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Cherokee County plans customized standards, March vendor showcase and instructional-materials policy update
Summary
Superintendent and academics staff presented a three-part system of standards, resources and monitoring tied to board governance policy BAB; district plans a March vendor showcase, public review and April adoption for core resources and is recommending an updated instructional-materials policy (IFAA) for final read.
Cherokee County Board of Education Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis and academic staff on Feb. 13 outlined a timeline to adopt district-customized teaching standards and new instructional materials, and presented an updated instructional-materials policy for board consideration.
The plan centers on three core sections of board governance policy BAB — core beliefs, a cohesive system of teaching and learning, and accountability and support — and focuses first on customized standards for the four core content areas, followed by acquisition of core and supplemental instructional resources and improved monitoring of student learning, Dr. Heath said.
The timeline calls for district-customized standards for the four core content areas to be shared with the board and posted for public review in March, with a targeted public adoption by the board in April. District staff also said they released a request for proposals for English language arts and math resources in January and will host a vendor showcase in March that will include teachers, support staff and community members.
"We are on a mission in Cherokee County to be the top performing district in the state of Georgia," Superintendent Davis said, describing the board's focus on aligning standards, resources and professional development to improve teaching and learning.
District staff described a crosswalk process that will map the new CCSD customized teaching and learning standards to any newly adopted core resource so teachers can locate standards and begin planning. Staff said they expect print materials to be available to teachers before the end of the current school year and professional development to begin during summer planning and continue in late July and early August.
On supplemental resources, staff said they completed an instructional-resource audit in the fall and are organizing existing materials by grade level and content to determine which items to retain, phase out or supplement once core resources are finalized. The monitoring component will include specialized-program planning (English learners, special education and advanced learning), assessment review and targeted interventions; staff said they expect to gather feedback in April and May and to share long-range plans by summer.
Separately, staff presented the proposed IFAA instructional-materials policy on final read as an action item eligible for consent. District leaders said the IFAA update was developed with teacher and leader feedback and is intended to align selection and review processes with policy BAB and to formalize teacher involvement in material review and selection.
Board members did not remove the IFAA item from consent during the work session, and staff signaled readiness to present their recommendation after the March showcases and public feedback period.
The presentation and policy update leave further work for the spring and early summer, including final vendor selection, crosswalk completion and a professional-development rollout tied to adopted materials.
