Curriculum and Instruction
Teaching is not rocket science. It is, in fact, far more complex and demanding work than rocket science.
-- Richard F. Elmore, professor of educational leadership at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
What is Curriculum?
Curriculum is the foundation of an effective educational program. PfISD ensures that a guaranteed, viable, and relevant curriculum is provided to all students. The District recognizes and values the unique characteristics of each student and commits to providing a learning environment designed to meet state requirements as well as develop each student’s innate potential and talents.
PfISD curriculum department collaborates with teachers to design and write curriculum using the following premises:
- All students are capable of learning.
- Schools can maximize the learning conditions for all students through clearly stated expectations of what students will learn, high expectations for all students, formative and summative assessment of student knowledge, and instructional adjustments based on assessment results.
- Successful student learning must be based on providing educational experience at the appropriate level of challenge in order to ensure maximum student achievement.
The role of the curriculum is to provide all educators with a roadmap to the “what” is taught, providing intentional alignment between standards, instruction, and assessment that results in learning, equity, growth, and success for all students. The curriculum is designed by:
- Correlating to the required Texas State and National Learning Standards
- Embedding the learning from all relevant external assessments, including the state assessment
- Building in a spiraling manner to prepare students for college, career, and post-secondary experiences.
PfISD provides families and community with Year at a Glance curriculum documents. Year-at-a-glance documents provide an overview of the course content. They include the scope and sequence for the course, the unit titles for each unit, and the important concepts/skills for each unit.
- Elementary Year at a Glance Documents
- Middle School Year at a Glance Documents
- High School Year at a Glance Documents
The links below are for PfISD employees to access the district developed curriculum and require a PfISD Google account.
PfISD Middle School Curriculum
Phone: 512-594-0000
Fax: 512-594-0101
Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.