District Curriculum Committee

The purpose of the District Curriculum Committee (DCC) is to:

1. Provide a central clearinghouse that reviews and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees on the adoption of:
   • Textbooks
   • Supplementary instructional materials and books
   • Literature books
   • Classes
   • Curriculum
2. Create broad-based group that is aware of district and state initiatives
3. Provide interaction and articulation on a K-12 curriculum
4. Serve as a forum for change, innovation and communication

Meeting Schedule for 2008-09

All meetings are at Healdsburg High School, Room 45, from 3:30-5:00 and are open to the public.

The committee chair is Annie Millar, Director of Curriculum and Instructional Services. The committee includes K-12 classroom teachers, department chairs, site administrators and board members. For more information on DCC meetings schedule, please contact the Curriculum  &  Instruction Department at 431-3480.

What is the Process for Adopting a Textbook?

Most parents first notice a new curriculum when their child pulls a new textbook out of their backpack. However, the review and adoption of new materials and books is an on-going process in Healdsburg Unified.

Here are the general steps that are followed for grades K-8:
• The California Department of Education (CDE) identifies one or more curricular areas for a "new adoption" each year. This year, mathematics materials are earmarked for adoption.
• The CDE then reviews materials submitted by publishers in those areas and adopts those materials or series of books that match their goals, philosophy, and align with the adopted content standards.
• A local Adoption Committee of teachers and administrators is created.
• The Adoption Committee reviews the state-adopted series and narrows down the selection to a manageable number based on clear criteria. For the current math adoption, two elementary series were selected for piloting.
• A process is created to pilot the materials at each grade level. Teachers are selected to use and compare the new materials in their classrooms.
• The Adoption Committee reviews the pilot teachers' recommendations and decides on the best series for Healdsburg students. Usually one K-5 series is selected and one 6-8 grade series is selected. It is rare to find outstanding materials that span grades K-8 as student needs vary widely across such a large grade span.
• The Adoption Committee makes a presentation to the District Curriculum Council (DCC). The DCC asks for specific and concrete information that justifies the selection of the materials and texts. The DCC must agree with the selection for it to move forward.
• The proposed materials are put on a 30-day display so parents may review them and provide input.
• The Board of Trustees considers the District Curriculum Council's recommendation after reviewing the materials and adopts the series if they agree with the selection.

For high school, the process is a bit different. High school teachers are not limited to series adopted by the CDE. Any materials and texts may be adopted if they are clearly aligned with the adopted content standards. This process generally follows the following steps:

• A high school department selects several series to pilot in a given curricular area.
• A pilot is conducted so that teachers use and compare the proposed materials in the classroom. Materials are selected by departmental consensus.
• The department makes a presentation to the District Curriculum Council. If the DCC concurs, a recommendation is made to the Board.
• Materials are put on a 30-day display so parents may review them and provide input.
• The Board of Trustees considers the District Curriculum Council's recommendation after reviewing the materials and adopts the series if they agree with the selection.

If, as a parent or community member, you would like to:

• Serve on the District Curriculum Council;
• Review materials currently under consideration for adoption; or,
• Learn more about the adoption process,