At the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, the Gretna Public Schools (GPS) district will implement a new math curriculum at the high school level. Students will switch from having a math curriculum that was made by teachers, to a purchased curriculum, McGraw Hill. This change is a part of GPS’s new math curriculum plan for the entire district.
“This year, a group of teachers, K through 12, evaluated some curriculum options, and high school teachers narrowed it down to two, and we tried both of them out in classes this spring semester,” math teacher April Martin said. “We landed on the McGraw Hill one. It has some good online material. We like that the homework is able to be turned in online, and that that’s self-checking and all that. That was a big thing.”
The new curriculum will let teachers use premade homework and tests, contrary to what they have been doing currently. In the past, math teachers from both high schools have been getting together to make the curriculum for that year, including tests, notes and homework. But this year, the teachers collaborated with the district to buy a new curriculum that they feel comfortable teaching with.
“I feel like it actually makes the students try their homework, rather than a lot of students who will just write down the wrong answers, or not even check the answers, or just simply write down the answers from the answer key instead of trying to do it,” math teacher April Martin said. “It holds the students more accountable and helps for more actual practice. And I do think that some of the activities that are available with McGraw Hill will maybe help for some better understanding of some of the topics.”
McGraw Hill has been tested on certain classes this semester, allowing some students to get a preview of what will come next year.
“I feel okay about it,” sophomore Sadie Sweeney said.“I like doing it on paper more, but the website is also really helpful. I like the new stuff about the same amount as our old homework.”
The most notable difference for students will be fully online homework, but otherwise, the curriculum will not change drastically from a student perspective. Teachers are still planning on teaching students the best way for them to learn the material and reviewing all of the tests to make sure it is something they approve of before administering them.
“I’m sure that some [teaching methods] I might approach it differently,” Martin said. “Some of it, I might decide, no, I don’t like the way that book teaches that I’m still going to do it my way, but give them the same homework as McGraw Hill would.”
