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Littleton Public Schools Exhibit |
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Policy Code IEA-E Policy Name Instructional Committees and Councils August 8, 1995
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I. Role of District Curriculum Councils
A. District Curriculum Councils are coordinated by the director of curriculum and instruction.
B. Provide subject-area content and pedagogical expertise for the District.
1. Track current research, trends, issues, and changes in the field.
2. Facilitate communication about developments in the discipline among K–12 teachers across the District.
C. Support staff development in the discipline.
1. Develop and carry out specific training programs under the auspices of the council.
2. Identify staff development needs and resources for meeting those needs.
3. Encourage teacher and administrator participation in professional development activities.
D. Analyze the state of curriculum assessment and instruction in the District in light of trends and changes in the field.
1. Monitor the implementation of the LPS curriculum in the subject area.
2. Analyze the degree to which students are making progress toward the learner objectives in the curricular area and how that is supporting student progress toward the District’s learning goals.
3. Report to the Curriculum Evaluation Process (CEP) Committee on the “state” of the curriculum and its implementation across the District.
4. Communicate with other curriculum councils.
E. Serve as a clearing house to recommend and support curriculum change.
1. Assist in the development of application guidelines and forms for use by teachers wishing to participate on writing teams and in the definition of criteria to be used in selecting team members from the applicants.
2. Review requests for course and materials additions from schools for alignment with the philosophical assumptions and learning objectives in the District curriculum.
F. Recommend and support change in assessment procedures and policies that are aligned with and support the philosophical assumptions and learning objectives in the LPS curriculum.
G. Serve as a vehicle for communication across levels and with other disciplines.
1. Hold meetings with another council or councils as needed to encourage and support the integration of curriculum, share areas of instructional focus and philosophy, and explore cooperative staff development efforts.
2. Review course and materials addition requests for articulation between elementary, middle, and high school.
3. Support cross-level meetings to encourage curriculum articulation and communication between the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
H. Meet as specific tasks need to be accomplished, but no fewer than four times during the school year.
II. District Council Membership
A. A representative from each middle and high school will serve on each District curriculum council. The building administrators at the middle and high school will identify the people to serve on the District curriculum councils.
B. An assistant principal will be the administrative liaison on each District curriculum council as part of their administrative assignment. These appointments will be made by the instruction administration in collaboration with the building principal.
C. Each K–12 curriculum council will expand its membership to include elementary teachers from each building plus one elementary administrator. The elementary administrator representative will be assigned by the director of elementary education.
1. Elementary teachers interested in serving on District curriculum councils will complete an application which will include a recommendation by their principal.
2. Selections of elementary teacher representatives to the District curriculum councils will be made by the building principal.
3. The term of office for elementary representatives on District curriculum councils will be two years.
D. Instruction TOSAs/coordinators will serve on the appropriate District curriculum council.
III. District Council Chair — Responsibilities
A. The District council chairs are selected by the District Curriculum Council members yearly.
1. Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies councils will have co-chairs; one from elementary and one from secondary levels.
2. Three consecutive years would be the maximum term for a council chair.
B. The District council chair convenes and conducts the meetings and sets the agendas.
C. The District council chair assigns the taking and distribution of minutes. These minutes are to be distributed to all council members, principals, and selected instruction administrators.
IV. Administrative Liaison — Responsibilities
A. Liaisons bring the administrative and District perspective to the council’s discussions.
B. Liaisons keep the K–12 instruction administrators informed of the council’s discussions and recommendations via the principals’ monthly meetings with the directors of elementary and secondary education and the assistant principals’ meetings with the directors of elementary and secondary education and the directors of curriculum and assessment.
V. Council Members — Responsibilities
A. Council members attend all District curriculum council meetings.
B. Council members discuss council agenda topics with their department members, staff, and/or grade members, and their administrators to facilitate communication and input.
C. Council members assist and support the development and implementation of the curriculum during the Curriculum Evaluation Process.
D. If a member is unable to attend, he/she is responsible for obtaining needed information.
VI. Curriculum Evaluation Committees
A. CEP Committee
1. CEP Committee Responsibilities
a. To bring a Districtwide perspective to the recommendations made for curriculum review, development, and revisions
b. To validate and communicate to the staff the revisions recommended
2. CEP Committee Membership
Director of Curriculum and Instruction One middle level assistant principal
Director of Assessment and Evaluation One high school principal
Directors for elementary and secondary education One high school assistant principal
Three elementary principals—one from each cluster One gifted/talented facilitator
One middle level principal Two parents
District council chairs TOSAs/coordinators
B. Curriculum Review Committee
1. Curriculum Review Committee Responsibilities
a. To collect and synthesize external and internal research
b. To prepare a summary of the research including statements of philosophical assumptions which guide curriculum revision
c. To participate in forums where the reports are presented to staff
2. Curriculum Review Committee Membership
A minimum of two teachers from each level in which the curriculum is to be revised
C. Curriculum Selection Committee
1. Curriculum Selection Committee Responsibilities
To select activities, materials, technologies, and assessment strategies in order to support learner objectives and complete the curriculum
2. Curriculum Selection Committee Membership
Appropriate teaching staff