District reviews ELA and math adoptions, assessments and dual‑credit options

District staff reported that the current ELA and math adoptions are entering their sixth year and that prior purchases were supported by a transformation learning grant that paid for materials and professional development. The chair said the adoption process previously included substantial district-funded training and that the current materials have become familiar to teachers.

The group discussed diagnostic assessment tools. The chair described i‑Ready's diagnostic and improvement plan feature and cautioned that vendor‑created diagnostics can create incentives for vendors to present favorable growth results; committee members asked clarifying questions but did not reach a resolution. "It also spits out an improvement learning plan," the chair said; "so then it's targeting what students are going to do next." Another participant noted that dual‑credit courses can transfer between institutions: "If you have a college credit, it's college credit," a member said when discussing transferability.

Speakers also raised operational concerns about vocational offerings such as welding. One speaker described recent off‑site welding classes with multiple instructors and noted scheduling difficulties, long class periods and fluctuating student enrollment across the first years of new programs. Members suggested monitoring demand trends and ensuring scheduling does not unduly consume students' and teachers' time.

Next steps: committee members were directed to examine assessment data during planned vertical alignment and summer institute sessions, to clarify district requirements for dual‑credit courses and instructors, and to prepare program updates for future committee meetings.