Bethel Park committee forwards 11 program-change proposals to board for next-week vote

The Curriculum Committee reviewed 11 program-change proposals and budget-authority requests that district staff plan to place on next week’s Board agenda for formal approval and to allow teachers time to complete curriculum-writing tasks over the summer.

Administrators summarized proposals that span the district: changes to vocational-credit accounting at the high school, a BCIT/FCS hybrid staffing and rotation proposal for middle grades, a new adapted culinary “Carestaurant/culinary companions” elective for students in specialized programs, continued Spanish textbook purchases, a new chemistry textbook for high school science, the development of an integrated sixth-to-eighth ELA course, a proposed unified-arts/BCIT orientation position, adoption funding for STEAM and kindergarten-art curriculum writing and a districtwide Type C keyboarding program pilot in elementary grades.

Highlights of the proposals as described by staff:

• Vocational-credit change: High-school vocational programs (CTE offerings such as Parkway West CTC, Steel Center, CCBC aviation and cyber programs) currently operate in some cases as four-credit courses; staff recommended standardizing vocational offerings to three credits to align credit reporting and NCAA/NCAA-equivalency guidance and to avoid disadvantaging students for college eligibility. Counselors said the change will allow students to remain on track for graduation while freeing elective slots.

• BCIT/FCS staffing and unified-arts rotation: Curriculum Council discussed adding a BCIT (career/technical) teacher who also holds an FCS (Family & Consumer Science) add-on to allow a hybrid rotation in early grades and introduce BCIT concepts before high school.

• Culinary companions (adapted course): A proposed adapted culinary elective aimed at students in special-education programs would run alongside existing intro-to-culinary classes to expand access and teach independent-living and vocational skills.

• World-language and science textbooks: Staff requested budget authority to purchase Spanish level 2 and 3 textbooks as part of a multi‑year phased adoption; the science department requested funding to replace a chemistry textbook it said is 13 years old and not aligned to current standards.

• Integrated ELA: Staff proposed developing a new, integrated sixth‑through‑eighth-grade English/reading course and mapping a single vertical curriculum for ELA/reading rather than separate reading and English classes.

• Middle-school STEAM and kindergarten art: Proposals include developing a sixth‑grade STEAM rotation to be offered equitably across middle schools in 2026–27 and writing a kindergarten art curriculum for the 2026–27 rollout.

• Keyboarding (Type C): A keyboarding program piloted in some classrooms will be expanded; staff recommended a ten‑minute, three‑times‑per‑week model and said teachers piloting it reported positive results.

Administrators told the committee these items are on next week’s agenda to secure budget authority and to allow teachers to complete curriculum-writing tasks over the summer. Several board members asked clarifying questions during the committee meeting about scope, inclusivity and grade-level availability for specific courses (for example, how audition-based ensembles would be handled if reclassified as honors courses and whether adapted classes should instead be general‑education inclusive classes). Staff said they will follow up and refine proposals prior to the Board vote.

No final Board approvals were made at the committee meeting; staff said the Board will consider all proposals at the next business meeting.