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Board approves new and revised curricula, including dual‑enrollment criminology and Model UN; district orders textbooks
Summary
The board unanimously approved multiple curriculum revisions and new courses — including a Southern Connecticut State University dual‑enrollment Criminology course and a Model United Nations elective — and authorized purchase of textbooks for the criminology class.
The Bristol Board of Education approved a slate of curriculum revisions and new courses on Sept. 10, including a new dual‑enrollment Introduction to Criminology with Southern Connecticut State University and a new Model United Nations elective.
Educators presented revisions and new courses spanning career‑technical and academic pathways: Accounting I (dual enrollment with Tunxis), Marketing I, Math 6 (illustrative math alignment), Civics (revised to align to updated social studies standards), Latin I (updated learning targets), and several career pathway courses. The revisions were presented as aligning instruction to state standards, improving pacing and formative assessment, and adding supports for multilingual learners.
The board approved the new Introduction to Criminology (SCSU) course, which is a semester elective open to grades 11–12 that offers three college credits through Southern Connecticut State University and serves as a capstone in a new criminal-justice pathway. The board also approved a new Model United Nations course intended to broaden access to Model UN content for students who cannot participate after school.
District staff recommended adoption of a criminology textbook (An Integrative Introduction, 10th edition, 2020) that Southern’s sociology department recommends for the dual‑enrollment class. The board approved purchasing 84 copies; staff said a dual‑enrollment grant would cover textbook purchases. A board member asked about shipping costs; staff described the quoted shipping as standard for that order size.
Motions to approve the curricula and the textbook purchase passed unanimously or by recorded assent where noted. Presenters thanked teachers and curriculum teams who revised documents over the summer; the superintendent praised the curriculum office for running more than 30 curriculum committees to update materials.
Background: the curriculum approvals were presented after summer work by teacher teams and curricular staff; several courses are tied to career pathways and to college credit partnerships.
Next steps: the approved courses will be scheduled and offered in the upcoming semester; staff will complete dual‑enrollment administration and distribute textbooks funded by grant money.
