2220 - ADOPTION OF COURSES OF STUDY
The Board shall provide a comprehensive instructional program to serve the educational needs of the students of this District. In furtherance of this goal and pursuant to law, the Board shall periodically adopt courses of study through inclusion in the sequential curriculum plan described in Policy 2210 - Curriculum Development. A course of study is part of the sequential curriculum plan that describes course objectives, sequence, content, and a method of evaluating student attainment of objectives. Each course of study shall specify the hours of instruction committed to it each week, semester, and school year.
The Board shall determine which units of the instructional program constitute courses of study and are thereby subject to the adoption procedures of the Board. No course of study shall be taught in the schools of this District unless it has been adopted by the Board.
The District Administrator shall recommend to the Board such courses of study as are deemed to be in the best interests of the students and are needed to comply with State law. The District Administrator's recommendation shall include the following information about each course of study:
- the intended learning objective(s), defined in terms of how the learning is applied
- its scope and sequence and a statement of the rationale used to determine the amount and type of instructional time needed to accomplish the objectives at each level
- its justification in terms of the goals of this District, especially when it is proposed to take the place of an existing course of study
The learning that results from each course of study should be durable, significant, and transferable and require a high level of student achievement of clearly-defined, cumulative performance objectives.
The plan for student assessment for each course of study should include the criteria and standards that will be used to determine when students may need to participate in remedial, supplemental, or accelerated activities in order to ensure that each student has been provided the opportunity to achieve at their optimum level.
Each course of study is intended to provide a basic framework for instruction and learning. Within this framework, each teacher shall use the course of study in a manner best designed to meet the needs of the students for whom they are responsible. Deviation from its content must be approved in accordance with the District Administrator's administrative guidelines.
Since one of the District's goals is to prepare students to enter the world of work, the Board directs that each course of study include as part of its learning accomplishments that students can demonstrate their willingness and ability to be punctual, to be present at the learning site each day unless absent for a legitimate reason, and to complete assignments on time and as directed. The District Administrator's guidelines should include recommendations to staff on how to instruct students in these important work ethics and how to include these learnings in the grades that students receive.
The District Administrator shall develop administrative guidelines which provide for the development of course guides that contain pre and post assessment activities as well as instructional activities for implementing each course of study. Such plans should also provide for proper record-keeping and periodic reporting of student performance. The District Administrator shall ensure that the appropriate amount of instruction time is allocated to each course of study that comprises the program of each school. The allocation of time is to be determined by the District Administrator and appropriate members of the staff and shall be justified in terms of the amount of time needed for students to accomplish the objectives of the curriculum as well as the District's educational goals.
In keeping with the Board's commitment to the school improvement process, such guidelines shall also provide for the appropriate participation of staff, parents, students, and relevant community organizations in the review of the District's courses of study.
The District Administrator shall maintain a current list of all courses of study offered by this District.
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