A. Curriculum

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) has always been committed to high academic standards for all students, and this is evidenced by the work done over the years to develop a rigorous curriculum in all content areas before it became the norm in school systems and at the state level. The District developed a standards-based curriculum in the 1990s long before Florida had a state-wide curriculum. The District curriculum identified essential objectives needed to demonstrate proficiency in performing identified competencies across all content areas. The District curriculum exceeded state standards and was continually updated as new state and/or federal requirements emerged.

The M-DCPS Education Plan (2010-2012), which can be accessed at: https://curriculum.dadeschools.net/docs/side%20menu/MDCPS-EDUCATIONPLAN-2011-85X11_C1.pdf, presents a streamlined and results-oriented approach that focuses on all teachers delivering the core curriculum so that expectations of what students learn is consistent across all schools. The plan builds on past success while articulating a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to the implementation of the curriculum across all content areas primarily through pacing guides, and accompanying tools. The plan delineates a tiered approach to providing professional development and in-class assistance to support the implementation of the curriculum with consistency across the District.

In 2009-2010, the District implemented Pacing Guides which set expectations for student learning and performance for grades K-12. The Pacing Guides serve as the scope and sequence for implementation of the curriculum and provide the teachers with a “road map” for the year. Each Pacing Guide contains a Year-at-a-Glance/Curriculum Map that is divided into 4 quarters. Samples of the Curriculum Maps are included in this section. Each quarter contains several topics (units) of study. These topics (units) of study are arranged in a logical, conceptual order. Each topic identifies the Big Idea or Supporting Idea and the specific benchmarks aligned to the essential content. Additionally, the objectives (student learning goals), suggested pacing or time frame in which instruction is to occur, and instructional tools are provided along with additional support for ELL, Gifted and SPED students. The Pacing Guide ensures the continuity of instruction across the district, increases rigor and equity of instruction for all students and fosters collaborative planning and increased rigor of instruction leading to improved student achievement. The Pacing Guides are password protected, but can be accessed at: https://village.dadeschools.net/.

Alignment of curriculum and instruction is crucial to success in improving student achievement. Research supports the notion that successful curriculum models give teachers, students, and other stakeholders a clear and common vision of a school’s direction. When individual schools translate curriculum, instruction, and assessment into classroom practice, there is a positive correlation to successful instructional change.

In 2009 the District implemented the use of Pacing Guides and Instructional Focus Calendars (IFC) in the core academic areas. These guides align the State’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) with the District’s interim assessments and ensure the consistent implementation of the K-12 curriculum across the District’s 392 schools. The Pacing Guides are password protected, but can be accessed at: https://village.dadeschools.net/. Selected pacing guides have been included in section A2 and A3.

Areas included in the guide are the appropriate pacing or time frame in which instruction is to occur, the Strand or Body of Knowledge covered, the main topic or theme, the curricular content which is the instructional focus, the NGSSS, Essential Content, Objectives, and Instructional Tools. Comprehensive Pacing Guides for English Language Learners (ELL) have been developed specifically for K-12 Language Arts/ESOL. Additional support for Students with Disabilities (SWD) is provided through the NGSSS Access Points and the Individual Educational Plan (IEP). These resources are delivered through the District’s teacher portal, Learning Village, as a convenient and central site for obtaining information that will lead to the delivery of a quality curriculum.

The IFC is a tool which is found at the end of every Pacing Guide and provides schools the opportunity to personalize instruction based on school needs. This data-driven document includes the date-range, benchmarks, activities, assessment(s), and strategies, aligned to the Florida Continuous Improvement Model and Response to Intervention for certain content areas. The calendar was designed for use by school-site leadership teams to customize data-driven instruction. Once the IFC is developed, teachers can independently develop their daily plan.

A companion resource designed for teachers to supplement the IFC is a series of District-created instructional podcasts which provide a model for effective instructional practices. These podcasts can be found at: https://it.dadeschools.net/learningontheGo.htm.

For information on rationale for developing Pacing Guides in Health Education and Social Studies, see A1 and A2. Sample Pacing Guides in both areas are included as part of this document.

However, because the state did not develop Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts until December 2010, teachers in the arts disciplines continued to use the District’s Competency-Base Curriculum, as Pacing Guides in these areas could not be developed. A sample of the District Competency-Based Curriculum for Visual Arts, grade 3, is included in this section.

The M-DCPS Strategic Plan focuses on the singular goal of “Student Achievement”. While a lofty goal, the plan lists the four criteria upon which we measure our success or progress toward meeting the goal which is each student succeeding academically, personally, and civically as measured by:

• demonstrating age/grade level appropriate knowledge,
• having a post-secondary plan,
• graduating, and
• successfully entering the higher education arena and/or the workforce.

As the criteria suggests, receiving a high school education is not enough to compete in today’s global economy. We are committed to preparing all students in all schools for a post-secondary college or career track. Our programs are focused on preparing students for the opportunity to earn a postsecondary credential—whether it is a bachelor’s degree, associate degree, apprenticeship, or certificate. Our programs have been developed for all students – for the general education student or the student with disabilities.

Included in this document are descriptions of a the wide variety of programs offered: Honors, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), Dual Enrollment (DE), Career/Technical Programs, and specialized programs for students with disabilities such as Projects Victory and Bridge. Also included is the participation and performance data that indicate the accomplishments made in these programs.

In 2005, the District contracted with CELT Corporation to develop an Information Technology (IT) Blueprint which addressed both information and instructional technology. Staff in the District’s administrative technology division, Information Technology Services (ITS), was the lead on the IT Blueprint with support from curriculum staff in Instructional Technology. Prior to that time, staff in Curriculum and Instruction in the Division of Instructional Technology, was responsible for developing an Instructional Technology Plan for the district and that plan was submitted to the state to meet eRate requirements. Instructional technology planning at the state level was also under the purview of curriculum staff in the Florida Department of Education.

The IT Blueprint, which can be accessed at https://itblueprint.dadeschools.net, was approved by the School Board in December of 2005 and was in effect through the end of 2010. Over the course of that time period, at the state level, the responsibility for overseeing school district technology planning moved from curriculum staff to the technology staff responsible for eRate. So, in 2011, when it was time submit a new plan to the state to meet eRate requirements, the plan was developed and submitted by staff at ITS, who is also responsible for eRate. While the plan references the professional development and instructional initiatives of the Office of Curriculum and Instruction, it is not an instructional technology plan and the District no longer has a formal plan in place. The IT Strategic Plan can be viewed at https://its.dadeschools.net/

In 2008, staff in the Office of Curriculum and Instruction, under the leadership of the new superintendent of schools, Alberto M. Carvalho, began a concerted effort to move classroom technology use from a fringe effort to a central theme in the instructional process. While the IT Blueprint was still in effect, many of the projects were deemed impractical, cost-prohibitive, or just not a priority for the new administration. Hence began a series of new initiatives to increase classroom technology use in the school district. (Please see the Integration of Technology into the Curriculum.)

Historically, the District had adopted multiple textbooks in each subject area, and individual schools were able to select from the District-adopted list. However, with the 2006 Social Studies adoption, the District began adopting a single textbook for all core instructional areas. This transition to a single textbook adoption was done to: 1) address a highly mobile student population; 2) ensure consistency of instructional content; 3) streamline professional development. Since Florida has a six-year adoption cycle, the District has just finally transitioned to a single textbook in all subject areas. Therefore, you will note that for the timeframe under review, some subject areas will still have multiple textbooks as the transition was made at a later point in time. To facilitate consistent implementation of the District’s curriculum, resources such as Pacing Guides, Instructional Focus Calendars, and lesson plans were developed. Additionally, these newly-developed resources were aligned to interim assessments and progress monitoring tools.

The selection process for textbooks is rigorous and involves District office and school-site subject area specialists. Selection processes and criteria are outlined in School Board Rule 6A-1.26. For textbook adoptions, district office subject area experts create evaluation tools based on the state’s evaluation protocols. Prior to beginning the review process, subject area staff provides training to adoption committee members on key issues relative to the discipline that the materials must address, and on the use of the evaluation protocol itself. In this section you will find the evaluation tools used to select textbooks over the course of the targeted years. You will also find lists of adopted textbooks for each of the identified school years. Please note that subject areas listing multiple textbooks had adopted them prior to the transition to a single-textbook adoption.

Beginning in 2008, the District invested in a number of supplementary technology programs for all District schools or in some cases targeted schools such as Title I schools or schools with large ELL populations. Supplementary technology programs are selected by subject area experts with input from technology staff. In this section, you will find an evaluation tool as well as a list of supplementary technology programs.