School Days: Gilroy Unified School District
Upholding the Gold Standard
in Teaching & Learning Materials
Written By Robin Shepherd
A
ccess to high quality texts and instructional materials
has a tremendous impact on the quality of education
our students receive. But how do California’s public
school systems choose these materials? GUSD Curriculum &
Instruction Directors Kathleen Biermann and Deborah Padilla
describe the process. . .
It all starts with the California Department of Education
(CDoE), which requires public school districts to provide
students with standards-aligned textbooks and instructional
materials in reading/language arts, mathematics, science, and
history. In recent years, CDoE has updated its curriculum
frameworks for these subject areas, and the State Board has
published a list of approved materials.
GUSD has responded by updating curriculum and adopting
new state-approved materials aligned with the new frame-
works. Prior to textbook selection, teachers, and students “test
pilot” new materials and provide feedback regarding interest
level, online accessibility, and suitability to the academic
requirements of all students.
Over the past two years our students have received new
materials for the following areas of study:
Fourth Grader Maleah Vasquez, Eliot Elementary, uses Bench-
mark Advance during reading instruction.
Elementary Math
Elementary English Language Arts
Middle School Math
Middle School English
High School Math
High School Chemistry
High School AP US History
High School AP World History
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
Amanda Macias, Third Grade Teacher at Eliot Elementary,
instructs students using the Go Math! curriculum.
Our new adoptions also enable technology-blended
instruction. Online extensions of math programs combine
educational technology with mathematics content. Similarly,
the English Language Arts programs allow students to inter-
act with books using technology as a medium. Students not
only have access to a vast digital library containing thousands
of books, but they can annotate, highlight, and take notes on
the online reading materials. Through this careful process,
we’re equipping our students with the knowledge and skills
to succeed in the 21 st Century.
APRIL/MAY 2018
gmhtoday.com
Adopted in the 2016-2017 school year, Go Math!
(elementary) and College Preparatory Math (middle school)
focus on building problem-solving skills that can be applied
in real-life scenarios. Students develop a conceptual under-
standing of mathematics, learn how to explain their thinking,
and practice applying a variety of strategies to solve problems.
Last year, elementary school teachers adopted Benchmark
Advance for English language Arts instruction, and Benchmark
Adelante for instruction in Spanish (used in Dual Immersion
classes). Study Sync is used at GUSD middle schools. These
programs address Common Core standards. These rigorous
curricula make use of non-fiction texts and a variety of
literature genres, encourage students to work collaboratively,
and offer materials at different instructional levels to serve
student needs on an individualized level.