General Curriculum Overview

District 196 offers students a comprehensive educational program, with high academic standards and expectations, with a commitment to educating our students to reach their full potential. Our beliefs are to:

• Set and maintain high academic standards;
• Meet the needs of all learners;
• Prepare students to be contributing members of a diverse society;
• Promote lifelong learning;
• Provide a safe, respectful, positive learning environment;
• Work in partnership with families and the community, and
• Manage our resources.

The districtwide curriculum, described by level (elementary school, middle school and high school), ensures that students will meet the same basic learning goals at every one of the district's 31 schools.

Each curriculum area is designed to provide students with:

• A high level of basic skills in mathematics, reading and writing;
• A high level of self-direction;
• An awareness of the arts and a sense of aesthetics;
• High levels of fitness and a lifelong interest in the use of physical skills;
• Insight into individual differences and the ability to work comfortably with different kinds of people;
• A capacity and respect for creativeness, and
• An awareness of our civilization, our heritage, our present and our future.

Additional Learning Opportunities -- In addition to the standard, districtwide curriculum, District 196 also offers students learning opportunities in a variety of other areas, including the following:

• Basic skills for students who need additional instructional help;
• Enhanced learning for gifted students;
• Chemical abuse prevention;
• Computer and technology education, and
• Cocurricular athletics and fine arts.

Special Education -- The district also offers comprehensive special education programs for students with speech, learning, hearing or vision disabilities; emotional or behavioral disorders, and mental or physical impairments. A child study process is used to screen and identify students with disabilities and their needs. Once identified, each student receives a specially designed educational program in the most normal setting possible.

The Special Education Department also provides the following services:

• Psychological services;
• Occupational therapy;
• Adaptive physical education;
• Physical therapy;
• Specialized assessments and instruction, and
• Special transportation for students in these programs, if needed.

Chemical Abuse and Prevention--The work of prevention involves the development of proactive programming to help students maximize their educational experience. The major areas of focus are:

• Drug Prevention -- Our ongoing programs include D.A.R.E. (drug abuse resistance education) in the elementary schools and the sixth grade Drug Abuse Prevention Program taught by high school seniors. A number of projects throughout the district, including parent and family education, curriculum development, staff training, peer education/leadership programs and counselors to provide direct services to students are also offered through the district's federal drug prevention funds.
• Violence Prevention -- A state grant is used for several projects in our schools and community, including integrating a strong violence prevention message into the curriculum, peer mediation, restitution, parent/family education, staff training and student presentations.