Ben Luis, Assistant Superintendent
bluis@myluesd.net
(559) 924-6812

Alecia Goforth, Administrative Assistant
agoforth@myluesd.net
(559) 924-6813

Jeanette Montes, Instructional Technology/Student Database Coordinator

jmontes@myluesd.net
(559) 924-6886

Jennifer Silva, IMS Technician
jsilva@myluesd.net
(559) 924-6884

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

The primary mission of Curriculum & Instruction is to support the schools in ensuring the success of every student in Lemoore. To fulfill that mission, services, resources and information for students, parents, staff, and the community are regularly provided. The focus of our work is to oversee curriculum, instruction, staff development, assessment, and categorical programs for the seven schools in the Lemoore Union Elementary School District. Leadership is provided in the development of curriculum and implementation of content standards and assessments. The Curriculum & Instruction Department also helps schools, parents and staff understand, implement, and comply with reforms, statutes, regulations and guidelines.

Our goal is to work collaboratively with all of our school staff members. The district staff development program is administered by the Curriculum & Instruction Department. Content includes literacy, mathematics, differentiating instruction and using technology and instructional strategies such as cooperative learning. Staff development is planned so that the needs of teachers at different levels of expertise are met which, in turn, helps to best support all students.

Lemoore Union Elementary School District adopted the math curriculum Go Math! from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and My Math from McGraw-Hill. In English Language Arts, the curriculum adoptions include Wonders (K-5) and Study Sync (6-8) from McGraw-Hill and Big Day (TK) from Houghton Miffflin Harcourt.

COMMON CORE STANDARDS

On January 7, 2010, the Governor signed into law Senate Bill X5 1 (Steinberg). The bill calls for California's academic content standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics to be examined against the Common Core Standards that were released in final form on June 2, 2010. The bill also calls for the establishment of the California Academic Content Standards Commission. The Governor and Legislature have made the required appointments to the commission. The ELA California Common Core State Standards (CCCSS) were modified in March 2013 while the Math CCCSS were modified in January 2013.

DISTRICT PROGRAMS

Fine Arts Instruction
Elementary students will have the opportunity to participate in Fine Arts through music or other art instruction starting in fourth grade.

At the 7th and 8th grade levels, students have the opportunity to participate in marching, concert, or jazz band or choir. Students can also participate in electives related to art appreciation, art, textile arts and others.

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Textbooks are adopted on a state curriculum cycle by the Lemoore Union Elementary School District from a list of materials approved by the state of California. Each time textbooks are adopted, professional development is offered on units of study and strategies in using the materials. All textbooks and materials that are adopted and approved are aligned with the state and district standards and benchmarks.

Content standards were designed to encourage the highest achievement of every student, by defining the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students should acquire at each grade level in reading/language arts and mathematics. All students in California in grades 3-8 and 11 are required to take the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) tests each spring. The focus of Lemoore Union Elementary School District is to support the continuous improvement of all student's academic achievement with the emphasis on the core programs in reading, writing and math. The results of the CAASPP tests are reported to the school board and State Department of Education. The scores are located at the The California Department of Education website.

English Language Arts

McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders is a comprehensive reading and writing program designed specifically for the Common Core State Standards for Reading/Language Arts. The program also includes support for English Language Development and intervention for students in elementary school (grades K-5). Strong literacy foundations are built through the use of complex texts.

McGraw-Hill Study Sync is a literacy program (grades 6-8) that uses a variety of text and multimedia lessons to dive deeply into reading, writing and critical thinking. Online tools promote student to student interaction and support speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.

Writing

The writing process is an integral part of the district's language arts program. Students are engaged in writing on a daily basis. Student writing is evaluated using the district developed writing rubrics (K-2) and CAASPP writing rubrics (3-8). Every trimester, writing samples are scored for each student using a district prompt for each grade level. Writing practice focuses around informative/explanatory, argument/opinion and narrative writing. At the middle school, the writing process is taught in each class.

Mathematics

The Go Math! mathematics program is an approved program that is researched-based and follows the state standards for mathematics. It is a balanced program that covers basic skills, problem solving and algebraic concepts.

INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

The Mission of the Lemoore Union Elementary School District, relative to technology, is to facilitate educational excellence through the proper use and integration of technology in instructional practices. Instruction is varied and dynamic, reflecting the diversity of student needs in the schools. The focus is on learning with information and technology, rather than learning about technology.

Teaching in the 21st Century

INTERNET SAFETY

DIGITAL LITERACY AND CITIZENSHIP CLASSROOM CURRICULUM

The Lemoore Union Elementary School District will be using curriculum from Common Sense Media to help guide our students to make safe, smart, and ethical decisions in the digital world where they live, study, and play.

CHILDREN'S INTERNET PROTECTION ACT (CIPA)

The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is a federal law enacted by Congress to address concerns about access to offensive content over the Internet on school and library computers. CIPA imposes certain types of requirements on any school or library that receives funding for Internet access or internal connections from the E-rate program – a program that makes certain communications technology more affordable for eligible schools and libraries. In early 2001, the FCC issued rules implementing CIPA.

What CIPA Requires

  • Schools and libraries subject to CIPA may not receive the discounts offered by the E-rate program unless they certify that they have an Internet safety policy that includes technology protection measures. The protection measures must block or filter Internet access to pictures that are: (a) obscene; (b) child pornography; or (c) harmful to minors (for computers that are accessed by minors). Before adopting this Internet safety policy, schools and libraries must provide reasonable notice and hold at least one public hearing or meeting to address the proposal.

  • Schools subject to CIPA are required to adopt and enforce a policy to monitor online activities of minors.

  • Schools and libraries subject to CIPA are required to adopt and implement an Internet safety policy addressing: (a) access by minors to inappropriate matter on the Internet; (b) the safety and security of minors when using electronic mail, chat rooms and other forms of direct electronic communications; (c) unauthorized access, including so-called “hacking,” and other unlawful activities by minors online; (d) unauthorized disclosure, use, and dissemination of personal information regarding minors; and (e) measures restricting minors’ access to materials harmful to them.

Schools and libraries are required to certify that they have their safety policies and technology in place before receiving E-rate funding.

You can find out more about CIPA by contacting the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) Schools and Libraries Division (SLD). SLD also operates a client service bureau to answer questions at 1-888-203-8100 or via email through the SLD website (https://www.usac.org/sl/).

PROTECTING CHILDREN IN THE 21ST CENTURY ACT

The Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act adds statutory language to existing FCC rules for the implementation of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA). CIPA compliance, in turn, impacts ERate compliance. In addition to existing CIPA requirements, the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act now also requires school boards to update their Internet Use/Internet Safety policies to include statutory language to say they are providing for the education of minors regarding appropriate online behavior including interacting with others on social networking websites and in chat rooms, and regarding cyberbullying awareness and response.

CYBERBULLYING AND INTERNET SAFETY

The Internet offers a wealth of resources and material for education. Accessed through a variety of electronic devices, it also allows for rich and diverse opportunities for 21st century communications. These devices are becoming ever more diverse and ubiquitous. They raise issues of digital / Internet safety and digital citizenship. Along with ensuring that our young people have the technological skills to effectively use digital devices, platforms, and resources for educational purposes, we also have the responsibility to teach them how to be safe and productive digital citizens of the 21st century. This responsibility has been mandated through the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act, which is Title II of the Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2008.

RESOURCES

CLASSROOM CURRICULUM RESOURCES

SEXTING INFORMATION

Sexting is not a singular thing. It covers a range of possible actions and motivations. Sexting is online communication involving youth produced sexually explicit or suggestive images created and shared through the use of personal communication technologies. Sexting response requires clear policies and procedures, common sense, compassion and a known plan of action. Discuss sexting with your legal office before a situation arises.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The district professional development program is on-going and designed to meet the needs of all staff members. Teachers and paraprofessionals are provided inservice in August and October/November in the areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science and technology. During the school year, training is offered on a variety of topics that are designed to develop specific instructional skills or instructional practices. Teachers work together in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to review student data and make appropriate instructional adjustments as well as plan together to provide a variety of instructional supports in English Language Development (ELD) and Response to Intervention (RTI).

To meet the needs of all teachers, the district has a learning coordinator at each elementary school and a resource teacher at the middle school. Grade-level and cross-grade-level collaboration meetings are scheduled throughout the school year for teachers to share strategies that support student learning and help teachers develop positive classroom management.