CCSD59 Curriculum Recognized by NCISC, ISBE
The focus of the CCSD59 curriculum is to equip students with the necessary skills and content knowledge to be successful in life. These include reading, writing, math, and our nine district outcomes. The combination of these skills and content knowledge are extended into learning experiences in all subject areas, including language arts, math, science, social science, fine arts, physical education, and exploratory classes.
These skills are taught through our learning experiences and the application of the latest technology. Those experiences are specifically designed by our teachers and staff in order to meet the needs of every student.
As our students continue to become immersed in our curriculum and take their education to the high school and collegiate level, we strive to stay consistent with all common core standards presented by the Illinois State Board of Education. The North Cook Intermediate Service Center (NCISC), which assesses the compliance of local school districts in relation to state and federal laws and the Illinois School Code, recently completed a thorough review of CCSD59 documents and curriculum mandates.
The NCISC report highlighted that not only is the curriculum aligned with common core standards, but our math and reading experiences provide a purpose for learning and yield long-term benefits for students that are not seen in many districts.
Officials that performed the audit found the math experiences, literacy program and English Language Learner program to be highly comprehensive due to the successful application of research-based methods, current best practice strategies, and engaging reading selections and authentic learning applications.
The findings also provided suggestions for areas where the district can focus for improvement. In order to address the suggested areas, as well as areas identified for strengthening from staff and parent feedback, CCSD59 is creating a Curriculum Committee that will work to identify gaps and strengthen academic areas identified for improvement. This effort will be an ongoing process with the goal of creating the most effective curriculum that provides the greatest opportunities for academic success for our students.
The Illinois State Board of Education also recently featured the efforts that CCSD59 is taking to maintain the pace of improvement and assessment of our curriculum. The piece was created as part of ISBE’s Sharing our Stories: Creating Connections series, which highlights effective replicable practices positively impacting schools across Illinois to inspire educators to engage in statewide peer-to-peer learning with the goal of better serving students.
A staple of the piece is the collaboration between instructional coaches, teachers at the classroom level, and digital tools, such as our Learning Lab, and how they combine to allow CCSD59 to accurately assess the learning experience of every student.
The district will continue to prioritize assessment practices as it has done in the past with FAST and PARCC scores, along with community feedback through our Parent Survey. In that effort, innovative practices and the latest technology will continue to be utilized in order to provide the best educational experience for every student as we prepare them to be successful for life.
