School District of Philadelphia Commits $70M to Select and Adopt New Core Instructional Resources
SHQIP | عربي | 汉语 | Français | ខ្មែរ | Português | Pусский | Español | Việt
June 6, 2023
Dear School District of Philadelphia Parents and Families,
Because high quality teachers and curricula are critically important for improving student achievement, the District has committed $70M to purchase and implement new instructional resources for reading, math and science. This is a historic investment in Philadelphia’s children in alignment with the School District’s new strategic plan – Accelerate Philly.The strategic plan is the District’s roadmap for serving students, teachers, families and communities over the next five years, and represents the actions that we will take to accelerate student’s academic achievement.
To ensure a smooth transition, the District will take a phased approach to implementing the new core instructional resources across various subjects. After careful evaluation of students’ needs, in phase one we will implement new K-12 math resources for the 2023-24 school year. I am excited to announce that we have selected Imagine Learning LLC/Illustrative Mathematics as the vendor that will provide our new, high-quality, standards-aligned core instructional resources for math. I encourage you to visit their vendor website to learn more and explore the informational materials available.
Following the implementation of the K-12 math resources, we plan to phase-in PreK Math and PreK-12 English Language Arts (ELA) core instructional resources starting in the school year 2024-2025. Core instructional resources for grades 3-12 English Language Development (ELD), PreK-12 Science and K-12 Special Education (as supplemental resources) will be implemented in future phases.
Core instructional resources, including textbooks, hands-on and virtual activities, lessons, and digital materials are the tools that educators use to deliver curriculum and build students’ knowledge. Together, core instructional resources and a culturally responsive curriculum are critical to accelerating student achievement and empowering students to succeed in the future.
Beginning this summer and throughout the school year, there will be ongoing opportunities for educators, families, and students to familiarize themselves with the new core instructional resources and experience how they work in practice. There will be a series of virtual and in-person information sessions where you can interact with the core instructional resources, and learn how to support your child’s learning at home. You can expect regular communication about these sessions in the near future.
I have said it before – we are your partners in your child’s education. The core instructional resource selection process has been a shining example of this partnership. Since January, you have been our partners in the core instructional resources selection process. You engaged with the vendors at the vendor meet and greets, and provided critical feedback through surveys, drop-in sessions and lesson showcases. For all of this, we thank you!
As we continue working together, I believe we can Accelerate Philly, achieve the Board of Education’s Goals & Guardrails, and prepare all students to imagine and realize any future they desire.
In partnership,
Tony B. Watlington Sr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
The School District of Philadelphia