We’re halfway through our stories highlighting each pillar in our strategic plan. In this article, we’ll be looking at the curriculum.

The first thing that comes to mind when “school” is mentioned, is what children are going to learn and why. Curriculum is what we teach. Ensuring our curriculum is aligned with state and federal standards as well as providing students with what is needed for success in today’s and tomorrow’s world is a priority in Liberty Central School District.

The first strategic intent under our curriculum pillar is: “By June 2027, 100% of PreK-12 curriculum will be vertically and horizontally aligned to meet all New York State standards for all content areas as evidenced by improved student outcomes (in all subgroups) on NYS and local assessments and an increased graduation rate.”

The second is: “By June 2027, 100% of the administrators and teachers will use identified data protocols to analyze content area assessment results, identify student gaps and strengths in order to grow students (in all subgroups) to a new level of performance.”

What do these intents mean?

These mean that our curriculum, across all subjects and grade levels, will be designed to meet state and federal learning standards with a goal of improving student achievement on assessments and overall graduation rates. We will also be able to analyze results and use that date to see where students’ gaps and strengths are and adjust lessons accordingly.

Why is this important?

What we teach is the center of what we do. Having consistent curriculum and grading systems across grade levels and as a student progresses throughout school gives our learners a chance to build upon each lesson without falling behind. Aligning these lessons with New York State Next Generation Standards ensures we are setting the playing field at the same level for our students.

How are we doing this?

• We are reviewing our curriculum and are working to design a guaranteed and viable curriculum at all grade levels. To provide a consistent curriculum, we have begun implementing the HMH ELA “Into Reading” and “Into Literature” program for grades K-8 as well as. HMH “Into Math” curriculum and  Science 21 programs in kindergarten through sixth grades. We are also working to ensure our curriculum helps students learn what they need to know for future careers, including the innovative Business INCubator program and Level Up Village, which allows our students to build a sense of cross-cultural empathy while learning skills for the future. 21st Century technology skills, such as coding, programming and internet technology are also becoming a focus across curriculum disciplines.
• We are also creating entry and exit criteria for each grade level, identifying the master standards and determining what content must be taught and understood at each level.
• We are aligning our report cards with New York’s Next Generation Learning Standards, and identifying best grading practices
• As we implement the curriculum plan, we are focusing on consistent use of research-based instructional strategies for all. Teachers are engaged in professional development that provides effective methods for meeting the needs of all learning including English language learners and students with special needs..
• Our curriculum audit is in process.  Curriculum maps provide the overarching standards and components of content at each grade level.  From these maps, teachers have all the resources, links and strategies they need to create effective and powerful weekly and daily lessons.

By creating and delivering a consistent, aligned curriculum taught with researched-based methods, hand-on activities and active student engagement PreK-12,  we are working to make Liberty a great place to learn for all.