Board hears recommendation to adopt Bridges K–5 math after teacher pilot

The Mukwonago School District presented a recommendation to adopt the Bridges math curriculum for kindergarten through fifth grade after two years of review and a year of classroom pilots.

Presenters Stephanie and Michelle described a three-year adoption process that began with a research year, continued through a pilot year involving 40 teachers, and will move to implementation next year if the board approves the recommendation. Michelle said the pilot voting results showed strong support: “88.9% of our teachers vote for Bridges,” and staff recommended Bridges for kindergarten through fifth grade in the district’s traditional elementary buildings while recommending i-Ready in multi-age classrooms at Eagleville for some grades.

Administration highlighted features teachers praised: standards-aligned assessments that clearly indicate which standards each question covers, daily math routines called Number Corner that provide a spiral of practice, and “workplaces” (hands-on centers) that teachers reported boost engagement and peer interaction. Presenters said teachers saw more consistent math vocabulary use and noted examples of students forming social connections in Bridges classrooms.

At the same time, presenters cautioned that Bridges requires substantial teacher preparation in the first year: workplace centers and manipulatives must be built and organized, and the district will plan supports and summer training sessions. Administration estimated initial implementation and materials costs at roughly $300,000 and noted an ongoing annual workbook replacement cost (roughly $40,000) that the district already budgets for other programs.

The district will host a community viewing on April 16, during which parents may examine the teacher and student materials; the board scheduled a decision for its April 22 meeting. If adopted, implementation training for teachers will be scheduled in July and August before the full implementation year.

Sources: presentations by district instructional staff at the April 8 board meeting; teacher pilot voting tallies presented by district staff.