Curriculum

The Surry County School District Builds Instructional Scaffolds for Continued School Improvement

When we observe buildings being constructed, often we see elaborate scaffolding systems in place.  The scaffolds provide elevated platforms that support workers and materials for safe ascension to new heights.

Educators in the Surry County School District are in the "building process" daily, trying to fulfill the promise of opportunities for students and staffs.  Professionals believe that the scaffolding of certain programs, processes, and tools countywide is essential to the construction of strong school communities.  These carefully articulated structures help to give countywide school personnel "safe access" to complex issues and academic excellence.

Why is the emphasis on a common language of resources in all schools and classrooms important?  The school district is constantly changing.  The make up of the student populations, the tenure of educators, and the transient nature of many families are realities. Stakeholders come and go, but the accountability to federal/state/local testing, and student needs continues to increase.  It is imperative for all students, educators, and parents to understand the consistent expectations and the available resources to accomplish important district-wide goals for student growth.

Surry educational leaders believe that one of the best strategies for success is to rig the platforms for research based reform in similar ways throughout the district, and then to give school personnel the flexibility to adjust the structures to fit their particular needs. The following list of common "scaffolds" includes programs, processes, and resources that can be found in all nineteen schools in the Surry County School District.

• Curriculum Maps for All Subjects (Based on the Work of Heidi Hayes Jacobs)
• Differentiated Instruction Books/Tools (Based on the Work of Carol Ann Tomlinson)
• Balanced Literacy Program (Based on the Work of Connie Prevatte)
• Benchmark Assessments for All Grade Levels (Locally Designed)
• Questioning/Grading Techniques (Based on the Work of Robert Marzano)
• Professional Development for Educators in All Schools through a Train the Trainer Model
  • CRISS
  • Cooperative Learning
  • Thinking Maps
  • Technology

Pat Widdowson
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction