District 39 is committed to fostering academic excellence and personal growth for all students. By building a robust foundation of knowledge, providing rigorous real-world experiences, and nurturing individual strengths and interests, we aim to ensure every student makes continuous progress throughout their District 39 journey.
District 39 curriculum is designed to support each child's attainment of the Illinois Learning Standards for their grade level, and includes concepts, skills, contexts, applications, and assessments that are centered around these standards. District 39 curricula is developed using these standards as guidance, considers evidence-based instructional practices, and is developed to meet the needs of our students in District 39. Curriculum is reviewed on a regular cycle by a team of teachers and administrators, with any necessary adjustments made to materials, practices, and professional development to best meet the needs of our students.
All students receive instruction in the components of literacy, math, science, social studies, world language, and health/physical education. Additionally, students in Grades K-4 receive instruction in music, art, and computer technology, while students in Grades 5-8 receive daily instruction from a menu of creative arts options such as visual arts, performance arts, technology applications and coding, STEAM, and drama.
District 39 teachers and support staff center instruction on our Portrait of a Scholar, seamlessly integrating 21st-century skills and social-emotional learning into the daily student experience. To reinforce these values, students receive explicit grade-level instruction in five core areas: self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills, responsible decision-making, and social awareness. Together, these efforts cultivate a deep sense of belonging within every classroom and school community.
District 39 believes in equitable access to information and information technology to learn effectively and live productively in an increasingly global and digital society. We strive to empower students and teachers to become critical consumers and creative producers of information in our global society. We teach our students to become enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information by incorporating innovative technologies that promote learning through collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. For more information about how we integrate technology into our classrooms, please visit the page for Technology and Library Media Services.
Curriculum maps offer an outline of learning for each subject taught at each grade level. Timing and sequence of each unit of study is determined by the individual teacher based on the needs of the students in a class, so pacing and sequence of instructional delivery may change. Additionally, the classroom teacher will differentiate the grade-level curriculum through support or enrichment during the year to meet the needs of each child.
Kelly Jackson Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction [email protected]
Dr. Joshua Swanner Assistant Director for Curriculum and Instruction [email protected]
Tom Hunter MTSS and Assessment Coordinator [email protected]
Sue Langan K-4 Curriculum Coordinator [email protected]
Samantha Piecoro 5-8 Curriculum Coordinator [email protected]
Pam Helke Administrative Assistant, C&I [email protected]