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Rockdale County presents social studies and science updates, emphasizes civic engagement and three-dimensional learning
Summary
District curriculum leaders outlined five social-studies goals including expanded civic engagement and reported student voter-registration activities; science and health/PE coordinators described professional learning, three-dimensional instruction and a public review for health materials required by state law.
The Rockdale County Board of Education heard semester updates from curriculum coordinators on social studies, science, health and physical education.
Vernaliza (Vernalise) Princeup, K'12 coordinator for social studies, told the board the program has five goals for 2024'25: identify effective Tier 1 social studies strategies; develop supports for digital resources; increase civic engagement opportunities; integrate at least five historically underrepresented figures with culturally responsive practice; and develop structures for civic and civil discourse. Princeup said the district provided "80 plus hours of professional learning" focused on Tier 1 social studies instruction and reported a student-registration effort: 125 students were registered across high schools during a September initiative.
Princeup said the district surveyed seniors after registration outreach: "237 students participated in the survey. What we learned from the survey is that of those 237 students, 191 students were not eligible to vote at the time of the election." She described a mock election (hosted by the Georgia Center for Civic Engagement) in which roughly 90% of K'12 students participated in some form and students received "I voted" stickers as part of the learning activity.
Science, health and physical-education updates were presented by Heather Tolliver, K'12 science and health/PE coordinator. Tolliver described the district's emphasis on three-dimensional science learning and the eight science-and-engineering practices that underpin instruction, and said the district's professional learning includes "connecting the dots," "facilitating sense-making sessions," and guided planning to support teachers. The science program established a Science Innovation Team of teacher leaders and continued a "Teaching Science with Confidence" series focused on grade 8 and biology.
In health and PE, Tolliver described an adoption process for health education materials that included a vendor solicitation and reconstituted a health advisory committee "as mandated by OCGA 20-2-143, also called Aaron's Law." The public review of the health materials was announced as open until Jan. 17; Tolliver said the public can review materials in the atrium at schools and online and is encouraged to participate.
Board members asked for more detail on cross-curricular integration and the coordinators described explicit strategies for using mathematical and literacy practices in science lessons and for training teachers to implement those cross-disciplinary supports.
The coordinators closed by thanking the board for budget support and for attending district events.
