Curriculum Adoption

At Cape Girardeau Public Schools, we are committed to providing our students with a high-quality education that meets the rigorous standards set by the Missouri Learning Standards. Our curriculum review process is designed to ensure that our instructional materials are up-to-date, effective, and aligned with both state standards and the needs of our students.

1. Standards Review

Our curriculum review process begins with a thorough examination of the Missouri Learning Standards, with specific emphasis on Priority Standards. The Academic Services staff works with a team of content teachers to review these standards and identify any gaps in our existing curriculum, pacing, instruction, or resources. This review includes:

• Item Specifications: Analyzing DESE item specifications to ensure our curriculum aligns with the unwrapped standard.

• Blueprints: Reviewing DESE blueprints to align our curriculum with state expectations.

• Depth of Knowledge (DOK): Ensuring that our instruction meets the expected levels of cognitive rigor.

2. Assessment Review

The team evaluates past and current assessment data, including MAP, EOC, and district benchmark item analyses, to identify areas where our curriculum may need improvement. This step helps us pinpoint gaps in our curriculum, pacing, instruction, and resources.

3. Vertical Mapping and Alignment

To ensure consistency and coherence across grade levels, the team reviews the vertical alignment of skills and standards between different grade spans or courses. 

4. Resource Discussions and Selection

We consider two main options for resource adoption:

• Traditional Resource Adoption: Selecting materials from reputable, research-backed publishers.

• Educator-Created Resources: Empowering our educators to create or curate Open Educational Resources (OER). Open Educational Resources must be legally and ethically sourced and validated by a committee of external content experts.

The content team uses the Standards Review, Assessment Review, and Vertical Mapping sessions to develop a needs list and resource evaluation rubric.  All members of the content team participate in resource evaluations.  The Academic Services staff select curriculum resources based on these evaluations.  

5. Curriculum Writing

Multiple sessions are held to develop comprehensive pacing guides that include priority skills, units of study, academic vocabulary, instructional activities (including resource alignment), and common assessments. These guides are designed to be practical roadmaps, ensuring a consistent student experience.

6. Review

Quarterly meetings are conducted with curriculum representatives and content teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of our curriculum using a detailed review rubric. 

7. Assessment Development

We develop benchmarks, common formative assessments, and summative assessments to ensure that our evaluation tools fairly reflect students' mastery of specific learning standards.

8. Adoption & Implementation

The final curriculum documents and pacing guides are submitted for approval by the school board. 

Through this comprehensive review process, Cape Girardeau Public Schools ensures that our curriculum remains relevant, rigorous, and reflective of the highest educational standards. We are dedicated to continuous improvement and to providing our students with the best possible educational experience.