Williams Bay board approves $95,900 purchase of Amplify CKLA for K–8

The Williams Bay School District on April 14 approved a three-year license for the Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) program for kindergarten through fifth grade and Amplify ELA for grades six through eight, at a cost of $95,900.96.

Administrators told the board the recommendation followed district review, state guidance under Act 20, and pilot work by teachers. A presenter described CKLA as aligned with the "science of reading" and said the adoption would include ongoing professional development for staff.

"My students are doing fantastic with it already," said Kate Marina, a first-grade teacher who began using the CKLA materials in early March and told the board her class completed a unit on the human body and showed rapid vocabulary gains. Lauren Hudson, a sixth-grade teacher, said the middle school materials expose students to higher-level texts while offering built-in supports and differentiation.

School leaders said the curriculum package includes both print and digital resources along with teacher materials, and that the district plans two days of teacher training if the board approved the purchase (down from a previously anticipated three days). Administrators said they will work through implementation this summer and provide planning supports for teachers in August and the fall, pending board approval.

"It is an expensive commitment, but one that we really feel we need to do," an administrator told the board before members moved and approved the purchase.

The board voted to approve the three-year license during the meeting; staff said the investment is intended to improve early literacy outcomes and align instruction across grade levels. Implementation steps and additional training details will be scheduled after the contract is finalized.