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602.1 Curriculum Development and Management

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT

Curriculum Development and Review

The need for and value of systematic, ongoing program of curriculum development and evaluation involving students, parents, teachers and administrators are recognized.  The design and implementation of the curriculum will be consistent with the Board's stated curriculum goals and objectives.  The Board deems it essential that the school system continually develop and modify its curriculum to meet changing needs.  The Board authorizes the superintendent to cooperatively develop the curriculum.  Staff contributions to curriculum development will be provided through curriculum committees.

It shall be the responsibility of the Superintendent to develop proposals relating to curriculum modifications and additions that, in the opinion of the Board, the staff, and consultants, are essential to the maintenance of a high-quality program of education from pre-kindergarten through twelve.

While instructional differentiation is expected to occur to address the unique needs of specific students, that instruction will be derived from a curriculum that is common to all students and all levels of that curriculum, and supplementary resource materials shall be available to all students and staff members regardless of grade assignment.  A primary consideration in all curriculum development, modification, review, and implementation shall be the establishment of an integrated, multidisciplinary curriculum that conveys multiple learnings simultaneously in order to maximize the educational benefits of a limited and precious instructional time.

The Planned and Written Curriculum

It is the expectation of the Board that learning will be enhanced by adherence to an integrated curriculum that promotes continuity and cumulative acquisition of skills and knowledge from grade to grade and from school to school.  The curriculum should reflect the best knowledge of the growth and development of learners, the content of the various content disciplines, and the needs of learners based on the nature of society and the desires of the community.  The curriculum is designed to provide teachers and students with the district’s expectations of what children and young people are to learn.  Teachers are expected to follow the curriculum in performing teaching assignments.

The Taught Curriculum

The design and implementation of the curriculum will be aligned with the planned and written curriculum guides, the taught curriculum as presented to students by the teachers, and the tested curriculum as determined by student assessments.  Each of these three components of the curriculum shall be matched to bring about a high degree of consistency, except where planned otherwise (e.g., national-state norm-referred test.)

All curriculum, including but not limited to elimination of programs and courses and extensive content alteration, will be subject to Board approval.  Curricular proposals from the certificated staff may be presented to the Superintendent, who will be responsible for disclosing and making recommendations to the Board on such matters.

Curriculum guides shall be provided for the various subject areas or interdisciplinary offerings.  These guides shall present at least a minimal outline for instruction and a basis for further development of the particular area.

The guides will reflect alignment to the state required curriculum and shall be designed to suggest a variety of possibilities for instruction, patterns of individualization, variations of approaches, and materials.

The Superintendent will formulate procedures for the development and use of curriculum guides.

The Tested Curriculum-Evaluation

The district will establish models for determining the effectiveness of instructional programming at District, school and classroom levels.  Evaluations will focus on determining the extent to which students are achieving and maintaining their mastery of appropriate specific learning expectations and the extent to which instructors are displaying effective 

Approved:   5/12/97                   Revised:   10/98                      Reviewed:    1/00

                                                                                                                   10/06

                      7/17