Educators at the Region #7 high and middle schools and the four elementary schools that feed students into them are meeting this fall to discuss a decades-old topic, a regional coordination of curricula.
“This is not our [Norfolk’s] initiative,” said Botelle School Superintendent Kevin Case. “Last fall Region 7 developed a five-year strategic plan, and these meetings are to explore the possibility of having someone coordinate the curricula at all four feeder schools to ensure they are aligned.”
He said there is no formal recommendation yet and more meetings will be held to “clarify how to proceed.” If a regional coordinator position is not created, the group will look at how teaching at each school can be aligned with the other communities.
At present, there is a regional curriculum council spearheaded that is focusing on math. Several years ago, it was noted that math preparation for students entering the middle school was uneven and the region moved to purchase a single math program for the four elementary schools. Now the council is looking at how to ensure that each school is teaching to the same level of state standards.
“Representatives from each school are looking at how to improve our curriculum and allow teachers to collaborate,” Case said.
However, Case said it is complicated to bring four schools together. “Each school is different,” he said. “New Hartford has a curriculum person; Barkhamsted has a part-time superintendent who is also its curriculum coordinator and here we have no formal coordinator, so our principal does it.”