[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6494803,"mediaKeyId","5680129-8d8667b1562649c549699c9598cdce3c","parentId",5680129,"title","Board hears debate over social studies unit plans; staff propose using new textbooks aligned to 2011 standards for 2025–26","audioSeconds",3556,"startMs",3969000,"endMs",7525000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5680129-8d8667b1562649c549699c9598cdce3c&start=3969&end=7525","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5680129-8d8667b1562649c549699c9598cdce3c/thumbnail_3969000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6494803/Minnesota/Board-hears-debate-over-social-studies-unit-plans-staff-propose-using-new-textbooks-aligned-to-2011-standards-for-202526","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6494803-1e5eb5451a3cb3c9db5a460dfddb8fb0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771125204&Signature=QG55p2Ne85uBZ~Xxg8Zl9sVw24PwxlliqV2GLoRrrFzke0ArIk5NpR1-32bRmidKapFIstaDtNLcPZdOkPca5irGLc6rE-ucj6lug-FS~XdIuVmk0zsgxdfhwa9L7A3mfZhmfRY~WldIwnH1lltYnrHSVV4aUHhbKRJLiuTy6zhnQmux3aj4HCYzTzoajgVS9pKL95ccvGoQaESZ4IRCkHZD5xZsaPu7jBI-geTz3wBHGWgTSis2YpWVazJlYMGAaNawKUeM03tUj8P-YXFeh7UFY6hqVsttl3ud8W1ArHtwFD8oMR5bX6ee0XekmHeQpLTXMrKBKh9LScEeXqtI3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Anoka-Hennepin Educational Service Center","date","2025-08-12T14:29:52Z","article","Anoka‑Hennepin teachers and curriculum staff reported to the school board on Aug. 11 that UBD unit plans for several secondary social studies courses are complete and that the district is recommending use of newly purchased textbooks aligned to the 2011 Minnesota social studies standards for the 2025–26 school year.

Sarah Hunter, executive director for learning and achievement, said the district used a two‑step approach the board approved in April: adopt materials first, then present the UBD unit plans that show how teachers will use the materials in class. \"We have completed all of the UBDs that were … needed to be ready for this school year,\" Hunter said.

Staff said they completed UBDs for four courses: United States Studies 7, World History 11, U.S. History 10 (work ongoing for adoption options) and AP Psychology. Holly Johnson, a seventh‑grade U.S. studies teacher, and Beth Holmgrensson, an Andover High School teacher on the U.S.10 team, joined the presentation to answer board questions about classroom application.

District leaders said the board previously approved purchases of National Geographic textbooks for U.S. Studies 7 and World History 11 in May; the materials have now been aligned to the 2011 standards and packaged into UBDs for board review. \"The team has completed that work, and we're ready for your both your feedback and then ideally your approval to move forward,\" Hunter said.

The session turned to a longer policy and values discussion about Minnesota’s 2021 social studies standards, which add an ethnic‑studies strand and benchmarks that have generated controversy in some Minnesota districts and communities. Board Chair Arco read aloud examples from the 2021 benchmarks, noting language about power, privilege and remedies for historical injustice and called them \"divisive\" in the meeting's public remarks.

Teachers on the panel said the UBDs presented for board action this month were written to the 2011 standards at the board’s direction. \"The materials that you see this evening, are not inclusive of the ethnic studies standards, per board direction,\" a staff member said. Members of the writing teams added that they prioritized benchmarks as high, medium or low because the full set of benchmarks is too large to cover in depth in a single year.

Board members asked how the district will demonstrate \"minimal compliance\" with state standards that take effect in future school years and how the district will ensure balanced presentation of controversial topics. The staff replied that the district has been asked to develop a streamlined adoption process and a rubric that could include guidance for identifying contested material and identifying counterpoints or supplementary resources. Superintendent Mike McIntyre said the district will present a draft adoption framework that could be updated to include board guidance on how to treat benchmarks some community members find controversial.

Board members also urged the curriculum team to provide a clear, documented pathway — a rubric or framework — that identifies standards or benchmarks the board views as controversial, and specifies how the district will teach or minimize those benchmarks while remaining aligned to state requirements. Several directors said such a framework would help the teachers writing future UBDs and reassure families.

No adoption votes were taken at the Aug. 11 session. Staff asked the board to consider returning approved UBDs for U.S. Studies 7, World History 11 and AP Psychology at a regular meeting on Aug. 25 so teachers can begin the year with classroom materials. The district said it will bring further recommendations about U.S. History 10 materials, a proposed adoption process and a draft rubric for dealing with controversial benchmarks in the weeks ahead.

Speakers stressed the iterative nature of curriculum work and asked the board to rely on teacher expertise and the two‑step adoption process. \"We're trying to incorporate a little bit of what we've done with a little bit that's new and help kids with these skills,\" Hunter said. Board members asked for continued transparent communication with the public about the steps the district is taking.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Work Session - August 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Anoka‑Hennepin teachers and curriculum staff told the school board on Aug. 11 they completed unit plans for several secondary social studies courses and recommended using newly purchased textbooks aligned to the 2011 standards for the 2025–26 school year while the district develops a rubric to handle controversial 2021 benchmarks.","taxTitle","Anoka-Hennepin Public School District, School Boards, Minnesota","taxId",38475,"location","Minnesota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6494807,"Anoka‑Hennepin leaders report upgrades to locks, communications and emergency response; emphasize partnerships",2959,639000,3598000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5680129-8d8667b1562649c549699c9598cdce3c&start=639&end=3598","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5680129-8d8667b1562649c549699c9598cdce3c/thumbnail_639000.jpg","/articles/6494807/Minnesota/AnokaHennepin-leaders-report-upgrades-to-locks-communications-and-emergency-response-emphasize-partnerships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6494807-2265732ea43bbd11ad84ba83622d4058/orig.mp4?Expires=1771125204&Signature=BUKBuQ3oMOIJtr3T1c0uh1hJ10LOSNJJJM3m~FE9Sfre6Jel~FHS5a2d-lhd~EpW597jJok0t50ZU2NwPRLCwpT9o1H73Xkt-unpEbFDxMu9FB45GlaEB4iCs2vsb5du2t3L-TmOOo9aXdxwy2jOjQnmf4EDd8UOHyn6HejrXD4hdHbZD9I9jnIv4G7PtXDdmd0zLU2-He9QyVeJYpGDPOiSP0Iumkj0k8NZLGt2xQJEFiBbVrQlMx4cmObSzNZ3YKmUA8IPA-PZulOWSFVRy7ai0zPR2wRpvhbdfJ10xZ5IUkY0r5FDm7HudswQmWZOzNWsNTzw1kR85939TWAz9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Anoka‑Hennepin Public School District operations and safety leaders told the school board on Aug. 11 they have made districtwide investments in locking systems, communications and emergency-planning practices intended to reduce response time and improve reunification after incidents.

The update, delivered by Chief Operations Officer Greg Cole with presentations from Tim Fournier, manager of security and emergency operations, Ben Martinson, director of buildings and grounds, and BJ Eisen, director of transportation, summarized infrastructure work, training, drills and law-enforcement partnerships that the district says support student and staff safety.

Board members were given a progress report on a multi‑phase project to standardize exterior door monitoring and electronic locking. \"We've been in the home stretch here,\" Ben Martinson said, noting 33 of 48 sites are complete and River Trail will finish this week to close bid pack 4, with phase 5 underway and most remaining sites due by November. Martinson added the district must coordinate closely with technology staff to assess cybersecurity risks when a new platform interfaces with the district network.

The district described a phased approach to communications that includes radio and phone systems and a planned mobile application to improve real-time notification of staff who are traveling between sites. \"Sometimes we have traveling teachers ... we need ways to communicate with people who might not physically be at a site,\" Martinson said.

Tim Fournier detailed how the district distinguishes incident types and deploys \"wraparound\" supports that include student services and mental‑health professionals as well as law enforcement. \"On the front end ... assistant principals sort of [assess],\" Fournier said. \"But once they feel like they're in a position where they need to be getting deeper into an area where a student needs very specific types of supports, they're gonna be handing that off to somebody that has that expertise.\"

The presentation reviewed mandated drills: five lockout/lockdown drills, five fire drills and one weather drill each year, plus optional tabletop exercises. Fournier said the district encourages occasional drills during high‑traffic times such as passing periods or lunch to better reflect real conditions.

Transportation staff and Eisen described communication and logistics challenges posed by rapidly changing weather, noting a recent tornado watch that became a warning during high school release created a complex situation because sirens sounded in some areas and not others while buses and shuttles were in transit. \"It becomes a very quick and intensive communication log jam that has to be sorted out,\" Eisen said, describing coordination with private contractors, neighboring districts and the National Weather Service.

The operations team also reviewed other incident classes — power outages, water infiltration, frozen water mains and community law‑enforcement events that happen near schools — and described how they respond and debrief to update protocols. \"At the end of an incident, go back and look at what worked, what didn't work,\" Fournier said. \"Post incident support is a very important thing.\"

Board members asked how the district will keep the board and public apprised of future needs as technology and threats evolve. Greg Cole and other staff offered to bring a midyear package of recommended investments and a short list of priorities the board could review for budget or timing consideration.

Members also pressed for clarity on drills and instruction for staff. Fournier said the district adheres to state guidance limiting live‑actor intruder drills without extensive advance preparation, notification and opt‑out options for families.

Several board members praised the operations team and asked the district to make direct instruction and coaching around drills and response an explicit part of staff training. Superintendent Mike McIntyre told the board the district will work to align direct instruction expectations with coaching and evaluation so the emphasis on foundational instruction is clear across content areas.

The board did not take any formal action on new policies during the update; the presentation was provided for information and questions. The district asked members to expect follow‑up materials and recommended priority lists in coming months.","District operations and safety staff told the school board on Aug. 11 they have installed standardized electronic locks and are completing a districtwide communications app, reinforced drill practices and continued coordination with nine law enforcement agencies, while urging community reporting and patience during incidents.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6494797,"Science teachers, curriculum staff and board debate direct instruction vs. inquiry as UBDs are finalized",2267,7760000,10027000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5680129-8d8667b1562649c549699c9598cdce3c&start=7760&end=10027","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5680129-8d8667b1562649c549699c9598cdce3c/thumbnail_7760000.jpg","/articles/6494797/Minnesota/Science-teachers-curriculum-staff-and-board-debate-direct-instruction-vs-inquiry-as-UBDs-are-finalized","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6494797-5374b6ec603193f425d214d2fe3d93a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771125204&Signature=LIxyvJNZmmDujNxDR-3s7SErm1qNHm2xUdccVYnD4hW9LhJ-8StJ9VZdzgaLpfT43vPObQhMfrG-QjgG5IGg6tsR1PM2GxBUGRDCEUamd264b1nAGfASTC3hLRWi16I3zofNIzTcchcMZsYfavSsHjU4m6TAUj84HIFRwNcxlHStMrNaVEtZfPXVKUKur2-zk6FbqsQfz0dwxSWHMuvx01RvegGKgdz7LOt3zUdMdH7JpZQ4A94Lj36o5twtAb9m7jMRdiuZ6rvmeqNnGteSmV0w8YYL3dF9O2Zp1KgSmNNyR~VvfSWmU3E4O7dyzd-l51IL5aL0ygspfCozscgfiA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Anoka‑Hennepin district curriculum leaders told the school board on Aug. 11 they completed UBDs for secondary biology and physics aligned to the 2019 Minnesota science standards and recommended continuing with current instructional materials for 2025–26 while refining instructional methodology and teacher supports.

The presentation said the board had directed staff in April not to purchase new materials for biology and physics but to align course documents to the 2019 standards and the existing texts. Sarah Hunter, executive director for learning and achievement, said those UBDs are ready for board review and possible approval so teachers can begin the year with materials in place.

Board members focused questions on instructional methodology, asking how the UBDs incorporate the three dimensions of the standards: disciplinary core ideas (content), science and engineering practices (doing) and cross‑cutting concepts (ways of thinking). Director Hochman asked how inquiry‑based learning and direct instruction are balanced in the unit plans.

Curriculum staff said the new standards are three‑dimensional and that UBDs aim to have students explain phenomena and demonstrate skills; they also said direct instruction is used at multiple points to provide foundational knowledge. \"You can't apply that knowledge if you don't have that knowledge,\" a staff member said, adding that the units include explicit assessment tasks that require both content knowledge and application.

Several board members argued for more explicit district expectations that direct instruction be central. Director Odette said she had asked previously and received an example in which a teacher reported an average of about 10 minutes per class period of direct instruction in current biology lessons — a figure she and other board members said seemed low and could be one factor in low student performance on state science assessments. (District speakers noted high school biology MCA pass rates in recent years were around 44 percent.)

Superintendent Mike McIntyre and curriculum leaders said they will pursue several follow‑up steps: clarify and strengthen direct‑instruction expectations, explicitly incorporate them into teacher coaching and evaluation, and provide professional development. McIntyre described a plan to make clear expectations \"observable\" and part of the teacher support and evaluation system so the instructional approach is consistent across classrooms.

Curriculum staff also said the new science assessments emphasize higher‑order cognitive demands and that units are designed to move students from initial explanations and curiosity about a phenomenon toward deeper explanations as they acquire knowledge. Staff emphasized UBDs are iterative: teachers present phenomena, gather evidence, receive targeted instruction and rework explanations as students build understanding.

No curriculum adoptions or policy votes were taken during the discussion. Staff asked the board to consider the aligned UBDs for final approval at an upcoming meeting and to support a stronger policy or operational guidance on instructional expectations in science courses.","District curriculum staff presented biology and physics unit plans aligned to 2019 science standards and said they will not adopt new textbooks this year; board members pressed for clearer expectations that direct instruction be central to classroom practice to raise student outcomes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board hears debate over social studies unit plans; staff propose using new textbooks aligned to 2011 standards for 2025–26

Anoka‑Hennepin leaders report upgrades to locks, communications and emergency response; emphasize partnerships

Science teachers, curriculum staff and board debate direct instruction vs. inquiry as UBDs are finalized