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Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified board approves new elementary math curriculum after extensive pilot
Summary
After a yearlong review and pilots of two publishers, the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District board voted 5‑0 to adopt Amplify Desmos Math for elementary grades, citing stronger language supports, unit narratives and built‑in spiral review while promising teacher training and supplemental practice materials.
The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously to approve a new elementary math curriculum recommended by the district’s instructional materials review committee.
District staff presented a multi‑stage adoption process that included a 22‑teacher committee, four parents and a multi‑school pilot of two finalists: Heinemann Math Expressions and Amplify Desmos Math. The committee evaluated materials against a rubric aligned to the state’s 2023 framework and ran classroom pilots lasting four to six weeks.
Stacy Dunn, elementary TOSA, read comments from pilot teachers and parents in support of Amplify. She summarized teacher feedback that Amplify’s lessons use unit stories to provide context, include differentiated learning centers and offer language supports for English learners while embedding spiral review across lessons. A parent representative who participated in the pilot said the program balanced print and digital materials and that “every single lesson that is online is also available on paper.”
Board members asked staff about digital usage, substitute‑friendliness and options for students who need acceleration. Staff said the elementary program has limited digital content at lower grades (about 10–20% at K–5) and that every digital lesson is also available in print. They also described an optional additional practice book and online tools teachers can use to generate homework and enrichment tasks.
Superintendent Devin Serrano said the adoption reflects a careful, community‑driven process and noted plans for professional learning days and ongoing support if the board approved the materials. Staff said, if approved, orders would be placed so materials arrive by June 30 and a district‑wide training day would be scheduled before the 2026–27 school year.
After discussion, a motion to approve the recommended elementary math curriculum passed 5‑0. The district plans a full‑day professional development session in August and additional follow‑up trainings during the school year.
