PVPUSD board unanimously adopts American Pageant as AP U.S. History textbook
May 09, 2024 | Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified, School Districts, California
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The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District board voted unanimously May 8 to adopt Kennedy and Cohen’s American Pageant (17th edition) as the district’s AP U.S. History textbook, beginning with the 2024–25 school year.
District instructional staff and a committee of three AP teachers and two parent reviewers described a two‑year pilot that evaluated 12 candidate texts, narrowed them to three, and recommended American Pageant as the best fit for AP expectations. Instructional coach Becky Egan, who helped lead the review, told the board the book offered breadth of content, stimulus materials that align with College Board exam tasks, and ancillary digital resources teachers said would support students’ exam preparation.
Parents who served on the review committee, Carrie Bridal and Sandy Bridal, described extensive review sessions, student feedback, and their confidence that the recommended text will prepare students for the AP exam while remaining accessible to students with diverse learning needs. Carrie Bridal said the committee initially approached the process skeptical about potential bias but concluded the selected text provided the scaffolding students need to succeed on the exam.
Board members asked presenters to identify the book’s main weaknesses and plans to address them. Presenters acknowledged concerns about the book’s treatment of recent history (the 1980–present “time period 9”), occasional prose that may read as dated or romantically phrased, and some areas that teachers plan to supplement in class. The committee said teachers will receive publisher training and additional professional development before the 2024–25 school year.
Board member comments praised the inclusive, multi‑stakeholder review process and the involvement of parents and students. After discussion, a motion to adopt the recommendation carried 5–0.
The adoption means teachers will receive June trainings and further publisher support is planned over the summer; the district said it will follow up with scheduled professional development to ensure curricular alignment and supplemental materials where needed.
District instructional staff and a committee of three AP teachers and two parent reviewers described a two‑year pilot that evaluated 12 candidate texts, narrowed them to three, and recommended American Pageant as the best fit for AP expectations. Instructional coach Becky Egan, who helped lead the review, told the board the book offered breadth of content, stimulus materials that align with College Board exam tasks, and ancillary digital resources teachers said would support students’ exam preparation.
Parents who served on the review committee, Carrie Bridal and Sandy Bridal, described extensive review sessions, student feedback, and their confidence that the recommended text will prepare students for the AP exam while remaining accessible to students with diverse learning needs. Carrie Bridal said the committee initially approached the process skeptical about potential bias but concluded the selected text provided the scaffolding students need to succeed on the exam.
Board members asked presenters to identify the book’s main weaknesses and plans to address them. Presenters acknowledged concerns about the book’s treatment of recent history (the 1980–present “time period 9”), occasional prose that may read as dated or romantically phrased, and some areas that teachers plan to supplement in class. The committee said teachers will receive publisher training and additional professional development before the 2024–25 school year.
Board member comments praised the inclusive, multi‑stakeholder review process and the involvement of parents and students. After discussion, a motion to adopt the recommendation carried 5–0.
The adoption means teachers will receive June trainings and further publisher support is planned over the summer; the district said it will follow up with scheduled professional development to ensure curricular alignment and supplemental materials where needed.
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