District teacher recommends new AP Environmental Science text to align with exam

Mr. Jeremy Dixon told the committee the district’s AP Environmental Science course needs a current textbook aligned with the AP sequence and recommended replacing the older edition with a newer modular text.

Dixon described the book as "presented in a very manageable manner," with nine units broken into modules that reduce the need for teacher supplementation. He said the change would provide a common resource for an expanding student population and improve consistency across sections: "This book would be their first resource to go to rather than Megan or me."

Dixon noted the course’s unit revisions began in 2019 and that the class recently completed the AP exam; he said department head Doug Vallett confirmed growing enrollment and that the curriculum team anticipates implementing the new text in the fall. Board members praised the recommendation and asked for availability for review. Speaker 2 said the textbook and a five‑year digital license will be available for community review and will be presented for approval at the June board meeting.

Next steps: community review and a June board vote; teachers will participate in summer preparation if the district adopts the text.