MCPS: New textbooks on the way

Educators at Maury County Public Schools will soon have a new set of mathematics textbooks in the hands of students.

The decision made by the district’s school board to spend $430,715.96 will bring new Algebra I, Algebra II, K-12 math books and online instruction to students in the coming weeks.

Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Ron Woodard said the new books could be in students’ hands by the end of the month.

The move follows a review of the school district’s current textbook offerings that included meeting with educators at the request of the board which postponed the

purchase of textbooks in November 2019.

“Given the magnitude of what we heard, we ultimately felt like this is the best way to go,” Woodard told the school district. “We know that we are not where we need to be in terms of textbooks.We decided to come up with a plan to help the district catch up.”

The assistant superintendent said a decision was made to prioritize mathematics over material for the study of foreign languages.

“Let’s make sure we have something so that we are set and solid. We wanted to make sure we have something to have our scores go up,” Woodard said.

MCPS students most recent performance on state annual examinations showed a 3% dip in their understanding of algebra I. However, the scores on the recent evaluations indicated students in grades 3 through 8 made strides forward in mathematics and high school students improved their scores in geometry with an 8% increase and in algebra II with a 2% increase.

Although 16 of the district’s 20 campuses saw an overall increase in academic performance, a comparison to the state’s 143 other school districts show that the school system has a long way to go.

The Tennessee Department of Education lists Maury County as one of seven counties that fall in the bottom 5% of all districts across the state. These districts have been designated as “In Need of Improvement” districts.

Including Maury County, they are: Cocke County, Humbolt City Schools, Hancock County, Shelby County and Achievement School District.

“We hope that we can move forward,” Woodard said. “Thank you for your support.”

School Board Member Kristen Parker expressed concern that the purchase will not include enough materials for individualized instruction components for all students, particularly regarding materials for students that show exceptional promise.

The purchase of those materials would have required an additional $60,000.

“This leaves a gap for enrichment opportunities for students performing above grade level,” Parker said. “ I don’t feel like we need to rush this decision.”

Woodard said the purchase would begin to put the district on track in keeping its materials current and saving the district money in the coming years.

During the meeting, he outlined a roadmap that would include spending $1.5 million on English Language Arts materials in 2021 along with more than $800,000 in materials between 2021 and 2022. In 2023, the plan would include the purchase of an additional $1 million in materials.

With a school district of Maury County’s size — more than 12,000 students — it should spend about $900,000 on materials each year, the assistant superintendent said.

He previously said the school district has missed two book adoption cycles in mathematics. The proposal includes new books for algebra I, the school district’s foreign-language requirements and outdated ELA resources.

“We are about 12 years behind in mathematics,” Woodard told school board members. “We are at the point now where if we want to see higher progress and better academic outcomes, we need the materials to do this. If we found a surplus and we have needs, let’s use that surplus and get it in the hands of the kids. Let’s not have the children wait. They need the textbooks now.”