Curriculum and Program Review Process

We believe all students, especially those who are most marginalized, should have access to challenging and engaging lifelong wellness, reflective thinking, and personal health skills which are offered in a welcoming and safe environment for students to be physically, mentally, and socially active.

Statement as of Spring 2023

Tom Roberts
Patrice Howard
Kayla Ross
Jennifer Lucke
Allison Luskey

• We believe that all students should be exposed to a comprehensive Health & Physical Education curriculum that is delivered in a culturally relevant manner. 
• We believe students should be exposed to a variety of physical activities and health lessons that provide opportunities to achieve physical, emotional and social well-being. 

Why is our work in developing a quality E-12 Health and Physical Education program so important? 
To support the link between healthy eating, physical activity, and improved academic achievement of all St Louis Park Public School students. 

Healthy Kids = Successful Students

• Healthy students are better learners. Healthy students are better on all levels of academic achievement: academic performance (memory, GPA), education behavior (on-task behaviors), cognitive skills (attention, concentration) and attitudes. Healthy students have higher GPAs, lower drop-out rates, higher attendance rates, and fewer disciplinary problems. 
• Schools can influence eating and physical activity behaviors. Students spend much of their time at school, and may eat 2 out of 3 meals per day and may get much of their physical activity at school.
• Healthy, successful students help build strong communities. Investing in the health of students contributes to healthy communities in the future.
• All students deserve the opportunity to be healthy and successful. Providing access to healthy foods and physical activity plays an important role in the academic achievement of students. 
   

• Recommendation 1: Curriculum Development
• Recommendation 2: Opportunities for Students
• Recommendation 3: Community Partnerships

More information coming once recommendations are finalized.

• Board presentations: 03/03/22 11/22/22 04/25/23 | Watch the presentation: 11/22/22  04/25/23 (approx. min 12:45)
• Scholars Studied: Alliance for a Healthier Generation, Gholdy Muhammad (Cultivating Genius), Zaretta Hammond (Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain), SHAPE America, Minnesota Department of Education, Center for Disease Control

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

• Carrie Runke-Jones
• Faduma Adeed
• Anne Lalonde Laux
• Chris Nordmark

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

Black, Brown, and Indigenous young people who attend SLP schools will develop foundational reading and real-world writing skills that empower them to think critically, communicate their ideas clearly and creatively, and “critique the system they are growing up in”1. All scholars will experience windows and mirrors2 through the texts they read, and, therefore, become curious, independent readers. Finally, assessment will be reimagined so that all students are empowered to make mistakes and take risks, reflect on feedback, and celebrate the process of reading and writing. 

References: 1 Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings    2 Sims Bishop

• Evelyn Lashley
• Callie Hefstad
• Bekah Noble
• Kelsey Rohde
• Nikki Patel
   

• “Informed teachers are our best insurance against reading failure.  While programs are very helpful tools, programs don’t teach; teachers do.” -Louisa C. Moats
• “All students will experience windows and mirrors through the texts they read, and, therefore, become curious, independent readers.” - LLA Design Team REP   
• Multiple pathways to success are necessary to “empower each learner to live their brilliance” and create “racially equitable learning.” 

District-wide

• Professional development: Gholdy Muhammad and HILL Pedagogies, LETRS & Coordinators, co-teachers
• Create and sustain a Hennepin County Library Partnership

Early Learning and Elementary: Explore Curriculum Options
Goals:

• Representative of our Students
• Consistency E-5
• English and Spanish
• Based in Science of Reading

Evaluation Tools:

• Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
• Reading League Rubric
• EdReports
• National Council of Teachers of English Rubric

Secondary

• Interdisciplinary Courses & Electives
• Embedded Honors
• International Baccalaureate

High School

• Concurrent Enrollment
• Student-Run Writing Center
   

Board presentations: 11/23/21 05/10/22 02/28/23  
Scholars Studied:  Amplify Science of Reading Podcast, LETRS Training, Meaningful Phonics and Word Study, Shifting the Balance, Minnesota Reading Association, NCTE, Miah Daughtery Cynthia Lewis Jennipher Frazier Rosa Higgs and Marva Collins, Kareem Weaver, David Kilpatrick

Our Why:  All SLP students will see themselves as successful in math regardless of race or background.

Our How:  As a math department we believe that we can transform every mathematics class at SLP to mirror the racial demographics of the school. We will do this by analyzing and reflecting on our own mindsets and beliefs surrounding mathematics and culture to enable all students to see themselves as mathematicians in and out of the classroom, regardless of race, gender, or background. We will promote a classroom culture that will value and encourage our students’ authentic selves as well as value the skills of a mathematician: asking questions, thinking and listening critically, questioning answers, communicating effectively, objectively evaluating without bias, and describing patterns so that all students will understand how they can use math to change the world. 

• Liz Huesing
• Efe Mensah-Brown
• Jill Metil
• Ila Saxena
• Maddy Wegleitner

From our learnings, we believe in emphasizing conceptual understanding, open math tasks, and in the value of heterogeneous classes and understanding mathematical learning progressions by grade/course.

• Research shows that creating heterogenous, integrated math classrooms taught through complex instruction will raise student achievement. It has been proven that this approach to learning mathematics will raise the achievement of all students, including those who are currently achieving at high levels.
• Instructional practices, math strategies, grouping, assessment, curricular resources, and progress reporting are all being analyzed against our district’s Strategic Plan. As both the math design team and the consulting team work together with district leadership, possible changes will be brought up for consideration and a plan for implementing those changes will be made, at all grade levels over the next several years.

District-wide

• Adoption of the SLP Math Frameworks

Early Learning

• Adoption of a new curriculum (Bridges in Mathematics)
• Implement a new math instructional framework and curriculum, E-5 at all sites, that will serve all students.
• Professional development for teachers with the new curricular resource and also with the Math Frameworks

Elementary

• Adoption of a new curriculum (Bridges in Mathematics)
• Professional development for teachers with the new curricular resource and also with the Math Frameworks

Middle School

• The first structural change will take place at the Middle School regarding course offerings for incoming sixth graders in the Fall of 2020. Currently sixth graders can choose between Math 6 and Advanced Math 6. Beginning in the Fall of 2020, the course offerings for sixth graders will be Pre-Algebra I for most sixth graders, or a seventh grade course offering for those sixth graders who meet the criteria to accelerate a grade level in math.
• Instructional coaching to support teachers shift in instructional practices required of the new model.

High School

• Graduate each student with at least one college math course in a pathway of their choice
• The new middle school course structure will continue to allow students to access any math course pathway at the High School including IB and AP options.
• Pilot curriculum with the hopes of adoption.
• Instructional coaching to support teachers shift in instructional practices.

Board presentations: September 2019   October 2020 January 2020 
Math framework
Scholars Studied: Tracy Zager, Jo Boaler, International Baccalaureate Organization publications, Sunil Singh, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics publications, surrounding school districts
 

We are advocates for all multilingual students and their families. Each student comes to us as a whole person whose racial and cultural identity is an asset to our learning community. The ML Design Team will ensure that all students and staff will recognize and honor the assets that MLs bring to our community.

As a team we will work to guarantee that all spaces in the district will be racially, linguistically, culturally and academically safe places for all of our multilingual students, families and staff. In order to achieve this, we will aim to change the mindset of staff and administration toward MLs and their families by bringing them to the forefront of all discussions, including policy and protocol decisions.  Students’ academic success requires an ongoing collaboration with families and school support teams; we will act as resources for our colleagues  and educate staff and administration about multilingual students’ needs.
 

Mayumi Huynh
Cory Litzow-Lorentz
Molly Kukowski
Elizabeth Guzman
Maurna Rome

We believe MLLs have a right to:

• Access culturally-relevant and antiracist teaching and learning
• Access educators who are collectively responsible for MLLs’ growth and learning
• Access safe spaces that honor and uplift MLLs’ assets and brilliance
• Access district and building leaders who prioritize MLLs’ success
• Access Mentoring and Career and College Pathways
   

District-wide

Introduce and begin implementation of WIDA* ELD (English Language Development) Standards in all schools through purchasing and utilizing Ellevation Platform and Ellevation Strategies

• Intentionally plan regular PD for building administrators and teachers (WIDA, differentiation, understanding and utilizing student data)
• Pilot Ellevation Strategies Professional Development to build teacher and leadership capacity 

Expand “ELM” (English Language in the Mainstream) through “CALL for Access” 
(Collaborative Action in Language Learning) -focused on ensuring ML students are guaranteed:

• Access to culturally relevant and antiracist teaching and learning
• Access to educators who are collectively responsible for MLs’ growth and learning
• Access to a reduced/eliminated stigma
• Access to district and building leaders who prioritize MLs’ success

Establish a PreK-12 ML Family/Student/Staff task force to create a comprehensive plan for ML family engagement through these strategies:

• Resource fair–community resource (Central Clinic, STEP, ABE, Xfinity, Early Learning, etc)
• Welcome packet for new-to-district families
• First generation college student orientation
• Explore options for enhancing how we engage with district liaisons 
• Explore options for extended day programming throughout the school year

Prioritize improved communication with ML families and increase visibility and clarity about ML programming 

• Increase website presence of ML programming district-wide and/or for individual schools
• Prepare all district and building communications in Spanish and Somali
• Create and share videos about ML programs for each school in Spanish, Somali and other languages (Russian, Ukrainian, Dari, French, Arabic, Oromo, Hmong, Amharic, Vietnamese, Chinese, Portuguese, Tibetan)

Cultivate Elementary and Secondary ML Leadership 

• Focus on sustaining and deepening the work of the ML Design Team
• Engage in a standing meeting with district leadership every 2 weeks
• Share responsibility for communicating pertinent information from MDE
• Share responsibility for updating/reviewing/communicating the SLP ML Program Guide.
• Create elementary and secondary ML advisory committees that include cluster/content teachers, family members and students

Board presentations | Watch the presentation: May 10, 2022 March 28, 2023
 

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

• David Davis
• Jessica Davis
• Tim Binger
• John Myszkowski
   

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

Watch the Board Presentation from May 23, 2023

Our hopes, dreams and goals involve rebuilding a system of progress reporting that accurately reflects learning and is liberatory for all of our learners.

As a Design Team, we believe what students understand, know, and are able to do are more essential than control and compliance. Assumptions regarding grading practices and progress reporting exist–we must name these assumptions and begin to reframe them. Questions will drive us to uncover patterns of harm that exist in our current progress reporting practices are listed below:
 • what we are measuring, why do we measure this, and for whom? 
 • how are we tapping into and elevating the brilliance of all of our students?
 • how can we effectively communicate that progress?

As of Spring 2023

• Abby Lugo
• Ila Saxena
• Andy Wilkes

• It’s important to have evidence that is reflective of student learning (accuracy and clarity)
• There is a need to articulate the learning objectives for each grade in order to tackle the elementary progress report
• Elevate the role of all parents and caregivers as partners

As of Spring 2023

For Phase III Work:

• Gather Information to inform structural changes and mindset shifts in these areas:
• Grading
• Conferences
• Progress reports
• Evidence of learning - what and why 
• Communication about what is being learned (grade level/course)
   

Board presentations: March 22, 2023 January 10, 2023 May 28, 2024| Board Brief: January 10, 2023
Scholars Studied: Joe Feldman (Grading for Equity), Shane Safir and Jamila Dugan (Street Data), other school districts

Black, Brown, and Indigenous students will become confident science leaders through collaborative exploration and discovery.  Students will experience a challenging science curriculum in a positive, nurturing learning space that honors student voice, embraces mistakes, and affirms racial identities. Students will develop the skills needed to challenge the status quo and bring change to the world around them.

• Meg Schauer
• Mehgan Setten
• Alex Polk
• Mark Miller
   

• Phenomenon-based learning for each standard (Connections to literacy, math, and humanities)
• Community partnership with Westwood Nature Center
   

Recommendations for Phase III (made on May 10, 2022 and updated February 14, 2023)

Elementary

• Learning materials created and provided to staff through rotations
• Adoption of Generation Genius as a supplemental curricular resource
• All students will have at least two experiences with Westwood Nature Center per year
• Phenomenon-based learning training for staff that connects to projects and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

Middle School

• Adoption of Generation Genius as a supplemental curricular resource
• Course alignment to new, phenomenon-based standards
  • 6th - Earth Science (2021-22)
  • 7th - Life Science (2022-2023)
  • 8th - Physical Science (2023-2024)
• All students will have at least one experience with Westwood Nature Center Staff
• Phenomenon-based learning training for staff that connects to projects and Culturally Relevant Pedagogy

High School

• Course structure shift to represent:
  • 9th Grade: ½ Biology and ½ Physical science, Honors notation can be chosen
• Four branches of AP/IB/Concurrent Enrollment Electives 
  • Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science
  • Other electives that run will depend on student registration each year
• Menu of Westwood Experiences outside of the classroom & 10th Grade Environmental Career Fair
• Teachers participate in graduate level work to support growth in different content areas and to allow for concurrent enrollment course offerings
• Collaborative teaming to develop 9th grade curriculum and future electives

Board presentations May 10, 2022 FEbruary 14, 2023
Scholars Studied: Dr. Gloria Ladson Billings, Dr. Yvette Jackson, Generation Genius, Westwood Hills Nature Center, National Research Council of the National Sciences, NextGen Science
 

To co-create anti-racist communities of belonging where students are seen, heard, and valued through anti-racist pedagogy that celebrates identity and empowers our community to evaluate and critique systems of oppression.

Jill Merkle
Gloria Ruff
Megan Jones
Erika Scott
Peter Gerdts
 

• Every teacher is a Social Studies teacher
• Social Studies concepts should be embedded in multiple, if not all school curricula

Data Analysis

• No formal Social Studies assessment data to analyze for students E-8 
• Advanced Placement AP and IB history courses are the only standardized way we measure Social Studies achievement in the district
• Last year, 1 in 4 SLPHS students enrolled in AP Social Studies courses
• Of those students, the racial breakdown was: 1 in 15 Black students, 1 in 6 Asian students, 1 in 5 Multiracial students, 1 in 5 Hispanic students, 1 in 3 White students
• Who are we serving and whose achievement are we measuring? 

Centering Teacher Voice 

• Inconsistent Social Studies experiences across in E-5, established curriculum 6-12
• Rose:  “I see joy and high engagement in our learners whenever we can personalize the curriculum in a way that allows them to share what is meaningful to them. 
• Bud: Seeking standards-based scope and sequence that aligns from grade to grade
• Bud: More anti-bias curriculum and integrated lessons that connect Social Studies to other subject areas. 
• Thorn: old, white-washed materials, lack of direction, and lack of time

Centering Student Voice and Experience

• History has been taught through a white, Eurocentric lens that lacks multiple perspectives
• Students of color cited emotional exhaustion felt after only being taught about slavery, oppression, and racism
• Expressed a deep desire to see themselves reflected in the curriculum in an a positive and uplifting way
• Focus on identity development and provide multiple opportunities to examine their personal ethnicity and heritage
   

District-wide

• Develop Social Studies Frameworks that are aligned to the 5 Pursuits and grounded in state and social justice standards.
• Teachers use the framework to guide and assess their continuing work towards a more culturally relevant pedagogy.
• Align and organize a linear scope and sequence to ensure all SLP students have the opportunity to engage in rigorous, comprehensive, culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate, and anti-racist social studies experiences.
• Restructure Professional Development district-wide to give teachers collaborative time and support to drive and sustain this work. 

Early Learning

• Align Social Studies frameworks with ECIPS 
• Teach identity development and community building using the frameworks to guide lesson plans
• Time to align and collaborate with Elementary scope and sequence 
• Provide training for teachers in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Critical Race Theory
• Provide time for racial equity transformation, application of the frameworks and alignment of content to Frameworks

Elementary

• A lesson plan template that aligns our equity work, the 5 pursuits, alignment of ELA content, and social skills to SS standards
• Developing transdisciplinary lessons across multiple content areas 
• Embed the frameworks within our units of inquiry (PYP Planners) to implement culturally responsive SS content
• Provide training for teachers in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Critical Race Theory
• Provide time for racial equity transformation, application of the frameworks and alignment of content to Frameworks

Middle School

• Evaluate the courses offered at middle school level; analyze and evaluate curriculum to be in alignment with the frameworks, and examine how content  is taught at the MS.
• Provide training for teachers in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Critical Race Theory
• Provide time for racial equity transformation, application of the frameworks and alignment of content to Frameworks

High School

• Evaluate the courses offered at middle school level; analyze and evaluate curriculum to be in alignment with the frameworks, and examine how content  is taught at the MS.
• Provide training for teachers in Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Critical Race Theory
• Provide time for racial equity transformation, application of the frameworks and alignment of content to Frameworks
   

Board presentations: January 25, 2022 November 9, 2022 May 14, 2024
Scholars Studied: Doctors Zaretta Hammond,  Yvette Jackson, Gloria Ladson-Billings, and Gholdy Muhammad.   These researchers have helped us to develop our will and skill around Culturally Relevant Teaching and Learning; Learning For Justice Standards Proposed MN Standards (Commissioner Approved Draft) Early Childhood Indicators of Progress Standards National Council for the Social Studies

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

• Michele Edwins
• Rachel Nelson
• Omar Adams
• Kelsey Clark
• Kelson Mackenzie
   

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

To be completed during the 2024-2025 school year.

Grounded in our belief that all students should have opportunities to apply, develop, and cultivate their brilliance and have it recognized and acknowledged, it will be necessary to develop and support the will, skill, knowledge, and capacity of staff to recognize and disrupt the racial predictability of programming, enrichment, and advanced classes.

Devrae Hudson
Anne LaLonde Laux
Meghan Malone
Al Wachutka

• All students benefit from an education that provides strengths based, culturally relevant enrichment rather than one that intervenes based on deficits and provides remediation.
• Each student has untapped brilliance that can be fostered through gifted education.
• Racially integrated classrooms align with our district mission and are aligned to PYP and MYP programming.
• Detracked classrooms in secondary schools help students of all backgrounds gain valuable perspectives and experiences from their peers.
• That all students can succeed in and should have access to college level courses as an essential path to career and college readiness.

District-wide

• Engage in professional development with Dr. Yvette Jackson, Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings, and other notable gifted education and CRP scholars

Elementary

• Replace existing Gifted and Talented programming and Park Fast LANE remedial programming with a new strengths based anti-racist Talent Development program for all.
• Have at least one specialist at each site to provide culturally relevant literacy support for K-2 teachers & classrooms.
• Strengthen partnership between Principals and CARE teams to support professional learning and implementation of differentiated curriculum and instruction.

Middle School

• Provide extension curriculum choices for every child connected to summative assessments in language arts, science, and social studies in grades 6-10.
• Expand leadership development and identity development in an enrichment course through Keystone.
• Detrack and integrate the Math and Language & Literature courses with more rigor for all students.

High School

• Provide extension curriculum choices or increase rigor and relevance for every child connected to summative assessments in language arts, science, and social studies in grades 6-10.
• Ensure each student takes at least one IB, AP, or concurrent college course before graduation starting in the spring of 2024.

Board presentations:  January 13, 2020
Scholars Studied: Maggie Smith-Petersen and Dr. Yvette Jackson
 

• All students, regardless of race and/or heritage, will experience rigor and success across all languages and levels.
• All students understand that they have a cultural identity, that the teachers and students view and use as an asset to teaching and learning.
• All students understand how language and culture shape worldview, in order to recognize and challenge cultural norms that perpetuate injustice globally.
   

• Melanie Khalaf
• Erin Mendez
• Kyle Sweeney
• Ben Wolfe
   

• Language acquisition is an essential part of transdisciplinary curriculum in a PYP program.
• Language acquisition is an essential choice for all students in a secondary school program and an essential part of IB middle years.
• World Language is a required course for students learning within the MYP programme.
   

District-wide

• Create a K-12 Scope & Sequence aligned with ACTFL World Readiness Standards
• The target language is utilized 90% of the time in class with all students engaged
• Collaborate as departments, CARE teams, and with partners outside of the district.
• Provide each SLP student (including MLL) with an opportunity to graduate with a bilingual seal.
• Explore the expansion of Ojibwe, Arabic, Somali, or Mandarin language and culture courses.
• Align with IB unit planners -- all languages follow same themes 6-8.

Middle School and High School

• Commit to have each World Language and Cultures classroom teaching to a 90% Target Language rate with ACTFL standards through a 6-12 scope and sequence.

  Watch the board presentation from december 14, 2020