ARTICLE III. CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
Section 1. Curriculum.
The Superintendent is responsible for the development, implementation and ongoing evaluation of the District’s curriculum. The curriculum shall:
A) be consistent with the District’s mission and any Board Policies establishing guiding principles with respect to student learning and achievement;
B) meet or exceed all requirements of the State of Michigan;
C) be standards-based and based upon legally compliant, research-based learning and achievement standards geared toward the award of a District diploma;
D) include standards-based, legally compliant, research-based learning and achievement standards for students who participate in career and technical education programs; and
E) address the needs of and provide opportunities for students with disabilities consistent with federal and state law.
Section 2. Family Involvement.
Parent and family involvement within the schools is necessary to develop shared educational goals, and to have a positive effect on student learning for all learners. Educational research has shown that strong partnerships between home and school lead to higher levels of achievement. Parents and families are encouraged to provide input through district committees, parent-teacher organizations, school improvement teams, and other committees regarding matters of interest to students and families. Parents and families are also encouraged to visit their child’s school and participate in school activities.
References to “parent” or “parents” in these policies shall be understood to include a student’s legal guardian, unless the policies or their context clearly indicate otherwise.
District teachers and administrators will strive to encourage family involvement through:
Effective Means of Communication, by facilitating open and ongoing communication between home and school; providing information and resources to families regarding safety, proper health and wellbeing; ensuring accessibility to information about District programs and policies; providing accurate and timely information regarding State and local academic standards and assessments; and engaging families in monitoring student growth and progress reports.
Facilitating Volunteering, by creating volunteer opportunities for parents and families to participate in and contribute to school activities and encouraging family participation in volunteer activities; and
Community Collaboration, by integrating programs, activities and events that support and encourage family involvement and their participation in their child’s educational growth and development; and supporting parents and students in the educational process through referrals to community resources or agencies that support the district’s mission.
Section 3. Title I Services.
The Board elects to augment the educational program of educationally disadvantaged students by the use of Federal funds and in accordance with Title I of the Amendments to the Elementary and Secondary School Improvement of 1965.
The Superintendent shall prepare and present to the State Department of Education a plan for the delivery of services which meets the requirements of the law. The plan shall be developed by appropriate staff members and parents of students who will be served by the plan.
Section 4. Parental Participation in Title I Programs.
Parental involvement is a key component of federal Title I programs. In order to help build a partnership between home and school for purposes of Title I, the District will:
A. Inform parents of the program, the reasons for their children’s participation and the specific instructional objectives;
B. Support parents to work with their children to attain instructional objectives;
C. Train teachers and other staff involved in Title I programs to work effectively with the parents of participating students;
D. Provide feedback to parents on a regular basis; [Check Title I Policy]
E. Provide opportunities for parents to provide input into the design, operation and evaluation of the program; and
F. Provide opportunities for parents who lack literacy skills or whose native language is not English, to provide input.
The Superintendent will develop and implement regulations that are compliant with Title I. The regulations shall support the above principles and actions and also assure that services provided with state and local funds in Title I schools are comparable to those provided in non-Title I schools in the District.
Section 5. Parents’ Right to Know.
In accordance with Title I, for each school receiving Title I funds, the Superintendent shall make sure that all parents of students in that school are notified that they may request, and the District will provide, the following information on the student’s classroom teachers:
A. Whether the teacher(s) have met the State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade level and subject areas they are teaching.
B. Whether the teacher(s) is teaching under any emergency or provisional status in which the State requirements have been waived.
C. The undergraduate major of the teacher(s) and the area of study and any certificates for any graduate degrees earned.
D. The qualifications of any paraprofessionals providing services to their child(ren).
E. Information on the level of achievement of their child(ren) on the required State academic assessments.
F. Timely notice if the student is assigned to a teacher who is not "highly qualified" as required, or if the student is taught for more than four (4) weeks by a teacher who is not highly qualified.
Section 6. Special Education.
The District shall enter into an agreement with the constituent districts to provide a comprehensive, free, and appropriate educational program to all eligible disabled persons through age 25 which complies with Federal and State laws and guidelines.
The Superintendent shall prepare administrative guidelines necessary to ensure effective implementation of the special education program.
Section 7. Programs for Gifted Students.
The District may conduct appropriate instructional programs to meet the needs of gifted students in grades K through 12. A “gifted student” is one who, through valid assessment, shows specific academic ability superior to that of children of the same age or grade level within the District; creative ability in a particular area superior to that of his/her peers within the District; or superior leadership ability to that of his/her peers within the District.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for identification, curriculum development and implementation, and assessment of learning outcomes for gifted students.
Section 8. Students with Limited English Proficiency.
All students are to be provided a meaningful education and access to the programs provided by the District. Limited proficiency in the English language should not be a barrier to equal participation in the instructional or extra-curricular programs of the District. Students identified as having limited English proficiency will be provided additional support and instruction to assist them in gaining English proficiency and in accessing the educational and extra-curricular programs offered by the District.
The District will endeavor to assist the student and his/her parents in their access to District programs by sending notices to the parents in a language designed to enable them to understand.
Section 9. Postsecondary (Dual) Enrollment Options.
The District recognizes the value to students of participating in courses offered by accredited and degree-granting colleges and universities in Michigan. Eligible postsecondary institutions shall include state universities, community colleges, and independent nonprofit degree-granting colleges or universities located in Michigan and that choose to comply with the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act.
The District will allow eligible high school students who meet the criteria established in the Superintendent's guidelines to enroll in eligible postsecondary courses while in attendance in the District. The Superintendent shall allow a student in 9th grade or above, upon written request of his/her parent, to take approved readiness assessment(s) in order to establish eligibility for postsecondary enrollment. Students will be eligible to receive appropriate credit for completing any of these courses providing they meet all requirements for the type of credit they wish to earn.
The Superintendent shall establish the necessary administrative guidelines to ensure that such courses are in accord with State law and are properly communicated to both the students and their parents. The Superintendent shall also establish guidelines and procedures for the awarding of credit and the proper entry on a student's transcript and other records of his/her participation in a postsecondary program.
Section 10. Homebound Instruction.
The District shall provide, pursuant to requirements of state law and the State Board of Education, individual instruction to students of legal school age who are not able to attend classes because of a physical or emotional disability.
The District reserves the right to withhold homebound instruction when the instructor's presence in the place of a student's confinement presents a hazard to the health of the instructor; a parent or other adult in authority is not at home with the student during the hours of instruction; or the condition of the student is such as to preclude his/her benefit from such instruction.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for implementing this policy.
Section 11. Career and Technical Education.
The District recognizes the importance of career and technical education in meeting the needs of youth, adults, business, industry, and labor of this State, and agrees to coordinate and cooperate with intermediate, State, and Federal educational agencies in an effort to support, where appropriate, Career and Technical Education (CTE) in the District.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines necessary to implement this policy.
Section 12. Guidance and Counseling.
A planned program of guidance and counseling is an integral part of the educational program of the District. The Superintendent shall implement an appropriate counseling and guidance program, and shall adopt administrative guidelines with respect to the program.
Section 13. Textbooks, Technology, and Other Essential Curricular Materials.
The Superintendent will recommend to the Board, for its approval, textbooks, technology, and other essential curricular materials. The Superintendent may designate qualified administrators and teachers to assist in the selection of textbooks, technology, and essential curricular materials to be recommended to the Board.
Section 14. Selection of Media Center Materials.
District students shall be provided access to a wide variety of educational materials, in various media, to support learning. Consistent with District purchasing protocols, the Superintendent may make or approve purchases for District media centers and may receive recommendations for such purchases from professional staff members, parents and students.
Section 15. Parental Objections.
The Superintendent shall develop regulations that provide an opportunity for the presentation and fair consideration of parental objections to the School District’s curriculum, the selection of textbooks and other instructional materials and media center materials.
Section 16. Wellness.
The Superintendent shall prepare and implement administrative guidelines and SMART Goals, in accordance with applicable law, with input from the District’s Wellness Committee, that promote students’ health, nutrition, well-being, and regular physical activity as part of the learning environment, in accordance with applicable laws, rules and regulations. The Principal of each school building shall have the authority and responsibility to ensure that each school building complies with this policy.
The District will inform the public annually about the wellness policy, provide a link to the wellness policy online, review the wellness policy at least triennially, and provide information to the public on how they can participate on the wellness committee and assist with the development, implementation and periodic review and update of this policy.
Section 17. Non-discrimination.
The District shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation or sexual identity), age, religion, height, weight, marital or family status, disability, military status, genetic information, or any other legally protected category in its programs and activities, including employment. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination, and shall likewise not be permitted with respect to students or employees. The District shall not retaliate against a person who reports or opposes improper discrimination or retaliation. The District shall fully comply with all applicable federal and state civil rights statutes, including, without limitation, Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The Superintendent shall designate not less than two compliance officers responsible for coordinating the District’s compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations, and for investigating reports of discrimination or harassment. The Superintendent shall ensure that all required notices under the civil rights or other laws are provided to staff members.
The Superintendent shall develop and implement administrative guidelines to enforce this policy.
Section 18. Field Trips and Other District-Sponsored Trips.
The District recognizes that field trips, when used for teaching and learning integral to the curriculum, are an educationally sound and important ingredient in the instructional program of the schools. Properly planned and executed field trips should supplement and enrich classroom procedures by providing learning experiences in an environment outside the school. A field trip is any planned journey by one or more students away from District premises under the supervision of a professional staff member and an integral part of a course of study. Other District-sponsored trips are any planned, student-travel activity which are approved as part of the District's total educational program.
Board approval is required for field trips and other District-sponsored trips which are planned to take students out of the United States, except that under normal conditions, when no applicable travel alert has been issued by the federal government, trips to Canada may be permitted without approval of the Board. Approval of the Superintendent is required for all other such trips.
Students on all field trips and other District-sponsored trips remain subject to the District's policies and administrative guidelines, including the Student Code of Conduct.
The District does not assume liability for any staff member, volunteer, or parent of the District who takes students on trips not approved by the Board or Superintendent. No staff member may solicit students of this District for such trips on school property without permission from the Superintendent.
The Superintendent shall prepare administrative guidelines for the operation of both field and other District-sponsored trips, including athletic trips.
Section 19. Student Assessment.
The District shall, in compliance with state law and rules of the State Board of Education, assess student achievement and needs in designated subject areas in order to determine the progress of students and to assist them in attaining District goals.
The Superintendent shall develop and present to the Board annually a program of testing and assessment that comports with state law and is consistent with the policies of the District, and shall develop administrative guidelines as necessary to implement this policy.
Section 20. Placement and Promotion.
The District recognizes that the personal, social, physical, and educational growth of children will vary and that they should be placed in the educational setting most appropriate to their needs at the various stages of their growth.
It is the policy of the District, subject to the Administration’s sole discretion, that each student be moved in a continuous pattern of achievement and growth that is in harmony with his/her own development.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines for the placement and promotion of students consistent with this Policy.
Section 21. Third Grade Reading Requirements.
The District shall comply with the requirements of MCL §380.1282f, governing third grade reading proficiency and requirements. The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines as necessary to implement this policy and the state statute.
Section 22. Reporting Student Progress.
The cooperation of school and home is a vital ingredient to the growth and education of the whole child, and the District recognizes its responsibility to keep parents informed of student welfare and progress in school.
The District shall establish a system of reporting student progress which shall include written reports and/or parent conferences with teachers, and shall require all appropriate staff members to comply with such a system as part of their professional responsibility.
The Superintendent, in conjunction with appropriate staff members, shall develop procedures for reporting student progress to parents.
Section 23. Grading.
The District is responsible for providing a system of grading student achievement that can help the student, teachers, and parents accurately to judge how well the student is achieving the goals of the District's program.
The Superintendent shall develop guidelines for grading containing clear, consistent criteria and standards. The teacher responsible for a student's instruction in a particular course or program shall determine the student's grade. That grade may not be changed without the permission of the Superintendent.
Section 24. Graduation Requirements.
The District will acknowledge each student's successful completion of the instructional program or a personal curriculum appropriate to the achievement of District goals and objectives as well as personal proficiency by the awarding of a diploma at graduation ceremonies.
The Superintendent shall develop administrative guidelines containing requirements for graduation consistent with state law and the requirements adopted from time to time by the
Board. The guidelines shall also identify the requirements and process to be followed by students wishing to graduate early.
Section 25. Compliance with Michigan Sex Education Statute; Prohibition of Abortion Referral or Assistance.
The District shall comply with the requirements of MCL §380.1507, dealing with instruction in sex education and related subjects. As required under MCL §388.1766, a school official, member of the Board of Education or a person employed by the District who refers a student for an abortion or assists a student in obtaining an abortion, and who is not the parent or legal guardian of the student, shall be subject to appropriate discipline.