Board discusses curriculum changes for the fall

By Jazmine Knight

St. Joseph school board members discussed tweaks to curriculum and improvements to district buildings at Wednesday’s board meeting.

One of the most notable topics discussed was changes to curriculum starting this fall.

Stacia Studer, director of curriculum and instruction, explained changes to the science and math courses.

Beginning in August, the district will start ninth graders with a physical science course instead of biology.

“We looked at the gaps in learning,” Studer said. “What we can do now is open up more electives and course offerings that they can take, for science courses.”

This ensures that if a student is interested in the STEM field, they now have two foundational courses to help them in higher-level courses.

For math, the district will be adapting its algebra course. Currently, the district offers two Algebra 1 courses: One is Algebra 1A and the other is Algebra 1B.

Moving forward, the district will consolidate both courses into one.

Lastly, the district will introduce an eighth grade career readiness course. This is inspired by a course offered back in 2012.

“Careers and learning looks so different now and so, we worked with Janay Brown, who’s a Riverdale teacher, and taught the course, and she redesigned the course along with Kelly Locke,” Studer said.

The goal is to expose students to their desired career early. Students will complete an assessment that will determine the careers they are most likely to gravitate toward. From there, career pathways and clusters are catered to each individual student.

Though the changes are a lot, Studer projects students to positively benefit from each change. For the teachers, they have been involved in every step of the process making their transition smooth.

“They have already done a lot of learning, through January until now. so the professional learning will just be like the resource itself, and, really, they are the drivers of this,” she said.

The school board approved multiple motions, such as a continued agenda to replace student laptops for third through fifth graders.

Board President LaTonya Willams said the computers are on a cycle.

“Every year there’s a different group of electronics and they get updates to them. And so this just according to the normal plan,” Williams said.

A motion to replace HVAC systems within Pickett and Eugene Field elementary schools was also approved. Williams said it was a great time to approve the motion since schools are out and it’s hot.

“Hopefully in order to be able to go at the beginning of the school year. Hopefully with no hesitations,” she said.

For teachers, the newest change will be to the hour requirements for full-time status. Instead of the current 30 hours, it will now be changed to 25 to improve retention and recruitment within staff

New theater lighting and microphones within schools were also approved.

When it comes to the long-range plan, the board wanted to ensure everything was on schedule. The next step is determining locations.

Williams said despite the district’s hiccups, everyone is working together to further the quality of education and improve conditions districtwide.