IF Policy - Curriculum
Curriculum Coordinating Council
The Curriculum Coordinating Council (CCC) is a representative group of district personnel and community members that advises the Board of Education, through the superintendent, in matters concerning curriculum and instruction. The CCC makes all professional decisions pertaining to curriculum, instruction, and student learning. This means the CCC also serves as a sounding board for certified personnel in curriculum/instruction matters, oversees staff development needs, coordinates accreditation processes, directs work of all Subject Area Committees, and appoints and directs any other committees necessary for the development, implementation, and long-term evaluation of curriculum and instruction. The CCC does not make managerial decisions related to buildings, personnel, budgets, or other agenda items reserved for the administrative team.
Meetings
GENERAL PROCEDURES: The CCC will meet regularly for the purpose of carrying out its functions. A primary meeting date will be noted on the district calendar. At the beginning of each school year members will be informed of all regular meeting dates. Notification of all extra meetings shall be given at least five days prior to the meeting. Special meetings may be called as needed by the curriculum coordinator, superintendent, or at least five members of the CCC.
DECISION-MAKING PROCESS: All decisions shall be by consensus of those members present. Voting will be used only when consensus cannot be reached and a decision must be made according to an immediate timeframe. In that case, simple majority shall rule. Consensus principles and procedures are outlined in Appendix A.
QUORUM: A quorum constitutes a simple majority of the total membership. Meetings will not be conducted unless a quorum is present.
CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION: All recommendations of the CCC will be presented to the Board of Education by the superintendent. In the event that the superintendent does not support the recommendations of the CCC, the Curriculum Council can designate a representative to present the views of the CCC to the Board.
AGENDA DEVELOPMENT AND PROCEDURE: A tentative agenda for the following meeting shall be established by CCC consensus at the conclusion of each regular meeting. Additional agenda items for consideration by the CCC may be proposed by the members, by certified personnel, the superintendent or by members of the Board of Education. The items should be submitted to the curriculum coordinator at least ten working days prior to the scheduled meeting of the council. The agenda and notification of the meeting shall be distributed to members of the CCC, one copy per building for posting, and to each member of the Board of Education. Distribution shall occur at least five working days prior to the scheduled meeting. The coordinator shall determine the priority of agenda items.
MAINTAINING MEETING RECORDS: Minutes of all meetings shall be recorded and kept on file by the secretary. Minutes will be forwarded to the coordinator, CCC members, the superintendent, members of the Board of Education, and to each building for posting. Summaries of Subject Area Committee meetings shall be forwarded to the coordinator, and may be included in regular CCC meeting minutes. The coordinator will maintain a master file of all minutes, summaries, and other materials submitted to the CCC.
Amendments
The mission statement, long-range plan, and the policy document are subject to review at the beginning of each year. If changes, corrections, or updating are determined to be necessary after this analysis, then the CCC will make the amendments following the standard procedure for decision making.
Personnel
CURRICULUM COORDINATOR: The position of curriculum coordinator shall be a permanent one, and the position will be filled through regular district personnel procedures. At present, the superintendent serves as the curriculum coordinator.
THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE CCC: The curriculum coordinator serves as chairperson of the CCC, with the following specific duties:
1. presides at all regular meetings
2. prepares agendas for all regular meetings
3. provides for notification of all meetings
4. calls all special meetings
5. assists in conducting inservice activities
6. oversees selection of CCC members according to the policy document and provides their training, using current CCC members as resources
7. with the approval of CCC members, appoints and trains members of Subject Area Committees
8. monitors attendance of CCC members
9. receives all written resignations from CCC members
10. prepares an annual report on the activities of the CCC to be submitted to the superintendent and Board of Education
11. recommends yearly committee goals and objectives
12. represents the CCC at all Board of Education meetings and other appropriate public functions, or appoints a CCC member to do so
13. assures that all district committees adhere to the goals of the mission statement and the long-range plan
VICE-CHAIRPERSON OF THE CCC: A vice-chairperson shall be selected by members of the CCC. This individual shall have a minimum of one year's experience as a CCC member and will fulfill all the duties of the chairperson in that person's absence.
SECRETARY: The curriculum coordinator and superintendent will select an individual who is not a member of the CCC to serve as secretary. The duties of the secretary include these provisions:
1. attends all meetings of the CCC
2. takes accurate and thorough notes of proceedings
3. records notifications and minutes of all meetings, then distributes them to all CCC members, the superintendent, Board of Education, and two copies to the curriculum coordinator; items will also be sent to all school buildings for posting and to other designated certified personnel
4. maintains all CCC minutes, correspondence, and other pertinent documents
5. performs necessary secretarial tasks for the timely completion of CCC and Subject Area Committee projects
6. demonstrates a willingness to work closely and cooperatively with the curriculum coordinator and all CCC members for the success of the curriculum development process
Members of the CCC
The members of the CCC shall be appointed representatives of district certified personnel and parent/community members. Principals will be asked for their input on representatives and will periodically be asked to make recommendations. District personnel members of the CCC will be selected on the basis of interest and experience. Parent/community members will be selected according to interest, availability, and a rotation among buildings and levels. Member replacement will be made to maintain appropriate representation. Additional provisions are these:
1. TERMS: Members of the first CCC will serve for two or three years in order to stagger terms. After the initial appointments, all members will serve for a term of three years. They may be considered for reappointment for subsequent three-year terms.
2. RESIGNATION: A CCC member may resign at any time. A letter of resignation shall be written and submitted by the resigning member to the curriculum coordinator at least one regular meeting prior to the effective date of the resignation. The resigning member's constituency shall then be notified immediately by the coordinator. The vacancy shall be filled promptly from the constituency according to the selection procedures.
3. COMPOSITION AND REPRESENTATION: Member selection should provide for a variety of personal and professional traits, assuring that all grade levels, content areas, and professional categories are represented. There shall be:
primary teachers (K-2) 2
intermediate teachers (3-5) 2
curriculum chairs* 8
certified personnel outside regular classroom 1
parent/community persons (by level) 3
building administrators (by level)* 4
superintendent* 1
board member** 1_
Total 22
*These members are on the CCC by virtue of their positions.
**The Board of Education selects one of its members to serve on the CCC.
4. DUTIES OF AN INDIVIDUAL CCC MEMBER:
a. completes a training program in the curriculum model being used in the district
b. attends all regularly scheduled meetings of the CCC and assigned Subject Area Committee
c. maintains positive communication between CCC and building faculties, emphasizing teacher ownership of curriculum planning
d. assists in training new CCC members, SAC members, or other participants in the district's curriculum development process
5. DUTIES OF THE CCC AS A WORKING GROUP:
a. acts as the communication link among the certified staff, superintendent, and Board of Education; and promotes and encourages communication among buildings and levels within the district
b. establishes meeting dates and length of meetings
c. sets and prioritizes goals for the year
d. reviews the curriculum policy document on a yearly basis and makes revisions when appropriate
e. reviews the district mission statement on a yearly basis and makes revisions when appropriate
f. assures that the district's mission statement is a working mission statement used in all district decision-making circumstances
g. develops a long-range plan for curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation — with an annual review of progress and direction
h. establishes guidelines for Subject Area Committees, approves work completed by these groups, and recommends completed work to the Board of Education
i. assists Subject Area Committees with staff development sessions related to new curriculums
j. recommends staff development sessions based on the needs and timelines of the curriculum model
k. guides the district through a process of defining mastery and validates that definition periodically
l. discusses and possibly modifies student progress reports
m. provides input regarding extended learning opportunities
n. makes decisions about assessments
o. reviews and acts on externally mandated assessment and accreditation issues
p. reviews the latest trends and developments in curriculum and instruction and makes decisions regarding their applicability in the district
Subject Area Committees
The Curriculum Coordinating Council (CCC) appoints Subject Area Committees (SACs) in accordance with the long-range plan for curriculum development. A SAC is formed for each subject area to be analyzed. The primary responsibility of this group is to formulate a results-based curriculum by following an action agenda prescribed by the CCC.
1. LEADERSHIP: All SACs will be chaired by a member of the CCC. Chairs will preside at meetings, schedule meetings and plan agendas, monitor attendance, work closely with the curriculum coordinator, report progress to the council at each of its meetings, ensure completion of curriculum documents according to a schedule established by the council, and personally present completed curriculum documents to the council and the Board of Education.
2. DUTIES OF MEMBERS: SAC members are expected to attend all committee meetings, complete assigned tasks, and maintain positive communication between the SAC and building faculties.
Adoption Date: December 21, 2010