Columbia Union School District

Columbia Union School District’s learning experience is designed to ensure that students are meaningfully engaged with the content and accompanying activities that are supported by quality instructional materials and pedagogy. It is our goal at Columbia to have an articulated experience that has our students best prepared for high school. When our curriculum or programming is articulated, staff and administration use common language and have common expectations, allowing for richer and more effective collaboration among educators about needs, successes, and current progress. Through articulation, students receive a seamless learning experience, as everyone has the same fundamental standards, expectations and materials, even as the instruction is differentiated to meet the diverse needs, strengths, and interests of the students.

Curriculum Materials

Columbia Union School District believes that students must have access to a high quality education that is responsive to the students’ modalities of learning, respectful of their personal experiences and backgrounds, held to grade level expectations and rigor, and accompanied by a support system designed to aide students and staff to contribute to a positive and constructive learning environment.

In the curriculum adoption process for school districts, districts can choose materials from off of the California Department of Education materials list or elect to pursue materials not previously reviewed. The latter, however, must include materials that are aligned to state standards and, preferably, been reviewed by leading state and/or national organizations that have evaluated their relevancy and efficacy in the respective content area.

The curriculum materials selected should be both cost-effective and assist in leading to a high impact on student outcomes. The adopted materials are a critical part of the district’s efforts to engage students, assist staff in delivery, and lead to increased student achievement. The adopted curriculum should also help facilitate conversations about the need and/or quality of additional resources and materials, the conduciveness of the physical environment and available technology, the role of a professional learning community, expectations and outcomes for personalized learning, and the greater support structure embedded in the learning and operations for students and staff.

Adopted Materials

Reading and English Language Arts

Wonders (K-5; McGraw-Hill)

StudySync (6-8; McGraw-Hill)

Math

Illustrative Math (K-8; Imagine Learning)

Science

elevateScience (K-8; Savvas)

Social Studies

Impact: California Social Studies (K-5; McGraw-Hill)

History Alive! (6-8; TCI)

Guidance Resources