C&I Initiatives Dashboard

The Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) Department provides teachers with the curriculum and training they need in order to deliver high quality, responsive instruction. Curriculum initiatives are generally adoptions of new standards-aligned materials for use in teaching. Instruction initiatives are generally resources and/or professional development designed to support best instructional practices.

PRE-PLAN PROGRESS COMPLETE

Curricular & Instructional Initiatives

Status Category Initiative Description and Timeline
PRE-PLAN Curriculum

High School Living Earth Science: Textbook Adoption

Living Earth - A Living Earth Framework Group will be convened in fall 2023 to review the updated Living Earth course frameworks and create a scope and sequence for instruction based on the framework. An adoption process will occur after creation or the scope and sequence.

PRE-PLAN Curriculum High School Physics in the Universe: Textbook Adoption

A work group will be convening in Fall 2023 for teachers to review the framework for this course and create a scope and sequence. An adoption process will occur after creation or the scope and sequence.

PROGRESS Curriculum Grade 6 Core Novels

FUSD went through a two-year secondary core novels adoption process for grades 7-12 to create a collection of literature that provides students with a variety of variety of genres, writing styles, time periods, cultures, and relevant themes from the perspective of diverse authors and characters, including historically underrepresented groups. In the spring of 20222, the Board adopted the new Secondary Core Novels list.

This year, with the middle school transition complete, C&I convened a team of 6th grade ELA teachers to participate in the work of selecting core novels for Grade 6 to complete the secondary core literature collection.  Each middle school English Department and SurfBoardE were provided the opportunity to nominate novels for consideration.

The Grade 6 Core Novels Committee met on March 12, 2024 and reviewed the 15 titles that were nominated.  They narrowed down the selection to five titles.  The community is welcomed to provide comments on the titles still under consideration:

The Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

The Misfits by James Howe

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Community comments may be shared starting March 18, 2024 - April 16, 2024 at 3:00 pm using this form.

In the fall, the committee will reconvene to select the final two novels that will be brought to the Board for approval.

PROGRESS Instruction Cursive and Manuscript Instruction

On October 13, 2023, Governor Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 446. This new law requires instruction on cursive handwriting in grades 1-6 in California with the goal being that California students will be able to read and write cursive writing so they will be able to read primary source historical documents. This law became effective on January 1, 2024.

FUSD's Curriculum & Instruction department has created and curated cursive instructional resources and will be providing cursive practice materials to 3rd grade teachers to begin cursive instruction this year. A more detailed implementation plan is currently in development.

PROGRESS Instruction Climate Change 

On October 8, 2023, Governor Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 285. This new law requires science instruction on climate change in grades 1-6 and 7-12. The law states that an emphasis on the causes and effects of climate change and ways to mitigate and adapt to its effects should be taught.

FUSD’s Curriculum and Instruction formed a Climate Literacy and Environmental Education Network in 2021 to identify and map where climate literacy and environmental education occur in the existing curriculum K-12. This network is currently working to create climate literacy resources for teachers in grades TK-12.

PROGRESS Instruction Workplace Rights

On September 30, 2023, Governor Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 800. This new law requires public high schools to annually observe a Workplace Readiness Week including April 28th and to provide information to students on their rights as workers when applying for a work permit. The law also designates specific topics that should be covered in grades 11 and 12 that align with the history-social science framework.

FUSD's Curriculum & Instruction Department has reviewed the current adopted core curriculum and will be sharing with teachers where in the textbooks the topics are covered.

PROGRESS Curriculum

World Languages Curriculum Adoption for Chinese 1, 2, 3 & 4.

After careful consideration, piloting, and review, the Chinese World Language Adoption Committee came to a consensus decision to recommend Integrated Chinese, 4th edition (2016, Cheng & Tsui) to the Board of Education as the new core curriculum for Chinese Levels 1-4.This recommendation is scheduled to go to the Board at the end of March.

PROGRESS Instruction Living Earth

Development of instructional resources aligned to the California K-12 Science Framework.

PROGRESS Curriculum

World Languages Curriculum Adoption for Spanish 1, 2, 3, and 4 and French 1, 2, and 3.

World Languages Curriculum Adoption for Spanish 1, 2, 3, and 4 and French 1, 2, and 3.

The adoption committees met and reviewed the following curriculum with the perspective of the World Language Standards,World Language Framework, and Course Descriptions :

French

Title Publisher
Reporters (L1-4)
L1 & 2 printed
L1 2021, Klett World Languages
L2 June 2023
Defi Francophone (L1-2) 2022, Klett World Languages
Chemins (L1-4) 2023, Vista Higher Learning
D'accord! (L1-3) 2024, Vista Higher Learning
Te s Branches? (L1-3) 2020, Carnegie Learning
EntreCultures (L1-4) 2023, Wayside Publishers

 

Spanish

Title Publisher
Reporteros (L1-2) L1 2021, Klett World Languages
L2 June 2023
Mapas (L1-4) 2022, Klett World Languages
Senderos (L1-4) 2023, Vista Higher Learning
Encuentros (L1-3) 2022, Vista Higher Learning
Imagina! 5th Edition (L4) 2023, Vista Higher Learning
En Foques (L4) 2020, Vista Higher Learning
EntreCulturas (L1-4) 2023, Wayside Publishers

After a thorough review process, the committees have narrowed down the curriculum choices to 2-3 that will move forward to the Pilot Phase. The pilot phase will began on October 23, 2023 and will conclude on March 15, 2024.  Public feedback will be welcomed during this time.  Please use this link to provide French feedback and this link to provide Spanish feedback.

The selections are below with live links for public review.

French

Title Level Public Review
Reporters French 1
French 2
Review Links:
French 1
French 2
Username:
Fremont USD
Password:
KlettWL23
D'Accord French 1
French 2
French 3
Review Link
Chemins French 1
French 2
French 3
Review Link

 

Spanish

Title Level Public Review
Senderos Spanish 1

Spanish 2

Spanish 3

Review Link
Encuentros Spanish 1

Spanish 2

Spanish 3

Review Link
En Foques Spanish 4 Review Link
Imagina Spanish 4 Review Link
PROGRESS Curriculum Ethnic Studies

In 2021, the state of California approved Assembly Bill 101 which outlines the required graduation requirement for Ethnic Studies.  Students who graduate with the class of 2030 must have completed an approved minimum of one-semester Ethnic Studies course.  The bill also requires districts to offer this course starting with the 2025-26 school year. A workgroup of teachers will begin to look at the state's Ethnic Studies Model curriculum to help with planning for the course.

A workgroup of teachers was formed to review the state's Ethnic Studies Model curriculum and to develop a district Introduction to Ethnic Studies course that aligns to the graduation requirements. To learn more about the course curriculum, scheduling, or eligibility requirements, please review the accompanying presentation. A link to the presentation can be found here. Translations are available in Mandarin and Spanish. This one-semester course will be paired with the one-semester Health graduation requirement. Any questions can be submitted using this link.

The district Ethnic Studies committee will be reviewing three curricular resources for supplemental instructional use for next year's Introduction to Ethnic Studies course.  The community may review these resources and provide feedback from March 18, 2024 - April 16, 2024 at 3:00 pm.

Actively Learn (McGraw): Review Link

CA Ethnic Studies Collection (Newsela): Review Link

Voices (Gibbs-Smith): Review Link

Feedback may be shared using this form.

PROGRESS Curriculum Gr. 6-8 Math Adoption

FUSD's current textbook for Algebra Readiness is no longer in print and in the process of looking for a new curriculum, the new California Math Framework was adopted. This new framework revises instructional practices for teaching the California Math Standards. FUSD has identified a need for new curricula in grades 6-8 as our first step to align our curriculum and instruction to the Framework's guidance by looking for one textbook that will support students in all three of our Math Pathways ensuring they all have access to grade-level content.

4 programs were identified for further evaluation. Following the evaluation process, options were narrowed to two and both will be piloted between January - March. The pilot of Into Math by HMH will begin January and the pilot of Reveal Math by McGraw Hill will begin mid-February.

The community may review both curricula by making an appointment with the Curriculum and Instruction Department. Please email Jacqueline Cortez at jcortez@fusdk12.net or call to make an appointment at 510.659.2570 ext. 12716

Feedback may be shared using this form.

PROGRESS Curriculum & Instruction Climate Literacy

In response to FUSD Board Resolution 030-2021, C&I has formed a Climate Literacy and Environmental Education Network (CLEEN) that is comprised of teachers and students from across the district that continue to meet in the 2023-2024 school year. The group is identifying and mapping where climate literacy and environmental education occur in the existing curriculum K-12  and begin to outline a plan/recommendations of additional resources and opportunities to achieve the vision of the resolution. Click here to learn more about CLEEN.

The C&I Department continues to offer a Climate Literacy & Environmental Education professional development series and a Garden Network series that is open to any FUSD teacher.  The purpose for both series is to build awareness about climate and environmental literacy through engaging hands-on learning opportunities throughout the district and community.

COMPLETE Curriculum World Languages Curriculum Adoption for Spanish 3 for Spanish Speakers

On December 13, 2023, the Board approved the adoption committee's recommendation to adopt Galeria 2 (2020, Vista Higher Learning) for the Spanish 3 for Spanish Speakers course.

COMPLETE Curriculum Spanish Dual Immersion Spanish Language Arts textbooks adoption for grades 6-8.
On February 14, 2024, the Board approved the adoption committee's recommendation to adopt Galeria A, B, and C (2025, Vista Higher Learning) and Gramática Básica (2021, Difusión) as the core Spanish language arts curriculum for the Spanish Dual Immersion Program, grades 6-8.Grade 6: Galería A and Gramática Básica
Grade 7: Galería B and Gramática Básica
Grade 8: Galería C and Gramática Básica
COMPLETE Curriculum AP Physics C

On December 13, 2023 the BoE approved the committee’s recommendation of Fundamentals of Physics - AP Edition (2018) by David Halliday, Jearl Walker, and Robert Resnick, Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/John Wiley & Sons.

 

Select Initiatives

Status Category Initiative Description and Timeline
PROGRESS Curriculum Prisms VR Pilot

Prisms VR is a supplemental virtual reality math program for Grade 7 and 8 Math classes in FUSD that provides personalized learning for students. During the pilot, teachers will have opportunities to integrate Prisms VR into their instruction to support student learning that aligns to the new California Math Frameworks.

PROGRESS Instruction LETRS Profressional Learning Cohort: FUSD is hosting our first cohort on the Science of Reading with LETRS Professional Learning. The Lexia LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) Suite is comprehensive professional learning designed to provide educators with deep knowledge to be literacy and language experts in the science of reading.

Cohort 1 Update: The 44 teachers in Cohort 1 have been successfully completing their professional learning around the science of reading and have been engaged and thoughtful in shifting instructional practices in their classrooms. We will be meeting for our final in-person professional learning session this April which will mark the completion of the Year 1 program. Year 2 will begin in August 2024.

Cohort 2 Starting!
Through a partnership with the Department of Federal & State Programs, we are offering two new LETRS professional learning opportunities.

First, we will offer a second LETRS cohort for up to 40 teachers to increase literacy and language development knowledge and practices. Funding for this cohort is through Title 1 which supports effective, evidence-based educational strategies to close the achievement gap. Priority consideration will be given to Title 1 schools and attendance areas.

In addition, we will offer a LETRS for Administrators cohort to support elementary principals with developing and implementing their site literacy plans.

PROGRESS Instruction SVMI-LHS - FUSD Math Teaching Partnership

Since August 2022, 13 middle and high school teachers are part of a community of practice focusing on math instructional strategies to better support English Learners and students struggling in mathematics. This joint partnership between Silicon Valley Math Initiative, Lawrence Hall of Science Center for Equity in Mathematics and Fremont Unified involves a summer institute followed by collaborative lesson design, classroom observations, and coaching support from mathematics teaching experts.

Cohort 3 Starting!

We have collaborated with the Department of Federal & State Programs to provide two new professional learning opportunities in SVMI-LHS.

We will provide a third SVMI-LHS-FUSD cohort with up to 12 middle school and high school teachers dedicated to enhancing math instructional techniques to provide improved support for English Learners and students facing challenges in mathematics. Title 1 schools and attendance areas will be given preference during the selection process as this cohort is being funded by Title 1 funds.

The second opportunity will be a summer only institute for up to 20 elementary teachers focusing on math instructional strategies that support our multi-language learners and struggling students in mathematics.

Curriculum Adoptions 2022-2023

Curriculum Date Approved Grades
World History - World History Interactive: The Modern Era (Savvas, 2022) May 2023 Grade 10
Government - IMPACT: Principles of American Democracy (McGraw, 2019) May 2023 Grade 12
Economics - IMPACT: Principles of Economics (McGraw, 2019) May 2023 Grade 12
Health - HealthSmart (Education, Training, and Research (ETR), 2020, 2022 revision,  3rd Edition) March 2023 Grade 9
Chemistry in the Earth System - Experience Chemistry (Savvas, 2021) April 2023 Grades 10, 11, or 12

High School AP Statistics -  The Practice of Statistics Sixth Edition (Bedford Freeman and Worth, 2020)

April 2023 Grades 11 or 12

High School AP Environmental Science - Environmental Science for the AP Course Fourth Edition (Bedford Freeman and Worth, 2023)

April 2023 Grades 11 or 12
Supplemental Novels: These Violent Delights (Book #1) by Chloe Gong
Our Violent Ends (Book #2) by Chloe Gong
January 2023 Grade 9