An overview of curriculum adoption within the MCSD

The Monticello Express has graciously agreed to allow me to be a guest in their paper once a month to highlight some of the amazing things going on in the Monticello Community School District (MCSD). For those who do not know me, I am the Curriculum and Special Programs Director for the MCSD. For this first article, I will focus on the Curriculum Director part of my job title.
The Iowa Department of Education divides curriculum into four categories: intended curriculum, enacted curriculum, assessed curriculum, and learned curriculum. The intended curriculum is the targeted knowledge and skills we intend students to learn. The intended curriculum that our teachers use is typically the Iowa Academic and Learning Standards outlined by the State of Iowa. The enacted curriculum is the knowledge and skills that are delivered during instruction. The enacted curriculum includes strategies and materials teachers use to teach students. Assessed curriculum refers to the knowledge and skills that are assessed throughout instruction to determine student achievement towards the intended curriculum. Finally, the learned curriculum is the subject matter and knowledge students learn. Therefore, being the Curriculum Director includes supporting teachers with all four categories of curriculum to ensure all students achieve at high levels in our district.
In order to ensure teachers are supported and have the best curriculum, the MCSD invests in providing evidence-based materials and high-quality training for teachers. The intended curriculum is provided by the State of Iowa or National Standards; however, our teachers prioritize the standards students will be held accountable for meeting throughout their education in the MCSD.
The professional learning opportunities provided by our district and to our district staff ensure the highest quality enacted curriculum. We also ensure the highest quality materials are used in our district through a curriculum adoption cycle where we evaluate, assess, adopt, and implement the best materials to teach and assess students.
The curriculum adoption process takes three years and occurs on a rotation every five to six years for each content area. The first year of the process is where I lead a team of teachers in assessing our current curriculum to evaluate its effectiveness and to research other curriculum materials that could be used. Throughout the first year and into the second year of the curriculum adoption process, the team narrows down the curriculum materials to those that will best meet student needs and decides the best one for the MCSD. Once the curriculum is adopted during the second year of the process, the recommendation is taken to the school board for approval. If approved, materials and resources are purchased and teachers are trained in using the updated or new curriculum materials. The third year of the adoption process is where teachers implement all aspects of the curriculum with their students, making refinements and adaptations depending on the needs of the students. Having the highest quality enacted and assessed curriculum ensures students learn at high levels and are prepared for their future after high school.
This is a very quick overview of what curriculum means and the process the MCSD uses to ensure the highest quality curriculum to meet our student needs. If you have further questions, please feel free to reach out to me at robyn.ponder@monticello.k12.ia.us.
Stay tuned next month when I share an overview of the Special Programs in the MCSD.