Curriculum and Instruction

Student Assessment Links

This is a busy time for curriculum work in our district and across the state.  There are changes in curriculum and assessment due to No Child Left Behind legislation, new Grade Expectations for Vermont’s Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities, and changing statewide assessments.  Colchester has worked hard to ensure that we meet these requirements and ensure a high quality education for our students.

Prior to this year curriculum task forces worked in the areas of math and literacy.  The work focused on the articulation of those programs on a K-12 continuum to include standards, content, skills and assessment.  Both of these curricular areas are complete and fully implemented.

Another emphasis in our district is the development of a true K-12 school system.  We believe that we are all responsible for all the children, regardless their grade in the district.  Curriculum and assessment issues must be considered within the larger context.  All teachers and administrators must have knowledge of what children learn and how they are assessed in other parts of the system.  The five school buildings within our system must communicate with each other regularly and meaningfully.  The curriculum must flow logically and seamlessly from one grade to the next, from one building to the next.  Our goal is to truly incorporate these things into the culture of our school system.

As you are probably aware, Vermont students must take statewide assessments each year.  Currently students take assessments in grades 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11.  Over the next two years this will be changing to include missing grades and new assessments are being developed.  In grade 2 students take the Developmental Reading Assessment.  In grades 4, 8, and 10 students take the New Standards Reference exams in math and language arts.  In grades 5, 9, and 11 students take VT- PASS in science.  You can view Vermont Student assessment results on the Vermont Department of Education’s web site at: http://www.state.vt.us/educ

School district action plans are revised and updated in the fall, using recent assessment data from the past spring.  Doing our action plans in the fall allows us to connect action plan recommendations to the upcoming budget process.  Parental and community input is needed for the action planning process.  Watch for invitations to participate.