Curriculum & Instruction

This program at Laura B. Sprague School combines students with mild to moderate special education needs with community peers in a typical pre-school setting. The program supports students through a team approach including the early childhood teacher, certified classroom associate and specialists. The team focuses on language development, cognitive skills, and motor and social/emotional skills. We offer a half-day session, and an early spring screening assists with enrollment in this program.

The kindergarten program at Laura B. Sprague School focuses on providing the necessary support to build the cognitive, social and emotional foundations necessary to ensure school success. The program offers half-day sessions as well as tuition-based, full-day sessions. Each classroom teacher provides significant support for promoting every child’s well being.

At Laura B. Sprague School (Early Child–Grade 2) and Half Day School (Grades 3–5), the homeroom teacher is primarily responsible for daily instruction in reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies.

The grades six, seven, and eight programs at Daniel Wright Junior High School focuses on the middle school approach, which includes teams of students, blocks of academic instructional time, and exploratory classes.There is an eight-period day in which students receive instruction in reading, language arts, science, social studies, and math.

District 103 incorporates physical education, the arts, problem-based learning, service learning, library, and technology course offerings. Our Encore/Specials programs also incorporate 21st Century Learning Skills into the curriculum.

• Art: Full-Day Kindergarten, Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
• Family & Consumer Science: Gr. 6, 7, 8
• Health: Grades 5, 6, 7, 8
• Library: Grades Kindergarten, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Music: Grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
• Performing Arts: Grades 5, 7, 8
• Physical Education: Grades K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
• STEAM: Grade 6
• Service Learning: Grade 5
• Technology Graphics: Grade 5

Chorus, orchestra and band are optional fine arts programs.

• Chorus: Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
• Orchestra: Grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
• Band: Grades: 5, 6, 7, 8

The District 103 enrichment model, REACH, is a three-tiered model that is designed to provide unique learning experiences for all students and flexible learning opportunities to meet the academic needs of our high ability students. Enrichment specialists work with classroom teachers to deepen and extend the grade level curriculum objectives based on student needs. Differentiation is an integral component of this model. Differentiated instruction is a framework for effective teaching that provides students with varied opportunities to acquire content, process, and demonstrate what they are learning while making sense of concepts and ideas.

Description of the Three Tiers of Services

Tier I provides differentiated learning and curricular enrichment experiences for all students. This tier includes experiences that enhance the grade level curriculum through critical/creative thinking and problem-solving opportunities within a variety of inquiries, investigations, and presentations.

Tier II provides extension experiences for those students whose academic needs exceed Tier I. Teachers and enrichment specialists use formal and informal assessments, as well as classroom observations, to determine appropriate opportunities for student participation in Tier II learning activities.

Tier III serves students whose needs exceed Tier I and Tier II. Typically 3-5% of the student population participates in Tier III activities. These students exhibit high levels of ability, creativity, and task commitment in school activities based on multiple assessment data points. Extensions are designed to accommodate student needs. Curriculum modifications are designed to advance the academic development of students demonstrating a particular talent, ability or potential in specific subject areas.

The REACH Process

In the fall and spring, teachers from different grade levels collaborate and discuss students’ learning needs. Together, they review assessment data and share classroom observations pertaining to each student. The purpose of these meetings is to ensure continuity in a student’s learning program across grade levels. In addition, grade level teams meet throughout the school year to review student achievement and to make adjustments to their academic program to meet each child’s appropriate challenge level. Enrichment specialists are involved in these conversations and collaborate with teachers to provide curriculum enrichment activities for all students (Tier I), differentiation ideas for students who need additional challenge (Tier II) and curriculum modification or replacement for students whose needs exceed the general curriculum expectation (Tier III). For questions about your child’s individual needs, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.

For questions about REACH, please contact Katie Reynolds, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction at kreynolds@d103.org, 847-295-4030 ext. 9304.