Curriculum needs being identified in Pasco

The Pasco School District is days away from the next deadline in its curriculum adoption process, and district officials said the process is moving along, though there’s still plenty left to do.

Identifying the district’s curriculum gaps and at what grades there are needs must be determined by Nov. 15, Deputy Superintendent Michelle Whitney told the Pasco School Board this week.

Curriculum was a key issue cited by teachers during recent contract negotiations. Along with this year’s recommendations for new language arts and math curriculum for students in all grades, recommendations for science and arts curriculum are due to the board by spring 2017.

Surveys from teachers, parents and principals are helping to narrow what new curricula should cover, and steps are being taken on the next step, selecting materials such as textbooks.

Whitney, who also is executive director of teaching and learning for the district, told the board that the study committees have added additional meetings to make sure deadlines are met. School board members said they were pleased with the process.

“I’m excited to hear it’s going so well, and it’s thorough,” said school board member Amy Phillips.

Officials with the Pasco Association of Educators, which appoints some of the curriculum committee members, could not be reached about the progress the district is making.

Along with a strict timelines, including deadlines in the curriculum process every month until April, the teachers contract governs who is on the curriculum committees and how the district will determine where it’s lacking in classroom materials.

Whitney said the district also has contracted Phi Delta Kappa, a professional educator association, to review the district’s curriculum.

That report is due to the district in the coming days and will be considered along with input from local educators and parents.

The district developed criteria to help the committees screen the countless list of materials available.

Two faculty members from Washington State University Tri-Cities, Amy Roth McDuffie and Sara Newcomer, also are participating in the curriculum adoption process.

The district’s next deadline is Dec. 15. That’s when instructional materials for language arts and math must be narrowed to three options each.

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 6:17 PM with the headline "Curriculum needs being identified in Pasco."