Curriculum & Instruction

Curriculum is dictated by the State of Oklahoma through the Oklahoma Academic Standards (OAS).  The State Department of Education directs the process of standards adoption and revision, utilizing the knowledge of teachers throughout the state that are experts in their field.  The OAS drafts are open to public comment, revisions are considered, and the final draft is voted on by the State Legislature.  This process is on a 6-year cycle for each content area.  More information about this process, as well as the current standards for each subject, can be found here.  When our district is making decisions about instructional materials, the alignment to the standards is the primary concern.

If you have questions or concerns about what is or is not taught in Oklahoma classrooms, the Oklahoma Academic Standards will clearly lay out the learning objectives for students.

Curriculum Frameworks

Because some state standards can be vague or require additional clarification, the Oklahoma State Department of Education also releases Frameworks for each subject area.  The Frameworks are guiding documents that help teachers understand the depth and constraints of each standard, suggested pacing guides, and examples of learning activities.  You can find links to those Frameworks here. 

Districts can only spend the majority of their allocated textbook funds on materials that have gone through a rigorous approval process by the Oklahoma Textbook Adoption Committee.  Info about the Adoption Committee’s process can be found on their website, along with lists of the current materials approved for each subject. 

Criteria for textbook adoptions will include appropriateness of content relative to goals and objectives, technical quality, relevance to students, objectivity, avoidance of stereotyped images of minorities and women, availability and quality of teacher resources, and readability.

The following information outlines the Narrative and Informational Instructional Resource approval process: 

• The district Request for Approval of Narrative and Informational Instructional Resource form must be completed by a district staff member. 

• The request must describe the alignment between the recommended instructional resource and the Oklahoma Academic Standards.  The request must also include a summary of the proposed instructional resource and address any issues that might reasonably be considered controversial. 

• A copy of the instructional resource must accompany the request, with potentially controversial areas marked/flagged for review. 

• The form must specify the minimum grade level for which the instructional resource is being recommended.  The grade level at which the recommending teacher teaches is the lowest grade level that the instructional resource can be recommended for use.  (e.g.  The teacher teaches 7th grade, so the teacher can only recommend 7th grade as the lowest grade level for use of the instructional resource.)

• In addition to the recommending teacher, at least two (2) additional staff members, including the department chair or media specialist, must read the instructional resource and sign the request form.  It is strongly recommended, but not required, that a current student and current parent read and review the text and sign the request form.

• A building administrator must review and sign the completed Request for Approval of Narrative and Informational Instructional Resource form.

• The completed district Request for Approval of Narrative and Informational Instructional Resource form is submitted to the Curriculum & Instruction office for processing.

• The Curriculum & Instruction office reviews the form to verify that it is complete, then forwards the form and copies of the instructional resource to the District Narrative and Informational Instructional Resources Approval Committee.

• The District Narrative and Informational Instructional Resources Approval Committee may accept, reject, or revise the approval request.

• If the resource is approved, the Curriculum & Instruction office will add it to the district approved Narrative and Informational Instructional Resources list.  Changes will not go into effect until the following school year.

The OSDE has created Family Guides aligned with the Oklahoma Academic Standards and developed specifically for Oklahoma families to complement classroom learning in grades PreK through 6th. They illustrate what is expected of students at each grade level in different content areas along with activities families can do at home to further support children's learning experiences.  Click here for access to the Family Guides for English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science.

Yes. Media specialists have the ability to add notes to student accounts in Destiny, our library management system. For example, if a parent has requested that their student not be allowed to to check out graphic novels, the media specialist can add a note to their account that pops up detailing the restriction.  They would then verify that the book the student is checking out is not on their restricted list.  To place a restriction on a student’s account, a parent would need to contact the building principal.

Library Media Selection Board Policy

Yes. You can access the library catalog online by visiting the Destiny site. Once you open the link, select the school you would like to view and then click “Catalog” on the top menu bar to search for books.  If you want to browse the catalog instead of searching for a specific book, click “Visual” on the top right of the webpage, then select the genre/sub-genre you want to view.

Library Media Selection Board Policy

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) signed into federal law on December 10, 2015 was a bipartisan measure demonstrating our nation’s longstanding commitment to education. ESSA “requires that all students in America be taught to high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers.”

To meet ESSA requirements, states must define high levels of performance in academic standards and implement systems that clearly track students’ performance. A systematic way for schools to meet these requirements is to implement standards-referenced reporting. Many schools nationwide have shifted to Standards-Based Grading (SBG) in the foundational elementary years in order to clearly track student progression by standard, by subject area, by grade level. A simple 1—4 number scale is used to show where a student is at in their learning progression per grade-level target and the focus is on growth during these foundational years. 

In the upper grades, when academic standards are broader and more intertwined, SBG is a bit more difficult to implement, and a traditional (A—F) grading system continues to be most commonly used. Regardless, teachers in grades 5—12 should be assessing and reporting student achievement using academic standards within an overall grade per subject area, and students and teachers should be focused on growth and achievement for each academic standard. 

Academic standards (sometimes referred to as goals or targets) are determined by each state’s Department of Education, and they identify what a student is to learn within each subject area for each year of PreK—12th grade. Teachers in grades PreK—12 are required to teach these standards, and thus grading and reporting by academic standard helps to clearly identify student progress, achievement, and readiness for the next grade level. All curriculum taught in Deer Creek Schools is approved by the State Department of Education and falls in line with our state standards. 

Resources

• How to Read Your Child's Report Card (Pre-K - 2nd)

• How to Read Your Child’s Report Card (3rd - 4th) 

• Standard-Based Grading Glossary

• Proficiency Scales Master

Articles about Standards-Referenced Grading & Reporting

• Fair Isn't Always Equal

• Seven Reasons for Standards-Based Grading

• A Case for Standards-Based Grading and Reporting

Information on Oklahoma's most recent state-mandated tests can be found on OSDE's Assessments webpage, including:

• Online Practice Tests

• Parent & Student Guides: tips & objectives

• Blueprints: content & structure of each test

• Test & Item Specifications: ties example questions to objectives; includes writing rubrics & exemplar essays

OSDE has also provided resources for families to better understand the new test results. Please click here for more information. 

• Oklahoma State Testing FAQ

• Testing Portal Guide for Parent