THE VISION:  BELIEFS ABOUT CURRICULUM

Community Unit School District 300 subscribes to a standards-based approach to curriculum and instruction, which focuses and organizes all of the District's efforts around the mission.  The Curriculum and Professional Development Design Blueprint is grounded on a set of commonly held beliefs about the role of curriculum in the educational process.  In addition, the principles of effective curriculum design and delivery identified by Curriculum Manangement Systems, Inc., The Curriculum Leadership Institute, Phi Delta Kappa International, and other leading experts in curriculum development, will serve as the criteria to measure the quality of curriculum.  From these beliefs and principles emerge the District's vision and long-term plan for the curricuum.

CURRICULUM COORDINATION COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Community Unit School District 300 believes that the primary purpose of education is to ensure that students have the skills, knowledge, processes, and attitudes imperative for the student to function successfully in school and society.  Instructional efforts respect the various characteristics unique to each student's innate potential and talents.

The District is committed to the development of an exemplary curriculum that sets high expectations for teachers and results in meaningful students learning.  The purpose is to have an aligned standards-based curriculum that will ensure that students from teacher-to-teacher and school-to-school learn from the same goals and objectives throughout the District.  The overriding goal is to ensure that a PreK-12 spiraling curriculum strike a balance between a firm foundation in basic skills and preparing students who can problem solve, communicate, use technology, work on teams, and make connections.

Community Unit School District 300's Curriculum and Professional Development Design Blueprint is a standards-based model developed to ensure that its graduates will be prepared for higher education or the workforce.  The curriculum is a set of student goals and objectives developed from the State of Illinois Learning Standards.  A spiraling effect will be incorporated into each of the curriculum guides.  This document outlines the procedures for the articulation of all content-area curricula that will be written, taught, and tested; therefore, high levels of achievement among Community Unit School District 300 students will become a reality.

The new written, taught, and tested curricula will be designed and delivered effectively using a standards-based approach built on the following premises:

• All students are capable of achieving excellence in learning.
• Successful student learning must be based on providing appropriate educational experiences at the appropriate level of challenge in order to ensure maximum student achievement.
• High student achievement levels indicate that the design of curriculum is effective and delivery of instruction is successful.
• Curricular strength is achieved when the curriculum is aligned and articulated and becomes a living document actualized through instruction and evidenced by student achievement.
• Curriculum development is a participatory process involving principals and staff representing all schools and grade levels, as well as central office administrators, parents, and community leaders.