Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
A new curriculum pilot and two adoptions were approved last Monday, June 8, by the Colfax School board.
Brenda Kneeshaw, Instructional Coach for the Colfax School District, presented information to board members at their regular meeting.
Telling them that the cost is an estimated $100,000 to adopt a new reading and math program – including textbooks and teaching manuals – Kneeshaw pointed out that the district has received the equivalent of $150,000 in support in the last four years at no cost as part of a pilot program.
She talked first about the proposed adoption of a new McGraw-Hill English and Language Arts curriculum.
In 2013, two Jennings Elementary School teachers new to third grade and Kneeshaw worked out an agreement with McGraw-Hill to provide everything without cost for an English/Language Arts pilot for two sixth-grade and two third-grade classes.
“We’re at the end of a two-year pilot,” Kneeshaw told the board and District Superintendent Michael Morgan. “We think it’s time for an adoption.”
She relayed the cost: $19,000 for the kindergarten to sixth grade digital program for six years.
The price for the English and Language Arts program adoption/online pieces would be $21,370.
Carey Fulfs, who attended the meeting with two other Jennings teachers, spoke in support. Her sixth grade class participated in the pilot last year.
“It loses that excuse of, 'I don’t have my book,” she said of the online element.
School board president Robert Smith asked her how many of her students have computer access at home.
She answered that about 75 percent this year, which was down from over 80 percent last year.
Kneeshaw’s presentation continued.
“It’s a bottom up curriculum as far as Common Core is concerned,” she said, noting that the program was created to fit the state standards vs. being adapted to fit.
Kneeshaw then told the board about the request to now add a pilot math program, a kindergarten to fifth grade program called “MyMath.”
The cost would be $5,000.
“McGraw-Hill provided us with a lot of the student consummables,” said Kneeshaw, referring to paper workbooks from which students may tear out worksheets and assignments.
“There’s no textbook anymore. There’s two consumables and two volumes,” she said.
Then she discussed new science textbooks.
Textbooks and teacher materials for six years would be $1,500 per teacher per classroom for a total of $13,800.
“I wouldn’t be standing here talking to you if I didn’t think this was the right direction to go,” she said.
A stack of textbooks was on the counter in front of her.
“I can’t lift my kid’s backpack,” Board Member David Nails explained.
The school board voted to approve an expenditure of $21,370 over six years for English and Language Arts, and then approved a five-year bundle of math for kindergarten to sixth grade.
“Thank you, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed,” Kneeshaw said.
“We like what we’re seeing,” said Morgan. “It is very aligned with Common Core standards.”
The board then approved Reading Wonders Curriculum for K-6 and approved pilot recommendations for math K-6 and science 6-8.
“I think it’s great,” said Jennings Principal Tom Arlt later. “In the last two years our reading scores are up. It’s working. It’s good for the kids, keeps kids engaged.”
Arlt cited access to computers in the school lab and library as bridging any gap created by lack of access at home.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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