• Curriculum Review Cycle

    The New Hope-Solebury School District's Curriculum Department manages the ongoing review of subject area curricula to ensure exceptional standards, continuous innovation, and a strategic approach to curricular advancement. The review process is facilitated over a period of five years and offers the following benefits:

    • Provides a logical sequence of activities for revising and updating curricula
    • Assures a consistent, scheduled examination of all areas in a five year cycle
    • Facilitates a K-12 perspective
    • Allows for controlled budgeting, limiting large adoptions to different years
    • Facilities consistent input from the Board regarding curriculum renewal
    • Enables professional development to interface with the implementation of new curricula

     

    The 5-Year Cycle

    Year 1: Awareness 

    Focuses on the research of best practices, review of existing programs, examination of vendor materials/presentations and site visitations. Specifically, this step enables the curriculum committee to:

    • cross-reference the existing program with current best practices, standards and the use of technology
    • investigate how other districts are meeting the needs of students through visitations and/or conferences
    • create a shared vision for the future of the curricular area
    • identify potential programs and invite vendors to present materials
    • develop a needs assessment

    Year 2: Development 

    Focuses on providing the committee with a closer look at programs determined to have potential for implementation. Specifically, this step involves:

    • reviewing the findings of the research year
    • monitoring how these programs interface with student needs, best practices, and the strategic plan
    • program/material adoption and course recommendations to the CAC
    • planning staff development
    • mapping to identify gap and overlap in k-12 curriculum
    • using SAS Curriculum Frameworks

    Year 3: Writing

    Focuses on formalizing the curriculum in a document that identifies PA standards, essential questions, enduring understandings and transfer knowledge. The final document will:

    • identify key assessment dates and backwards map in accordance with district assessment protocol (i.e. Benchmark, Curriculum Based Assessments)
    • detail pilot programs
    • recommend program/material adoption to the School Board
    • describe and budget for the purchase of new materials
    • formally evaluate pilots where applicable
    • be created in the form of a collaborative Google Doc
    • schedule time allocatments during Professional Development, 192 and or release to complete tasks

    Year 4: Implementation 

    Focuses on formally integrating the selected program into the targeted grades/areas. Specifically, this step focuses on the:

    • continued revision, augmentation and diversification of the curriculum
    • development of common assessments and rubrics
    • professional development opportunities

    Year 5: Monitoring 

    Focuses on student performance, best practices, state standards and common assessments. Renewal is an ongoing, dynamic process that creates opportunities for teachers, under the supervision of the Director of Education, to make appropriate changes and revisions if necessary and appropriate.

  • Future Cycles
future curriculum review cycle chart