| CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES
Newport News Public Schools has begun a major curriculum redesign
that is expected to last for several years. The goal of the redesign
process is to create a standards-based curriculum that provides
all students with rigorous, high quality learning activities, regardless
of grade or subject.
During the redesign, each course is to be the subject of a ‘backward
design' model. In backward design, the state and national standards
are used to determine the big ideas or major understandings that
students should learn. Once the big ideas are identified, appropriate
assessment and learning activities are created to provide students
with problems and situations that mirror those found in the world
at large. Instructional strategies are chosen to challenge and engage
students deeply while keeping the focus on learning. The curriculum
design as well as the instructional strategies it contains are composed
of the best practices identified to date by current research on
learning theory.
UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN
The theory and practice that underscores this curriculum redesign
can be found in Understanding
by Design, written by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins and
published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
(ASCD) in Alexandria, Virginia.
PROFICIENCIES AND LEARNING BEHAVIORS
A district-wide set of learning habits has been identified. In
a world where success is a complex mix of knowledge and skills,
these behaviors contribute to a well-educated individual. These
habits delineate the personal and social proficiencies that each
student in Newport News Public Schools develops in our educational
setting. The Proficiencies and Learning Behaviors for Students in
Newport News Public Schools are designed to complement the subject
matter being learned. They spiral through the entire curriculum,
beginning in the earliest grades and ending when students receive
their diplomas from high school. Throughout their time in Newport
News Public Schools, students encounter numerous opportunities to
develop and expand their practice of these proficiencies and learning
behaviors.
Proficiencies and Learning Behaviors for Successful NNPS Students
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Life-Long Learning (LL)
Defined by: curiosity, pursuit of knowledge, real-life applications,
searching for understanding and meaning, self-improvement, aesthetic
appreciation
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Communication (CS)
Defined by: reading, writing, speaking, listening, presenting,
selecting media, artistic expression
-
Ethical citizenship (EC)
Defined by: interpersonal skills and teamwork, tolerance and
appreciation, cooperative group behavior, making wise choices
-
Information Literacy (IL)
Defined by: research, evaluating and using resources, information
gathering, crediting sources, using technology
-
Thinking and Reasoning (TR)
Defined by: critical thinking, creative thinking, prioritizing
knowledge, examining, interpreting, and analyzing evidence,
problem solving, logical reasoning, sequencing, using technology
-
Work and Wellness (WW)
Defined by: organization, self-monitoring, time management,
work ethic, productivity, healthy behaviors
-
Technological Proficiency (TP)
Defined by: tools for learning, productivity, access, expression,
problem solving, communication
The Newport News School Division
does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national
origin, sex, creed, marital status, age or disability in its
programs, activities, or employment practices as required by
the Title VI, Title VII, Title IX, Section 504, and ADA regulations.
Regina Harris, HR Compliance Supervisor, Human Resources, Newport
News Public Schools, at 12507 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA
23606, (757-881-5061), is responsible for coordinating the division's
efforts to meet its obligations under Section 504, Title IX,
the ADA, and their implementing regulations.
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Executive Directors:
Dr. Kari Weston
Innovation & Development
(757) 591-4580
Michael Evans
Secondary Education
(757) 591-4647
Mrs. Michael Williams-Hickman
Ms. Rodgerline Taylor
Elementary Education
(757) 591-4628
Dr. Cynthia Cooper
Student Leadership
(757) 591-4540
Michele Mitchell
Special Education
(757) 591-4597
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