The details
During its regular October meeting, the board unanimously approved Accelerate Learning’s STEMscopes textbook curriculum for the 2026-27 school year, which came highly recommended by elementary and secondary math teachers across the district, according to staff. The materials will be used for a four-year cycle, district staff said.
The textbooks will cost approximately $7 million, funded through the district’s current instructional materials allotment, according to district staff.
In the spring, district staff settled on STEMscopes and state-developed curriculum Bluebonnet Learning as the two options for CFISD’s math materials, according to an Oct. 2 presentation to the board of trustees.
Teachers then volunteered to review both curriculum options over the summer and score them on a rubric. According to the presentation, 75% of participating teachers recommended the STEMscopes curriculum, while 25% favored Bluebonnet Learning.
When broken down by school level:
- 32% of elementary school teachers preferred Bluebonnet Learning
- 9% of secondary school teachers preferred Bluebonnet Learning
What they’re saying
A large part of the new textbook’s appeal is its combination of digital and pencil-to-paper instruction, according to CFISD teachers.
Reed Elementary teacher Holly Hamlin told the board Oct. 2 that STEMscopes offers a comprehensive digital platform and vertical alignment of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, which are state standards for what every student should know. She said the materials will make it much easier to personalize lessons to students at different learning levels.
“Every single unit or module of [STEMscopes] has a real-world connection,” Hamlin said. “It answers that age-old question that kids ask, ‘When am I going to use this? Why is this important?’”
Michelle Perkins, an Algebra I teacher at Cypress Ridge High School, told board members the abundance of teacher resources available through STEMscopes will prove especially helpful for new teachers, who may need extra support with instruction.
Additionally, the textbook comes with video lessons for parents, taught by certified teachers, so they can better understand what their child is learning in the classroom and assist with at-home instruction.
CFISD will still be able to supplement curriculum as needed from the state’s Open Education Resources list, according to district staff, which includes lessons from Bluebonnet Learning.
“It was very helpful to hear their input on what was good about both of the curriculums,” trustee Christine Kalmbach said during the Oct. 6 meeting. “That’s one of the wonderful things in our district is that teachers have the ability to supplement curriculum to meet our students’ needs, and I’m glad to see that Bluebonnet could be part of those as well.”
