According to research, schools that demonstrate increased curricular coherence also show marked improvements in student outcomes (Newmann, Smith, Allensworth and Bryk, 2001). The first step in creating curricular coherence is to translate the standards into a local curriculum anchored in high-quality instructional resources (HQIRs).

While the Kentucky Academic Standards (KAS) establish what students must know and be able to do, the district is responsible for developing a curriculum that addresses how learning experiences are to be designed and selecting the HQIRs that will assist student learning. 

The Kentucky Department of Education is seeking up to nine districts and 27 schools, representative of eight regional cooperatives, to implement the Curriculum Development Process as they develop their local science curriculum. This would account for the participation of 2-3 schools per district. This two-year pilot will begin in the fall of 2023 and end in the summer of 2025.  

The pilot will focus on supporting local implementation of the four phases of the Curriculum Development Process outlined in the Kentucky Model Curriculum Framework.

The application process will be open March 1-April 28 and consist of answering a few questions and uploading artifacts. Districts and schools will be notified of acceptance on or around May 15.

More information, including application instructions, is available in the Developing a High-Quality Local Curriculum Pilot Application document. 

For more information, email KDE professional learning coordinators Misty Higgins or Fox DeMoisey.