Curriculum and Instructional Materials

Curriculum

Curriculum and instruction in Clover Park School District is grounded in research, aligned with state and national standards, and continually being strengthened by the creative talents and expertise of our teachers.

Clover Park School District's plan to continually improve achievement for all students, and to eliminate the achievement gap, includes the implementation of a K-12 articulated curriculum, along with evidence of State of the Art Instruction in all classrooms for framing the learning environment.

The District curricula are structured around essential questions, disciplinary understandings, student performances of understanding, and on-going assessments.

Instructional Materials Adoption

Standard-aligned instructional materials are critical tools for classroom learning. In the hands of our skilled teachers, such materials move a student through mastery of fundamental concepts to application and deeper thinking.

General Information 

How does the Instructional Materials adoption process work?

The process is defined by law and District policy. The adoption committee reviews state standards and best current research to develop a scope and sequence and common assessments, and then invites publishers to submit materials which they thoroughly analyze against their established criteria.

Materials undergo an intensive, evidence-based review process that usually includes student field testing, expert panels, and comparison of lessons and alignment across grade levels/course. Once the selection is narrowed to two or three programs, Clover Park parents and community members are invited to preview the materials. Next, the committee selects its top choice and makes a recommendation to the Instructional Materials Committee (IMC). The IMC evaluates the recommended materials to ensure they comply with state law and district policy (no bias or prejudice, for example), that the teacher committee followed its process, and that the content is appropriate for the students’ age level. The IMC’s recommendation and public comments then go to the Clover Park School Board, which has the option to approve the adoption. If not approved, the District retains the current curriculum until the adoption process can repeat itself.

What is the Instructional Materials Committee (IMC) and who is on it?

The IMC is legally required by the state and is the only body that can send a curriculum recommendation to the School Board. The IMC does not evaluate materials to determine the merits or comparison of their instructional content. It is comprised of 12 voting members. Up to two community members are on the committee from the district. The remainder of the committee is comprised of librarians, special education teachers, core content teachers, and district administrators. If you would like to volunteer for the IMC, please contact Teaching and Learning at 253-583-5140.

How important is the "right textbook"?

Instructional materials are one important piece of student learning. The best materials align with state learning standards and support research-based, powerful instructional practices. With such effective tools, a master teacher, the most important education factor in a child’s learning, will be able to spend more time on delivery and differentiation than if s/he had to also create supplemental lesson plans to fill the gaps in curriculum and materials.

Current Adoptions 

Elementary School: 

  • ELA and Social Studies - K-5 Reach for Reading 
  • Math – EngageNY 
  • Science – TCI

Middle School: 

  • ELA – 6-8 Collections (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) 
  • Math –  GoMath 6, 7, 8, enVisionAGA Algebra 1 & Geometry
  • Science –  OpenSciEd & Project Lead the Way
  • Social Studies - 
    • Grade 6 - History Alive! The World Through 1750 (Teachers’ Curriculum Institute)  

High School: 

  • ELA – 9-12 Collections (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) 
  • Math – 
    • enVisionAGA Algebra, Geometry, & Algebra 2
    • Sullivan Pre-Calculus
    • Sullivan Calculus for the AP Course
  • Science – 
    • Science Dimensions Biology, Living by Chemistry, Experience Physics
  • AP course titles as provided and approved by College Board 
  • Social Studies - 
    • Grade 9 -  
      • AP Human Geography A/B: Human Geography - A Spatial Perspective AP Edition (National Geographic)  
    • Grades 9-12 -  
      • World History and Geography A/B: World History: Modern Times (McGraw-Hill)  
    • Grades 10-12 –  
      • AP World History A/B: Earth and Its People (National Geographic)  
      • Civics: Government Alive! Power, Politics, and You (Teachers’ Curriculum Institute)  
      • Contemporary World Problems: The Choices Program (Brown University)
      • Economics: Economic Alive! The Power to Choose (Teachers’ Curriculum Institute)  
      • Introduction to Sociology: Sociology: A Down to Earth Approach (SAVVAS)  
      • Psychology: Thinking About Psychology (Bedford, Freeman, and Worth)  
    • Grade 11 –  
      • AP United States History to Present A/B: By the People: A History of the US (SAVVAS)   
      • IB History of the Americas I:  
        • History for the IB Diploma Paper 3 - Civil Rights, (Cambridge University Press)  
        • History for the IB Diploma Paper 3 - The Great Depression (Cambridge Press)  
        • History for the IB Diploma Paper 3 The Cold War (Cambridge Press)
      • United States History and Government A/B: American History: Reconstruction to Present (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)   
    • Grade 12 –  
      • AP Government and Politics A/B: Presidential Election Update American Government: Stories of a Nation for the AP Course (Bedford, Freeman, and Worth)  
      • IB 20th Century World History: 
        • History for the IB Diploma Paper 1 The Move to Global War (Cambridge University Press)  
        • History for the IB Diploma Paper 2 Authoritarian States (Cambridge University Press)  
        • History for the IB Diploma Paper 2 The Cold War (Cambridge University Press)  
  • World Language - 
    • Spanish: Avancemos (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) 
    • AP Spanish: Abriendo Paso Temas, Gramatica, Test Prep (Pearson) 
    • French: Bien Dit! (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ) 
    • German: Prima (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ) 
    • Japanese: Adventures in Japanese (Cheng and Tsui )