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Policy ECA - Curriculum: Required Instruction

Policy ECA - Curriculum: Required Instruction (PDF)

Issue Date: December 16, 2020

Issue Date: February 15, 2023

Required Core Curriculum

The District’s curriculum shall at least meet the minimum requirements of state law and State Board rules.  Those minimum requirements are to contain the essential elements of each subject at appropriate grade levels. The essential elements represent the core knowledge, skills, and competencies all students should learn to be effective and productive members of society. The District may add elements at its discretion, but shall not delete or omit instruction in the essential elements.

In addition, the District shall provide character education in connection with regular schoolwork, through an integrated curriculum approach.  Instruction in this area shall emphasize honesty, temperance, morality, courtesy, obedience to law, respect for and an understanding of the constitutions of the United States and the state of Utah, the essentials and benefits of the free enterprise system, respect for parents and home, and the dignity and necessity of honest labor and other skills, habits, and qualities of character which will promote an upright and desirable citizenry and better prepare students for a richer, happier life.

                        Utah Code § 53G-10-204 (2022)      

K-6 Core Curriculum

The K-6 core subject requirements are:

  1. English Language Arts

  2. Mathematics

  3. Science

  4. Social Studies

  5. Arts;

    1. Visual Arts;

    2. Music;

    3. Dance; or

    4. Theatre

  6. Health Education

  7. Physical Education

  8. Educational Technology; and

  9. Library Media skills, integrated into the core subject areas; and

  10. Civics and character education, integrated into the core subject areas.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-700-4(2) (August 23, 2021)   

Formative assessment will occur on a regular basis to ensure continual student progress.  State-approved summative adaptive assessments will be used to assess student mastery of reading, language arts, mathematics, science and (in grade five) effectiveness of written expression.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-700-4(5), (6) (7) (August 12, 2021)   

 

Grades 7-8 Core Requirements

In grades 7-8, students shall complete the following courses:

  1. Grade 7 Language Arts.

  2. Grade 8 Language Arts.

  3. Grade 7 Mathematics.

  4. Grade 8 Mathematics.

  5. Grade 7 Integrated Science

  6. Grade 8 Integrated Science.

  7. United States History.

  8. Utah History.

  9. At least one course in each of the following in grades 7 or 8:

    1. Health Education.

    2. College and Career Awareness.

    3. The Arts.

    4. Physical Education

Utah Admin. Rules R277-700-5(2), (3) (August 12, 2021)

In addition to the foregoing requirements, the Board of Education may, as it determines appropriate, require a student to complete additional courses, may offer additional elective courses, and may set minimum credit requirements.

            Utah Admin. Rules R277-700-5(6) (August 12, 2021)        

State-approved summative adaptive assessments will be used to assess student mastery of language arts, mathematics, writing (in grade eight) and science.

            Utah Admin. Rules R277-700-5(5) (August 12, 2021)                    

The District may, upon request of a student or parent and with parental consent, substitute a course requirement set out above with a course, extracurricular activity, or experience that is either similar to the course requirement or consistent with the student’s plan for college and career readiness.  The request shall be made in writing, shall include a parent’s signature, shall identify the proposed substitution, and shall explain how the proposed substitution meets the foregoing standard.  This request shall be initially evaluated by the counselor responsible for the student, who shall determine whether the request contains the required elements and shall make a recommendation regarding whether the request should be approved or denied.  This recommendation shall be submitted to the principal or the principal’s designee, who shall grant or deny the request.  If the student or parent is dissatisfied with the determination of the principal, the decision can be appealed to the Board of Education or its designee, which shall review the decision and determine whether it should be changed.  The decision of the Board or its designee is final.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-700-5(7), (8) (August 12, 2021)         

 

Grades 9-12 Core Curriculum

The minimum number of core curriculum credits required for students in grades 9-12 shall be 18, as follows:

  1. Language Arts – 4 units, including

    1. Ninth grade level (1 unit);

    2. Tenth grade level (1 unit);

    3. Eleventh grade level (1 unit); and

    4. Twelfth grade level (1 unit), consisting of applied or advanced language arts credit, consistent with the student’s Plan for College and Career Readiness, from a list of courses approved by the Board of Education and the State Board of Education, which courses

      1. Are within the field/discipline of language arts, with a significant portion of instruction aligned to language arts content, principles, knowledge, and skills;

      2. Provide instruction that leads to student understanding of the nature and disposition of language arts;

  • Apply the fundamental concepts and skills of language arts;

  1. Provide developmentally appropriate content; and

  2. Develop skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and presentation.

  1. Mathematics – 3 units.

    1. This requirement shall be met minimally through successful completion of the foundation or foundation extended courses Secondary Mathematics I, Secondary Mathematics II, and Secondary Mathematics III.

    2. With a written request from the student’s parent or guardian, a student may opt out of Secondary Mathematics III. In that case, the student shall successfully complete another mathematics course from among the advanced and applied mathematics courses on the State Board of Education’s list of approved mathematics courses.

    3. 7th and 8th grade students may earn credit for one of the mathematics foundation courses before 9th grade, consistent with the student’s Plan for College and Career Readiness and if at least one of the following criteria are met:

      1. The student is identified as gifted in mathematics in accordance with the procedures outlined in State Board of Education Rule 277-707;

      2. The student is dual enrolled at the middle school/junior high school and the high school;

  • The student qualifies for promotion one or two grade levels above the student’s age group and is placed in 9th grade; or

  1. The student takes the State Board of Education competency test in the summer prior to 9th grade and earns high school graduation credit for the course.

  1. For other students (than those in the prior section) who earn credit for a foundation course before 9th grade, the student shall still fill the required 3 units of credit by successful completion of other mathematics courses approved by the State Board of Education, consistent with the student’s Plan for College and Career Readiness, which courses

    1. Are within the field/discipline of mathematics with a significant portion of instruction aligned to mathematics content, principles, knowledge, and skills;

    2. Provide instruction that leads to student understanding of the nature and disposition of mathematics;

  • Apply the fundamental concepts and skills of mathematics;

  1. Provide developmentally appropriate content; and

  2. Include the Standards for Mathematical Practice as listed in the Utah secondary mathematics core.

  1. A student who successfully completes a Calculus course with a “C” grade or better has completed mathematics graduation requirements, regardless of the number of mathematics credits earned.

  1. Science – 3 units, including

    1. 2 units from the five science foundation areas:

      1. Earth Systems Science – 1.0 units from the following:

        • Earth Science;

        • Advanced Placement Environmental Science; or

        • International Baccalaureate Environmental Systems

      2. Biological Science – 1.0 units from the following:

        • Biology;

        • Biology: Agricultural Science & Technology;

        • Advanced Placement Biology;

        • International Baccalaureate Biology; or

        • Biology with Lab Concurrent Enrollment

  • Chemistry – 1.0 units from the following:

    • Chemistry;

    • Advanced Placement Chemistry;

    • International Baccalaureate Chemistry; or

    • Chemistry with Lab Concurrent Enrollment

  1. Physics – 1.0 units from the following:

    • Physics;

    • Advanced Placement Physics (1, 2, C: Electricity and Magnetism, or C: Mechanics);

    • International Baccalaureate Physics; or

    • Physics with Lab Concurrent Enrollment

  2. Computer Science – 0 units from the following:

    • Advanced Placement Computer Science;

    • Computer Science Principles; or

    • Computer Programming 2; and

  3. 1 unit, consistent with the student’s Plan for College and Career Readiness, from the foundation courses or a list of applied or advanced science courses approved by the Board of Education and State Board of Education, which courses

    1. Are within the field/discipline of science with a significant portion of instruction aligned to science content, principles, knowledge, and skills;

    2. Provide instruction that leads to student understanding of the nature and disposition of science;

  • Apply the fundamental concepts and skills of science;

  1. Provide developmentally appropriate content;

  2. Include the areas of physical, natural, or applied sciences; and

  3. Develop students’ skills in scientific inquiry.

  1. Social Studies:

    1. 5 units from the following:

      1. World Geography– 0.5 units

      2. World History– 0.5 units

  • S. History – 1.0 units

  1. S. Government and Citizenship – 0.5 units

  1. 5 units Social Studies as determined by the District

  2. Completion of a basic civics test or alternate assessment (see Policy ECG)

  1. Arts – 1.5 units from any of the following areas:

    1. Visual Arts

    2. Music

    3. Dance

    4. Theatre

    5. Media Arts

  2. Health Education – 0.5 Units

  3. Physical and Health Education – 1.5 units including:

    1. Participation Skills – 0.5 units

    2. Fitness for Life – 0.5 units

    3. Individualized Lifetime Activities (0.5 units)

    4. Team sport/athletic participation (may earn 0.5 units per sport up to a maximum of 1.0 units with school approval to replace Participation Skills and Individualized Lifetime Activities)

  4. Career and Technical Education – 1.0 units from among the following areas:

    1. Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources

    2. Architecture and Construction

    3. Arts, Audio/Visual Technology and Communications

    4. Business, Finance and Marketing

    5. Computer Science and Information Technology

    6. Education and Training

    7. Engineering and Technology

    8. Health Science

    9. Hospitality and Tourism

    10. Human Services

    11. Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security

    12. Manufacturing

    13. Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics

  5. Digital Studies – 0.5 units

  6. Library Media skills (integrated into the subject areas)

  7. General Financial Literacy – 0.5 units

Utah Admin. Rules R277-700-6(3) (4) (August 12, 2021)         

The District may modify a student’s graduation requirements to meet the unique educational needs of the student if the student has a disability and the modifications to graduation requirements are made through the student’s IEP.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-700-6(24) (August 12, 2021)  

College and Career Readiness Mathematics Competency

A student who is pursuing a college degree after graduation must take a full year mathematics course during the student’s senior year unless the student has, before the beginning of the senior year, met one of the following requirements:

  1. A score of 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement (AP) calculus AB or BC exam;

  2. A score of 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement (AP) statistics exam;

  3. A score of 5 or higher on an International Baccalaureate (IB) higher level math exam;

  4. A score of 50 or higher on a College Level Exam Program (CLEP) pre-calculus or calculus exam;

  5. A score of 26 or higher on the mathematics portion of the American College Test (ACT) exam;

  6. A score of 640 or higher on the mathematics portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) exam; or

  7. A “C” grade or higher in a concurrent enrollment mathematics course that satisfies a state system of higher education quantitative literacy requirement.

A non-college degree seeking student shall complete appropriate math competencies for the student’s career goals as described in the student’s Plan for College and Career Readiness.

The college or career readiness mathematics competency requirement may be modified if the student has a disability and the modification to the competency requirement is made through the student’s IEP.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-700-9 (August 12, 2021)         

Elective credits

In addition to the 6 credits beyond the 18 units of required core curriculum credit, students must earn 8 additional credits to qualify for graduation.

[Note:  Because students must earn at least 24 credits to graduate, including the 18 core curriculum credits, the students must earn at least 6 elective credits.  However, the Board of Education may require more than 24 credits to graduate, thereby increasing the number of elective credits.  This section will need to be tailored depending on whether the Board requires more than 24 credits.]

Utah Admin. Rules R277-700-6(2), (3) (August 12, 2021)         

Assessment of student mastery of core standards

The Board of Education is responsible to provide students with access to courses in the basic academic subjects of the core standards for Utah public schools established by the State Board of Education, and for students’ mastery of those standards.  The Board of Education shall use evidence-based best practices, technology, and other instructional media to increase the relevance and quality of instruction. Student mastery of the core standards shall be evaluated through District participation in statewide assessments as directed by the State Board of Education.  Students who have not achieved mastery of the core standards will be provided intervention as provided for by State statute and State Board of Education regulations.  The Board of Education is responsible to ensure statewide assessments are administered in compliance with the requirements of Utah Code Title 53E, Chapter 9 (“Student Privacy and Data Protection”).

Utah Admin. Rules R277-700 (August 12, 2021)

Utah Code § 53E-4-302 (2020)

Utah Code § 53G-9-803 (2019)