Abington Heights board approves 2026–27 curriculum guide; tables academic calendar for further talks

The Abington Heights School District board unanimously approved a revised 2026–27 curriculum guide after administrators described updates to courses, grading and assessments.

Dr. T, the district's curriculum lead, outlined changes including adding benchmark and diagnostic testing (CDTs three times a year), rewriting the financial literacy course to replace Intro to FCS, splitting Photo II into two half-credit electives, reducing some art course credits to increase student access, and aligning intro-to-tech and woodworking pathways so students can earn industry credentials before graduation. Dr. T also described a restructured physical-movement sequence and a phased move to pass/fail grading for some PE movement classes while preserving numeric grades for classroom-based courses such as exercise science and coaching principles.

Why it matters: Board members said the guide updates aim to align instruction with state requirements and give students more flexible elective options and career-technical credentials.

During board questions, members pressed administrators about specific changes. One member asked why honors-level world languages were being removed from the middle school; administrators said the honors offering produced inequities because only one language had honors at that level and students can still reach AP-level language sequences in high school. On PE grading, administrators said pass/fail will be phased in for movement-focused classes to reduce punitive grade penalties for nonparticipation while keeping graded coursework for classes with quizzes and tests. Administrators also said teachers are embedding responsible uses of artificial intelligence into existing coursework rather than creating a standalone AI course for now.

The board then considered a proposed 2026–27 academic calendar that would start after Labor Day and finish by the second Friday in June. Multiple board members and several teachers who attended said the calendar had been published recently and had surprised staff and union members. Several directors expressed concern about removing customary half days and compressing professional learning time because Labor Day falls late this year. The superintendent said the district must consult the collective bargaining agreement (which currently bars students starting before Labor Day and limits pre-Labor Day professional days) and requested time to discuss possible changes with union leadership.

Outcome: The curriculum guide was approved by roll call; the academic calendar motion was tabled so the superintendent can consult union leadership and return with options at a later meeting.

Next steps: The superintendent said she will email union leadership, set a timeline for discussion, and bring calendar options back to the board at or before the board's April meeting.