Department of Teaching & Learning

Dr. Jennifer Knutson, Sr. Director

Teaching and Learning is a department within the Academic Services Division of the Anchorage School District. The primary responsibility of the department is to ensure high quality curriculum, instruction, and academic and behavioral supports that result in high quality learning.  Additionally, the department provides various direct and indirect instructional support to schools, and students, intended to enhance the educational experience.  

We accomplish this through facilitation of professional learning opportunities, curriculum alignment ensuring access within a multi-tiered system of support, and engaging in cycles of continuous improvement.  We are responsible for providing leadership, guidance and support to teachers, instructional support staff, and building administrators to ensure that high quality instruction and learning takes place every day.

One of the major bodies of work of the department includes the planning and execution of curriculum reviews.  The three phases of curricular implementation, identify the stage of each project underway during the current school year.  

Process:

• Review
• Decision phase
• Research review
• Advisory committee convened
• Implementation
• Deployment phase
• Initial deployment of professional learning
• Initial distribution of curricular materials
•  Institutionalization
• Monitoring & adjusting phase
• Deeply embedded use of curricular materials 
• Highly developed teacher practice

Grades K-8 Math Review Summary

Current Project Status:Review

The purpose of this project is to guide a cross divisional team through the review of K-8 Mathematics curriculum to determine if the current materials meet the needs of students or require adjustment or enhancement,  or if new materials will be necessary.   

Alaska State requires for the review and selection of all textbooks and instructional materials before they are introduced into the school curriculum. GOMath! is the current K-6 curriculum and was adopted in 2012. Middle School (7-8) Big Ideas was also adopted in 2012. According to Board Policy 6161.1, instructional materials should be evaluated and selected with great care so that they are educationally sound and unbiased. Instructional materials should support the adopted courses of study and meet current curricular goals. 

Project Objectives

• Evaluate department content needs to include curriculum evaluation, development of rationale for curriculum needs, and identification of 3-4 field test options. 
• Establish a cross-divisional curriculum review committee.
• Conduct a field test of the top 3 rated materials available in K-5 & 6-8th grade classrooms.
• Make a curriculum recommendation that may include adoption of new, or amendment of current curriculums and academic plans. 
• Provide documentation of identified business processes germane to successful materials reviews.

Summary Milestone Schedule

Grade 3 Social Studies Summary

Current Project Status: Initiation

The focus of this project will be to develop, produce, and implement a culturally accurate and common core aligned grade 3 Social Studies curriculum. This project supports the District initiative to increase the reading proficiency of K-8 students and incorporate cultural, SEL (social-emotional learning), and Social Studies standards.

The current grade 3 Social Studies curriculum is outdated, culturally inaccurate to Alaska Natives and Indigenous groups, and does not align with common core standards. The Teaching and Learning Department has an opportunity to develop enhanced materials.

Project Objectives

• Redesign, produce, and distribute the grade 3 Alaska Studies student reader and teacher guide by August 2021
• Develop a sustainable indigenous community partnership to support the project and for future collaborations and feedback opportunities by August 2019
• Create and distribute rigorous and accessible social studies digital curriculum for multi-tiered 3rd grade students by August 2021 
• Engage and prepare grade 3 educators for implementation by August 2021

Summary Milestone Schedule

Grades 6-8 English Language Arts Summary

Current Project Status: Initiation

The purpose of this project is to guide a cross-divisional team through the review, selection, adoption, purchase, delivery, implementation, training, monitoring, adjustment and sustainability of rigorous, standards aligned English/Language Arts curriculum and materials in grades 6-8. This will develop future capacity within the Teaching and Learning department to manage such projects through all phases of implementation.

Alaska Statute requires the review and selection of all textbooks and instructional materials before they are introduced into the school curriculum. McDougal Littell Literature is the current middle school curriculum and was adopted in 2008. Elementary grade 6 Houghton Mifflin Reading was adopted in 2004. The School Board approved the review of Grades 6-8 English/Language Arts (ELA) instructional materials in September of 2015. According to BP 6161.1, instructional materials should be evaluated and selected with great care so that they are educationally sound and unbiased. Instructional materials should support the adopted courses of study and meet current curricular goals. 

Project Objectives

• Engage a broad diverse community of educators in the review and selection of ELA curriculum materials.
• Provide grade 6-8 teachers with materials and professional learning in the spring of 2019, and ensure they are informed and prepared throughout the implementation.
• Accurately distribute and inventory ELA materials at the time of implementation and establish process to maintain accuracy throughout the lifecycle of the curriculum.

Summary Milestone Schedule