2023-2024 and Fall 2024 (for 2024-2025)

• In the spring of 2024, grade 5 ELA teachers field tested two novels: Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes and Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan. Both novels will go forward to the Instructional Materials Committee for further review in the winter of 2025.

• New English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum was field tested, adopted, and purchased for 8th and 9th grade ELA. As part of our selection process, the curriculum was reviewed for diversity and bias. The new ELA curriculum (myPerspectives) was found to include more texts by diverse authors and more diverse texts than our prior ELA curriculum.

• The grade 2 Core Knowledge Language Arts Domain, titled: Ancient Asian Civilizations was added to the grade 2 ELA core map, beginning in the spring of 2024. This domain will continue to be taught in the 2024-2025 school year and beyond. 

• We map regularly throughout the school year with ELA teachers in 2nd-9th grade. As we map, we look for places where diverse content can be added to the curriculum map. In the fall of the 2024-2025 school year, several short texts (picture books and short reads) were added to grade level curriculum maps to further diversify the curriculum. This process will continue throughout the 24-25 school year and beyond.

• In December of 2020, we began a district-wide review of potential books for our school libraries. Our goal was increased and equitable access to non-curricular resources that are more representative of our students and those that include the perspectives and experiences of all peoples. This review was completed in the fall of 2024 and many books were purchased for our school libraries (into the hundreds).

Recent/Previous Happenings

2022-2023

• 4th grade ELA teachers and district administrators reviewed the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) unit on the American Revolution. The team identified the essential learnings for this unit and selected supplemental materials to go with the existing CKLA content. Supplemental reading material was added on Black Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War.   

• New English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum was adopted and purchased for 6th and 7th grade ELA. The curriculum was reviewed, in part, for diversity and bias. The new ELA curriculum (SpringBoard ELA) was found to include more diverse authors and more diverse texts than our prior ELA curriculum.

• The Instructional Materials Committee (IMC) reviewed and voted to approve curricular materials that were selected as supplements in U.S. History for grades 5 and 8 and novels in grade 6 English Language Arts. Materials that were reviewed and approved by the IMC include the following:
  • supplemental materials for the grade 5 Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) Native American Unit, including materials from Since Time Immemorial (OSPI’s tribal sovereignty curriculum - which is now called John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial curriculum), Smithsonian, and Native Knowledge 360;
  • novels for grade 6 ELA, including: The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis and Night on Fire by Ronald Kidd;
  • supplemental materials for the grade 8 U.S. History unit titled: Sectionalism and the Civil War, including primary source documents (letters) for the Fugitive Slave Act and letters from black soldiers and their family members.
• These supplemental materials were adopted by the UPSD School Board in 2022, making them part of each grade level’s adopted curriculum.  

November 2021-June 2022
The 6th and 7th grade ELA teams are field testing ELA curriculum for adoption in the spring of 2022. Parameters for equity and bias are part of this initial review/field test.

December 2021
The Equity Advisory Committee identified a subcommittee to work alongside teaching teams who are evaluating and modifying courses to be more equitable in accordance with Policy 2020. This subcommittee will rotate members according to their ability to serve and expertise in specific content areas. Members of this subcommittee will also review materials alongside the Instructional Materials Committee (IMC).

November 2021
The Grade 8 U.S. History Team began reviewing their unit on the Foundations of the Constitution.  The team identified places where supplemental student tasks and resources were needed.  A student task was selected from the Choices curriculum to supplement the content in this unit. 
 
August 2021
The Grade 11 U.S. History Team met to determine a plan for equity curriculum review.  The team will meet in second semester to identify units from their U.S. History curriculum that need revision and to work together to identify supplemental resources to fill gaps.  

August 2021
The Grade 8 U.S. History Team began reviewing their unit on The Southern Colonies.  The team identified places where supplemental resources were needed.  Additional resources were added to the unity, including an excerpt by Olaudah Equiano which gives a narrative account of what it was like on a slave ship.