CI – Background Information / Documents

Curriculum & Instruction – Background Information / Documents

SSR FindingsBackground Information / DocumentsEvidence

District Curriculum

In what content areas/grade levels does the district have curriculum (defined as a course of study)?

  • All content areas/grade levels have a curriculum, an organized plan of instruction consisting of a sequence of instructional units that engages students in mastering the standards. Resources such as instructional materials and textbooks are supported for the curriculum. At this point all core areas have consistent curricula materials. We are constantly looking for ways to supplement, but at this point, we can finally look at some data with at least a few years in the same programs.
  • Curriculum

Describe how district curricula were developed/are revised.

Describe the system, if one is in place, for vertical and horizontal curriculum alignment to standards and review of curriculum across the district.

Where/how are curricular resources made available to stakeholders (i.e., staff, families, students, etc.)?

Has the district adopted instructional programs/resources? If so, in what content areas/grade levels? Include a description/link to the district K-3 instructional literacy programs (i.e., core, supplemental, intervention programs, READ Act assessments).

  • The reading curriculum is our most notable upgrade which is 2 years old for us at this point and seems to have added some stabilization to our reading program.
  • Curriculum

Describe the district process for reviewing/evaluating instructional programs or resources (if one exists).

  • Continuous Improvement Systems – The process for developing Jr/Sr High School’s 2022-2023 UIP included a variety of stakeholders and continuous improvement systems and processes. Annually, the Jr/Sr High School conducts a Student Centered Accountability Program (S-CAP) site review (SSR) which allows for a comprehensive review of the following five indicators: Professional Learning: Continuous improvement practices increase educator effectiveness and improve results for all students Curriculum and Instruction: Curriculum and Instruction is intentionally planned and delivered to be important, focused, engaging, demanding, and scaffolded. Learning Dispositions: Students have a growth mindset; they are resilient and engaged in learning. Learning Climate: The school has a welcoming, positive, safe, accepting, and empowering environment that fully engages students in their learning and inspires them to work toward higher levels of achievement. Leadership and Vision: The district has a high-quality leadership and management team with a clear vision, ambition, and goals. The team has a sense of purpose and high aspirations, with an action plan aligned to priorities, focused on student success. It has an organization structure with defined roles, and a system of continuous improvement. SCAP SSR Process & Data Collection Data is gathered through the use of UCD Frameworks, by a comprehensive document review of student, parent and teacher survey data. This information is correlated to data that is collected through administration, staff, student and parent focus groups. The frameworks encompass the levels of use based on 5 Level Performance Descriptors on school improvement. Each descriptor is given a growth rating from 0 to 7 based on levels of implementation. The SSR team observes classrooms and conducts focus group interviews as well as conducts a complete document review process. The following groups participate in focus group interviews: Administration Focus Group Staff Focus Group Parent Focus Group Student Focus Group The Comprehensive Document Review includes the following: Review of curricular resources and background information Academic achievement data and trend data Professional development and professional learning plans Review of support services, including Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Outcomes from our SCAP SSR – East Otero School District shifted its Strategic Priorities to align with the review and the continuous improvement model. This supports our Jr/Sr High School’s major improvement strategies. 1). Curriculum – Development and Implementation: Curriculum is written and aligned so there are no gaps or unnecessary overlaps, and represents important and demanding understandings and processes. Teacher created Pacing Charts 100% aligned to Colorado State Standards. 2) Climate & Culture: Refinement of developing a welcoming, positive, safe, accepting and empowering environment that fully engages students in their learning that is partnered with a growth mindset that is resilient and engaged in learning. In addition to developing a positive and safe climate with staff that supports Social Emotional Supports for adults. 3) Communication: Effective processes are established for exchange of information, leading to stakeholder input and influence regarding the mission and vision. 4) Common Vision & Consistency: Every Student, Every Day! – creation of a new vision statement. All staff participate in meaningful professional learning through the school level professional development plan. RCD – Responsibility Centered Discipline: student behaviors an issue after covid – developing a framework for all staff to use at the Jr/Sr High School: Firm, Fair, and Consistent.
  • Reviewing and Evaluating Instructional Programs

Describe the district’s instructional approach if a common one has been identified district-wide or across individual content areas.

District MTSS Approach

Describe the district’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). Include information about Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports/interventions.

  • Our Tiger Health & Wellness Team meets weekly to discuss and update referred students as well as new referrals. We also meet once a month with our BOCES team to keep us on track and collect data. So far this year we have received over 50 health referrals with thirty-five of those referrals sourced to an outside agency. We have budgeted just over $10,000 in School Health Professional grant funds for this school year. We support all three tiers with opportunities of curriculum, training, and professional development. The district is in the first phases of a targeted MTSS consortium in collaboration with the BOCES.
  • MTSS

Describe resources and/or programs available to students before, during, and after school for academic intervention and enrichment; describe student participation.

Describe strategies for addressing K-3 students identified for significant reading deficiencies.

  • La Junta Primary School uses the DIBELS assessment to identify students who have SRD. Based on individual student data, students are placed in small groups and reading intervention. Students with a SRD are receiving Core instruction with the general classroom alongside homogeneous research-based small group instruction and an additional pull out reading intervention time. This system provides a triple dose of targeted reading instruction for our struggling readers. Curriculum resources being used for reading instruction are Colorado Department of Education READ Act approved programs. Students who are identified as SRD are supported by an individualized READ plan that is communicated to parents/guardians and regularly progress monitored.
  • Curriculum

ICAP Approach

Provide an overview of the district’s Individual Career Academic Plan (ICAP) approach. (repeated in Leadership and Vision).

Data Management

If the district uses an assessment and data management/reporting system, identify the tool(s) and describe how teachers are expected to use it/them (repeated in Leadership and Vision).

  • Our Jr/Sr High School uses Infinite Campus (IC) for gradebook purposes, entering at least one grade per week. IC is used for communicating through email, texts, phone calls – as well as attendance with automated phone calls home for unexcused absences.
  • Assessment Data

Behavioral Expectations

Describe how student behavioral expectations are explicitly taught (if a common approach is used across classrooms).