Curriculum

Curriculum Framework Overview

The Curriculum Framework at Claysburg-Kimmel School District consists of the following components: Big Ideas and Essential Questions; PA Core Standards, Academic Standards, and Eligible Content; Vocabulary; Student Target Outcomes and Goals; Instructional Strategies and Activities; Assessment Evidence; Differentiation; and Resources.

Framework Components:

Big Ideas and Essential Questions:
- Big Ideas are broad statements that describe concepts that cross grade levels. Some Big Ideas may include important understandings we want students to realize and remember. 
- Essential questions are linked to Big Ideas and assist both students and teachers by providing promoting inquiry, guiding questions to focus instruction, develop meaning, and plan for assessment.

PA Core Standards, Academic Standards, and Eligible Content:
- Standards and eligible content describe what students should know and be able to do at the end of a grade level in order to be prepared to enter the next grade level or course. 
- They provide teachers with a sharp and consistent focus for in-depth instruction and related assessment.

Vocabulary:
- Vocabulary consists of key terminology linked to the concepts being taught, content-specific vocabulary.
- Vocabulary also consists of academic language.
  - The language used in the classroom
  - The language of text
  - The language of assessments

Student Target Outcomes and Goals:
- This defines what we want students to know
- Related to content mastery

Instructional Strategies and Activities:
- Instructional Strategies describe what teachers do while instructing the students.
- Activities describe what students do while learning the content.

Assessment Evidence:
- Assessment Evidence may be collected before, during, and after instruction.
- Assessment Evidence are ways in which students may demonstrate learning.
- Assessment Evidence should align with Student Target Outcomes and Goals, as well as Instructional Strategies and Activities.

Differentiation:
- Differentiation is way of trying to meet the needs and strengths of all learners. Differentiated instruction may consist of varying approaches so that all students can learn content effectively, according to their needs.

Resources:
- Resources are items utilized during the unit.

 Curriculum Maps:

A curriculum map promotes consistency of instruction throughout the district by providing a framework detailing options for what is taught, how it may be taught, and when it is taught.
A curriculum map serves as a guide to ensure that standards will be taught and assessed.
Maps focus on academics as well as the 21st century skills of collaboration, problem solving, and creativity. This balance is important since students are working toward secondary success and lifelong learning. 
The construction of the maps resulted from the collaboration of teachers from across the district. 
Deviation from a published curriculum map does occur, dependent upon the needs of the students. However, changes will be documented on the teacher’s working curriculum map. Consequently, updates of published maps will occur periodically.