It is the policy of the board of trustees of this district to seek participation by all stakeholders in its responsibility for preparing students for the twenty-first century. This preparation includes aligning the curriculum to allow students to successfully achieve the standards adopted by this board, as measured by appropriate assessments.
The board recognizes that it is essential to the implementation of the curriculum standards and assessments that all stakeholders in this district are given an opportunity to participate in all aspects of the implementation process.
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
The board requires the development of curriculum for all district courses/subjects and approves all changes to district curriculum. The board will review and amend, as appropriate, the district’s vision statement to ensure that it presents a compelling description of the future state of the district and the implementation of curriculum standards. The superintendent or designee shall provide clear direction for curriculum design. The district’s curriculum will have a consistent format and meet the following criteria:
1. Align objectives with district, state standard and assessments through a framework for vertical (grade to grade) and horizontal (within a grade level) consistency.
2. Consider student, staff, parent and community expectations or needs.
3. Clearly state objectives for the desired knowledge, skills, concepts or dispositions.
4. Delineate prerequisite requirements.
5. Include a list of resources, including online resources, texts, or other supplementary materials.
6. Provide examples of teaching strategies, methods or activities through professional development.
7. List the types of academic intervention district staff will use when the student rate of academic progress is not satisfactory.
8. Communicate a plan for the curriculum development process.
9. Delineate accountability measures.
CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION
The superintendent or designee is responsible for the overall facilitation of the district’s implementation of curriculum standards and assessments. Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Identifying representatives from all stakeholder groups and invite them to participate in the implementation process.
- Reviewing the current strategic plan for this district and determine whether it includes the implementation of standards for all students.
- Facilitating the development and/or review of an ongoing school improvement process for each school in this district, ensuring that all school improvement plans are aligned with this district’s strategic plan and include the implementation of standards for students.
- Coordinating the district’s implementation process to ensure the district complies with the state requirements.
- Training staff in the delivery of the curriculum.
STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE
The board may appoint a Standards and Assessment Committee for the purpose of developing a systematic approach to the implementation and evaluation of district curriculum, standards and assessments. The Standards and Assessment Committee will be chaired by the superintendent or designee and be composed of at least two (2) representatives from each of the stakeholder groups. The Committee’s responsibilities include, but may not be limited to, the following:
- Defining the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholder groups.
- Establishing district-wide goals for the implementation of the curriculum standards and assessments.
- Developing a protocol for the discussion, decision-making, and conducting of committee and team meetings, as well as public forums.
- Identifying and establishing Grade Level Teams for each elementary grade and Department Teams for each secondary content area.
- Developing various methods by which all stakeholders are given an opportunity to be educated regarding the curriculum standards and assessment implementation, and provide information and input to the committee, including, but not limited to, surveys, and public meetings. Establishing procedures for communicating the stakeholders’ input to the board, administration, committee, and/or teams, as deemed appropriate.
- Reviewing the district’s current curriculum coordination and articulation to determine whether it exists across all grade levels in the five core content areas. Establishing clear and operative mechanisms for systematic curricular change.
- Developing a formative and summative assessment system to be applied on a district-wide basis by the Grade Level and Department Teams in assessing alignment of curriculum to the student’s achievement of standards and benchmarks.
- Making regular reports regarding the status of such implementation to the board of trustees.
GRADE LEVEL AND DEPARTMENT TEAMS
The superintendent may identify Grade Level and Department teams for the purpose of implementing and evaluating the district’s curriculum, standards and assessments. The Grade Level and Department Teams will be composed of certificated personnel members currently teaching in the relevant grade level or department. The teams’ responsibilities will include, but may not be limited to, the following:
- Defining the roles and responsibilities of the team, and setting timelines for accomplishment of goals; reassessing responsibilities and timelines, as appropriate.
- Setting a schedule of regular weekly meeting dates, to occur weekly.
- Reviewing the grade level or department curriculum to determine whether there exists a consistency in the curricula in the five core content areas (as appropriate), as it is written, taught, tested, graded, and reported.
- Reviewing the grade level or department curriculum, as written, and the curricular materials and resources, including technology, and determine whether they are consistent.
- Collecting data from a variety of sources, including test results, and analyze and interpret the data to determine the current status of the district’s alignment of curriculum and assessment.
- Outlining specific and measurable objectives/strategies aligned to the applicable standards and benchmarks; implement such objectives/strategies; and developing a method for measuring the impact such objectives/strategies have on student learning over time.
- Continually reassessing the data as appropriate during the implementation process and making appropriate adjustments in instruction to align the curriculum to the applicable standards and benchmarks.
- Providing data regarding the impact of the implementation of curriculum standards and assessments on student learning, including test results and interpretation thereof, to the Standards and Assessment Committee for dissemination to the stakeholders.
OPEN MEETING LAW
The meetings held by the Standards and Assessment Committee will comply with the Idaho open meeting law.
NOTICE OF POLICY
The district will post a copy of this policy at the district offices and will publish it on line at www.aberdeen58.org under the district tab, and annually in the local newspaper of general circulation. The policy will also be available to stakeholders at the administrative office of each school.
CURRICULUM EVALUATION
Existing curricula shall be reviewed annually as part of the district’s strategic planning process. The superintendent or designee shall evaluate the curriculum for efficiency and effectiveness using the criteria for curriculum development outlined herein and through consultation with the Standards and Assessment Committee, if applicable. The superintendent shall report to the board on the status of the district curriculum through the annual strategic planning process.
As part of the district’s annual curriculum evaluation, the board may host one or more public forums to allow stakeholders an opportunity to receive information regarding the district’s curriculum, standards and assessments. If the district has established a Standards and Assessment Committee, such forum(s) may be held by the committee.
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LEGAL REFERENCE:
Idaho Code Sections
33-506(1) – Organization of Board of Trustees
33-512 – Governance of Schools
33-512A – District Curricular Materials Adoption Committees
74-201 et seq. – Idaho Open Meetings Act
ADOPTED: July 20, 2022
AMENDED: