Curriculum and Instruction

We are committed to:

• Effective instruction that grows the whole child.
• Preparing children for college, career, and civic life.
• Setting and meeting high academic, behavior, and social expectations for all students.

District Vision: "Believe, Achieve, and Create with Pride"

District Mission: "Engaging ALL Students to Embrace the Power of Learning"

Core Instructional Beliefs:

We believe in aligning instruction, assessments, and proficiency scales to the Iowa Core or National Standards for the course and grade level. This alignment begins with a clear picture of what the standard indicates students should know and be able to do. Then teachers create engaging lessons and activities that work as stair steps to the deep learning the standard calls for. Checkpoints along the way inform and differentiate instruction in order to push all students to achieve at high levels. Finally, students are given multiple and varied ways to show individual mastery of the standard that informs the letter grade.

Alongside the content, we believe in teaching the social, emotional, executive, and college & career-ready skills needed for success in today's everchanging global world. These competencies and constructs include teaching students: critical thinking, complex communication, creativity, collaboration, flexibility & adaptability, productivity & accountability, self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, and social awareness.  See links below for more information about these social-emotional competencies and 21st Century constructs.

Student Achievement

The quality of the district as a whole and each individual building is represented in the Iowa School Performance Profile.  The profile score is informed by student achievement on the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress, the culture and climate of the building determined by the conditions for learning survey, educator effectiveness, post-secondary readiness (for high school only), school finance, English language proficiency, and civil rights data.  The school performance profile is used to determine Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) status.  ESSA is Federal legislation that replaced No Child Left Behind for school accountability. 

See the links below for access to the School Performance Profile and information about both the profile and ESSA.

The Teaching & Learning office is housed in Oskaloosa Community School District's Central Office located in the George Daily Auditorium.