The curriculum of the District shall:
- Fulfill the mission statement of the District. Reflect the needs assessment of the District.
- Articulate (horizontally and vertically) courses of study from kindergarten through grade twelve.
- Identify standards, benchmarks, grade level indicators, suggested activities, instructional strategies, resources, and assessment tools for each course and for each grade level.
- Provide for the assessment of the procedures and methods for achieving the standards and benchmarks.
- Provide for objective assessment of the students’ progress.
- Provide for the needs of all students.
- Stress character qualities that will maintain a safe and orderly learning environment and that will ultimately equip students to be productive citizens.
The need for and value of a systematic, ongoing program of curriculum review, development and assessment is recognized. The design, implementation and assessment of the curriculum will be consistent with the Board’s stated standards and benchmarks and comprehensive school improvement plan. The Board deems it essential that the District continually develop and modify its curriculum to meet changing needs. The goal is to have each curriculum area reviewed on a six-year schedule of needs assessment, revision of curriculum, implementation, and evaluation under the direction of the Superintendent and the Director of Curriculum.
The curriculum shall reflect the best knowledge of the growth and development of learners and the content of the various disciplines. The curriculum is designed to provide the District’s expectations of what students are to learn. The planned and written curriculum shall be taught to District students, and students shall be assessed based on the adopted written curriculum. While instructional differentiation is expected to occur to address the unique needs of specific students, instruction will be derived from a curriculum that is research based and common to all students. Administrators will work with the instructional staff to maintain consistency between the written curriculum and the delivery of the curriculum.
Assessments will focus on determining the extent to which students are achieving and maintaining their mastery of appropriate specific standards, benchmarks, and grade level indicators. The Board shall review objective data and other indicators of student achievement deemed relevant as a guideline for determining the effectiveness of the curriculum.
- First Adoption:
- 2000-01-01
- Revision Adoption:
- October 9, 2005/ April 25, 2011
- Reviewed Dates:
- April 9, 2017/ May 8, 2022
- Legal Reference:
-
256.11, 280.3, 280.9, 280.12, 280.14, Code of Iowa;
281 I.A.C. 12.2, 12.5, 12.8, 41.3(6), Chapter 62