Lynnfield super touts curriculum review

LYNNFIELD – Superintendent Thomas Jefferson introduced a new curriculum review cycle proposal at the School Committee meeting Tuesday night that sets up an extensive, four-phase framework on how to alter the school district?s core academic subjects and additional class offerings.Jefferson said taking a closer look at the curriculum in all educational subjects at all grade levels was something he included in his self-evaluation this school year.?There seemed to be a need to look more systematically at the curriculum,” he said.The first phase of the plan, Jefferson said, would compare the current curriculum with national and state standards and district initiatives, while also examining student performance data and how much technology-related, 21st Century learning is utilized.The findings of that evaluation would go to an administrative leadership team and a curriculum council made up of administrators, department heads and the district?s director of technology who would deal with the next two phases of the plan, curriculum revision and rewriting.During the second and third phases, Jefferson said the focus would be on identifying the takeaways that students should receive under any new curriculum and how to evaluate a student?s grasp on the content.The final implementation phase would be preceded by professional development and the acquisition of new learning materials and followed by an annual review.Jefferson also said that his proposal would institute gradual changes and not dramatically modify the current curriculum or go through all the subjects at once.Sarah Mupo can be reached at [email protected].