Curriculum & Instruction

Graduation Requirements
 New graduation requirements take effect with the class of 2018. These are students who are entered ninth grade for the first time in the 2014-2015 school year. More information can be found on the Ohio Department of Education website here.

• Graduation Check List

Common Core Standards

The state of Ohio, along with 44 other states, has adopted the Common Core Standards in math and English Language Arts. These new standards focus on fewer standards that are clearer, internationally benchmarked, and aligned to model curriculum. These new standards focus of college and career readiness and involve more coherence, focus, and rigor. Information about the common core standards can also be found at http://www.corestandards.org/

New Standards for the State of Ohio

The state of Ohio realizes the need to enhance rigor and college and career readiness for all subject areas. For this reason, Ohio has also developed new standards in the areas of science, social studies, music, visual arts, and world languages. More information can be found at the Ohio Department of Education website:http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Academic-Content-Standards

Third Grade Reading Guarantee

In June 2012, Ohio Legislature passed Senate Bill 316. This new law now requires public school districts to administer a reading diagnostic assessment to all students in grades K-3 by September 30th of each year. This reading diagnostic is designed to determine if a student has the skills and abilities necessary to meet end-of-the-year expectations. The Euclid City Schools will be utilizing Aimsweb reading assessment to benchmark students.

Students who are “Not on Track” based on the fall Aimsweb assessment will also be provided with a Reading Improvement and Monitoring Plan. The plan will specify services that will be provided to your student and a description of proposed supplemental instructional services.

Per Senate Bill 316, students in grades K-3 who are identified as “not on track” in the area of reading by failing to attain the appropriate level of reading competency by the end of grade three will be retained. For this school year, students will need to score a 392 on either their fall or spring 3rd grade reading OAA. We will put various supports in place for students in an effort to provide all students with the necessary tools to attain this score. We also strongly encourage you to read with your child each day.

More information on the 3rd-grade reading guarantee can be found on the ODE website at www.education.ohio.gov under the “parent” section or by using keyword “third-grade reading guarantee."

Our school will soon be implementing a program called i-Ready® Diagnostic & Instruction that will provide our students with an innovative diagnostic assessment and engaging instruction. The focus of this online program is reading and math. i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction helps teachers to effectively assess their students and then provide individualized instruction based on each student’s unique needs.

i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction assesses and teaches the following skill areas:

Reading Math

• Phonological Awareness • Number and Operations

• Phonics • Algebra and Algebraic Thinking

• High-Frequency Words • Measurement and Data

• Vocabulary • Geometry

• Comprehension

i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction begins by giving students an adaptive assessment in reading or math. An adaptive assessment is a test that automatically adjusts the difficulty of the questions according to each student’s performance in order to determine his or her abilities in reading or math. Before your child begins the assessment, it’s important to set appropriate expectations. i-Ready is a very different kind of test that presents students with questions that can be both too easy and too hard. It is designed to do this until the assessment finds exactly the level at which the student is performing. Therefore, your child will certainly see some items above his or her level. Encourage your child to independently complete the test to the best of his or her ability, and know that it is okay to get questions wrong.

Each time a student gets an item incorrect, he or she will be presented with a simpler question until the diagnostic finds the grade level at which the student is performing. The assessment efficiently assesses students across multiple grade levels, allowing for identification of root causes of students’ struggles or for identification of areas where a student is ready for further challenge. This information will then provide the teacher with a “road map” to instructional remediation.

Once your child completes the test, he or she will be assigned online instruction to support his or her progress in mastering each skill. The online instruction is designed to be both challenging and engaging. i-Ready delivers instruction using engaging, contemporary animation; the lessons are also interactive. The result is an experience that attracts and holds your child’s interest while also teaching important skills and concepts. These lessons are proven to help students grow academically.

In addition, i-Ready Diagnostic & Instruction supports the teachers and administrators at your child’s school. The program provides a series of comprehensive reports designed to make classroom instruction more effective. These reports include data about student performance as well as detailed teaching suggestions. They help educators make informed decisions about the instruction that is right for your child.

Should you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact our office or your child’s teacher.