Curriculum & Instruction
In This Section
Dyslexia Services
504
The purpose of the Kilgore ISD Division of Curriculum & Instruction is to:
- Provide leadership, service, and support to our staff, parents, and community
- Align the educational content materials to the specificity of the TEKS
- Align the educational content across departments and grade levels
- Focus the educational environment, practices, instructional materials, and programs of the district on student learning to ensure each student becomes a successful member of society.
- Accelerated Instruction- FAQs
- Advanced Academics
- Instructional Resources
- Challenges to Instructional Resources
- Health and Human Sexuality
- Staff
Accelerated Instruction- FAQs
On June 16, 2021, the Texas Legislature passed House Bill 4545 during the 87th Legislative Session. This law required school districts to provide additional accelerated instruction for students who did not take or “did not meet grade level” on the STAAR or STAAR end-of-course assessment in Spring 2021. Learn more about House Bill 4545 and Accelerated Learning in this video
- What is Accelerated Instruction?
- Who Receives Accelerated Instruction?
- How much Accelerated Learning is Required?
- When will Accelerated Instruction take place?
- How will I know if my student is impacted?
- What is an Accelerated Learning Committee
- How can I view my child's STAAR results?
What is Accelerated Instruction?
Who Receives Accelerated Instruction?
All students (including but not limited to special education, 504, and English language learners) in grades 3-8 who did not pass STAAR or end-of-course (EOC) assessments in Spring 2021 are required to have accelerated instruction.
Students that did not test last year are also required to receive accelerated instruction unless they were able to demonstrate academic readiness on a local assessment (MAP Growth or the State BOY Assessment) administered at the beginning of this school year.
How much Accelerated Learning is Required?
For each subject in which a student did not demonstrate academic readiness, they are required by state law to complete 30 hours of accelerated instruction over the course of the school year. Example: If a student failed both reading and math, they would have to complete 30 hours in reading and 30 hours in math totaling 60 hours of accelerated instruction.
When will Accelerated Instruction take place?
How will I know if my student is impacted?
Schools will send communication to parents in the coming weeks through email if your child is required to participate in accelerated instruction. If your student was in grades 3, 5, or 8 last year, you will be invited to an Accelerated Learning Committee meeting to discuss an instructional plan for your child.
What is an Accelerated Learning Committee
An accelerated learning committee includes the parent, teacher, principal or designee working in partnership to develop an instructional plan and monitor progress for any student who scores in the “Did Not Meet” category on a STAAR assessment or did not take the STAAR or EOC assessment in grade 3, 5, or 8 in math or reading.
How can I view my child's STAAR results?
You can find your child’s STAAR results through Skyward Family Access or at texasassessment.gov.
Advanced Academics
Instructional Resources
Kilgore ISD is committed to providing exceptional educational resources to help engage students in exceptional educational opportunities.
Instructional resources are educational aids or materials intended to be used by students for instructional purposes. These may include textbooks, online materials, videos, or other media. Books and other resources are also made available to students through campus or classroom libraries. Library books are intended for voluntary use by students as they self-select independent reading materials, and are not intended to be the primary source of instruction.
- How Instructional Resources are Chosen
- Selection Criteria for Instructional Resources
- Controversial Issues
- Challenged Resources
- Guiding Principles for Reconsideration of Instructional Resources
- KISD Board Policy
How Instructional Resources are Chosen
"Instructional resources" may include textbooks, library acquisitions, supplementary resources for classroom use, and any other instructional resources, including electronic resources, used for formal or informal teaching and learning purposes. The primary objectives of instructional resources are to implement, enrich, and support the District's educational program.
The Board shall rely on District professional staff to select and acquire instructional resources that:
- Enrich and support the curriculum, taking into consideration students' varied interests, abilities, learning styles, and maturity levels.
- Stimulate growth in factual knowledge, enjoyment of reading, literary appreciation, aesthetic values, and societal standards.
- Present various sides of controversial issues so that students have an opportunity to develop, under guidance, skills in critical analysis and in making informed judgments in their daily lives.
- Represent many ethnic, religious, and cultural groups and their contributions to the national heritage and world community.
- Provide a wide range of background information that will enable students to make intelligent judgments in their daily lives.
Selection Criteria for Instructional Resources
- Support and are consistent with the general educational goals of the state and District and the aims and objectives of individual schools and specific courses consistent with the District and campus improvement plans.
- Meet high standards for artistic quality and/or literary style, authenticity, educational significance, factual content, physical format, presentation, readability, and technical quality.
- Are appropriate for the subject area and for the age, ability level, learning styles, and social and emotional development of the students for whom they are selected.
- Are designed to help students gain an awareness of our pluralistic society.
- Are designed to provide information that will motivate students and staff to examine their own attitudes and behavior; to understand their duties, responsibilities, rights, and privileges as citizens participating in our society; and to make informed choices in their daily lives.
- For library selections, are integral to the instructional program, are appropriate for the reading levels and understanding of students, reflect the interests and needs of the students and faculty, are included because of their literary or artistic value and merit, and present information with the greatest degree of accuracy and clarity.
Controversial Issues
District professional staff shall endeavor to maintain a balanced collection representing various views when selecting instructional resources on controversial issues. Resources shall be chosen to clarify historical and contemporary forces by presenting and analyzing intergroup tension and conflict objectively, placing emphasis on recognizing and understanding social and economic problems.
Challenged Resources
A parent of a District student, any employee, or any District resident may formally challenge an instructional resource used in the District's educational program on the basis of appropriateness.
Informal Reconsideration
The school receiving a complaint about the appropriateness of an instructional resource shall try to resolve the matter informally using the following procedure:
- The principal or designee shall explain the school's selection process, the criteria for selection, and the qualifications of the professional staff who selected the questioned resource.
- The principal or designee shall explain the intended educational purpose of the resource and any additional information regarding its use.
- If appropriate, the principal or designee may offer a concerned parent an alternative instructional resource to be used by that parent's child in place of the challenged resource.
- If the complainant wishes to make a formal challenge, the principal or designee shall provide the complainant a copy of this policy and a form to request a formal reconsideration of the resource.
Formal Reconsideration
A complainant shall make any formal objection to an instructional resource on the form provided by the District and shall submit the completed and signed form to the principal. Upon receipt of the form, the principal shall appoint a reconsideration committee.
The reconsideration committee shall include at least one member of the instructional staff who has experience using the challenged resource with students or is familiar with the challenged resource's content. Other members of the committee may include District-level staff, library staff, secondary-level students, parents, and any other appropriate individuals.
All members of the committee shall review the challenged resource in its entirety. As soon as reasonably possible, the committee shall meet and determine whether the challenged resource conforms to the principles of selection set out in this policy. The committee shall prepare a written report of its findings and provide copies to the principal, the Superintendent or designee, and the complainant.
Appeal
The complainant may appeal the decision of the reconsideration committee in accordance with appropriate complaint policies, starting with the appropriate administrator. [See Board Policy DGBA, FNG, and GF]
Guiding Principles for Reconsideration of Instructional Resources
The following principles shall guide the Board and staff in responding to challenges of instructional resources:
- A complainant may raise an objection to an instructional resource used in a school's educational program, despite the fact that the professional staff selecting the resources were qualified to make the selection, followed the proper procedure, and adhered to the objectives and criteria for instructional resources set out in this policy.
- A parent's ability to exercise control over reading, listening, or viewing matter extends only to his or her own child.
- Access to a challenged resource shall not be restricted during the reconsideration process, except the District may deny access to a child if requested by the child's parent.
The major criterion for the final decision on challenged resources is the appropriateness of the resource for its intended educational use. No challenged instructional resource shall be removed solely because of the ideas expressed therein.
KISD Board Policy
Challenges to Instructional Resources
- Who may challenge an instructional resource?
- How will my campus handle a challenge to an instructional resource?
- If I am still unhappy with a campus' informal response, how may I formally challenge an instructional resource
Who may challenge an instructional resource?
How will my campus handle a challenge to an instructional resource?
If I am still unhappy with a campus' informal response, how may I formally challenge an instructional resource
Below is a list of books that have been formally challenged, along with their current challenge status
Health and Human Sexuality
Kilgore Independent School District (KISD) will implement a new health curriculum this academic year. The comprehensive health education program is an important part of the school curriculum in KISD. Starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school, it provides an introduction to the human body and factors that prevent illness and promote or damage social, emotional, mental, and physical health.
In November of 2020, the State Board of Education gave final approval to the new health education outlined by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS.) The new health education TEKS were effective in August of 2022, and will be implemented in classrooms this new academic year, according to the Texas Education Agency (TEA). This is the first update to the health curriculum in 22 years.
New Health Requirements:
• Senate Bill 9 (SB 9) requires school districts to educate students on the prevention of dating violence, family violence, child abuse, and sex trafficking.
• House Bill 1525 requires school districts to educate students on human sexuality. With the approval of Update 119 the board will adopt EHAA (LOCAL) policy, establishing a process for the adoption of curriculum materials for the district’s human sexuality instruction.
Under the new health and physical education TEKS, Essential Skills are organized in seven strands for grades Kindergarten through 12th grade.
1. Physical health and hygiene
2. Healthy eating and physical activity
3. Injury and violence prevention
4. Alcohol, tobacco, and drug prevention
5. Human sexuality
6. Mental health and wellness*
7. Promote health literacy
KISD’s Advisory Council
According to the Texas Education Code, Section 28.004, the KISD Board of Trustees is required to establish a local School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) to assist the district in ensuring that local community values are reflected in the district's health education instruction.
The specific duties of SHAC include making recommendations related to health education curriculum and hours of instruction, nutrition and fitness education, appropriate methods for instruction of human sexuality and strategies for a coordinated school health and safety program.
In April and May of 2022, KISD’s SHAC held two public meetings, one in person and the second one virtually. The council informed stakeholders of the curriculum materials before making recommendations to the board. Recommendations must comply with instructional content requirements in law, be suitable for the grade level of instruction, and reviewed by academic experts.
Board Approves New Curriculums
In August of 2022, two new health curriculums were recommended and approved by the Board of Trustees. Quaver will be implemented later in the year to students in grades Kindergarten through fifth grade. ESTEEM will also be implemented later in the year, however, the educational material is only for grades six through 12th.
Opt-In Process for Receiving Instruction (Active Consent)
Schools must obtain written consent from the parent or legal guardians prior to providing SB 9 and human sexuality instruction.
• The consent form must be provided at least 14 days prior to the first day of instruction.
• The consent form cannot be combined with any other documents.
Parents or legal guardians must actively consent in order for the student to receive new health curriculum instruction. If parents or legal guardians do not provide consent, students will not receive instruction related to SB 9 and human sexuality topics.
Parental Access to Instructional Materials
The district is required to publish information about the approved health materials on the website, click here to view. Copyrighted materials may be reviewed by parents during regular business hours at the district educational support center, campus, through the KISD webpage, or the publisher’s website.
For more information you may reference the QuaverEd FAQs, ESTEEM Program Overview or contact your campus administrators.