The Little Chute Area School District follows a Curriculum Development and Renewal Process when reviewing and revising curriculum in all areas. District Staff and Administrators use this process as a systematic way to consider a variety of factors, issues, and components in the Teaching and Learning Framework.
This process is used to evaluate, renew, and design existing curriculum. The process integrates analysis of best practice, student achievement results, feedback from stakeholders, and committee collaboration. Each phase of this process is key to the success of the overall Curriculum Development and Renewal Process. The process relies on significant input from stakeholders throughout the entire process. Process goals include:
- Maintaining a research-based curriculum that provides teachers and students with the most up-to-date curriculum.
- Analyzing current practices for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
- Infusing technology into the teaching and learning framework.
- Embedding literacy into each curriculum area.
- Ensuring inclusive and culturally responsive teaching and learning practices.
This process deploys a five-step cyclical and systematic process to ensure high-quality district programs. A systematic curriculum renewal and design process contributes to the successful implementation of district programs through planned, reflective, and data-driven change and innovation.
During this process curriculum teams (that include Little Chute Area School District administrators and teachers) are created. Each curriculum area falls along a five-step continuum that includes: Program Evaluation, Development, Implementation, Analysis, and Revision. Curricular areas minimally experience each phase during the five-year rotation. However, internal and external forces, changes, and inputs can accelerate or decelerate the process.
Introduction
Little Chute Area School District stakeholders believe all students can learn, and it is their duty and responsibility to ensure that all students do learn. With that understanding, the Little Chute Area School District accomplishes this by developing a comprehensive, integrated approach that provides system-wide support to school, families, and the community.
The Little Chute Area School District has a history of commitment to excellence in education. The Board of Education and district citizens have endorsed this commitment by supporting the development, implementation, and evaluation of the curriculum and the instructional programs. Administrators and professional educators have worked together to design and implement instructional programs that meet the diverse needs of students from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. While there are many reasons to be proud of the district’s instructional program, excellence demands a dedication to continuing evaluation and improvement.
This document is a design that provides for constant renewal to meet the changing needs of students and society. It includes a structure for the implementation of curriculum standards in classrooms and evaluation through a process of self-study and program review. The guide is intended to provide direction, coordination, and structure for District educators, administrators, and leadership teams as they continually strive for excellence.
Curriculum Requirements
Under the guidelines of Wisconsin State Statute 118.01, 121.01, and 121.02, the Little Chute Area School District is expected to create and maintain curriculum programs. The regulations governing this expectation can be found at https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/118/01. Under school district policy and procedure, there is a major review of the curriculum frameworks approximately every five years in alignment with state adoption of standards and considers national requirements of the Little Chute Area School District’s strategic plan.
What is Curriculum?
Curriculum is a clearly defined set of topics, concepts, skills, and processes that progress in a coherent way. It includes the state or national standards, resources, and content delivered by the teacher and assessment of learning by the students.
Validating Alignment and Planning for Continuous Curricular Improvement
Agreement on standards of quality and mastery is essential in promoting excellence and equality of professional educators and in validating alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The following are indicators of a well-designed, standards-based curriculum implementation:
- The written curriculum aligns with adopted standards.
- The curriculum is designed with clarity around the desired learning and based on evidence of real learning for understanding and transfer.
- The curriculum is rigorous, balanced, and aligned with a sharper focus on essential standards and learning priorities.
- Classroom assessments are central to the curriculum design and check for understanding and transfer.
- Data is used to improve teaching and learning.
- District policies and resources support the implementation of standards.
Principles of the LCASD Curriculum Development Process
- During all phases of the curriculum renewal and design process, participants should consider the key principles to guide and inform their work.
- The important determination of what students should know and be able to do as a result of their education will be a collective, rather than an individual professional educator decision.
- The curriculum should help professional educators, students, and parents clarify the specific knowledge, skills, and understanding that students should be able to transfer as a result of their schooling.
- High quality curriculum fosters a deep approach to learning by considering authentic learner engagement, student choice, and the quality spiral between grades.
- Technology is integrated in a meaningful and purposeful way to increase learning.
- Teaching and learning activities must be inclusive, authentic, and meaningful for all learners.
- Curriculum must emphasize the need for relevant reading, writing, speaking, and listening activities for all learners.
- Curriculum embeds research and scholarship while interfacing current and emerging theory into practice. Emphasizing research will ensure cutting-edge developments in the field of study are presented annually within the curriculum.
- Participants should consider professional development needs, booklists, journals, e-resources and universities, and educational leaders in the field of study.
Monitoring
Curriculum monitoring is a problem-solving process that supports continuous improvement and collaboration and ensures district curriculum coordination while honoring professional educator’s expertise.
Vertical alignment teams (K-12) are responsible for creating and updating the curriculum, instructional practices, and assessment of each curriculum strand.
Team membership will be determined based on the scope of the work. Each representative will have the following responsibilities:
- Attend each meeting.
- Report results at faculty meetings or team/department meetings.
- Assume a leadership role in curriculum development with colleagues.
Curriculum Development & Renewal Steps
A content area under review is expected to complete each of the curriculum review procedures below. Phase I and II should align to the updating of state and national standards. All steps must be completed prior to the adoption or purchase of any supporting materials or resources. Since it is an ongoing process, different content areas will be in different places in the development or revision of curriculum at any given time. Further guidance for completion of these steps is included throughout the administrative procedures.
- Phase I – Curriculum Evaluation
- Phase II – Program Revision
- Phase III – Implementation and Staff Professional Learning Plan
- Phase IV – Monitoring and Measuring
- Phase V – Continuous Improvement
Annotated Curriculum Development & Renewal Phases
Curriculum Evaluation Phase: This stage provides the background work necessary to develop curriculum that meets the needs of the district and reflects pertinent research in the area under study. A curriculum review team is created for the specific content area and grade levels.
During this phase, the director of curriculum and curriculum review team conducts an evaluation of present curriculum that includes the following:
- Survey staff to analyze current curriculum expectations and student outcomes. See Survey.
- Review current national, state, and local standards including life and career skills.
- Analyze state and local data, including data from other districts, to determine effectiveness of current curriculum.
- Complete a SWOT analysis with the strengths and areas of concern in our curriculum and documents and/or delivery.
- Research and understand current best practices.
- Identify instructional program needs.
- Review current scope and sequence.
- Review standards when updated.
- Identify essential standards.
- Write learning targets for essential standards.
Questions that could guide discussions:
- What equity and access issues exist within our current curriculum model?
- What are the most important skills?
- Is there a range of teaching and learning methods deployed across the curriculum?
- Does the curriculum offer differing viewpoints beyond Western or Eurocentric perspectives to include diversity and inclusivity?
- Does the team have a research-based instructional approach that will advance the area of study?
REQUIREMENT: Curriculum Evaluation Report – Appendix A
Program Revision/Material Selection Phase: Based on the curriculum evaluation findings, the curriculum teams makes curriculum revisions needed. This may include reviewing alternative resources and piloting materials.
- Develop a content area philosophy statement.
- Outline criteria for selection of instructional materials (rubric).
- Review available resources to support the curriculum.
- Select materials for recommended purchase.
- Create a proposal for the board if a new curriculum is to be adopted.
- Create a curriculum map with a clear scope and sequence, essential standards, and learning targets.
- Complete an Adoption Proposal for the Board. This must include the following:
- Content area and reasoning for review
- Summary of resources reviewed and criterion used , including how it meets diverse needs of all learners, technology supports, and cultural responsiveness.
- Rationale for chosen resource.
- Resource title, publisher, copyright, edition, cost per unit, estimated total cost.
- Resource components.
- Professional learning plan for staff that includes intended outcomes, dates and times, costs, and person responsible.
- Create a monitoring plan that includes expected outcomes, measurement instruments, people responsible, and actual outcome.
REQUIREMENT: A revised curriculum map using one of two templates for each course and/or grade level. Time should be given to complete as a summer project. Share with the director of curriculum and place it in shared curriculum folder when complete.
Implementation and Staff Professional Learning Planning: An implementation plan will include:
- Develop a plan for staff professional learning to support all stakeholders. Include timeline, cost, and expected outcomes.
- Determine tools needed for peer observation and administrator observations to evaluate the implementation of the new resource.
- Determine communication and training needs for families.
Questions to consider:
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- What professional learning is needed?
- What data was reviewed to determine the professional learning needs?
- Who should receive this professional learning?
- Who is responsible for delivering the professional learning?
- When will this take place?
- What is needed to deliver professional learning?
- What is the estimated cost?
- What are the expected outcomes?
Monitoring and Measuring: Curriculum, instruction, and assessment are ongoing processes of evaluation and revision. Curriculum effectiveness should be monitored through student achievement data on a frequent, periodic, and trend-over-time basis.
Monitor and measure student learning and curriculum/instruction impact using appropriate and aligned common assessments and/or other standardized criteria.
Continuous Improvement: Collaborative teams design common formative assessments and/or analyze other data sources to continuously inform curriculum and instruction. District-level trend data is also reported annually.
Curriculum Development and Renewal Team
Professional learning community teams (4K-12, 4K-8 or 7-12) are responsible for creating and updating the curriculum, instructional practices and assessment of each curriculum strand. When a curriculum is under review, teacher representatives from different age levels will form the review team.
Curriculum Strands
- Art (K-12)
- Career and Technical Education (Family and Consumer Science, Technology Education, Business Education) (7-12)
- Computer Skills/ Computer Science (4K-12)
- English Language Arts (4K-12)
- Health and Physical Education (K-12)
- Math (4K-12)
- Music (4K-12)
- Pupils Services (4K-8)
- Science (K-12)
- Social Studies (K-12)
- World Language (7-12)
- At-Risk Programming
- Flex Academy
- Career Academy
Team Members Roles & Responsibilities
Team members will be based on the scope of the work. Each representative will have the following responsibilities:
- Attend each meeting.
- Report results at faculty meetings or team/department meetings.
All curriculum development, renewals, proposals, and adoptions must be approved by the Board of Education.
New Courses
New courses proposed in grades 9-12 will complete the Course Proposal Form and collaborate with other staff members to understand how a new course may impact enrollment, staffing, and budget. Key questions to consider:
- How does this affect your department? Consider staffing and number of preps.
- How does it affect the master schedule?
- Does it address a current gap in your department’s offerings?
- Does it overload your department offerings?
- How does it address student needs and pathways (College, Career, Community)
