Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment

Aligning curriculum, assessment, and instruction allows teachers to streamline their work and ensure all students have equitable access to an education that prepares them for the future. This leadership practice offers processes school leaders can engage in with their staff to create efficient and effective daily teaching and learning experiences.

Curriculum

Tecumseh Public Schools have the highest expectations for learning achievement and are committed to providing high-quality learning opportunities for all students to achieve high levels of success. All core curriculum is aligned to the Michigan Academic Standards.

Michigan's Academic Standards

According to the dictionary, a standard is “something considered by an authority or by general consent as a basis of comparison”. Today’s world is replete with standards documents such as standards of care, standards of quality, and even standard operating procedures. These various sets of standards serve to outline agreed-upon expectations, rules, or actions which guide practice and provide a platform for evaluating or comparing these practices.

The State academic standards posted here serve to outline learning expectations for Michigan’s students and are intended to guide local curriculum development. They should be used as a framework by schools for curriculum development with the curriculum itself prescribing instructional resources, methods, progressions, and additional knowledge valued by the local community. Furthermore, these standards provide a platform for State assessments, which are used to measure how well schools are providing opportunities for all students to learn the content outlined by the standards.

On this page, you will also find the course/credit descriptions and guidelines for implementing the Michigan Merit Curriculum for each subject area. For questions related to Academic Standards, please call the Office of Educational Supports Educational Experiences Unit at 517-241-2219.

Please note: Alternate Content Expectations are intended ONLY for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE), in partnership with The Comprehensive Center Network Region 8, is providing the following report: Tools and Guidance for Evaluating Bias in Instructional Materials. Districts may use this report to identify tools and rubrics that will assess bias in local standards and curricular materials.

For more information, on the Academic Standards set forth by the Michigan Department of Education, click here.

English Language Arts

Curriculum Associates Magnetic Reading (K-5th grade)
Magnetic Reading K–5 connects the Art of Teaching with the Science of Reading. The intuitive, systematic approach to instruction and rich, engaging texts draw students to the center of learning each and every day.

McGraw-Hill Studysync (6th-8th grade)
StudySync is a complete ELA curriculum designed to meet the rigorous academic needs of today’s classroom. In print and online, StudySync is designed to engage every student, because every student deserves the same opportunity and access in the classroom, regardless of his or her native language, learning level or physical, social and emotional ability.

Math

Curriculum Associates i-Ready Classroom Mathematics (K-4th grade)
i-Ready Classroom Mathematics is a robust mathematics program that will help students become strong, independent mathematical thinkers. The program uses an enhanced and strategic approach to math instruction, focusing on reason, problem solving, and student-to-student conversations about conceptual mastery.

McGraw-Hill Reveal Math (5th-12th grade)
Reveal Math™ is a coherent, vertically aligned 6–12 core math solution that empowers educators to uncover the mathematician in every student through powerful explorations, rich mathematical discourse, and timely individualized learning opportunities.

Michigan Merit Curriculum

Introduction The Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) is crafted around the philosophical belief that all students will need post-secondary learning opportunities beyond high school. It is not a curriculum in the traditional sense in that it doesn’t describe instructional materials and approaches. Instead it specifies that all students who earn a diploma, at a minimum, have demonstrated proficiency with the content outlined by the state academic standards or guidelines. Since districts are responsible for awarding diplomas so too are they responsible for providing all students the opportunity to learn the content outlined by the standards. As the learning skills for college and the workplace have merged, the MMC, if properly implemented, will prepare students with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in our global economy and an emerging workforce. The MMC supports the need for personalization, acceleration, and innovation in an atmosphere of high expectations and high support for students earning a diploma in Michigan.

Michigan High School Graduation Requirements (18 Credits)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA) – 4 Credits

Proficiency in State Content Standards for ELA (4 credits)

MATHEMATICS – 4 Credits

Proficiency in State Content Standards for Mathematics (3 credits); and
Proficiency in district approved 4th Mathematics credit options (1 credit) (Student MUST have a Math experience in their final year of high school.).

ONLINE LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Course, Learning, or Integrated Learning Experience

PHYSICAL EDUCATION & HEALTH – 1 Credit

Proficiency in State Content Standards for Physical Education and Health (1 credit); or
Proficiency with State Content Standards for Health (1/2 credit) and district approved extracurricular activities involving physical activities (1/2 credit)

SCIENCE – 3 Credits

Proficiency in State Content Standards for Science (3 credits); or
Beginning with the Class of 2015: Proficiency in some State Content Standards for Science (2 credits) and completion of a Department approved formal Career and Technical Education (CTE) program (1 credit)

SOCIAL STUDIES – 3 Credits

Proficiency in State Content Standards for Social Studies (3 credits)

VISUAL, PERFORMING, AND APPLIED ARTS – 1 Credit

Proficiency in State Content Standards for Visual, Performing, and Applied Arts (1 credit)

WORLD LANGUAGE – 2 Credits (Effective with students entering 3rd Grade in 2006)

Formal coursework or an equivalent learning experience in Grades K-12 (2 credits); or
Formal coursework or an equivalent learning experience in Grades K-12 (1 credit) and completion of a Department approved formal Career and Technical Education program or an additional visual, performing, and applied arts credit (1 credit)

THS Course Guide (2023-24 - Subject to revisions)

TPS Elective Offerings
Tecumseh Public Schools prides itself on offering a wide range of elective courses in Health/Physical Education, Art, Music and Science. Students have scheduled time daily to expand their experiences in these subject areas.

Project Lead the Way (Y5-8th grade)
Project Lead the Way is offered for students in grades Young 5th through eighth grade. Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is an innovative project-based learning program that incorporates science, technology, engineering, and math. PLTW empowers students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges in an exciting and engaging way.

Tecumseh Virtual Academy
The Tecumseh Virtual Academy (TVA) uses Edmentum Courseware as their online learning platform. Courses address a wide range of educational needs including original credit, credit recovery, career readiness, college readiness, and higher education options.

INSTRUCTION

Tecumseh Public Schools uses a systematic approach to teaching and learning through the Direct Interactive Instruction model. The model includes 4 main effective instructional practices:

Standards and Measurable Objectives:
Standard and Measurable objectives are posted and clarified at the beginning of the lesson and students are offered an opportunity to “show what they know” at the end of a lesson.

Lesson Structure and Sequence:
Lessons are provided a gradual transfer of accountability from the teacher to the student through consistent instructional routines that include Modeling, Structured Practice, Guided Practice, and finally Independent Practice

Student Engagement:
Teacher and student engagement is maintained through fast-paced instruction, multiple levels of interaction, frequent checking for understanding, and explicit feedback

Proactive Classroom Management:
Classroom management is positive, preventative, and embedded within the instruction. Rules, procedures, and consequences are systematically and consistently taught and applied, resulting in a high degree of engagement.

ASSESSMENT

Tecumseh Public Schools uses a variety of comprehensive assessments to monitor standards mastery, student proficiency, and student growth over time.

i-Ready Benchmark Assessment
Administered three times per year for students in grades kindergarten through 10th grade. i-Ready assesses students' reading and math skills to the sub-domain level, prescribing differentiated Common Core instruction so learners of all abilities can achieve success.

Understanding i-Ready Assessment Results

State Assessments
Students take the M-Step assessment in the spring of grades 3-8 and 11. Eleventh grade students also take the SAT and ACT WorkKeys assessment.

More information on important dates and how to help prepare your child for the assessment can be found at the Michigan Department of Education’s website.

STAFF RESOURCES