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Merton committee reviews K–8 science curriculum draft, opens family review as district weighs two vendor options
Summary
District staff presented a K–8 science curriculum review that uses a rigorous rubric and emphasizes phenomenon-based instruction; administrators opened a family review window and said teachers favored vendor-aligned materials over printable open resources for ease of use.
Maria, the staff member leading the curriculum review, told the Student Achievement Committee that the district has not fully reviewed its elementary science program in over a decade and that aging kits and recent changes in standards prompted a comprehensive renewal. “It's been over a decade since we looked at our elementary science,” she said, noting that Project Lead The Way kits are becoming difficult to maintain.
Maria described the review process as collaborative and rubric-driven, with grade-level teacher representatives evaluating materials on differentiation, supports for English learners and students with disabilities, embedded professional supports for teachers, technology integration and alignment with the district’s nondiscrimination criteria. She said the committee also looks at item analyses from the district’s fourth- and eighth-grade science assessments to guide recommendations.
The review compared an open-education option (OpenSciEd) and a commercial program (Amplify Science). Maria said both scored well on teacher rubrics but that teachers preferred vendor solutions because they reduce printing burden and integrate more smoothly with planning tools: “Open science ed is an open educational resource … our teachers don't want to do that because it's a lot of printing of materials, kits, whatever, and it's easier not to.”
She warned the committee that some units—especially climate change—may be politically sensitive and will receive extra attention in the review. Maria said the district opened a family review link and that the survey requires families to view materials before submitting feedback; the committee set the review window to remain open through March 2.
Why it matters: the committee's recommendation will shape what teachers use in elementary classrooms and how the district balances instructional rigor, teacher time and community expectations. The review is scheduled to return to the board for a final decision in March. The committee anticipates budget and professional-development needs will be addressed in the board's upcoming budget process.
What’s next: the draft curriculum and the committee’s rubrics are available for families through Skyward and email; the board expects to consider a final adoption after the March review period.
