board approved one-year renewals of district contracts for supplemental digital curricula (Canvas, Eureka Math, i-Excel, I Ready, Edunum/Apex) and directed staff to carry out a structured stakeholder engagement process this school year with a report back in January 2027.
The governing board approved a one-year renewal of several supplemental digital curriculum contracts and endorsed a district plan to convene teachers, principals, union representatives, families and students for a documented stakeholder review of platform use and implementation.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Huitt described the district’s rationale: these digital tools serve multiple roles (learning management, diagnostic and adaptive practice, virtual coursework) and some are state-aligned benchmarks. Staff acknowledged strong public concern about classroom screen time and the need for disciplined, evidence-informed changes rather than abrupt removal of widely used systems.
Key points cited by staff: - I Ready is the district’s K–8 diagnostic and the state-aligned benchmark instrument used for Move On When Reading grant compliance; removing it without an approved replacement could risk grant funding and eliminate districtwide screening data. - Usage data show near-universal diagnostic completion but modest "time-on-task" for individualized practice (district averages roughly 22–23 minutes per week vs. a vendor-recommended 30–49 minutes), indicating an implementation-fidelity gap. - Staff proposed a structured stakeholder process beginning in fall 2026 that will gather teacher, principal, TEA (union), family and student input and return a set of recommendations to the board in January 2027.
Board members expressed concerns about passive screen use and student experience; several voted in favor of the renewals while emphasizing the need to reduce unnecessary device time and increase live small-group instruction. One board member said she would move the renewals to avoid disrupting teachers for the start of the school year; another asked for a clearer plan on training and how interventionists will integrate platforms into teacher-led small groups.
The board approved the renewals and the stakeholder-commitment plan. Staff committed to detailed reporting of usage, implementation fidelity, and options for non-digital diagnostics or one-on-one assessments where feasible.
What families should know: the digital materials will remain available for the coming year while the district conducts stakeholder outreach. Staff said they will provide parents a timeline for feedback sessions and the January 2027 report that will contain implementation and policy recommendations.
