001Greetings members of the board and the members of our Sun Prairie Area School District community. I am Sarah Cha Clarity, our director of secondary for teaching, learning, and equity. And tonight, I'm presenting an overview of the process we use to modify our courses across the 2526 school year and the approved changes that will be incorporated into our 202627 course guides. This annual review is part of our instructional systems continuous improvement cycle and ensures that our course offerings remain aligned to student needs, teacher recommendations, and district goals. Our course modification process is anchored in the Sun Prairie Area School District's curriculum renewal and design plan that was created in 2022. As outlined in pages 17 through 30 of that plan, each department engages in a structured cycle to review proposed new courses, revisions, and potential removals.
002This process includes data review, alignment to standards, and examination of student needs, and feedback from educators. This predictable cycle ensures that any changes to our offerings are both thoughtful and forward focused. Each summer and fall, our curriculum leaders facilitate department level reviews of all current courses in grades 6 through 12. This year, educators across all content areas collaborated to review existing courses for relevance, clarity, and alignment. Identify areas where new course options might better meet students interests or emerging pathways. Recommend revisions to the course titles, its description, prerequisites, andor course sequencing. In addition, they discuss proposed changes and gathered peer feedback before submitting these proposals to our administrator team for review. This ensures consistency across all buildings at each level. Once proposals are finalized, an administrative team reviewed and approved submissions and in some cases
003they met we met with proposers for clarification um and adjustments. All approved changes are now captured in the course modifications chart and will be reflected in the 202627 course guides. This year there were 24 total course modifications that were approved. These include two course additions. The course additions are a one in the math department related to statistics titled integrated statistics and quantitative reasoning and the second is in the social studies department titled education in action. Both of these course additions provide new opportunities that expand pathways and respond to student demand. We had 13 course revisions which were updates that improved clarity, scope or sequencing within various departments. There were three course additionreplacements where new courses take the place of existing one and this was in particular to AP pre-calculus replacing just pre-calculus. So instead of
004pre-calculus, both AP as a standalone as well as our bundled options now have the AP version. There were two title changes. Those title changes were designed to ensure that the course names more accurately reflect student learning outcomes. [clears throat] There were two course deletions. The deletions were brought forward by educators due to consistently low enrollment, which meant that the courses hadn't been running for at least three years. There were also two courses that were impacted by graduation requirement changes. And so these adjustments were tied to policy policy shifts um for future courses. And so those two specific courses are personal finance which was communicated with the board last spring the change at the state level u around act 60 mandating that.5 standalone credit of personal finance. It does not begin until the class of 2028
005is at graduation but we knew it's important to have now in the course guide for planning and so that is being adjusted. And the other was with AP English literature and composition. So creating a parallel pathway for students who take AP English lit to have that count as an English 11 credit um along with a 12th grade English elective credit option. And so those were the two that were related to graduation requirement ships. One additional area that's not on this course modifications chart but is an update to ARPOR's guide is in the area of physical education. So physical education or PE um we didn't capture every PE course in the chart but there was a clarification brought forward through this course revision prop um proposal process from the department of physical education indicating that there
006some recent connection with the department of public instruction indicated that PE courses may only be offered for PE credit one time. Currently, students had been able to take a class multiple times and earn uh multiple credits as they need one and a half credits for graduation. However, knowing that the DPI has said that PE can only be offered for one time for PE credit, if a student enrolls in a course multiple times, they will get PE credit the first time and then in subsequent enrollment in that same course would earn them elective credit only. And students do need 10 elective credits to graduate as well. So taken all together, these changes strengthen our 612 program, enhance coherence across our campuses, and ensures every student has access to relevant highquality learning opportunities. Supporting students and families
007through the course selection process is a top priority. Our communication plan includes several components. First, it's important to know that at the middle school level, for the first time in many years, there are no changes to the course offerings this year in our middle schools. We have a single unified sixth through 8th grade guide and that is shared [clears throat] with all families um beginning in winter break. And then there is um the clear communication and information with at the middle school level in that guide that explains what those courses are. At the high school level, we have a unified course guide that serves all of our students at East and at West High School across grades 9 through 12. The departments have been updating the charts that are embedded within that course guide along
008with sequencing tables and flowcharts. In addition to that, there are links on every course, both in the course guide itself and on our website that go to teacher created videos that are short, brief, two to three minute videos that explain what the course is all about. And then in January, schools host both in person and have a digital version of our co course expo where students and families can interact with teachers and see what the materials of the course are and get a feel for what they might like to sign up for um for the following year. There are also counselor and schoolbased supports. Our school counselors conduct classroom visits and presentations. Our SP30 sessions, which is our advisory period, supports high school students in understanding both graduation requirements as well as the pathways that
009we offer. And our eighth graders um begin building those pathways with their four-year blueprints um for the subsequent four years that are revisited during those SP30 sessions uh to see what adjustments need to be made. These efforts ensure that students and families have multiple entry points to access information, ask questions, and make informed decisions about their students academic trajectories. Thank you for your time and attention. Our educators have dedicated significant effort to reviewing, refining, and strengthening our 6th through 12th grade um courses as well as the revisions that are being showcased here at high school. These updates reflect our commitment to maintaining rigorous, relevant, and equitable learning opportunities for all students. I'm happy to answer any questions that the board may have at our upcoming meeting on November 24th. Thank you. [music]