Brownwood ISD announced today that their schools will begin using a new system for providing comprehensive instruction for all four core subjects in Kindergarten through twelfth grade.
CSCOPE is a customizable, user-friendly curriculum management system that will enable Brownwood teachers to improve upon their teaching methods while incorporating a vertical approach to teaching, so that students and teachers across all grade levels throughout the district experience a common vocabulary, structure and process.
Teachers were given the option to begin using CSCOPE during the 2010-2011 school year, but all instructors have begun training this summer to integrate and utilize CSCOPE this fall.
“We had some teachers who used it last year and some only used a portion,” said Liesa Land, Assistant Superintendent of Brownwood ISD. “We won’t require every teacher to do every lesson, but we’ll give them a scope and sequence of what to teach and when.”
Land reported that several teachers who used CSCOPE this year found that either the new curriculum improved upon or were similar to current methods or projects, giving those teachers a sense of security in their knowledge and ability to teach the subjects at hand. Having the pre-designed curriculum gives teachers an aide as they plan lessons; instead of having to look for ways of integrating technology and innovative practices, they are given suggestions and ideas that also match those of other grades and levels of learning.
“We don’t want to take creativity away from the teachers,” Land said. “We want to give them more time to be creative in the classroom and not spend all their time developing the curriculum.”
CSCOPE uses a Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) framework, which is the state standard for what all Texas students should know and be able to do. Developed by a team of content-area experts and curriculum specialists, CSCOPE uses a “5E” instructional model, which teaches students to engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate, in order to learn and think critically. The TEKS update periodically and all schools are required to teach the content and assess students accordingly; CSCOPE allots for six- and nine-week focus plans and tests, providing not only short-term learning goals but sidesteps misconceptions that may hinder future learning. The curriculum is also based on college readiness standards that will prepare students for future learning and current accountability methods, such as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), which will be changing its name to the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR).
While the district hopes to continue maintaining its top notch ratings, Land identifies the main goal is providing an excellent education for the students and preparing them for the future. “If you teach the TEKS at a higher level, the test will take care of itself,” Land said. CSCOPE’s 5E method is expected to unite learning throughout the district and raise standards, not only for learning, but of enriching the students’ lives and capabilities both in and outside the classroom. It will combine current learning standards, proven teaching methods, and the technology of tomorrow to increase students’ potential and enjoyment in the classroom.
“It’s going to be very good for the kids,” Land said. “And that’s what our business is, the kids.”
