What you need to know
Trustees approved the use of the same learning materials for the coming school year that the district is using in the 2024-25 school year:
- HMH reading and language arts curriculum
- McGraw Hill social studies
- Bluebonnet mathematics.
The district is not using the Bluebonnet reading curriculum, which has drawn controversy for its inclusion of biblical references.
What they're saying
"I want to be very, very clear," Swanson said. "There are no biblical, scriptural or other cultural references in this curriculum. It is the same product that we have been using."
The mathematics curriculum solves some issues teachers had observed with sequence and pacing of learning materials, Swanson said. It also may help to better prepare students for the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, she said.
"There are some slight adjustments in the unit assessments so that the questions are more closely aligned to the rigor of [State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness,]" Swanson said.
What else?
Swanson said the district would be able to access additional funds by using these curriculum, as they are all on the state's shortlist of high-quality learning materials.
With the State Board of Education's rollout of new options for instructional materials, districts can also receive additional funding support to purchase them. The amount of funding provided per student for districts who choose to implement the curriculum was increased by $60 per student to purchase and print them. Districts currently receive around $171 per student to purchase textbooks.
