Curriculum committee recommends Illustrative Math K�–8 to full board after year-long pilot

The Groton School District Curriculum Committee on April 6 recommended that the full Board of Education adopt the Illustrative Math (IM) curriculum for grades K–8 after a year-long pilot and presentations from district math staff.

Maria, the staff presenter, told the committee the IM pilot was launched across K–8 during the current school year and included training by a certified IM instructor. "Illustrative Mathwants to create a world where all learners know, use and enjoy mathematics," Maria said, describing the program's problem-based approach and emphasis on grade-to-grade coherence.

Committee members were shown cohort performance data the presenters said motivated the recommendation. Staff highlighted that a cohort of students who were 48% proficient in third grade (2022) fell to 34% proficiency by sixth grade (2025), and other cohorts showed similar declines. Presenters argued that a single, coherent set of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) could reduce variability in instruction and improve outcomes.

Caitlyn Crowley, identified by staff as the district math supervisor, described how teachers piloted selected units beginning in August 2025 and were given curriculum-writing time to integrate units into existing plans. "Teachers received professional learning, classroom modeling and site visits," Crowley said. She also said EdReports, an independent reviewer of instructional materials, rated IM green (meets expectations) across evaluation gateways for K–8.

Teachers on the panel offered classroom examples. Daisy, one of the pilot teachers, described a typical lesson sequence: a short launch question, one to three investigations using concrete manipulatives (for example, centimeter blocks and arrays to explore area), then representations and symbolic notation as students develop fluency.

The committee discussed implementation details: staff said some core IM components are openly accessible, the district would continue to provide professional learning, and the district could extend the program later into high school if desired. Staff also said Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2 materials exist in IMs catalog and could be considered for later grades.

Chair Mitch moved that the committee recommend IM adoption to the full Board; the motion was seconded and the committee indicated consensus to forward the recommendation. Staff said they will notify the Board by email and prepare materials for the full Board meeting. The committee did not record a formal roll-call vote in the transcript.

Next steps: staff will notify the Board of Education, prepare the adoption materials and continue to plan teacher training and a timeline for classroom rollout if the Board approves adoption.