Curriculum, Instruction and PD

The Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development (PD) oversees a wide variety of academic and support services that are critical to the success of our students and our organization. 

Overview of our function in this area:

• Develop, monitor, evaluate and revise district curricula using the district Curriculum Review Plan and rubric
• Research and review instructional resources to support curricula
• Provide equitable access and allocation of resources

Overview of our function in this area:

• Support Implementation of all district curricula
• Work with Instructional Supervisors to direct & deploy district instructional coaches to provide support to staff in implementation of curricula, instructional strategies, and data driven instruction
• Ensure that students experience meaningful instruction and engaging learning activities by incorporating these activities in the curriculum and provide support for implementation
• Research best practices and apply that research to implement the teaching and learning process
• Ensure that students receive personalized learning by supporting teachers in the use of data to drive instruction

Overview of our function in this area:

• Analyze NYS and other district data to provide insight into broad trends
• Support buildings in preparation and administration of NYS testing
• Lead the development of local assessments as part of ongoing curriculum development
• Provide support to teachers in data analysis of district assessments (NWEA and easyCBM) and local, more focused assessments to provide insight into individual student need and to inform curriculum development

Overview of our function in this area:

• RtI is mandated for K-5 students. It is a decision making model by which teachers provide research-based core instruction that is differentiated based on student needs, and then uses a data approach to determine when early and systematic intervention and monitoring of students is necessary
• Interventions are monitored over time and level of performance to make educational decisions about student progress
• AIS is mandated for all students at risk of not meeting grade-level standards or proficiency on NYS Testing, including Regents exams
• To implement AIS at the secondary level, the district utilizes the core principles of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) process which relies on multiple assessment measures to support decision-making that improves academic and socio-emotional outcomes for all students
• Under this model, students receive support through differentiation in core classes or during additional intervention time

Overview of our function in this area:

• Develop a District Professional Development Plan every two years
• Implement the District Professional Development Plan to provide training aligned to the needs of the students and instructional staff
• Plan for all district Professional Development days
• Maintain a professional development calendar, as well as book rooms for district PD
• Approve and process all conference requests, including travel arrangements, when necessary
• Support all PD efforts in the district

Interested in learning more?

Download our full Professional Development Plan (current through June 2025).

Overview of our function in this area:

• Release the “Request for Student Teacher Documents” twice a year to all staff
• Ensure that all requests are approved by the building principal
• Maintain a spreadsheet of available teachers for student teacher placement
• Partner with regional colleges to place student teachers in our system
• Work directly with pre-service teachers seeking observation hours to place them in our system

Overview of our function in this area:

• Mentoring is a mandate for all new teachers
• Recruit and train district teachers to be mentors
• Plan New Teacher Mentor week in partnership with HR; provide a robust schedule of PD in  appropriate content and organizational systems in the district
• Provide support throughout the year for new teachers

Overview of our function in this area:

• Implement the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) college and career readiness system in all district middle schools, Albany High School, and currently three elementary buildings (New Scotland Elementary, Eagle Point Elementary & Delaware Community School).
• Expand opportunities to college credit bearing courses