May 8, 2009 Update

The following provides an update on curriculum issues and assessment/screening issues in the district. It is also posted at: http://district61curriculum.blogspot.com/

Curriculum and Instruction

Writing

The Writing Committee met on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 to prepare the presentation to be presented at the Curriculum Roundtable on May 12, 2009. The presentation will be posted for viewing on the website.

The Committee has worked diligently preparing the district to move forward with common instruction and language in the area of writing and is committed with an implementation plan for next school year.

The Opening Institute on August 27, 2009 will feature Courtney Gordon, from the Smekens Group, who will provide training for all staff members on writing in District #61 using Writers Workshop and 6+1 Traits. The committee looks forward to working with the presenter during the 2009-10 School Year.

In addition, a resource, A Principal’s Guide to Leadership in the Teaching of Writing, is being made available for administrators to help facilitate implementation with this writing process.

Mathematics

The Math Committee meeting was held on Tuesday, April 21, 2009.

The Committee continued working on creating a list of common vocabulary terms for use in the district.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at 3:15 PM.

Measure of Academic Progress (MAP)

This academic measure will be expanded to include all grade levels for the 2009-10 school year. The pilot use of the program has been very useful at grades 1, 3 and 6 during the current year and we are excited about expanding the use next school year.