Welcome to the Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Department for Urbana School District 116.  The Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Department’s primary focus is to support the achievement of the District’s Strategic Planning Beliefs, Mission, Objectives, and Strategies.

The Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment directly supports and plays a significant role in the following strategies and initiatives related to the District’s Strategic Plan:

• Development, alignment, and implementation of curriculum areas for Pre-K – grade 12
• Planning and coordination of district-wide professional development and implementation of effective instructional practices
• Planning and coordination of district-wide student and analysis of student achievement information
• Other programs related to curriculum, instruction, assessment and student achievement.

If you have questions about this information, please contact your child’s teacher, your school’s Principal or Director of Curriculum and Instruction at 217-384-3655.

Curriculum

The curriculum identifies WHAT is taught in our classes. The Urbana School District #116 curriculum is based on the Illinois Learning Standards and is aligned with the Common Core Standards for English/Language Arts and Mathematics, which were adopted by the Illinois State Board of Education in June of 2010. The Standards help us identify what a student should know and be able to do by the end of Grade 12. Illinois Learning Standards 

• Please note, USD has not adopted the National Sex Education Standards (NSES). Further inquiries should be directed to the Director of Curriculum and Instruction.

Instruction

Instruction refers to HOW the curriculum is taught. Teachers strive to put students in active roles during learning activities. Examples include paraphrasing information, problem-solving, hands-on activities, writing activities and critical thinking. Lessons include direct experiences with concrete examples to help students connect their current knowledge with new knowledge. Students are expected to take responsibility for their learning and are supported to set and achieve personally challenging goals.