In QCSD, there is an established process by which curricular resources are vetted and reviewed and ultimately approved by the QCSD School Board of Directors.
In year 6 of a curriculum cycle, parents, students and teachers are asked to provide specific feedback on the curriculum up for review. They are also asked for feedback on the resources utilized. In the following year (which we call year 1 of the cycle),teams of teachers and administrators use this feedack to determine next steps which may result in evaluating multiple resources to support the implementation and teaching of a revised and/ or new curriculum.
During this year, these teams of educators will use resources such as
Ed Reports to begin to explore high quality standards aligned and developmentally appropriate curriculum resources. When possible, at least three "programs" or resources will be secured and evaluated by the team through various methods including conducting a pilot/trial in classrooms, speaking with teachers and districts who are currently using the resources, and evaluating the resources against a common rubric with clear criteria.
Once this team arrives at a decision, they will make a recommendation to the Office for Teaching and Learning who will then make a recommendation to the QCSD School Board of Directors Education Committee. The Education Committee will then have the opportunity to explore the resources for several weeks prior to making a recommendation to the full QCSD School Board. The School Board will vote to approve the use of the resources at one of their regularly scheduled voting meetings.
From beginning to end, the vetting and approval process takes around two years.