Welcome to Instruction & Assessment
The Office of Instruction and Assessment supports student learning through the development of district curriculum, the administration of state and district assessments and the promotion of teacher learning and professional growth through staff development days and course offerings.
CURRICULUM
In an effort to keep district curriculums up to date and focused on preparing students for the 21st Century, a five year curriculum review cycle is being implemented. Over the past four years, math, science, and social studies programs have been examined and new curricular materials have been adopted for use in kindergarten through high school courses, including several Advanced Placement (AP) classes.
During the 2007-08 school year, the language arts offerings will be reviewed and textbooks and curricular materials for reading and writing will be revised and updated. Each year, approximately $300,000 of the district budget is designated for curricular materials, textbooks, and instructional software.
ASSESSMENT
The current educational climate has a strong emphasis on measuring student success through large scale standardized tests. The primary test used in Colorado CSAP (Colorado Student Assessment Program). CSAP tests are administered each spring to students in grades three through ten. Reading, writing, and math tests are administered in all of these grades while students in grades 5, 8, and 10 also take science tests. These test scores are used to determine whether or not a school meets the federal and state guidelines for improvement. Most Cañon City Schools are rated as Average on the school report card known as the SAR (School Accountability Report). Elementary schools have consistently met the federal requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress, known as AYP. For detailed reports, review the following websites:
Cañon City Schools Accreditation Report includes AYP
http://www.canoncityschools.org/index.php?page=accreditation-reportCañon City Schools School Accountability Report (SAR)
http://reportcard.cde.state.co.us/reportcard/CommandHandler.jsp
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Student success is directly correlated to the skills of the classroom teacher. The Office of Instruction and Assessment collaborates with the Office of Human Resources to hire and train a high quality cadre of teaching staff. To this end, staff development days are organized around training that is specific to newly adopted curriculum, grade level and departmental collaborative dialogues, and to the recommendations of polices and practices that have been developed by the Middle School Task Force and the Secondary Ed Task Force and adopted by the Board of Education. Other opportunities for teachers to enhance their skills are provided through district classes and workshops as well as opportunities through regional universities and online courses.