FIVE YEAR

CURRICULUM PLAN

2012 - 2017  

 

 

 

WARREN HILLS REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

89 Bowerstown Road

Washington, NJ 07882

Approved by the Warren Hills Regional Board of Education

1 May 2012

Warren Hills Regional Board of Education

Mrs. Theresa Iacobucci, President

Mrs. Donna Golda, Vice-President

Mr. Daniel Brundage

Mrs. Nancy Fallen

Mrs. Linda Feller

Mrs. Kathleen Halpin

Mr. Richard Havrisko

Mr. James Momary

Mrs. Donna Sbriscia

District Administration

Dr. Thomas J. Altonjy, Superintendent of Schools

Mrs. Maureen Joyce, Business Administrator

Mrs. Dawn A. Moore, Director of Curriculum & Instruction

Ms. Kim Unangst, Director of Pupil Personnel Services

Mr. Robert Lockhart, Director of Athletics & Extracurricular Activities

Mr. Patrick Murphy, Director of Facilities

High School Administration

Mr. Earl C. Clymer III, Principal

Mr. Andrew Herre, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Susan Rader, Assistant Principal

Middle School Administration

Mrs. Patricia Hetrick, Principal

Mr. David Smith, Assistant Principal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ø Introduction

Ø District Policies § Policy 2200 -- Curriculum Content § Policy 2210 -- Curriculum Development § Policy 2220 -- Adoption of Courses § Policy 2230 -- Course Guides § Policy 2510 -- Adoption of Textbooks

Ø Curriculum Development Process

Ø Action Plan

Ø Five Year Curriculum Development Plan § Business

§ Fine and Performing Arts

§ Guidance/Career Education

§ Health/Physical Education

§ Industrial Technology/Technology

§ Language Arts Literacy/English,

Media and Library Science

§ Mathematics

§ Science

§ Social Studies

§ Special Needs and Special Education

§ World Language/ESL

Ø Curriculum Guide Format

Ø Addendum

INTRODUCTION

In her book Curriculum 21, Heidi Hayes Jacobs describes curriculum as "Dispositions to engage students in lifelong learning (p. 210)," and she identifies three "Curriculum Mind Shifts" in this 2010 ASCD publication: "Myth #1 FROM knowing the right answers TO knowing how to behave when answers are not readily available. Myth #2 FROM transmitting meaning TO constructing meaning Myth #3 FROM external evaluation TO self-assessment (pp. 223-225)" Additionally, she delineates a "Curriculum Upgrade Model" as a growth (not change) model and as a replace (not integrate) model. Furthermore, as content reviews and upgrades begin, she suggests the following questions guide the discourse: "1. What should be taught? -- timely and necessary? 2. What content should be cut? -- dated and non-essential? 3. What content should be created? -- new literacies? (pp. 223-225)" What are these literacies? Jacobs describes them as she talks about "what it means to be educated in the 21st century"--information literacy, network literacy, global literacy, media literacy, student portfolios, connecting, collaborating, and communicating. Another area to address in the curriculum review process is assessment, and Jacobs asks reviewers to engage in ongoing sessions for skills and assessment upgrades, replacing a dated assessment with a modern one, such as "...identifying existing types of software, hardware & Web based capabilities." As the linear time line of the curriculum development process is defined herein and the district's action plan is delineated, Jacobs' words provide a 21st century backdrop for what educators are called upon to accomplish--the curriculum as the means by which we "engage students in lifelong learning." By examining Jacobs' curriculum mind shifts, curriculum upgrade model, and 21st century literacies, educators are better prepared with a global mind-set as they move forward in the curriculum development process.

N.J.S.A 18A:6-2; 18A:6-3; 18A:35-1 et seq. N.J.A.C. 6A: 8-1.1 et seq.; 6A:14 et seq. N.J.A.C. 6:29-4.1; 6:29-6.6 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards Adopted: Revised:

POLICY WARREN HILLS REGIONAL 2210 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT 2210. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT The Board of Education is committed to the continuing improvement of the educational program of the district. To this end, the curriculum shall be evaluated and modified in accordance with a plan for curriculum development. As educational leader of the district, the Superintendent shall be responsible to the Board for the development of curriculum and shall establish procedures for curriculum development that ensure the effective participation of teaching staff members, pupils, the community, and members of the Board. The Superintendent may conduct experimental programs that are not part of the duly adopted curriculum and are deemed to be necessary to the continuing growth of the instructional program; he/she shall report to the Board any such pilot program conducted, along with its objectives, evaluative criteria, and costs, before each such program is initiated. The Superintendent shall report to the Board annually on all progress in curriculum development. Adopted:

POLICY WARREN HILLS REGIONAL

2220. ADOPTION OF COURSES

2220. ADOPTION OF COURSES The Board of Education shall provide a comprehensive instructional program to

serve the educational needs of the children of this district by the adoption of courses of study.

For purposes of this policy, a course of study means the planned content of a

series of classes, courses, subjects, studies, or related activities. No course of study will be taught in this district unless it has been formally adopted

by the Board. The Board shall determine which units of the instructional program constitute courses of study and are thereby subject to the adoption procedures of the Board.

Each course of study approved for credit toward high school graduation shall

include minimum course proficiencies. In order to satisfactorily complete a course of study, a pupil must demonstrate mastery of the established minimum level of course proficiencies. Core course proficiencies shall include, but need not be limited to, proficiencies established by the State Board of Education in the curriculum areas of mathematics; natural or physical sciences; English; social studies; foreign languages; fine, practical, and performing arts; career education; and health, safety, and physical education.

The Superintendent is responsible for the continuous evaluation of the courses of

study against the educational goals of the Board and shall recommend to the Board such new or altered courses of study as are deemed to be in the best interests of the pupils of this district. The Superintendent's recommendation will include the following information about the proposed course of study:

1. The specific objective of the course of study and the relationship of the

course to the educational goals adopted by the Board; 2. The applicability of the course to pupils and an enumeration of those groups

of pupils to be affected by it; 3. A description of course content, including any instructional method that

departs significantly from the ordinary and is an integral part of the course of study;

4. A rationale for the course in terms of the goals of this district and a

justification of the course, especially when it is proposed to take the place of an existing course of study; 5. The resources that implementation of the course will require, I including textbooks, material, equipment, and specially trained personnel; 6. The course proficiencies to be mastered by pupils; 7. The methods and standards by which the efficacy of the course will be monitored and evaluated; and 8. A developmental history of the course and, where available, I information on its use elsewhere. The Superintendent shall maintain a current list of all courses of study offered by this district and shall provide each member of the Board with a copy. N.J.S.A. 18A:4-25; 18A:4-28; 18A:33-1; 18A:35-1 et seq. N.J.S.A. 18A:54-6; 18A:54-24 [vocational districts] N.J.A.C. 6A:7-1.1 et seq. 6A:8-4.1; 6A:8-4.4 N.J.A.C. 6A:19-3.5; 6A:8-2.2 [vocational districts] Adopted:

POLICY WARREN HILLS REGIONAL

2510. ADOPTION OF TEXTBOOKS

2510. ADOPTION OF TEXTBOOKS The Board of Education shall approve all textbooks used in the educational program of

this district. "Textbook" means the principal source of instructional material for any given course of study, in whatever form the material may be presented, which is available or distributed to every pupil enrolled in the course of study.

The Superintendent shall be responsible for the selection and recommendation of textbooks for Board consideration, but the Board may approve textbooks not recommended by the Superintendent.

In considering the approval of any proposed textbooks, the Board will weigh its value as a learning tool; its suitability for the maturity level and educational accomplishment of the pupils who will be using the book; its freedom from bias; its relationship to a course of study adopted by the Board; its relationship to a continuous multigrade program; its impact on community standards of taste; the manner by which it was selected; and its cost, appearance, and durability.

The Superintendent shall develop regulations for the selection of textbooks that include effective consultation with professional staff members at all appropriate levels.

Textbooks currently in use shall be periodically evaluated for their continuing usefulness and relevance and shall be replaced or updated with new editions as often as necessary to meet the needs of pupils and the curriculum.

A list of all approved textbooks shall be maintained and revised annually by the Superintendent and made available for the use of the professional staff and for the information of members of the Board and the public. N.J.S.A. 18A:34-1; 18A:34-2 N.J.S.A. 18A:54-20 [vocational districts] Adopted:

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

NOTE The New Jersey Department of Education [NJDOE] adopted the revised Core Curriculum Content Standards [CCCS] for Science, Visual and Performing Arts, Health and Physical Education, Technology, 21st Century Life and Careers, and World Languages on June 17, 2009; and for Social Studies September 9, 2009. As part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative, the NJDOE adopted the Common Core State Standards [CCSS] for English Language Arts and for Mathematics June 16, 2010. The implementation of the revised curricula was September 1, 2011 for Science; and will be September 1, 2012 for all other subjects [except September 1, 2013 for grades 6-8 Mathematics].

Common  Core  State  Standards

NJ  Core  Curriculum  Content  Standards  

� English  Language  Arts

� Mathematics

NOTE:    ALL  content  areas  need  to  add  Common  Core  standards  [and  21st century  skills]  into  their  curriculum  maps.

� Health  &  Physical  Education� Science� Social  Studies� Technology� Visual  &  Performing  Art� World  Language� 21st Century  Life  and  Careers

It is important to reflect upon the curricular impact of the NJDOE's adoption and implementation dates for the revised standards and the Common Core State Standards Initiative for it impacts the five phases of the curriculum development process that typically occurs over five years. With the NJDOE's mandate and time line, all the departments and courses of study are

simultaneously going through a compacted curricular review process prior to 2012.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Standards are at the heart of the curriculum development process, and they are the identified milestones students need to know to arrive at proficiency. However, what pieces need to happen for students to get there? The Warren Hills Regional School District utilizes ATLAS, a curriculum mapping software program, to ensure high quality education by teaching to the standards, for they identify what all students will know and be able to do in two years, in five years, and beyond.

ATLAS is utilized by the district staff as their curriculum tool in order to complete several phases in the curriculum review and development process:

ATLAS:    WHRSD’S  Curriculum  Tool� For  aligning  individual  courses  to  the  latest    standards� For  defining  assessment  method  and  type� For  connecting  the  standards  to  assessments� For  identifying  standards  assessed  and  not  assessed� For  identifying  gaps  and  redundancies  in  curriculum  maps

� For  housing  the  curriculum:    collaborative  and  individual  maps  

� For  accountability  and  compliance

ATLAS provides various resources to assist educators in the curriculum development process: ATLAS Overview Videos--entering and modifying curriculum, reviewing and analyzing curriculum; An Online Manual--viewing and editing courses, developing Unit Calendar Maps and Advanced Curriculum Maps, writing course descriptions, attaching files, and reviewing standards alignment and assessment; ATLAS Quick Start Guide--provides basic ATLAS features such as Search, Develop, Browse, Analyze, References, Information, and Communities, along with accessing virtual libraries for

academic resources; Standards Profiling--aligning standards to courses, examining vertical and/or horizontal alignment, and analyzing the variety of assessments.

Due in part by the NJDOE's implementation of the revised standards' time line, the curriculum development process model is more fluid than linear at the present time, and it is dependent upon the members of the professional learning communities and/or department members as to where they are in the curriculum review, assessment, modification, and evaluation.

As the district moves into the Five Year Curriculum Plan 2012-2017, the curriculum development process is designed for a methodical and continual review and revision of each course of study at least once every five years. All components of the curriculum maps are to be examined: Essential Questions, Standards, Content, Skills, Activities, Assessments, and Resources. The ATLAS features of Standards Profiling and Analyze assist staff in compiling reports for curricular reviews, revisions, and modifications on a continual basis.

The procedure delineated below describes the specifics for each of the five phases/years within the Five Year Curriculum Development Plan to review, revise, implement, and evaluate the curriculum. These five phases serve as the basis for the development of the long range plan with each phase representing the annual focus that constitutes a committee's work for a particular school year.

PHASE ONE - Conduct Review and Needs Assessment

Ø Research professional literature, New Jersey's CCCS, the Common Core, NJDOE recommendations and regulations, and the NJDOE's Office of Standards--Content Specialists

Ø If applicable and appropriate, research practices of other school districts and/or online professional learning communities

Ø Review the current curriculum [using the features in ATLAS], along with the course of study in light of the research

Ø Initiate the review of current and potential new textbook, resource materials, infusion of 21st century literacies, and other instructional components, both hard copy and online,

utilizing the district's textbook review form and other curriculum analytical tools [Note: Ensure compliance with affirmative action regulations.]

Ø Determine a course of action for Phase Two

PHASE TWO - Assessment

Ø Continue with course of action developed in Phase One Ø Complete review of and make formal recommendations for

potential new textbook and supplemental resources, including online resources for 21st century literacies

Ø Budget for textbook and online materials and resources Ø Plan for in-service training in late spring of this phase or

early fall of Phase Three for implementation of any new textbook series or technological additions

Ø Finalize a course of action for Phase Three

PHASE THREE - Revision

Ø Continue with course of action developed in Phase Two Ø Develop and revise the ATLAS curriculum maps

• Essential Questions • Standards: alignment • Content • Skills • Activities • Assessments • Resources • Infusion of 21st Century Literacies • Infusion of the Common Core Literacy

Standards cross-curricular Ø Implement new textbook and related resource materials Ø Finalize course of action for Phase Four

PHASE FOUR - Implementation

Ø Continue with course of action developed in Phase Three Ø Implement modified guides and provide in-service to

teaching to teaching staff regarding curricular revisions to be implemented

Ø Modify curriculum/materials, as necessary Ø Finalize a course of action for Phase Five

PHASE FIVE - Evaluation

Ø Continue with course of action developed in Phase Four Ø Continue to monitor implementation of the new or

modified curriculum program Ø Complete a summary evaluation to determine the

effectiveness of the new or modified curriculum/program [for example, an informal survey of the teachers and/or students, student assessment results, performance checklists, etc.]

[Note: Refer to the Warren Hills Regional School District's Curricula Master Plan 2012-2017 for the five year plan by years, phases, and departments.]

ACTION PLAN

Each of the five phases of the curriculum plan will be executed under the direction of the Director of Curriculum & Instruction. This person will be responsible for facilitating the district plan and budgeting for necessary outcomes of the committees [textbooks, materials, professional development, curriculum revision compensation].

The following general guidelines will be used:

• Appropriate district educational leaders will establish a calendar to periodically meet throughout the year in order to review procedure, process, and progress. Each leader will initiate and monitor status in each of the five phases.

• Assignment of curricular areas of responsibility for 2012-2017 is as follows:

Curricular Area 7-12

Facilitator

Business HS Vice-Principal 1 Fine and Performing Arts MS Vice Principal

Guidance/Career Education Director of Guidance Health/Physical Education Director of Athletics and Student

Activities Industrial Technology/Technology HS Vice-Principal 1 Language Arts Literacy/English,

Media and Library Science Supervisor of English/Social Studies

Mathematics Supervisor of Mathematics/Science Science Supervisor of Mathematics/Science

Social Studies Supervisor of English/Social Studies Special Needs and Special Education Director of Special Education

World Language/ESL HS Vice-Principal 2

• All committee work, findings, reports, documents, recommendations are due to the Director of Curriculum & Instruction no later than May 1 .

• Any recommendations for new curricula must be submitted no later than October 15 of the year prior to implementation. If a new course of study is indeed implemented, it will be added to the Five Year Curriculum Plan in Phase Three.

The following specific guidelines for each phase will be used:

Phase One:

• Committee members will be compensated with professional development hours monitored by the appropriate facilitator. A formal report of the year's meeting dates, agendas, and initiatives must be submitted by May 1.

Phase Two:

• Committee members will be compensated with professional development hours monitored by the appropriate facilitator. A formal report of the year's meeting dates, agendas, and initiatives must be submitted by May 1.

• Any recommendations for new textbooks and supplemental resources must be submitted no later than November 15 of the year prior to implementation.

• Budgets must reflect the recommendations.

Phase Three:

• Postings for staffing of curriculum revisions will be distributed to the appropriate facilitator. In addition, committee members will be compensated at the current contractual hourly rate according to the following schedule:

Revision Hours to be Compensated Full Year Course of Study Up to Twenty [20] Hours Semester Course of Study Up to Ten [10] Hours

Miscellaneous Course of Study Up to Five [5] Hours

• Budgets must reflect the recommendations

Phase Four:

• If appropriate, committee members will be compensated with professional development hours monitored by the appropriate facilitator. A formal report of the year's meeting dates, agendas, and initiatives must be submitted by May 1.

Phase Five:

• If appropriate, committee members will be compensated with professional development hours monitored by the appropriate facilitator. A formal report of the year's meeting dates, agendas, and initiatives must be submitted by May 1.

[NOTE: As stated in the State of New Jersey Department of Education’s “Frequently Asked Questions of the Professional Development Program,” the section “What Counts,” item number 30: “Committee service is capped at 10 hours per year, regardless of the number of committees.”]

CURRICULUM GUIDE FORMAT

Each curriculum guide includes the following components, and a hard copy is to be housed in the district's curriculum office:

• Cover Page with the title and Board of Education approval date

• A curricular description of the course of study

• ATLAS Unit Calendar Map with the topics and time line

• ATLAS Advanced Calendar Map [District Map] that includes these areas:

ü Essential Questions ü Standards ü Content ü Skills ü Activities ü Assessments ü Resources [for both students and teachers] ü Infusion of 21st Century Literacies ü Infusion of the Common Core Literacy Standards

WARREN HILLS REGIONAL

SCHOOL DISTRICT

CURRICULA MASTER PLAN

2012-2017

[NOTE: REFER TO THE DEPARTMENTAL EXCEL SPREADSHEETS]

ADDENDUM

Ø "Milestones on the Road to Proficiency: Becoming Familiar With the

Common Core State Standards (CCSS)" Dawn A. Moore. October 10, 2011.

Ø ATLAS Information--Manual. http://warrenhills.rubiconatlas.org. Rubicon International, 2010.

Ø ATLAS Quick Start Guide. http://warrenhills.rubiconatlas.org. Rubicon International, 2010.

Ø ATLAS Overview Videos. http://warrenhills.rubiconatlas.org. Rubicon International, 2010.

Ø ATLAS Standards Profiling. http://warrenhills.rubiconatlas.org. Rubicon International, 2010.

Ø ATLAS Unit Calendar Template. http://warrenhills.rubiconatlas.org. Rubicon International, 2010.

Ø ATLAS Unit Planner Template. . http://warrenhills.rubiconatlas.org. Rubicon International, 2010.