Curriculum Policy

Statement of Policy

The Governing Board will assess, under advisement from the GCA Head of School, the academic effectiveness and fiscal soundness of the curriculum provided to GCA students and, in utmost good-faith exercise of its discretion, adopt, alter, discontinue, and/or maintain curriculum provided to GCA students.

Intent and Rationale

The use of standardized tests for promotion and graduation and the academic standards of performance stated in the Charter governing GCA render performance-based instruction mandatory. GCA must have policy in place sufficient to substantiate the content effectiveness and fiscal viability of GCA curriculum. The Governing Board of GCA (“Board”) is responsible to enact the necessary policy. The Board has determined that a standards-based curriculum will best serve the educational needs of all GCA students. It is essential that curriculum align with State standards and Charter requirements.

PROCEDURE TO EFFECTUATE POLICY

1. The Board will select curriculum vendors, under advisement from GCA Head of School (“HOS”),  based on objective criteria and merit in effectiveness and fiscal responsibility and  free of negative bias regarding race, handicap, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or military service.
2. The GCA HOS is responsible to ensure that Board policy is carried out and for monitoring the effectiveness of adopted curriculum.
3. The HOS or his/her designee will develop procedures for utilizing the Board-adopted curriculum.  
4. The HOS/designee will  ensure the following components are included:
   1. An articulated set of measurable academic goals consistent with the Charter. 
   2. An articulated set of measurable academic goals consistent with Georgia Department of Education requirements.
   3. Alignment with criterion-referenced and norm-referenced assessments. d. Reasonable consistency in terms of cost with comparable other curricula.
5. At the direction and under the observation of the HOS, the principals will be responsible for monitoring the delivery of the curriculum.
6. The effectiveness of the curriculum will be assessed on an ongoing basis and determined, in part, by the performance of students on local, state, and national criterion-referenced and norm-referenced assessments.
   1. The GCA Board, under advisement of the HOS, will assess the effectiveness of the curriculum on an as-needed basis.  
      1. The HOS will identify curriculum and/or other program materials, products and components currently in use that he/she has determined well serve, and those that do not well serve, GCA students.  
      2. If applicable, the HOS will identify curriculum and/or other program materials and components that he/she has determined will well-serve GCA students more effectively than those currently in use.  
      3. Based on the curriculum assessment and other pertinent factors, the GCA Board will determine whether to maintain current curriculum or whether change is necessary.  If change is necessary, the Board will examine and determine specific changes necessary, including altering current curriculum and/or replacing current curriculum, to further academic improvement and maintain appropriate standards of fiscal responsibility as required under the Charter.
      4. The Board will determine whether curriculum/program changes require that a budgetary modification be put in place and, if so, will take appropriate steps to so modify the budget.
   2. In addition to the as-needed assessments and recommendations, at least once every five years the HOS will create a criteria-based research agenda specifying existing curriculum to be evaluated for effectiveness.  
      1. The HOS will recommend to the Board an independent entity or individual, highly qualified for the task, to carry out the research agenda to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of curriculum.  
      2. The HOS will provide the Board with the results of the independent evaluation.
      3. Based on the curriculum assessment, the GCA Board will determine what is necessary, including alterations of curriculum, to further academic improvement and maintain appropriate standards of fiscal responsibility as required under the Charter. iv. Information generated from the program evaluation will be integrated with the annual planning and budgeting process of GCA in the year that it takes place. 

GCA Curriculum Effectiveness and Fiscal Requirements Policy