Curriculum Components
This page contains information about our District's Curriculum Components. Every Teacher is responsible for understanding each of these components and how they together define what is to be taught.
I accordance with Board of Education Policies: 2210- CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT ,2220 - ADOPTION OF COURSES OF STUDY, and 2230 - COURSE GUIDES this page documents our adopted curriculum course of studies.
Teachers annually track what they teach throughout the school year by documenting the units of study they teach, the standards that are covered in each unit, what learning outcomes are expected, and how the expected outcomes are assessed. This documentation constitutes their map /pacing guide.
The links below take you to materials related to curriculum, teaching, and learning.
Click the following link to find an overview of Ohio’s Educational System.
Academic Content Standards
Ohio has adopted clearly defined statements and/or illustrations of what all students, teachers, schools and districts are expected to know and be able to do in every content area.
The learning standards serve as the basis for our curriculum. Teachers are expected to use the standards to define what is to be taught in each content area.
Ohio’s Academic Content Standards are a set of learning goals that outline the knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire at each grade level across different subject areas. These standards provide a clear framework for what students should know and be able to do by the end of each grade to ensure they are prepared for college, careers, and citizenship.
Key Features:
Learning Expectations: The standards define the essential content and skills students should master in subjects such as math, science, English language arts, social studies, and more.
Grade-Level Progression: The standards are organized by grade level, ensuring that students build upon their knowledge and skills as they advance through their education.
Rigorous and Relevant: Ohio’s Academic Content Standards are designed to be rigorous and aligned with real-world expectations, helping students succeed beyond the classroom.
Alignment with National Standards: Many of Ohio’s standards are aligned with national benchmarks, such as the Common Core State Standards (for English language arts and math), to ensure students meet competitive academic expectations.
How we use the standards:
Curriculum Development: JALSD Teachers and Principals use the academic standards to define our local curricula. These standards set the expectations for what students should learn, teachers use district purchased instructional programs, (example: Envision Math, My View and Perspectives Literacy, etc.) or where instructional materials are not adopted their own curriculum to meet these goals.
Lesson Planning: Teachers use the standards to guide lesson planning, ensuring that instruction is aligned with the learning goals for each grade level and subject.
Assessment Design: The standards serve as the basis for designing assessments, including state tests and classroom evaluations, to measure whether students have met the expected learning outcomes.
Instructional Focus: Teachers use the standards to focus instruction on the most important content, ensuring that students receive a well-rounded education that covers essential knowledge and skills.
Professional Development: The standards also support teacher training and professional development by providing a common framework for educators to understand the academic expectations for students.
Adopted Learning Standards
English Language Arts, Feb. 2017
Fine Arts, May 2024 (Art, Music, Theatre, Dance)
Engineering and Science Technologies
World Languages & Cultures, March 2020
Note: At each link above you will find all of the implementation resources.
Other Standards:
Birth Through Kindergarten Entry - Learning and Development Standards
In Support of PBIS:
Ohio’s Kindergarten through Grade 12 Social and Emotional Learning Standards
For Students with Disabilities - Intervention and Classroom Teachers
Ohio’s Learning Standards-Extended: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004) requires students with disabilities, including students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, to be provided access to and make progress in grade-level general education curriculum, not an alternate curriculum (CFR 34 § 300.320). The Ohio Learning Standards are the achievement targets used for the general education curriculum.
Model Curriculum
Ohio’s Model Curricula are educational resources designed by the Department of Education to support school districts and educators in aligning instruction with Ohio’s Learning Standards. They offer detailed guidance on what students should learn at each grade level across various subjects such as math, science, social studies, and English language arts. Ohio’s Model Curricula gives direction and structure to the Learning Standards. The Model Curricula serve as the basis for our classroom level curriculum. Teachers are expected to use the model curriculum that are available to structure their classroom instruction.
Key Features:
Learning Objectives: The model curricula outline specific learning objectives for each standard. These objectives break down broad learning goals into more manageable and measurable outcomes.
Instructional Strategies: They provide suggestions for effective teaching methods, helping teachers to plan lessons that engage students and meet the state standards.
Resources and Examples: The curricula include examples of classroom activities, sample assignments, and links to further instructional resources, offering practical tools for implementation.
Assessment Suggestions: Recommendations for formative and summative assessments are also part of the model curricula to help teachers measure student progress.
How we use the Model Curricula:
Guidance for Lesson Planning: JALSD Teachers must use the model curricula to plan their lessons, ensuring that they align with Ohio's Learning Standards.
Adaptation to Local Needs: While the State of Ohio's model curricula provide a framework, teachers are expected to adapt it to suit the needs of their individual students, by being flexible in their pacing, choosing what to re-teach when students have not mastered previous content, utilizing district and state resources, and grouping the standards to make coherent units of study.
Professional Development: The model curricula serves as a resource for teacher professional development, supporting teachers in understanding and applying the standards. This includes PD related to the district's adopted instructional and assessment resources.
Supporting Differentiation: Teachers use the model curricula and the standards to support their use of Universal Design For Learning, Personalized Learning and differentiation. This includes referencing when appropriate for individual students, Ohio’s Learning Standards-Extended. The purpose of OLSE is to build a bridge that provides grade level access to the content of the Ohio Learning Standards and to ensure students with the most significant cognitive disabilities are provided with multiple checkpoints to demonstrate knowledge and skills aligned to the achievement targets within Ohio Learning Standards.
Adopted Model Curriculum
English Language Arts, Feb. 2018
Teacher Expectations for Documenting Their Classroom / Grade Level Curriculum:
Teachers are expected to document that they are using the state's Learning Standards and Model Curricula. This is done through the creation of a Curriculum Guide / spreadsheet / calendar that details each week or for a unit of study which documents how the learning standards and model curricular are deployed throughout the school year.
As part of the OTES process demonstrating the deployment of the standards is an integral part of the evaluation rubric. Evaluators are required to review each teachers curriculum, instruction, and assessments.
FROM OTES RUBRIC:
FOCUS FOR LEARNING Connections to prior and future learning Element 1.2 Element 2.1 Element 2.2 Element 2.4 Element 2.5
The teacher plans lessons that intentionally make clear and coherent connections with student prior and future learning and includes strategies that communicate the connections to students - among lesson content, other disciplines and/or real-world experiences. The teacher plans lessons that use the input and contributions of families, colleagues and/or other professionals to understand each student’s prior knowledge while supporting the student’s development.
Connections to state standards and district priorities Element 2.3 Element 4.1 Element
The teacher’s instructional plan incorporates activities, assessments and resources, including available technology, that align with student needs, school and district priorities, and Ohio’s Learning Standards. The teacher participates in studying and evaluating advances in content and/or provides input on school and district curriculum.
ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING (Standard 1: Students, Standard 3: Assessment) Use of assessments Element 3.1 Element 3.2 Element 3.3 Element 3.4
The teacher intentionally and strategically selects, develops and uses multiple assessments, including routine use of various diagnostic, formative and summative assessments. The teacher offers differentiated assessment choices to meet the full range of student needs. The teacher analyzes data trends and patterns to measure targeted student learning, anticipate learning obstacles, modify instruction and differentiate to meet individual student needs. The teacher shares evidence of student learning with colleagues, parents and students to collaboratively plan instruction to meet individual student needs.
Evidence of student learning Element 1.3
The teacher uses at least two sources of high-quality student data to demonstrate growth and/or achievement over time, showing clear evidence of above expected growth and/or achievement for most students.
In addition, to a document (similar to the one above) that demonstrates what standards have been taught and assessed throughout the year, any of the following methods that align instructional practices with the state's educational requirements can be presented and used to demonstrate this alignment:
1. Lesson Plans
Incorporating Standards: Teachers can explicitly reference specific Ohio Learning Standards in lesson plans. Lesson Plans should identify the relevant standard(s) being addressed.
Objective Statements: Include learning objectives that directly align with the standards. For example, a lesson plan in math might state that the goal is for students to "understand and apply properties of operations" as outlined in a particular Ohio math standard.
Curriculum Integration: Teachers can indicate how they are using Ohio’s Model Curricula by noting suggested instructional strategies, resources, or activities in their plans.
2. Unit Plans and Curriculum Maps
Alignment with Standards: Document how a sequence of lessons (e.g., a unit or semester) addresses multiple Ohio Learning Standards. A curriculum map can show where and when each standard is covered throughout the school year.
Use of Model Curricula: Highlight how specific instructional strategies or activities from the Model Curricula are incorporated into longer units of instruction.
3. Student Work Samples
Standards Referenced in Assignments: Teachers can attach the relevant Ohio Learning Standards to assignments, quizzes, and projects. This makes it clear that student work is aligned with state expectations.
Assessment Rubrics: Include criteria that are directly connected to the standards. For example, a rubric for a writing assignment might reference specific skills such as "developing a clear thesis" as per the Ohio English Language Arts standards.
4. Assessment and Progress Monitoring
Standards-Based Assessments: Create or use formative and summative assessments that are directly tied to Ohio’s Learning Standards. Teachers can show how each question or task is linked to a particular standard. (examples: Benchmark, Checkpoint Assessments, Aimsweb, Iowa assessment, assessments found in Text Book or other district content resources.
Tracking Progress: Use progress-monitoring tools (checklists, gradebooks, or data-tracking systems) to document student mastery of standards. This helps show that instruction is focused on achieving the outlined competencies.
5. Professional Reflection and Development
Self-Reflection: Teachers can document how their instruction is aligned with the standards by reflecting on their teaching practices in professional development journals or evaluations.
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) (our TBTs and Grade Level or Content Area meetings): Participation in PLCs can provide opportunities for educators to collaborate and discuss how they are implementing Ohio’s Learning Standards and Model Curricula in their classrooms.
6. Classroom Observations and Evaluations
Administrator Evaluations: During formal classroom observations, teachers can present evidence of standards-aligned instruction. Administrators may look for explicit connections to Ohio’s Learning Standards in the lessons being taught and provide feedback based on this alignment.
Walkthrough observations where teachers note the standards being addressed in the lesson observed.
7. Instructional Resources
Citing Model Curricula Resources: Teachers can reference instructional resources from Ohio’s Model Curricula in their documentation. For example, using suggested classroom activities, projects, or assessments directly from the model curricula can serve as proof of alignment.
Adoption of Texts and Materials: When adopting textbooks or instructional materials, teachers can document how these materials are aligned with Ohio’s Learning Standards.
Note: When available, Maps, Pacing Charts, lesson planners provided in an adopted curricula i.e. Envision Math, My View, My Perspective, etc. can be used to demonstrate classroom instruction.
The Science of Reading Ohio's Required Curricula for teaching reading:
JALSD New / Updated Curriculum Materials Links:
K-8 Mathematics
K-5 Reading / Literacy (notice: This curriculum meet the requirements of the Science of Reading)
myView Literacy (K-5)
myPerspectives® English Language Arts (Grade 6)
Other Links on the WEBSITE that support curriculum development and intervention:
Title I
Title I is a Federally funded program designed to give extra help to students who are at risk of failing to meet State and National standards in the areas of Reading, Math, and Language Arts. Our Title I program operates as a whole school model in both elementary buildings.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
Ohio Improvement Process
The Ohio improvement Process embraces the concept that effective schools are engaged in a long-term process of improvement of teaching and learning that is demonstrated by a pattern of continuous improvement of learning for every child. The continuous improvement cycle includes determination of prioritized needs, planning for focused improvement, implementation of the plan, and monitoring and evaluation of the results.