The School District of Philadelphia is about to start using new math textbooks and materials for kindergarten through grade 12 as part of the first phase of Superintendent Tony Watlington’s curriculum overhaul aimed at improving students’ math results, writes  Mike DeNardo for KYW Newsradio.

Currently, only 15 percent of Philadelphia students meet Pennsylvania’s standards.

As part of the $70 million overhaul, many of the old books were given to students last month to take home, according to Emily Faxon, a School District of Philadelphia project manager.

“We did an initial push for schools to give textbooks and workbooks directly to students and families in the last days of school,” she said. “So students just took them home with them.”

The remaining 50,000 books are being offered for free to parents and community groups. While they might not precisely align with the incoming materials, noted Karen Kolsky, a special assistant in the district’s Office of Academic Services, the old books still possess educational value.

Meanwhile, teachers will get their chance to take a first look at the new Imagine Learning-produced materials as soon as next week.

Read more about the new curriculum at KYW Newsradio.

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