GOSNELL -- The upcoming switch to Common Core curriculum was the main topic of discussion for Gosnell's school board during its Monday night meeting.
The Common Core, a set of curriculum standards which will soon be implemented in many states nationwide, aim to create an equality in the level of education each child receives per their grade level from one state to the next. As a charter member of the Common Core organization, Arkansas will be part of the pilot group to begin testing students against the new standards within the next few years.
In Gosnell, kindergarten through second grade has already switched their curriculum to the Common Core, and third through eighth grade are expected to be added next year, with nine through 12 following in 2013.
According to Assistant District Superintendant Kevin Evans, the emphasis of Common Core will be on college and career readiness, with a focus on preparing students for eligibility in a career from which they could support a family. This involves both increasing the difficulty of texts presented to students on all grade levels, and cutting back on the amount of standards that are taught in order to attain more depth of understanding on the ones deemed necessary.
Evans also presented the board with the district's quarterly Smart Accountability progress report. The report includes information about how the district met state requirements in the areas of curriculum alignment, data analysis, student assessment, teacher evaluations and more.
A meeting with all district stakeholders was announced for Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school cafeteria. The purpose of the meeting will be to discuss and present for adoption a district-wide mission statement.
In other school news, the board accepted the resignation of high school social studies teacher Linda Jackson, who will be retiring at the end of the school year after 36 years of service to the district.
Board members also expressed thanks to Nucor, which sponsored a recent 4-H trip for all 112 of the school's fifth-graders.
Board meeting dates for the holiday season were also set, with the next two meetings taking place on Nov. 21 and Dec. 12.
sharris@blythevillecourier.com