The philosophy of the Curriculum Council is based on the school’s mission statement, created by a Restructuring Committee, which states that our school will offer a current, comprehensive, and flexible curriculum that provides students with multiple opportunities to achieve their fullest potential now and in the future.  It is the goal of the Curriculum Council to foster and environment that invited students to become thoughtful, responsible participants in our democracy and to acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to be effective problem solvers.

Purpose

The purpose of the Dumont High School Curriculum Council is to monitor the high school curriculum, to review proposals for curricular change, to research and explore curriculum-related policies and to make recommendations for future courses and programs to the Director of Curriculum & Instruction and to the Superintendent of Schools. 

The Council

The council, appointed by the Principal, will be comprised (ideally) of at least one representative from each department: (Art, Industrial Art, Family & Consumer Science, Language Arts, World Languages, Math, Business, Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Music, and Guidance), the Principal (Chairman of the Council), two subject Supervisors, a Co-Chair of the council (selected by the principal), and the Director of Curriculum & Instruction.  Each member will earn 10 Professional Development hours each year.  All council members are expected serve on a sub-committee.

Council Procedures

1.   Regular meetings shall be held each month from October through May at Dumont High School.

2.   The chairperson is responsible for scheduling all council meetings and informing council members of meeting times and locations.

3.   The chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the Council. In the absence of the chairperson, the co-chairperson shall preside.

4.   A department representative who is unable to attend a meeting may be represented by another member of that department. Department representatives will also be responsible for disseminating information and keeping their departments current with the workings of the full council as well as sub-committees.

5.   Special subcommittees may be established by the Principal to research and explore particular goals and objectives and report their findings to the council.

1.   The process of curriculum addition, deletion, or change needs approximately 8 months of a school-calendar year for review by the council.  Proposals may not need the 8 months of review and study.  However, if a faculty member wishes to see a curriculum addition, deletion, or change take effect for the school year following the proposal, a September submission is required.

2.   Any faculty member, department, building administrator, or district administrator may submit written proposals of curriculum addition, deletion, or changes, to the chairperson or co-chair of the council at least one month prior to meetings.  The council’s expectation, however, is that all proposals from any source be discussed with the representative’s department(s) and supervisor(s) as thoroughly as possible before they are submitted to the council. 

3.   Upon receipt of a written proposal, the chairperson will add the proposal to the next meeting’s agenda.

4.   All submitted, written proposals will then be read at the following council meeting.  A sub-committee will then be formed by the chairperson or co-chair to discuss and establish the impact of the proposal.

5.   The sub-committee may then request additional information either in writing or by oral presentation from the proposal’s sponsor(s), refer the proposal back to the sponsor(s) for revision, or bring the full written proposal and the sub-committee’s recommendation to the council for approval.

6.   Final decisions regarding any proposal will be made by a consensus of the council. 

7.   Accepted proposals will be recommended directly to the Director of Curriculum & Instruction and to the Superintendent of Schools for adoption by the Board of Education.

8.   The recommendations of the council will be shared at the faculty meeting following the recommendation.

9.   It is understood that the Superintendent of Schools and the Board of Education have the right of final approval in all matters of curriculum.

Note: Curriculum mandates or directives from the Superintendent of Schools or the Director of Curriculum & Instruction will not be reviewed for council approval.  In such cases, the council chairperson or co-chair will share the mandate or directive and report the changes, adoption, or additions, or deletions with the faculty. 

Curriculum Council Sub-Committees Procedures

1.   The subcommittees shall meet on an as-needed basis. Meetings may be rescheduled, or special meetings called, by the principal if necessary.

2.  The subcommittee chairpersons shall record and maintain, as a file, the minutes of all subcommittee meetings and shall submit copies of the minutes, as edited by the representatives, to committee members and faculty members not more than ten (10) days after each meeting.