Curriculum Adoption Reviews

The current resource used to support Introduction to Psychology 1 & 2 instruction at the high school level is 20 years old and is an old AP Psychology book that was on hand. This resource is too advanced for many of our students and does not meet the needs of an introductory course. Additionally, the existing copies are worn out and the content fails to reflect the social changes of the past two decades. Recognizing these challenges, teachers expressed their desire in the spring of 2024 to review and adopt more current, relevant instructional materials for our students.

A review team was assembled and researched highly rated Introduction to Psychology curriculums, aligned to the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula.  They closely examined and screened the following: Introduction to Psychology, Psychology, and Thinking About Psychology. The top resource identified by the team is:Thinking About Psychology, 5th edition, published by Bedford, Freeman and Worth.

Community Viewing and Input

The recommended resource will be available for community/family viewing and input on January 17, 2025.  Families were notified the recommended resource is available for community review on December 18, 2024 and January 8, 2025 through our weekly family direct communications. Materials are available in our Teaching and Learning Department at Central Services from January 17, 2025 through March 5, 2025. Community members viewing the curriculum resources are invited to provide their input to the review team.

Link to form to provide input on Introduction to Psychology Resource   

(complete form by March 5 for input to be shared with committee on March 6)

Community Informational Meeting on Thursday, January 23, 2025

Community and family members interested in understanding our review process and getting a glimpse into the recommended resource are invited to a virtual event hosted by the Tahoma K-12 Social Studies Coordinator in an informational meeting on Thursday, January 23, 2025 from 5:30-6:00 p.m. Pre-registration required. Please use this Registration link.

The current Social Studies resource used to support 7th grade instruction at the middle school level is almost 14 years old and represents some outdated information. In addition, through examining our current practices and the state standards, rules, and laws it became apparent that there is a misalignment in our current curriculum structure. This is particularly in regard to the integration of Washington State History and Since Time Immemorial education into the 7th-grade curriculum. Our current student experience is not aligned with the standards and requirements at the state level. 

A review team was assembled. They sought a viable Washington State History curriculum that  is inclusive, culturally responsive, project-based and provides enough content for a year-long WSH experience for 7th graders.  They closely examined and screened the following: Educurious, The State We’re in: Washington, Washington Journey and Washington Interactive. The top resource identified by the team is Educurious.

Community Viewing and Input

Access to the recommended resource will be available for community/family viewing and input digitally and in our Teaching and Learning Department at Central Services from January 6, 2025 through March 5, 2025. Community members viewing the curriculum resources are invited to provide their input to the review team.

Link to form to provide input on 7th grade Washington State History Resource   

(complete form by February 5 for input to be shared with committee on February 6)

Families were notified the recommended resource is available for community review on December 18, 2024 and January 8, 2025 through our weekly family direct communications. 

Community Informational Meeting on Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Family and community members interested in understanding our review process and getting a glimpse into the recommended resource are invited to a virtual event hosted by the Tahoma K-12 Social Studies Coordinator in an informational meeting on Wednesday, January 8, 2025 at 6pm. Pre-registration required, please use this Registration link.

 

The resource currently used for teaching reading and writing (literacy) is undergoing an adoption. A review team was formed to identify and evaluate new resources that align with evidence based practices, a structured literacy approach and one that supports our multi tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework. The current curriculum is 12 years old and doesn’t cover one third of the standards (foundational skills; phonics, phonological awareness, etc). It is also not current in regard to current research surrounding how the brain learns to read and write and is not in compliance with the state dyslexia law.

Recognizing these challenges, teachers expressed their desire to have a comprehensive program that teaches all of the reading and writing standards and provides consistent practices and a scope and sequence across all six elementary buildings. 

A team of teachers was created via an application process in the spring of 2024. This team came together from September-November reviewing 7 different curriculums and conducted a thorough review of each of them. Every program reviewed is highly researched and grounded in evidence based practices with support for students with disabilities and students acquiring a second language. After the thorough review the team selected 95% Group for our Foundational Skills, published by 95% Group and Arts and Letters for knowledge and content, published by Great Minds Inc. as the top choices to best meet the needs of our students. Together, these two programs create a comprehensive PK-5 literacy curriculum.

 

Community Viewing and Input

The recommended resource will be available for community/family viewing and input on January 17, 2025.  Families were notified the recommended resource is available for community review on January 15, 2025 through our weekly family direct communications. Materials are available in our Teaching and Learning Department at Central Services from January 17, 2025 through February 14, 2025. Community members viewing the curriculum resources are invited to provide their input to the review team.

Link to provide input on the Elementary Adoption Committee Recommended Resources

 

Community Informational Meeting on Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Community and family members interested in understanding our review process and getting a glimpse into the recommended resource are invited to a virtual event hosted by the Tahoma PK-5 Literacy Coordinator in an informational meeting on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 from 5:30-6:00 p.m. Pre-registration required, please use this registration link.

 

To better support our students’ success in AP Physics C: Mechanics, Tahoma High School is updating its instructional resource. The current textbook, which has been in use for over 15 years, no longer aligns with the College Board requirements for the AP Physics C exam.

In the fall of 2024, our AP Physics teacher collaborated with the district’s science coordinator to evaluate instructional materials, and after a thorough review, they identified Knight’s Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach with Modern Physics 5e, AP Edition (Published by Pearson) as the best resource to meet the needs of our students.

Community Viewing and Input

The recommended resource will be available for community viewing at the Teaching and Learning Department in Central Services from January 17 through March 5, 2025.  Community members are encouraged to provide their feedback by completing this form.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Shannon Heckelsmiller, K-12 Science Coordinator, at Sheckels@Tahomasd.us.

The current Social Studies resource used to support 6th grade instruction at the middle school level is almost 12 years old. In addition, through examining our current practices and the state standards, rules, and laws it became apparent that there is a misalignment in our current curriculum structure. 

A review team was assembled. They sought a viable Ancient Civilizations curriculum that spanned time from “Ancient Civilizations-1450”, was standards-aligned and includes engaging activities, critical and historical thinking, and collaboration opportunities for our 6th graders.  They closely examined and screened the following: Educurious, InquirED, TCI and Traverse. The top resource identified by the team is TCI, History Alive! The World Through 1750.

Community Viewing and Input

Access to the recommended resource will be available for community/family viewing and input digitally and in our Teaching and Learning Department at Central Services from January 21 through April 3, 2025. Community members viewing the curriculum resources are invited to provide their input to the review team.

Link to form to provide input on 6th grade Resource   

(complete by March 5 for input to be shared with committee on March 6)

Families were notified the recommended resource is available for community review on January 22, 2025 through our weekly family direct communications. 

Community Informational Meeting on Thursday, January 30, 2025

Family and community members interested in understanding our review process and getting a glimpse into the recommended resource are invited to a virtual event hosted by the Tahoma K-12 Social Studies Coordinator in an informational meeting on Thursday, January 30, 2025 from 5:00-5:30pm. Pre-registration required, please use this Registration link.

To better align our middle school Visual Arts programs and ensure equitable experiences for all Tahoma students, the district is evaluating formal middle level visual arts curriculums. Visual Arts teachers currently design their own resources. Recognizing the challenges this presents for teachers and the potential variance in student experiences, formal curriculum was identified as the best solution.

A review team was assembled and researched highly rated middle level Visual Arts curriculums, aligned to the National Standards.  They closely examined and screened the following: Exploring Art (Houghton-Mifflin), Explorations in Art (Davis Publications), Experience Art (Davis Publications), and FLEX Curriculum (Art of Education).  The top resource identified by the team is: Explorations in Art 2E (Grade 6), and Experience Art (Grades 7-8)  both from Davis Publications.

Community Viewing and Input

Materials are available for review in our Teaching and Learning Department at Central Services from January 24, 2025 through March 5, 2025. Community members viewing the curriculum resources are invited to provide their input to the review team.  Provide input on middle level Visual Arts Curriculum.

Notification about resource availability was shared with families on January 22, 2025 and January 29, 2025 through our weekly family-direct communications.

Community Informational Meeting 

Community and family members interested in understanding our review process and getting an overview of the recommended resource are invited to a virtual event on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 from 5:30-6:00 p.m. hosted by the Tahoma Middle Level Electives Coordinator. Pre-registration required. Registration link.

The current AP Statistics resource used to support instruction at the high school level is ten years old. Since that time the AP Course and Exam Description (CED) has changed and now includes topics that are not in the current text. In addition, this course/text is based on analyzing current real-world data and the data provided in the former textbook is no longer current. 

A review team was assembled and researched highly-rated AP Statistics programs aligned to the AP CED. Two programs stood out as they are used in most high school AP Statistics classrooms and commonly recommended at Advanced Placement workshops. We closely examined and rated these two: The Practice of Statistics: for the AP course, 7th edition, by Starnes and Tabor and Stats: Modeling the World, 6th Edition, by Bock, et al. The top resource identified by the team is Stats: Modeling the World, published by Pearson, which is an updated version of the currently used textbook. 

Community Viewing and Input

The recommended resource is now available for community/family viewing and input.  Families were notified the recommended resource is available for community review on January 28, 2025 through our weekly family direct communications. Materials are available in our Teaching and Learning Department at Central Services now through February 28, 2025. Community members viewing the curriculum resources are invited to provide their input to the review team by using this link: Input on AP Statistics Resource. 

(complete by February 28 for input to be shared with committee on March 6)

Parent/Community Informational Meeting 

Family and community members interested in understanding our review process and getting a glimpse into the recommended resource are invited to a virtual event hosted by the Tahoma 6-12 Mathematics Coordinator in an informational meeting on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 from 5:30-6:00 p.m. Pre-registration required. Registration link