Cherokee County Schools Curriculum Kenny Garland Associate Superintendent of Secondary Instruction Jodi Alverson Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Cherokee County Schools follow the North Carolina State Curriculum and Standard Course of Study to meet the needs of students and to prepare them for 21st Century skills. The North Carolina Course of Study requirements consist of the Occupational, Career Prep, College Tech Prep, and the College/University Prep Courses of Study. These represent a compilation of programs of study and essential knowledge and skills for each content area. Rigor, Relevance and Relationships are the hallmark of Cherokee County Schools. The district curriculum offers a balance of educational experiences designed to positively impact all students' interests and academic progress. Cherokee County Schools strive to provide programs of excellence to meet the needs of a diverse student population. Enrichment opportunities abound for all students. Activities such as project based learning, portfolios, science fairs, Super Saturday, Battle of the Books, Oration Contests, Math Fairs, Word Masters, Odyssey of the Mind, Literacy Nights, Spelling Bees, Conservation Day, Poetry and Essay contests, Field Trips, Dual Enrollment, Huskins classes, Learn and Earn courses, NC Virtual Public Schools, Advanced Placement and Honors courses, NC Graduation Projects, Student Government, and Career and Technical Education Clubs are among the opportunities students have to explore and apply higher order thinking skills. Staff Development: Teachers are encouraged to be life-long learners, continuing to keep their skills sharp and informed of the latest research in education. Grade level and content specific professional development meetings support and inform teachers of the latest changes in curriculum and testing. Student Achievement and Testing: Cherokee County Schools follow the NC Department of Public Instructions' directives for assessing student achievement through End-of-Grade and End-of Course exams as well as performing comprehensive student assessments throughout the year. Study Island, Blast-Off, Competititve Edge, and Test Item Banks are examples of benchmark testing conducted to measure student achievment and to diagnose areas for improvement. On-going monitoring of student performance is imperative to ensure student achievement and mastery. Education Value Added Assessment System: Cherokee County Schools utilize the Education Value Added Assessment System (EVAAS) funded through the NC Department of Public Instruction. EVAAS allows administrators to quickly identify students' proficiency levels and to project the amount of growth needed to achieve proficiency. The EVAAS methodology uses up to five years of available test scores for individual students to provide the best estimates of achievement for a school or district. Test scores for all subjects are analyzed at the same time, improving the precision of the estimates. The EVAAS database allows schools to determine their expected rate of academic progress.
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