KP Talks Curriculum Development

The King Philip School Committee heard a report on curriculum development in the district at its meeting Monday night.

King Philip Middle School Principal and Assistant Superintendent Susan Gilson gave a presentation about developing a rigorous curriculum for the district.

"As we look at curriculum, we're looking at things like: are we embedding 21st-century skills in the curriculum? What are 21st-century skills?" she said. "Why do we want to continue to revise, update and edit the curriculum?"

Gilson said multiple factors led to KP reconsidering its curriculum, including entirely new materials for its foreign language department and the establishment of common core standards.

"We've had teachers retire and new teachers come on board," she said. "We had to look at if we're giving teachers a curriculum as interpreted by other teachers."

She said the district was also looking at an upcoming assessment by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

"We need to ensure what we teach is what we've written, and it's aligned to what we're testing for," Gilson said.

Superintendent Elizabeth Zielinski said the changes will eventually provide more information.

"Once we're in good shape with curriculum development, parents will be able to access that information," she said. "We don't want to do that until things are clear, though."

Gilson agreed.

"Years down the road, a parent trying to determine if an AP course is appropriate for their child can take a look at the pacing and assessments of the course," she said.

Zielinski said the revisions will help teachers collaborate more.

"Teachers traditionally taught in isolation," she said. "This helps to break down the barriers."