Curriculum & Instruction – Background Information / Documents
District Curriculum:
- Math: K-12 The elementary will have the math curriculum completed by May 2023. Writing: K-6 will begin and complete the district writing curriculum in 2024. Please see the curriculum binders.
- The district began a curriculum writing project in 2017. Six curriculum days were added to the district calendar and funds were allocated for the project. A Curriculum specialist was hired to work with staff to begin the project. These days were spent learning how to unpack the standards, write learning intentions and success criteria and design assessments that supported the rigor of the standard. Educators across the district K-12 developed their district curriculum and met across grade levels in the same content area to share and learn from each other. As a result of this work we were able to develop a common set of expectations, identify learning gaps, and gain perspective. This project was put on hold in 2019. This fall we were able to add the six days back into the elementary calendar to continue focusing on curriculum. We came to the conclusion that this work is fluid and ongoing and must be revisited regularly.
- Four days were added to the district calendar for K-6 grade teachers to develop curriculum and find resources to ensure there are no gaps in the standards.
- The superintendent has a District Accountability Committee that meets three times per year and the elementary principal has a school accountability committee that meets three times per year.
- The district has adopted these instructional resources/programs: Write Now/Right Now – Kindergarten – Sixth grades HMH Into Reading K-6 95% Group Core Phonics Instruction and Intervention.
- The process for reviewing/evaluating instructional progress is done through walk throughs, observations, beginning, middle and end of the year reviews with staff members. Additionally, various data is collected to determine its effectiveness such as academic and achievement data, and teacher and students surveys.
- The staff in Merino has received three years of Corwin Visible Learning training. The purpose of this training was to enhance the role of teachers as they become evaluators of their teaching and to enhance the role of the students as they become evaluators of their learning. Through this training, staff was introduced to a variety of strategies that have the biggest impact on student learning. District-wide teachers have had the autonomy of implementing various strategies into their teaching and monitoring their effectiveness. There are a variety of instructional approaches utilized across the district such as direct instruction, small group instruction, independent study, cooperative learning. The elementary has implemented the practices learned through this training in their curriculum writing project. The focus of this work is to create Clarity through defined learning intentions and success criteria.
Instructional Planning and Practice:
- Instructional programs/resources the district has adopted (content areas/grade levels)
District MTSS Approach:
Student referrals can be made for behavioral, academic, or social/emotional needs including those who show potential for giftedness or advanced programming. The student of concern must be in interventions for a minimum of 4-6 weeks with at least that many weeks of progress monitoring data available in AimswebPlus, STAR, or another data source that is applicable. A referral form must be filled out completely before a meeting will be scheduled. Parent communication should be documented.
Resources/Programs available to students before, during and after school for intervention and enrichment
There are many resources available to students to support or enhance their academic achievement. Merino Elementary has an intervention team that consists of one certified Special Education teacher, one certified Title I teacher, one certified General Interventionist, and five paraprofessionals. Merino Elementary supports 27 students on IEPS and Title I supports around 35 students. We have several resources for intervention in the elementary such as 95% Group, Rewards, Reading Streets, 6 Minute Solution, ELL instructional reading resources, and Edumark. We do not have official before or after school programs in the elementary. Our G/T students are supported in the classroom and through small groups instruction in the elementary. Additionally, they have opportunity to participate in online Infusion Courses, Battle of the Books, Math and Science Contest (6th grade), and Ultimate Celebrations. The high school students have the opportunity to take concurrent enrollment classes through Northeastern Junior College, online courses through CDLS
ICAP Approach:
K-3 Students are benchmarked times per year using NWEA, AimswebPlus, and STAR Early Learning. Students who fall below the cut score are reassessed within 30 days. If students continue to fall below the cut score the STAR Early Learning assessment , a diagnostic assessment approved by CDE, is administered and a READ plan is developed. The Intervention teams use the data from these assessments to determine the best course of instruction during small group intervention time. The district adopted the 95% Group Intervention for students with significant reading deficiencies. These students are assessed and put into skills based groups for a minimum of 30 minutes per day. Students are progress monitored every three weeks and groups are redesigned according to need. K-3 grade teachers support this intervention by implementing the 95% Core Phonics program in their classrooms daily.
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).
Behavioral Expectations:
Merino Elementary has identified key areas that are explicitly taught to students. These behavior indicators were developed collaboratively in the elementary.
Behavioral Initiative and Data