The past three decades have seen exponential growth in human knowledge and technology. However, many of these changes have yet to reverberate in American schools, according to area educators.
"If you walked into a classroom 30 years ago, it would look a lot like a classroom now," said Jared Smith, an assistant principal at Fair Oaks and Phillips middle schools in Fort Dodge.
By the 2012-2013 school year, the Fort Dodge school district will implement the Iowa Core Curriculum in grades kindergarten through 12.
The curriculum, while focusing on traditional school subject areas of literacy, mathematics, science and social studies, prescribes different methods for their instruction, designed to increase rigor and relevance while preparing students for the demands of the 21st century.
Smith, along with Mark Johnson, assistant principal at Phillips Middle School, explained the parameters of the Iowa Core Curriculum during the Fort Dodge Area Chamber of Commerce's Network @ Noon event held at Phillips Thursday.
The presentation was one of a series conducted throughout the area by Smith and Johnson to help boost community involvement in the core curriculum development process for the district.
One theme echoed throughout the presentation is that jobs - and the skills required for success in the work force - are evolving at a rapid rate.
"What should we be teaching them so they're ready to enter the work force 10, 15 years down the road?" said Smith.
One portion of the curriculum, 21st Century Skills, will emphasize employability skills, as well as working to ensure students graduate with sufficient financial, health and technological knowledge to succeed in a global economy, said Johnson.
As to the basics, reading, writing and arithmetic instruction will take on altered forms, Johnson said.
"Literacy shifts from a primary focus on reading and writing in English and language arts classes to integration across all content areas," he said.
According to Johnson, math lessons will be constructed with greater emphasis on understanding and applying concepts, while science classes will see more hands-on experimentation. In social studies, students will spend less time memorizing dates and more time learning about the civic and economic aspects of society and how they apply in real life.
Grading will be based on formative, rather than summative, assessments, said Johnson.
To wit, instead of basing marks on a final exam or project, students will be assessed throughout a course on their proficiency in required areas, according to Johnson.
"We can keep tabs throughout the semester," he said.
This will also help ensure that students are really learning, rather than teaching to a test, said Smith.
Though standardized testing will likely remain as a primary means for the state to assess student progress, new editions of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and the Iowa Tests of Educational Development will be available in 2011, said Sue Wood, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment for the district.
The new editions will be aligned with the core curriculum, she said.
The core curriculum was established through legislation in the Iowa Senate in 2008.
The legislation stipulates that the curriculum must be adopted in grades nine through 12 by the 2012-2013 school year and in grades kindergarten through eight by the 2014-2015 school year.
However, Fort Dodge will adopt the curriculum for all students by the first deadline, Smith said.
"We won't be doing it in two phases," he said.
Implementation plans are currently under development.
Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net
