Policy 6:40 Curriculum Development
Adoption
The Superintendent shall recommend a comprehensive curriculum that is aligned with:
1. The District’s educational philosophy and goals,
2. Student needs as identified by research, demographics, and student achievement and other data,
3. The knowledge, skills, and abilities required for students to become life-long learners,
4. The minimum requirements of State and federal law and regulations for curriculum and graduation requirements,
5. The curriculum of non-District schools that feed into or from a District school, provided that the necessary cooperation and information is available,
6. The Illinois State Learning Standards and any District learning standards, and
7. Any required State or federal student testing.
The School Board will adopt, upon recommendation of the Superintendent, a curriculum that meets the above criteria.
Experimental Eduational Programs and Pilot Projects
The Superintendent may recommend experimental educational programs and/or pilot projects for Board consideration. Proposals must include goals, material needs, anticipated expenses, and an evaluation process. The Superintendent shall submit to the Board periodic progress reports for programs that exceed one year in duration and a final evaluation with recommendation upon the program’s completion.
Single-Gender Classes and Activities
The Superintendent may recommend a program of nonvocational single-gender classes and/or activities to provide diverse educational opportunities and/or meet students’ identified educational needs. Participation in the classes or activities must be voluntary, both genders must be treated with substantial equality, and the program must otherwise comply with State and federal law and with Board policy 7:10, Equal Educational Opportunities. At least every two years, the Superintendent must evaluate any single-gender class or activity to ensure that: (1) it does not rely on overly broad generalizations about the different talents, capabilities, or preferences of either gender, (2) it is substantially related to the achievement of the important objective for the class or activity, and (3) it continues to comply with State and federal law and with Board policy 7:10, Equal Educational Opportunities.
Development
The Superintendent shall develop a curriculum review program to monitor the current curriculum and promptly suggest changes to make the curriculum more effective, to take advantage of improved teaching methods and materials, and to be responsive to social change, technological developments, student needs, and community expectations.
The Superintendent shall report to the Board as appropriate, the curriculum review program’s efforts to:
1. Regularly evaluate the curriculum and instructional program.
2. Ensure the curriculum continues to meet the stated adoption criteria.
3. Include input from a cross-section of teachers, administrators, parents/guardians, and students, representing all schools, grade levels, disciplines, and specialized and alternative programs.
4. Coordinate with the process for evaluating the instructional program and materials.
Curriculum Guides and Course Outlines
The Superintendent shall develop and provide subject area curriculum guides to appropriate staff members.
LEGAL REF.: 20 U.S.C. §1681, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; 34 C.F.R. Part 106.
105 ILCS 5/10-20.8 and 5/10-19.
CROSS REF.: 6:60 (Curriculum Content), 6:65 (Student Social and Emotional Development), 6:70 (Teaching About Religions), 6:80 (Teaching About Controversial Issues) 6:100 (Using Animals in the Educational Program), 6:110 (Programs for Students At Risk of Academic Failure and/or Dropping Out of School and Graduation Incentives Program), 6:120 (Education of Children with Disabilities), 6:130 (Program for the Gifted), 6:135 (Accelerated Placement Program), 6:140 (Education of Homeless Children), 6:145 (Migrant Students), 6:150 (Home and Hospital Instruction), 6:160 (English Learners), 6:170 (Title I Programs), 6:180 (Extended Instructional Programs), 6:185 (Remote Educational Program), 7:10 (Equal Educational Opportunities), 7:15 (Student and Family Privacy Rights)
Last PRESS Update: October 2025
First Read: March 11, 2026
Adopted: April 8, 2026
Pennoyer School District 79
Administrative Guidelines to Implement
CURRICULUM POLICY 6:40
The Board of Education establishes a Curriculum Coordinating Council (CCC) and grants it the authority to make professional decisions, which it recommends to the Board, pertaining to curriculum, instruction, assessment and student learning. The CCC will adhere to the following administrative procedures.
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ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
Curriculum Coordinating Council
The Curriculum Coordinating Council (CCC) is a representative group of district personnel and community representatives. The CCC makes all professional decisions pertaining to curriculum, instruction, and student learning and advises the Board of Education, through the superintendent, in these matters. This means the CCC also serves as a sounding board for certified personnel in curriculum/instruction matters, makes recommendations regarding staff development, coordinates accreditation processes, directs work of all Subject Area Committees, and appoints and directs any other committees necessary for the development, implementation, and long-term evaluation of curriculum and instruction. The CCC does not make managerial decisions related to buildings, personnel, budgets, or other agenda items reserved for the administrative team or building principals.
Meetings
GENERAL PROCEDURES: The CCC will meet regularly throughout the school year for the purpose of carrying out its functions. Meeting dates will be established and noted on the district calendar. At the beginning of each school year members will be informed of all regular meeting dates. Special meetings may be called as needed by the superintendent, or at least three members of the CCC. Notification of any extra meetings will be given at least five workdays prior to the meeting.
DECISION-MAKING PROCESS: All decisions will be by consensus of those members present. Voting will be used only when consensus cannot be reached and a decision must be made according to an immediate timeframe. In that case, simple majority will rule. Consensus principles and procedures are outlined in Appendix A.
QUORUM: A quorum constitutes a simple majority of the total membership. Meetings will not be conducted unless a quorum is present.
CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION: All recommendations of the CCC will be presented to the Board of Education by the superintendent or the CCC’s Board member designee.
AGENDA DEVELOPMENT AND PROCEDURE: A tentative agenda for the following meeting will be established by CCC consensus at the conclusion of each regular meeting. Additional agenda items for consideration by the CCC may be proposed by the members, by certified personnel, the superintendent or by members of the Board of Education. The items should be submitted to the superintendent at least ten working days prior to the scheduled meeting of the council. The agenda and notification of the meeting will be posted at least three days prior to the scheduled meeting.
MAINTAINING MEETING RECORDS: The superintendent will maintain a master file of all minutes, summaries, and other materials submitted to the CCC.
Amendments
The mission statement, long-range plan, and the policy document are subject to review at the beginning of each year. If changes, corrections, or updating are determined to be necessary after this analysis, then the CCC will make the amendments following the standard procedure for decision making.
Personnel
THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE CCC: The superintendent or designee serves as chairperson of the CCC, with the following specific duties:
1. presides at all regular meetings
2. prepares and distributes final agendas for all regular meetings
3. provides for notification of all meetings
4. calls all special meetings
5. assists in conducting in-service activities
6. oversees selection of CCC members according to the policy document and provides their training, using current CCC members as resources
7. appoints and trains members of Subject Area Committees
8. monitors attendance of CCC members
9. prepares an annual report on the activities of the CCC to be submitted to the Board of Education
10. recommends yearly committee goals and objectives
11. along with the Board representative, represents the CCC at all Board of Education meetings and other appropriate public functions, or appoints a CCC member to do so
12. assures that all district committees adhere to the goals of the mission statement and the long-range plan
VICE-CHAIRPERSON OF THE CCC: The principal or designee will serve as the vice-chairperson and will fulfill all the duties of the chairperson in that person's absence.
Members of the CCC
The members of the CCC will be representative of district certified personnel and parent/community members. Interested parties will be asked to fill out an application and submit it to the superintendent. The superintendent will make the final selections annually. However, the principal will be asked for input on teacher applicants and will periodically be asked to make recommendations. District personnel members of the CCC will be selected on the basis of interest and experience. Parent/community members will be selected according to interest and availability. Member replacement will be made to maintain appropriate representation. Additional provisions are these:
COMPOSITION AND REPRESENTATION: Member selection should provide for a variety of personal and professional experiences, assuring that all grade bands and professional categories are represented. This is the recommended constituency but may be adjusted by the superintendent to meet district needs.
- primary teachers (PKâ2) | 1
- intermediate teachers (3â5) | 1
- middle level teachers (6â8) | 1
- structured learning teacher | 1
- certified personnel outside regular classroom / Department Chair | 3
- parent/community person(s) | 1-2
- Principal* | 1
- Superintendent* | 1
- board member** | 1-3
- Total | 9-11
*These are permanent members of the CCC by virtue of their positions; they do not apply for membership.
**The Board of Education selects one of its members to serve on the CCC.
ATTENDANCE: Regular attendance of all CCC members is expected. Any member with excessive absences will be contacted by the superintendent.
DUTIES OF AN INDIVIDUAL CCC MEMBER:
- completes a training program in the curriculum model being used in the district
- attends all regularly scheduled meetings of the CCC and assigned Subject Area Committee
- maintains positive communication between CCC and building faculties, emphasizing teacher ownership of curriculum planning
- assists in training new CCC members, SAC members, or other participants in the district's curriculum development process
DUTIES OF THE CCC AS A WORKING GROUP:
- acts as the communication link among the certified staff, superintendent, and Board of Education
- establishes meeting dates and length of meetings
- sets and prioritizes goals for the year
- reviews the curriculum policy document on a yearly basis and makes revisions when appropriate
- reviews the district mission statement on a yearly basis and makes revisions when appropriate
- assures that the district's mission statement is a working mission statement used in all district decision-making circumstances
- develops a long-range plan for curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation — with an annual review of progress and direction
- establishes guidelines for Subject Area Committees, approves work completed by these groups, and recommends completed work to the Board of Education
- recommends staff development sessions based on the needs and timelines of the curriculum model
- guides the district through a process of defining mastery and validates that definition periodically
- discusses and possibly modifies grading policies and student report cards
- creates a plan for extended learning opportunities
- makes decisions about local assessments
- reviews the latest trends and developments in curriculum and instruction and makes decisions regarding their applicability in the district
Subject Area Committee
The Curriculum Coordinating Council (CCC) appoints Subject Area Committees (SAC) in accordance with the long-range plan for curriculum development. A SAC is formed for each subject area to be analyzed. The primary responsibility of this group is to formulate a results-based curriculum by following an action agenda prescribed by the CCC.
SELECTION: The superintendent appoints members to the SAC. The number of individuals appointed to a SAC may vary according to subject.
TERMS: Members of SACs should understand that the committee will meet regularly for a period of three to four years following a prescribed action agenda.
DUTIES OF MEMBERS: SAC members are expected to attend all committee meetings, complete assigned tasks, and maintain positive communication between the SAC and building faculties.
First Read: October 9, 2024
Adopted: November 13, 2024
Appendix A
Consensus
Two or more people cooperatively arrive at a decision they can support.
What consensus might look/sound like?
1. All group members contribute and have a chance to express feelings.
2. Everyone’s opinions are heard and encouraged.
3. Differences are/can be viewed as helpful.
4. Everyone can paraphrase the issue. (clarity)
5. Those who disagree indicate a willingness to trust the group.
6. All members share in the final decision (may not necessarily be everyone’s first choice, but a decision that everyone can & will support).
All members agree to take responsibility for implementing the final decision.
Some guidelines to use in achieving consensus:
- Present your position lucidly & logically as possible but listen to the other member’s reactions and consider them carefully before you press your point. Avoid arguing unduly for your own position.
- Don’t assume that someone must win and someone must lose when discussion reaches a stalemate. Instead look for the next-most-acceptable alternative.
- Do not change your mind simply to avoid conflict and to reach agreement & harmony. Yield only to positions that have objective and logically sound foundations.
- Avoid conflict-reducing techniques such as majority vote, averages, coin-flips and bargaining. When a dissenting member finally agrees, don’t feel that he/she must be rewarded at a later time.
- Differences of opinion are natural and expected. Seek them out and try to involve everyone. Disagreements can help the group’s decision because, with a wide range of information and opinion, there is a greater chance that the group will hit upon more adequate solutions.
Assumptions about consensus decision-making:
- Everyone has wisdom.
- Each person’s wisdom is honored.
- The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
- The group uses all perspectives to create a product that is wiser than any one perspective.
- The facilitator does not tell the group what to do, but guides the group to discern its deepest wisdom.
- If the group can’t/won’t make a timely decision, the superintendent will make an interim decision.
Cambridge Management Group, Inc.
Consensus has been reached when participants can say:
- I believe you understand my point of view.
- I believe that I understand your point of view
- Whether or not I prefer this idea or concept, I will support it because it was reached openly and fairly.
- I can live with this decision.
- Silence is consensus.
(William G. Ouchi – “Theory Z”) Acknowledgment: Jeff Halstrom, ESU 2, Fremont , NE