As we shared in our last update, CCSD59 is engaging in an ongoing evaluation of our curriculum to focus on continuous improvement, and throughout the remainder of the spring, we are utilizing a curriculum committee approach to identify gaps and strengthen academic areas we identify for improvement.

The third meeting of the District Curriculum Committee took place on Tuesday, March 19, 2019. Based on the feedback from the previous meeting in which the committee met in role-specific groups (teachers, parents/community members, administrators) to generate and prioritize suggested short and long term actions, the role-specific grouping structure was utilized once again.  

The meeting this week focused on mapping out future steps to be accomplished based on the short and long term actions and deciding on roles and representation as this work begins. The committee determined the next phase would be to work in sub-committee groups. Each of the role-specific groups made recommendations for next steps that will be carried into the next phase. An overview of the recommendations and the sub-committees that will be formed will be presented to the Board of Education on 4.15.19.

As a reminder, the curriculum at CCSD59 is built upon a combination of foundational skills and content knowledge as well as a focus on broader skills necessary for success in life. The curriculum is standards-based, and aligns to the Common Core in language arts and math, the Next Generation Science Standards in science, the C3 and Illinois standards in social science, and the WIDA standards in multilingual programs. For more information about the district’s curriculum, please visit ccsd59.org/curriculum.