Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Curriculum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adopts integrated secondary math curriculum, approves $476,688 purchase
Summary
The Great Falls Public Schools board approved a shift from traditional Algebra/Geometry to an integrated 1–3 sequence and authorized the purchase of Sabas Envision materials for 7th–10th grades at a cost of $476,688.05, after staff described rollout, honors sequencing and licensing costs.
The Great Falls Public Schools Board of Trustees voted March 23 to adopt a new secondary math adoption that replaces a single‑strand Algebra/Geometry model with an integrated sequence and to approve the related materials purchase.
Becky Frisbie, the district’s secondary curriculum coordinator, told the board the adoption will rename Algebra 1 to "Integrated 1," make geometry part of an "Integrated 2" pathway and keep Algebra 2 as a multi‑strand course. Frisbie said the integrated approach combines algebra, geometry and statistics/probability across grade levels to provide continuity and reduce single‑strand gaps. "This is gonna bring about some changes in name," she said, describing the restructured course titles and the multi‑year honors rollout.
Frisbie outlined a multi‑year rollout for honors courses so students already on honors tracks will not lose access. She said teachers can administer pretests at the start of units to identify gaps and provide teacher‑ready materials to target those deficiencies. On funding, Frisbie said the middle‑school licensing cost is included in the curriculum budget and interlocal funds; she presented a middle‑school licensing line of roughly $209,003.54 and described splits between building budgets and interlocal curriculum funds.
Trustees asked whether other districts had success with the curriculum and about pacing. Frisbie said districts including Belgrade and Bozeman have used the program and that training and a slower initial rollout contributed to better outcomes where districts invested in teacher preparation. Trustee Bronson asked whether the integrated courses span one or two semesters; Frisbie clarified Integrated 1 and Integrated 2 are each two‑semester year‑long courses.
Trustee Ham moved to approve the purchase of Sabas Envision materials for 7th grade, 8th grade, Integrated 1 and Integrated 2 in the amount of $476,688.05. The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
The district will implement honors rollout phases over multiple school years and purchase six‑year digital licenses for high school materials; some license activations will be staggered to align with the honors schedule. Board members said they will monitor teacher training and continuity for remote/Ingenuity students who transition back to face‑to‑face classes.
The board’s vote completes the second reading of the adoption; staff will proceed with procurement and implementation planning.
