AR 6141 — Curriculum Development And Evaluation
Purpose
The purpose of the development and revision of curriculum shall be to insure that parents, teachers, students, community members, and administrators have the opportunity to suggest appropriate changes to the existing curriculum. Such changes may take the form of adding or deleting courses or revising currently offered curriculum.
General
The goal of a revision/analysis procedure is to ensure that any revision is the result of the best thinking and expertise available. In meeting this goal, every effort must be taken to avoid stifling creativity or in any way impeding the flow of curriculum development that may be in the best interest of the students.
The curriculum committees shall be formed to include the thinking of a broad spectrum of the staff and to establish an organized and effective mechanism to evaluate and develop curriculum.
It is the intent of this regulation that all matters that are clearly curricular in nature shall be routed through school level and/or district level committees, the Superintendent's Cabinet and to the Governing Board for final action.
Principals may approve innovative teaching strategies and/or variations in classroom activities that are consistent with existing goals and objectives in any grade level or subject area at his/her school.
Nothing stated above precludes any person or group from appearing before the Board of Education to make recommendations or comments on those proposals submitted to the Board for consideration.
District Level Curriculum Committee
Organization (Secondary)
Each school-level committee shall elect from within its membership the following representatives:
Beattie Middle School 2 members
Clement Middle School 2 members
Cope Middle School 2 members
Moore Middle School 2 members
Orangewood High School 1 member
Redlands East Valley High School 6 members
Redlands High School 6 members
The principal/designee of each secondary school, including the Adult School, shall serve as the administrative representative. The Director of Secondary Education shall serve as chairperson of this group.
Organization (Elementary)
Each elementary school shall elect a teacher from its faculty and the elementary principals shall elect six of their members to serve on the committee. The Director of Elementary Education shall serve as the chairperson of this group.
Function
Receive, review and approve proposals from the School Level Curriculum Committee(s) before submitting the recommendations to the Superintendent's Cabinet for recommendation to the Board of Education. The committee may invite any sponsor of a curriculum proposal to make a presentation to the committee. In the event that this committee desires to rewrite or make any significant changes in a curriculum proposal, the original department sponsor of the work must be consulted.
Communicate with the school involved and the department sponsor chairperson of a curriculum proposal regarding action of the committee.
Conduct, when necessary, district-wide studies related to curricular needs.
Assist in the development of inservice training programs.
School Level Curriculum Committee (Secondary)
Organization
The School Level Curriculum Committee shall consist of the department chairpersons and the principal/designee of each secondary school.
Function
Receive, review and recommend to the District Level Curriculum Committee approval or disapproval of all proposals submitted through the individual departments. No proposal shall he considered by this committee without it having been first reviewed by the appropriate departments.
When a curriculum proposal or revision is developed at one site, it shall be the responsibility of the administrator in charge of that site committee to circulate all proposed changes among the other secondary schools. The receiving secondary schools have the responsibility to submit any comments they may have to the sender prior to the district level committee meeting (see #7 time line).
School Level Curriculum Committee (Elementary)
Organization
The School Level Curriculum Committee shall consist of the principal/designee and seven teachers elected by the faculty. In schools where the faculty is too small to support a seven member committee the entire faculty will serve in that capacity.
Function
Receive, review, and recommend to the District Level Curriculum Committee approval or disapproval of all proposals submitted through the school. Proposals may be submitted directly to the District Level Curriculum Committee when no single school could appropriately evaluate the initial proposal.
Procedure
All proposals for curriculum revision or development shall be channeled through the subject area department(s) involved in the revision. (secondary)
After receiving the proposal, the department chairperson shall consult with his/her department members and prepare a recommendation for approval/disapproval. The department chairperson shall then submit the proposal, with recommendation, to the School Level Curriculum Committee. (secondary)
The School Level Curriculum Committee shall evaluate each proposal and submit, with a recommendation for approval/disapproval, the proposal to the district Level Curriculum Committee. A proposal may be sent back to the department/originator for more study.
The District Level Curriculum Committee shall either evaluate and approve, or disapprove and send back for more study, each proposal it receives. Those proposals that are approved shall be sent to the Superintendent or designee for review and recommendation to the Board of Education for action.
Any proposal that cannot be forwarded to the Board with the endorsement of the Superintendent or designee shall be remanded to the District Level Curriculum Committee for further study.
Time Line
Initial proposal for curriculum revision or development shall be submitted to the department chairperson/principal by November 1.
Proposal from the departments/principals shall be submitted to the School Level Curriculum Committee(s) prior to December 1.
Proposals from the School Level Curriculum Committee shall be submitted to the district Level Curriculum Committee prior to February 1.
The district Level Curriculum Committee shall submit all proposed recommendations to the Superintendent or designee prior to March 1.
The Superintendent or designee shall recommend all proposals to the Board of Education for action prior to April 15.
If the District Level Curriculum Committee is notified and determines that, in the best interest of students in the district, a curriculum proposal needs to be acted upon more rapidly than the above time line permits, the committee may determine that a compelling need exists and may waive the provisions of the time line.
In the event that such a need has been determined, the district Level Curriculum Committee may expedite the movement of a proposal through the established procedure, however, all steps in the consideration process must be utilized.
Criteria
All proposals submitted for the development and revision of curriculum in the district shall be evaluated according to the following criteria. The list below is intended to set minimum guidelines and the committees may establish additional criteria.
Need
District or school assessment should be used to demonstrate a need.
The assessment should identify a student population that will be served.
Fundability
This should include:
Personnel Needs
Supplies and Service Requirements
Capital Outlay
Effects of the proposed curriculum on existing district goals, objectives and programs.
Effects of the proposed curriculum on existing school goals, objectives and programs.
Prerequisites
Areas from which students will be drawn