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Curriculum Development Process

The Ladue School District maintains a curriculum aligned to state and national standards.  In order to ensure our curriculum and instructional practices stay current and innovative, the curriculum for each content area will be reviewed on a six-year cycle. The purpose of curriculum and instruction is to ensure that the individual needs of every learner are met. Our process focuses on four central questions that teachers use when they are writing curriculum and planning instruction. 

  • What is it we want our students to know and be able to do?
  • How will we know when each student has learned it?
  • How will we respond when some students have not learned it yet?
  • How will we respond when some students have already mastered it? 

The curriculum cycle includes three phases: 

  • Phase 1: program evaluation and new learning around best practices in curriculum and instruction
  • Phase 2: curriculum writing and resource review
  • Phase 3: implementation, materials adoption, and professional development 

During the program evaluation, a curriculum committee will be created so that the committee has representation from each building, department, and grade level. Community feedback will be gathered through the Curriculum and Instruction Board Advisory Committee. 

In between official program review cycles, each department will have department chairs and/or leads that will lead vertical teamwork, update curriculum, help coordinate or provide professional learning, and ensure alignment with the Curriculum and Instruction Department.  

Curriculum Writing

During a program evaluation cycle, curriculum writers will be offered up to four days during the school year to write curriculum and/or may submit a proposal to write curriculum in the summer. Curriculum writing in the summer will be compensated at the professional development rate established in the Master Agreement. Curriculum writing proposals will be prioritized to include departments and subject areas currently in Phases 1 and 2 of a program review and/or working to further one of the current district initiatives:

  • Inquiry-based learning
  • Real-world learning 
  • Proficiency scales
  • Performance-based assessments 
  • Marzano Instructional Framework