Curriculum

The Continuous School Improvement process targets our Student Engagement, Growth, and Achievement pillar in the following ways:

• Allows for the opportunity to articulate the strengths of the curriculum and programming

• Identifies specific actions to address gaps within the academic programming

• Improves teaching and learning practices

• Provides an opportunity for critical reflection on curriculum

• Provides evidence to drive decision making about curriculum and academic programming

• Provides an opportunity to conduct academic audits to discern current reality and define desired state

Evidence suggests that providing teachers with access to high-quality, standards-aligned curricular materials can result in improvement in student outcomes, making it a research-based school improvement strategy.  Annual school strategic planning and the continuous improvement process provide a mechanism for identifying needs and establishing a common approach to meeting those needs at the school level.  Effective school improvement planning contributes to overall school performance through a deep dive into a school's current state and then using a root cause analysis to identify the highest priorities for action based upon the potential to improve student outcomes.  The following data sources support the annual school strategic planning process:

• Student Achievement Data:  All data from classwork and assessments (i.e. ACT, PreACT Secure, Forward, STAR, FastBridge, etc.)

• Student Non-Academic Data:  All other student data (i.e. attendance, discipline, etc.)

• Implementation Data: Measures adult behavior and extent to which a strategy or system is implemented (i.e. SIG, surveys, practice profiles, etc.)

• Program Data:  Info about programs that give data on quality and effectiveness (i.e. participation in advanced courses, extra-curricular activities, etc.)

• Perception Data:  Opinions and perceptions of school community (teacher, student, family surveys)

DPI Plan

Phase 1	Phase 2	Phase 3+
Understand how the standards fit into coursework. Understand the differences between the old/new standards. Understand implications for increased rigor and content with the new standards with Unpack/Repack. Continue embedding Literacy for All Subjects and Mathematical Practices in coursework, instructions, and assessment. Begin preliminary look at relevant industry certifications, as needed. engage a broad group of stakeholders in decisions around offerings and content of courses. Plan for curriculum development.	Follow a plan to select standards-aligned instructional materials. If not adopting new materials now, review what you use for alignment with the new standards. Identify gaps. Develop/select local curriculum with a focus on implementing standards. Select and align resources to implement changes in instruction. Review and align local formative and benchmark assessments. Work closely with teachers and content areas to embed key strategies in. curriculum/standards courses. Investigate assessments relevant to local curriculum and outcomes. Review and update course equivalency options, as needed.	Plan and roll out/support teachers implementing the standards-aligned materials. Create a PD plan to address alignment materials between instructional and the new standards. Expand transcripted/ other post-secondary standards-based credit options. Implement assessment relevant to local curriculum and outcomes. Conduct collaborative team studies of student data and progress. Develop new course equivalency options, as needed. Evaluate impact of implementation work and provide additional support.

 

Our District Plan

Timeline	Items
Phase 1	Determine Philosophy & Vision (Our Student) Identify values and best practices/research in this content area (include all stakeholder groups in this process) Unpack the new standards or review standards to determine Essential Learning Outcomes Data review Analyze old/new standards to identify similarities/differences Discuss implications for changes in courses at the secondary level Determine if new resources will be piloted in Phase 2
Phase 2	Pilot new resources if needed Train teachers on new resources prior to start of Year 2 school year Analyze data and monitor the pilot process Bring new courses to the school board for approval if needed (Dec. of Phase 2) Get new resources that need formal adoption approved by school board if needed (April of Phase 2) Write or revise curriculum for all grade levels courses to be presented to the board (May of Phase 2)
Phase 3	Continued professional development on new standards and resources Implement new resources and instructional shifts

 

 

If the Curriculum Review and Review Process results in the need for new curriculum and instructional resources, the following board policies must be adhered to in the selection process of those resources:

2510 - Adoption of Textbooks

2521 - Selection of Instructional Materials and Equipment