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Superintendent Kravitz reviews curriculum, assessments and district enrollment trends
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Kravitz reported enrollment fell from 3,308 to 3,179 students year-over-year, summarized state standards versus local curriculum choices, and answered board questions on instructional minutes, AP course decisions and assessment types.
Superintendent Dr. Kravitz opened the superintendent's report by citing enrollment figures for the district: "last year this time we had 3,308 students, and this year we have 3,179 students," he said, framing the presentation as part of transparency on district operations. He then provided a plain-language overview of curriculum: state standards set what students should learn while districts choose resources and instructional approaches to meet those standards. Dr. Kravitz outlined formative, summative and diagnostic assessments and explained that resources (textbooks, online programs, teacher guides) are tools, not the curriculum itself.
Board members pressed for specifics. In response to a question about how elementary schools allocate instructional minutes across ELA, math, history and science, Dr. Kravitz said classroom-level decisions allow for flexible scheduling that supports integrated learning and that exact minute counts vary by grade and teacher. On AP course placement, he explained that advanced courses align to additional standards and local school decisions guided by student needs and course codes. He closed the presentation by thanking curriculum staff and noting further presentations will continue at future meetings.
"What is curriculum? Well, curriculum is the standards that are mandated guidelines developed by the New York State Department of Education," Dr. Kravitz said, emphasizing the distinction between standards and instructional resources.
