Curriculum and Instruction

BCSD curriculum adheres to state standards in all subjects, including the core areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. We also offer instruction in art, music, and physical education. For more information about state standards and assessments, please follow the links on this page.

If you have questions about any of our curriculum or assessments, please contact Jennifer Lott, our director of educational services.

Homework

Homework is a means to extend the time students devote to academic learning, to reinforce skills being taught, and to help develop responsibility and independence. The purpose of homework is to reinforce and enhance current and newly acquired skills. Homework is not designed to expose students to new academic concepts and ideas. The distribution of homework is left to the teacher’s discretion. One of the best ways parents can teach children to develop habits for future success is to help ensure the completion and submission of homework assignments.

Assessments

Assessments, both formal and informal, exist to gather information about student learning. Teachers use this information to inform their classroom teaching strategies and determine the need for targeted intervention. All elementary students participate in DIBELS testing three times a year to assess their reading and language growth. Students in grades two through eight take benchmark Galileo assessments for math, ELA, and science.

State Testing
All third through eighth-grade students in the state of Arizona take the Arizona Academic Standards Assessment (AASA) each spring to evaluate their proficiency in language arts and mathematics. Fifth and eighth-grade students also take the AzSCI test to evaluate their science proficiency. We distribute test results the year following the exams.

Flex Fridays and After-School Enrichment

Our schools run a block schedule four days per week, Monday through Thursday. Several teachers offer after-school tutoring, and on occasional Fridays throughout the year, we extend programming to help struggling students catch up. If you are interested in having your child participate in our Flex Fridays, please talk with your child’s teacher.

Gifted Education

Our gifted and talented education program (GATE) uses PBL Project curriculum to help identified students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills while building their emotional, social, and intellectual acuity. GATE students are referred by school staff, teachers, and parents. We test referred students and place them in the program according to state standards.

Title I Opportunities

Title I is a federal program that provides additional funding to local school districts to improve the academic achievement of their disadvantaged students. AT BCSD, we use Title 1 funds to purchase educational programs and materials, including tech devices; hire highly-qualified teachers and staff; and encourage parent involvement and education as they support their child(ren)’s educational growth.