Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment
We believe all students can learn and grow. TCSD addresses the “whole child” by developing a growth mindset in order to achieve academic success and social-emotional proficiency.
2019-2020 Strategic Goals:
1. Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum- (GVC) – The district uses priority standards and proficiency scales for each grade level and content area.
The State of Wyoming has determined what students should know at each grade level. To ensure students learn this content, state standards have been adopted. School districts select curriculum, resources and adhere to best practices in teaching to help students obtain this knowledge. TCSD uses standards referenced learning and reporting processes and practices in order to maximize mastery of standards and communicate their level of proficiency.
To start the process, the most essential standards are prioritized at each grade level. For each prioritized standard, teachers build proficiency scales with essential learning targets representing the knowledge, skills, and individual concepts embedded within each standard. Next, curriculum and assessments are matched with these essential outcomes and tied to the proficiency levels. All proficiency scores are based on year end expectations.
2. Intervention/Supports Provided via Multi-tier Student Support Systems (MTSS) Framework- MTSS is a proactive model of student support and instructional differentiation that uses evidence-based practices and data-based problem-solving to integrate academic and behavioral instruction and intervention. This multi-tiered model addresses the individual needs of all students through high-quality instruction. Below is a conceptual representation of MTSS that is used by TCSD1 and the Wyoming Department of Education.
3. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) - PLCs are an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve. In order to maximize student achievement, educators work together to answer the following questions:
- What do we want all students to know and be able to do?
- How will we know if they learn it?
- How will we respond when some students do not learn?
- How will we extend the learning for students who are already proficient?
4. Focus on Achievement – The district reviews data and set goals with specific timeline for oversight and review. Provide common assessments and interim assessments that are tied to WY-TOPP and provide data for teachers to make instructional decisions. Use data to drive decisions for MTSS protocol and strengthening PLCs.