Memo: MPS Staf

Date: May 9th, 2017

MPS PreK-5 Literacy Curriculum

Selection
After 8 months conducting an extensive adoption
process, MPS is excited to announce the following
recommendations to the MPS Board of Education for
approval:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for PreK core Literacy
curriculum
Benchmark Education for K-5 core Literacy curriculum

In the spring of 2016, following a review of current

literacy program effectiveness, Minneapolis Public
Schools (MPS) decided to conduct a comprehensive
PreK-5 literacy core curriculum adoption process. The
newly adopted curriculum would focus on the Big Five
of literacy acquisition phonemic awareness, phonics,
fluency, vocabulary and text comprehension, as well as
emphasize culturally responsive practices. After
reviewing ten proposals from curriculum
vendors through a competitive request for proposals
(RFP) process, the core and expanded literacy
curriculum adoption steering committees selected four
vendors to present and share their materials with a
representative group of teachers, specialists, principals,
and other leaders. Based on the feedback from over 100
individuals, three vendors were identified as
finalists for field test. In the most recent phase of the
PreK-5 Literacy Curriculum Adoption process, the district
conducted a field test of the three curriculums. The
results of the field test provide the basis for
recommending which curriculum to ultimately adopt. For
the in-school component of the field test, PreK-5
teachers at a representative group of schools tested the
three curriculums. The field test also included staff
feasibility demonstrations, staff open houses, and
opportunities for stakeholders including parents and
community members - to review the materials for each
curriculum. Extensive data was collected for each
component of the field test.

The Literacy Curriculum Adoption steering committee

reviewed the data collected during the field test and
assessed each vendors curriculum based on the quality
of the curriculum and the feasibility of implementation.
Overall, the curriculum from Benchmark had the highest
ranking on seven of the eleven rubric components;
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt had the highest ranking on
the remaining four rubric components. Benchmark
received the highest ranking (52%) in the final rubric
component the curriculum is an appropriate fit for
MPS, as compared to 43% for Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt. This rubric item was designed to summarize
across all components of the rubric. Overall, the
curriculum from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt had the
highest ranking, and it is recommended that Minneapolis
Public Schools move forward with the adoption of the
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt literacy curriculum for Pre-
Kindergarten. A summary of the findings from the Field
Test, including a breakdown of the steering committees
full recommendation matrix results, are included in the
full MPS PreK-5 Literacy Adoption evaluation report.

As of Friday, April 28th, Superintendent Graff has

requested significant adjustments to the PreK-5 literacy
adoption timeline. The most significant adjustment is
that the literacy contracts will go to the Board for a first
read at a special session on May 30*. The board will
vote on the contracts on June 13. *The original
board vote on the PreK-5 Literacy contracts was
scheduled for May 9, 2017. Contract negotiations are
underway so we can still host the June Language and
Literacy Institutes.

As we seek to implement the new curricula, the

materials must be both windows and mirrors for our
unique student population in MPS- windows into other
cultures and mirrors to see themselves in the texts and
materials provided for students. This is in alignment with
our Teaching and Learning Mission, Vision and
Values. If the student is understood as occupying a
dwelling of self, education needs to enable the student
to look through window frames in order to see the
realities of others and into mirrors in order to see
her/his own reality reflected. (Style, E. 1996,
Curriculum as Window and Mirror). Throughout the
adoption process, multiple stakeholders provided
extensive review and gave feedback about the materials
for all vendors. In order to maximize the literacy
framework design of the adopted curriculum, we must
ensure that the materials also elevate culturally
responsive teachers, a pedagogy that empowers
students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and
politically by using cultural referents to impart
knowledge, skills, and attitudes (Ladson-Billings, G.
1995, Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant
Pedagogy). Key to addressing these identified gaps,
which existed in curriculum materials for all vendors, is
the modification of materials when possible and the
professional development training and coaching as
detailed in the PD plans.
We will plan on hosting our PreK-5 Language and
Literacy Institute on June 20-22nd as well as August
15-17th and on-contract dates (TBD) for teachers and
staff.

We would like to thank all of the students, teachers,

principals, Davis Center staff and families who
participated in this thorough review process. The final
decision will be announced after the June 13th School
Board meeting.