CI – Background Information / Documents

Curriculum & Instruction – Background Information / Documents

District Curriculum:

• Las Animas School District believes in a standards base approach to curriculum and instruction with the support of resources to enhance the educational experience. The district is committed to building a standards-based guaranteed and viable curriculum
  • Elementary Scope and Sequence
    • LAES Scope & Sequence Self-Assessment: Used to self assess
  • Junior High and High School Scope and Sequence
    • JH/HS Scope and Sequence Rubric: Used in assessing completeness of Scope and Sequence at the JH and HS levels
    • Deadlines are set throughout the year to ensure the scope and sequence is up to date with the required documents.

Instructional Planning and Practice:

• Elementary staff has common plans for grade level teams. Team meet during their plan time to align lessons, look at data and progress monitor.
  • Weekly Plan Time Reflection
    • When choosing texts for lessons staff are encouraged to use Text Selection for Standards-Based Instruction to ensure alignment.
• The Junior High and High School staffs have a common plan with their advisory team. Team meetings are used to discuss school initiatives, celebrate successes, discuss challenges and also plan for advisory together.
  • Weekly Team Standing Agenda
  • The Junior High and High School staffs also have the opportunity to attend designated curriculum development days on Fridays. The staff calls them RED days. These days were designed to assist to fill the gaps in curriculum and develop a comprehensive scope and sequence for all subjects. There are 7 days built into the schedule.
    • Curriculum Fridays (HS, MS)
    • This year’s focus has been on completion of links and documents, but also checking unit assessments with the Assessment Literacy Checklist.
  • PDSA cycles are used within the classroom to show how progress is going to be made using specific strategies and data collection with reflection after each cycle.
    • PDSA Goal Setting Sheet
    • PDSA Cycles in classrooms
    • 30 minute Data Driven Dialogue used with students when write PDSAs and goals.

District MTSS Approach:

• The district has a district wide MTSS team that meets monthly. The team’s instructional focus is on the improvement of math scores on NWEA and state assessment across the district.
  • Building level MTSS teams also meet one to two times a month with a focus on academics and behaviors.
• Participation in the COMTSS grant through the Santa Fe Trail BOCES
  • Problem of Practice-Focus 2023-2026
  • Action Steps
    • Elementary
      • NWEA Retesting – LAES
      • Incentive System
      • Accommodations
    • Junior High and High School
      • Transparent Assessment System through consistent environment and proctoring, progress monitoring, incentives for students
      • Instructional Coach, Special Education teacher, School Counselor and Dean of Students proctor all NWEA and State Assessments.

Resources/Programs available to students before, during and after school for intervention and enrichment

• Elementary
  • Zearn is used for the first 45 minutes of each school day K-6. This was planned in the Fall of 24 and rolled out in the Spring of 25.
    • Family Letter
  • Small group reading intervention provided during the school day.
  • Destination Imagination, Infusion, Youth Biz, Student Council
    • Clubs created by students:
      • Theatre and Game Club
  • Various enrichment after school workshops: archery, dog training, karate, choir, leather craft, STEAM activities, Christmas card making
  • Partnership with Bent County Community Center: sports and after school activities and torturing
• Junior High
  • Sports: Volleyball, Cheer, Football, Wrestling (girls and boys), Basketball, Track/Field, Baseball
  • Organizations: FCA, StuCo, Pure Gold
  • Clubs created by students and staff
    • Crochet
    • Lego
  • Content Level Acceleration
  • Intervention time is built into electives. Students are pulled 30 minutes a week for work on targeted standards in math and ELA based on NWEA assessments.
    • Junior High Intervention Data
• High School
  • Sports: Volleyball, Golf (boys and girls), Football, Cheer, Wrestling (boys and girls), Basketball, Esports (2 seasons), Track/Field, Baseball
  • Organizations: FCA, StuCo, NHS, True Blue, HECTOR’s Armor, FBLA and FFA
  • Academic enrichment include: college courses through Otero College, Science Olympiad and Science Fair.
  • Intervention time is built into 3rd hour. Students are pulled 30 minutes a week for work on targeted standards in math and ELA based on NWEA assessments.
    • High School Interventions

ICAP Approach:

• ICAP lessons are incorporated into 6th grade curriculum and advisory curriculum at the Junior High and High School.
  • All seniors complete a capstone project and present to the community and school after state testing in late April and early May

Behavioral Expectations:

• All district buildings use PBIS frameworks. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. When implemented with fidelity, PBIS improves social emotional competence, academic success, and school climate. It also improves teacher health and wellbeing. It is a way to create positive, predictable, equitable and safe learning environments where everyone thrives. https://www.pbis.org/pbis/what-is-pbis
  • Expectations are explicitly taught to students multiple times a year with celebrations each month.
    • LAES PRIDE Matrix
    • LAJH/HS HECTOR Matrix
      • Flowcharts and definitions are shared through the student handbook each year.