Department of Curriculum and Instruction
The Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology of Holly Area Schools is committed to ensuring that every student is provided access to high quality, rigorous, and effective instruction. This is accomplished through a focus on best instructional practices and differentiated instruction to meet the unique needs of each learner.
Our curriculum is aligned with the State and National Standards. All of our schools follow the same curriculum at each grade level. The district recently earned Systems Accreditation status through the AdvancED Accreditation Commission, a national commission dedicated to improving student performance. This means that Holly Area Schools and all of its schools are accredited. Accreditation also demonstrates to our students, parents, and community that we are focused on raising student achievement, providing a safe and enriching learning environment, and maintaining an efficient and effective operation staffed by highly qualified educators.
Over the past few years, our department in collaboration with principals and teachers has met some very ambitious goals. The following are some of the highlighted efforts to increase teaching and learning across the district.
- Implemented a uniform school improvement process
- Developed a new elementary schedule structure
- Adopted a new and improved teacher evaluation system
- Modernized student computers across the district
- Engaged principals in an administrative professional learning community
- Increased teacher leader capacity through the addition of department and data advisors
- Implemented an aligned and documented curriculum in HAS Atlas Rubicon
- Continued the development of local common assessments in grades Y5 – 12
- Partnered with Battle Creek Math & Science Center to train K – 5 teachers on new NGSS Science Standards and provide students with aligned curriculum resources
- Partnered with Oakland Schools to provide training for 6 – 12 science teachers on the new NGSS Science Standards
- Developed a new universal data protocol to improve the way teachers collect and analyze data
The Holly Area Schools curriculum can be found online. Please go to Holly Area Schools Atlas Curriculum.
Resource Links:
State Assessments
Dear Parent/Guardian:
This spring, your school district will administer state tests designed to provide important information on student knowledge and their progress toward being career- and college-ready upon graduation. These tests are required by federal and state laws. Schools and districts use these test results for school improvement initiatives that benefit all students. The data gathered from this year’s state assessments will help educators support students when they return to school in the fall and move forward with their education.
Students in grades 3-10 will participate in the following assessments:
- M-STEP English language arts (ELA) and mathematics (grades 3-7)
- PSAT 8/9 (grade 8)
- M-STEP science and social studies (grades 5 and 8)
- PSAT 8/9 (grade 9)•PSAT 10 (grade 10)
Grade 11 students will participate in the Michigan Merit Examination (MME), which has three required components:
- SAT with Essay college entrance exam that also measures student knowledge on Michigan’s ELA and mathematics standards
- ACT WorkKeys work skills assessment
- M-STEP science and social studies
We want your child’s state testing experience to be as stress-free as possible. Your positive outlook will support your child’s experience. State assessment results do not affect your student’s grades in any way.
On average, a student will spend no more than three hours on M-STEP mathematics and ELA tests. Students in grades 5, 8, and 11 will spend an additional two hours on science and social studies testing.
While we support parents in making choices for their children, there is no acceptable way under state or federal law to allow an “opt-out” of state assessments. Last year, requirements for 95 percent participation in state assessments were waived by the U.S. Department of Education due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, this is no longer the case for 2022. Students who are not assessed this year will count against their school’s required 95 percent participation rate, which will create an incomplete picture of their school’s performance.
Annual assessments provide information on how Michigan students perform and how well our schools and districts are teaching students compared to those in other communities, states, and nations. Assessment results help target support and resources to students and schools that need them most. The test results may also inform future state education programs and policies to help Michigan students catch up on learning that was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
You can find information about Michigan’s state assessment system on our website, www.michigan.gov/oeaa. An excellent place to start is with the handout “Michigan’s State Assessment System: What It Is, What It Means, and What It Offers.” Additional information, including how to help your child prepare for M-STEP testing, is available at www.michigan.gov/mstep.
Sincerely,
Michael F. Rice, Ph.D.
State Superintendent
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