Secondary Curriculum Renewal Process

Mount Vernon refreshes its curriculum on a regular cycle so instructional materials stay aligned with current standards, current research, and the needs of our students. The Secondary Curriculum Renewal Process describes how we evaluate, pilot, and adopt new materials at the middle and high school levels.

The renewal cycle typically spans 18-24 months and follows a deliberate sequence:

How the process works

Stage 1 — Curriculum review and committee formation

The Teaching, Learning & Leadership office, in partnership with subject-area teacher leaders and content-area specialists, identifies the subject area due for renewal. A renewal committee is convened — including classroom teachers, instructional coaches, building leaders, and (where appropriate) student and family voices.

Stage 2 — Needs assessment and criteria-setting

The committee reviews student achievement data, state standards alignment, equity considerations, current research, and stakeholder feedback. From this they develop the evaluation criteria that will be used to compare candidate materials.

Stage 3 — Materials review and pilot

Publishers and vendors are invited to present, demo materials, and provide samples for review. The committee narrows to 2-3 finalists, and short pilots are run in volunteer classrooms with student feedback collected. New/Revised Course Approval forms are submitted during this phase for any course changes.

Stage 4 — Recommendation and board approval

The committee finalizes its recommendation and presents to the Instructional Materials Committee (IMC) and ultimately the school board. The board's vote initiates purchase, professional development, and an implementation rollout typically beginning the following school year.

Stage 5 — Implementation and review

The first year of implementation includes ongoing PD, classroom-walk feedback, and a year-end review to ensure the materials are serving students well. Adjustments are made as needed before settling into a 5-7 year stable period.