Dear ACPS Staff,
ACPS recently concluded an evaluation of the division’s written, tested, taught and supported curriculum.
I want to thank the many staff members who participated in this evaluation last school year by sharing your valuable insights regarding the curriculum. You provided this feedback through focus groups, surveys and interviews. Many of you also were part of the classroom observations conducted within our schools.
Academics are the foundation of a high-performing school division. Our goal at ACPS is to see every student be academically successful and prepared for life, work and college. Our goal is also to see all students educated in an atmosphere of excellence and educational equity and challenged to stretch their talents and aspirations. As such, it is important that we take a look at the tools we have to fulfil these goals, realize our strengths and evaluate the areas where we could do better.
Your feedback in the curriculum assessment indicated that the greatest strengths of the curriculum include the integration of technology, essential questions to guide instruction and key vocabulary for lesson development.
We heard that you would like to see the written curriculum in a more accessible format, that you would like to be more involved in the development of curriculum and a new focus on making division exemplar lessons available. Other themes that emerged included usability of data from Transfer Tasks, meeting the needs of diverse learners, and how professional development supports implementation.
The results of this evaluation have informed a draft division-wide Curriculum Project Work Plan, which will be refined in collaboration with teachers and administrators over the next several years. Throughout this process, ACPS will continue to seek your input and I encourage you to continue to be engaged as we move forward with the Curriculum Project Work Plan. The report findings provide us with a starting point; however, only our continuous collaborative efforts as a division will lead us to our ultimate goal of ensuring that every student succeeds.
Yours,
Alvin L. Crawley Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools