Public Input Needed For School Curriculum

The Wolf Point School District wants to hear from community members about their thoughts regarding curriculum goals.

Sarah Chambers, curriculum director and instructional leader, says she needs feedback on three topics: What’s going well, what is needed and parent/community development available.

One of the goals is improving Wolf Point students’ success rate in testing. Recent results showed that only 13 percent of Wolf Point’s thirdgrade students were proficient in math and reading/language arts.

Plans include adding a standards based writing curriculum beginning with the elementary students at Southside.

“We will be building up,” Chambers said of starting with the younger students.

She noted a bright spot is Wolf Point’s students score well in phonics.

Chambers, who is currently also serving as Southside principal, added, “My hope is we can dig in deep and improve those proficiency goals.”

Wolf Point’s junior high and high school has been working with a consultant to create professional learning communities. Chambers said the project has been going well and will continue.

Two “fireside chats” with staff members have gone well. Chambers said it was agreed that they liked standards based education, hands-on learning and cross-curriculum planning. Many staff members want more of data driven instruction, focus on college/vocational prep and alternative education opportunities.

There is a desired to have more technology, different curriculum delivering systems and trauma information.

“In both meetings, they said pretty much the same things,” Chambers said, noting that different staff members attending the two separate meetings. “They opted in.”

Chambers will meet with administrators this summer to set some of the school district’s goals.

She stressed it’s important to know what the community wants. She will put a survey on the school’s website in an attempt to receive more input.