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Curriculum

A teacher smiles at her students in a classroom where children raise their hands in front of colorful math posters.

Ongoing academic success requires a common curriculum by grade and subject area that can also be tailored to each individual or student group. Adhering to curriculum standards allows us to measure academic achievement and growth over time, but we also leave room for teaching and learning practices to be refined based on measurable results and empirical feedback. 

We aim to provide a student-centered education rooted in best practices and quality learning experiences to drive academic achievement for all. This is accomplished through a comprehensive five-year evaluation process, where we articulate and implement a standards-based, integrated system of teaching and learning in all content areas to establish a guaranteed, viable curriculum for all students. Each content area is evaluated by a staff committee with a representative from each grade level, and the District collaborates with New Trier Township Schools, including New Trier High School, on curricular programming.

Per Board Policy 6:210, Instructional Materials, the District annually provides a list of primary curriculum materials to the Board of Education. This information will be updated as materials change and will be presented to the Board of Education in May of each school year.

6:210 Instructional Materials Report

Each committee establishes the criteria for programming unique to the curriculum when evaluated. However, all curricula must meet the following criteria, as outlined in the Strategic Plan:

  • Alignment to District established Priority Standards
  • Alignment with Portrait of a Sears Graduate and Progressions
  • Alignment with the Integrated System of Teaching and Learning components
  • Categories of Instructional Strategies that meet the learning needs of all students
  • Alignment with Equity-Driven Pedagogy
     

 

Five-Year Curriculum Evaluation Process

Four colorful hexagonal shapes in the foreground outline a five-year curriculum evaluation process for The Joseph Sears School, set against a white background with blue and yellow plus signs in the upper corners.

Process for Developing an Integrated System of Teaching and Learning

A circular diagram illustrating a four-year plan for creating an integrated teaching and learning system is presented against a white background, with text boxes detailing each year's objectives surrounding the central graphic.