Curriculum

Arts

Visual and Performing Arts - Providing Creativity and Innovation to All Children

The arts are an integral part of a child's education. Arts disciplines of dance, music, theatre, and visual arts play an active role in forming the creative process which can be applied in all facets of one's life. To have balanced education, the academic, physical, and effective areas of human learning should interact in a symbiotic relationship with each other. It is here that the arts become the third leg of the "learning" stool with the academic and physical realms being the other two. Remove that leg and stool collapses. With it, a stable and firm platform is available at all times (even when the metaphorical "floor" shifts).

Help us support our student artists by attending their concerts, dramatic productions, musicals, art shows, and dance recitals. We are all keys to their success and can unlock the passion and creativity in every future Mozart, Beethoven, Picasso, or Shakespeare.

Literacy

South Kitsap School District defines literacy as an individual's ability to listen and speak, read and write, observe and present in ways necessary to thrive in the family, the work place and society. Literacy extends beyond reading and writing to embody elements of thinking, communicating, computing and problem solving.

Core Values

All students can learn when actively engaged in the learning process.
Parents play a vital role in developing and supporting their child's literacy success.
Teachers have a major role in motivating students.
Literacy instruction is essential at all levels and in all subject areas.
Effective literacy instruction requires significant classroom time engaged in intentional reading and writing.
Teaching literacy is vastly different from assigning reading or writing tasks.
Oral language, aural language, reading, and writing are critically linked.
Teachers must draw from a comprehensive variety of methods according to their students' needs and interests. No single program or approach to literacy works best for all students.
Teacher modeling of strategies is essential for understanding and creating oral, written and visual/non-print text.
Modeling critical thinking processes helps students create and understand text.
Students are more likely to persevere in reading/writing when they see connections between themselves and the text.
Choice in reading materials and/or methods of response is motivating to students.
Students need intentional reading instruction using the literacy model whole group, small group, whole group. Materials for instruction must be at student's instructional level. Materials for independent reading should also be available.
All students benefit from appropriate scaffolding and consistent terminology.
Teachers use various on-going screening and diagnostic tools, classroom-based assessments, and appropriate interventions to assist and measure student learning and to inform instruction.
Immediate and specific feedback facilitates students' learning and builds competence.
Professional development needs to be anchored in best practices of teaching and assessing literacy.

Reading Best Practices

Phonemic/Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is a broad term that includes phonemic awareness (the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the individual sounds in spoken words). Phonological awareness activities involve work with phonemes, rhymes, words, syllables, onsets and rimes.

Provide opportunities for exploring oral language through rhyming, alliteration, blending, segmenting, and manipulation of sounds.
Utilize both explicit instruction and immersion in language.

Phonics

Phonics is the understanding of a predictable relationship between sounds (phonemes) and letter symbols (graphemes). Successful application of phonics is dependent upon phonemic awareness.

Provide explicit and systematic phonics instruction for a short duration each day.
Provide ample opportunities for students to apply what they are learning about letters and sounds to the reading of words, sentences, and stories.
Teach spelling through focused lessons and provide ample opportunities for children to apply what they are learning about letters and sounds, spelling patterns, and generalizations.

Vocabulary Development

Model reading aloud using carefully selected text to extend oral\aural vocabulary.
Provide repeated exposure to new words in a variety of meaningful contexts (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) to increase retention.
Build vocabulary through a variety of strategies, including using context clues, synonyms\antonyms, figures of speech, and derivatives.
Use concept maps and graphic organizers to define, organize and enhance understanding of language, including specialized content area vocabulary.
Encourage students to verbalize their ideas and think out loud using a wide range of vocabulary.

Fluency

Model and teach components of fluency, including phrasing, rate, and expression in speaking, reading, and writing.
Create opportunities for oral practice before reading and writing.
Divide sentences into meaningful phrases to develop comprehension through fluency.
Provide opportunities for practice in a variety of formats (reading, writing, and speaking).

Comprehension

Model critical thinking processes to understand text through read-alouds and writing demonstrations.
Use students' prior knowledge to develop connections to self, other texts and the world.
Teach features and functions of different forms to increase understanding of how texts serve different purposes.
Teach and use the strategies of clarifying, predicting, visualizing, questioning, inferring, determining importance, summarizing, justifying and synthesizing through pre-, during-, and post- reading and writing activities.
Provide opportunities to respond in a variety of ways to increase each student's internalization of the text.

Writing Best Practices

Integrate daily writing activities across content areas. (Examples of authentic tasks: science notebooks, writer's workshop, math reflections, learning logs, QAR, reading responses, etc.)
Use consistent terminology by grade level throughout the district.
Teach skills and methods to construct effective, grammatically sound sentences, paragraphs, and final forms of writing in a quality product.
Explicitly teach the critical elements of good writing. These include: ideas, voice, organization, conventions, sentence fluency, word choice, and presentation.

The Writing Process

Encourage students to use the writing process regularly. The process is recursive not necessarily linear and includes: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.
Provide writing prompts which include a variety of purposes, genres and audience.
Offer student choice.
Promote re-reading and revising of each draft at each step of the process.
Provide many different opportunities and methods for sharing student writing.
Model writing explicitly and intentionally through whole and small group instruction.

Writing Assessment

Give students the opportunity to self-evaluate their writing. This could be done with rubrics, checklists and examples of effective and ineffective writing.
Provide specific, frequent, and meaningful feedback through written comments and/or conferencing throughout the writing process.
Use formative assessment to drive and individualize instruction.

Grammar

Teach grammar in context not in isolation.
Align grammar concepts to the Grade Level Expectations.

Spelling

Provide differentiated and explicit instruction, recognizing that spelling is much more than a memorized list each Friday.
Emphasize high frequency words, spelling patterns, prefixes, suffixes, etc.
Use consistent instructional strategies across grade levels throughout the district.
Assess using a variety of samples including diagnostic inventories and student writing.

Handwriting

Instruction should support automaticity.
Provide consistent instruction across grade levels throughout the district.

Washington State Resources - Washington Learning Standards- English Language Arts

Mathematics

Washington State Resources

Washington Learning Standards - Mathematics

Characteristics of Effective Mathematics Instruction

Teachers develop communities of involved learners in which students accept responsibility for learning, take intellectual risks, develop confidence and self-esteem, work independently and collaboratively and value mathematics. All South Kitsap students deserve classroom experiences that weave together the following strands:

Content

The curriculum is mathematically rich, offering students opportunities to build understanding of important concepts and procedures.

All content strands of mathematics (number sense, measurement, geometric sense, algebraic sense, and probability and statistics) are represented at each level in the curriculum.
Content emphasizes in-depth understanding of key concepts rather than breadth of coverage.
Instruction and curriculum are aligned to state/national standards.
A focused, coherent K-12 curriculum builds understanding across all levels.
All students have the opportunity to learn grade level mathematics consistent with the Grade Level Expectations.

Problem Solving/Reasoning

In order to become confident problem solvers, students need opportunities to engage in complex mathematical tasks that encourage flexibility in thinking.

Students spend time exploring contextual mathematics tasks in depth.
Students are encouraged to find more than one solution/approach to open-ended problems.
Students use a variety of strategies and approaches rather than rely on memorized procedures.

Connections

When students can connect mathematical ideas, their understanding is deeper and more lasting.

Students are using prior knowledge to make connections to new learning.
Students make connections within the mathematical content strands.
Students make connections to other disciplines.
Students make connections to their own interests and experience.

Communication

Communication helps build meaning and permanence for ideas and makes them public.

Students use both written and oral language to describe and discuss their mathematical thinking and understanding.
Students consistently engage in mathematical discussion by listening to, responding to, and asking questions of the teacher and one another to develop mathematical understanding.
Students justify their ideas with mathematical reasoning.

Instructional Strategies

Teachers ensure active student participation in learning, creating and doing mathematics.

Teachers appropriately use a balance of instructional delivery techniques including cooperative learning, direct instruction, and inquiry-based learning.
Students are engaged in a variety of instructional groupings including individual, small and large group.
Teachers create a classroom environment that supports student perseverance.
Teachers make accommodations for diverse learners.
Teachers effectively use instructional time to maximize student learning.

Assessment

The assessment tasks are embedded, on-going and reflect the knowledge of students.

Teachers pre-assess formally and informally to build on prior knowledge and make instructional decisions.
Teachers ensure that assessments are consistent with the objectives and instructional design of the curriculum.
Students, teachers and parents use a range of formal and informal assessments including performance tasks, portfolios, projects, observations, rubrics, interviews and journals.
Students utilize a variety of assessment feedback to reflect on learning and set personal learning goals.

Mathematical Tools

Students use tools in meaningful ways to deepen their understanding of mathematical content and processes.

Students choose from a variety of concrete materials and appropriate technology as a natural part of their everyday mathematical work.
Students explore mathematical ideas using concrete models to develop abstract concepts.

Multicultural Education

Vision Statement:

South Kitsap School District will be a caring, supportive and safe community which values the individual and celebrates our differences.

Embracing diversity encompasses acceptance and respect for all people. Differences can include, but are not limited to; race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, or political beliefs. Celebrating diversity is the exploration of these differences in a caring, safe and supportive community.

We encourage all staff to make a commitment to:

Set a positive example for our students
Speak out against prejudice, intolerance and injustice.
Work to recognize and overcome our own biases

Diversity Curriculum Coordinator: Bev Painter

Location: South Kitsap High School
Phone: 360-874-5665
Email: painter@skschools.org

Diversity Curriculum Coordinator: Val Kimball
Location: Discovery Alternative High School
Phone: 360-874-7017
Email: kimball@skschools.org

Resources:

www.tolerance.org Excellent resource for educators on topics centering around bullying, diversity and creating classrooms that celebrate all students.
Please email us if you have a specific issue or need.
Building Bridges http://www.diversityandtolerance.com/Schools.html

PE / Health

Mission Statement

South Kitsap Physical Education is dedicated to preparing all students for lifelong fitness and health.

Core Values

Provide a positive and safe learning environment for all students
Provide a variety of meaningful and engaging fitness activities
Use a variety of assessments to evaluate student learning
Preparing students for life- long fitness and goal setting
Collaborate to align curriculum with national/state standards to ensure appropriate progression
Provide education to all students using aligned curriculum to understand the relationship between exercise and nutrition
Provide exemplary facilities and equipment
Employ certificated physical education and health teachers
Communicate the importance of physical education and health with students, parents, staff, and community.

SKSD Physical Education Scope and Sequence
Grades K-5	Grades 6-8	Grades 9-12

Science

Washington State K-12 Science Standards
Core Values

Science is an important part of our everyday lives.
Science will be incorporated in K-12 instruction.
Students are to be scientifically literate.
Content emphasizes in-depth understanding of big ideas rather than breadth of coverage.
Content and processes are developmentally appropriate with respect to student readiness.
Instruction, assessment and curriculum are balanced and varied.
The diverse backgrounds of students need to be recognized, respected and addressed in a responsive way.

What we teach and have K-12 students learn is critical. We…

Align and teach content and scientific processes to the state/national standards.
Develop and use consistent terminology and processes.
Provide balance between scientific concepts and processes.
Utilize multiple strategies to solve problems and answer questions.
Make science practical, applicable to everyday life and something students can use.
Build and understand knowledge gained from previous experience and observations to apply to further scientific investigations.
Identify and correct misconceptions about scientific phenomena.
Require thought, development, and construction of student understandings as they explore, invent and apply.
Provide student centered science instruction that builds upon student's readiness to learn.
Access prior knowledge to develop current and future concepts.
Allow ample time and opportunity for activity, discussion, and reflective feedback.
Minimize number of concepts taught to acquire basic building blocks.
Model and instruct scientific behavior, action, and thought.
Model and instruct safe and appropriate laboratory guidelines.
Apply multiple strategies to enhance student learning.
Use a model of open inquiry as a tool to reach all students.
Utilize current technological tools to enhance student learning.
Integrate community resources into classroom instruction.
Align assessment to learning goals and instructional strategies.
Assess a variety of levels including knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Incorporate performance based as well as content based assessments.
Utilize formative and summative assessments.
Provide opportunities for students to reflect on and analyze their own scientific learning.
Provide timely feedback for students to reinforce or revise thinking.

Staff Development Recommendations

Successful implementation will require overall district support, including staff development, additional instructional time and getting the materials (consumable, equipment and supplies) beyond the first year.
Provide scientific inquiry training and continually support the implementation of inquiry methods.
Provide scientific content training and continually support the enhancement of teacher knowledge.
Develop and implement consistent terminology K-12, so teachers are using the same language to talk about science and about teaching science.
Leave room for openness, flexibility and adaptation so alignment can be adjusted based upon student success and standards.
Utilize community resources to supplement expertise and materials for instruction.

Definitions
Assessments:

Formative assessment: Used to guide future instruction. This is assessment FOR learning.

Summative assessment: Used to verify that learning goals have been met. This is the assessment OF learning.

Content based assessment: Used to evaluate students understanding of knowledge and ideas of science.

Performance based assessment: Used to evaluate student's understanding of scientific behavior and processes such as mixing chemicals, reading of equipment, and use of laboratory apparatus. This can include doing a project, demonstration, or activity.

Big ideas: refers to general concepts that are inherent to all branches of science. Big ideas include: Systems, Order, and Organization; Evidence, Models, and Explanations; Constancy, Change and Measurement; Evolution and Equilibrium; and Form and Function. (National Science Education Standards)

Inquiry: refers to the diverse ways in which scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the evidence derived from their work. Inquiry also refers to the activities of students in which they develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas, as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world." (National Science Education Standards)

Processes: The act of engaging in scientific behavior, such as making observations, classifying, measuring, inferring, predicting, communicating, using number relationships, making models, defining operationally, collecting data, interpreting data, identifying and controlling variables, formulating hypotheses, experimenting.

Scientific Method: Process by which individuals identify a problem or question and systematically go through steps to solve or test solutions to the problem or question.