Core Curriculum and Curriculum Adoption
Core Curriculum
The "core curriculum" refers to the foundational academic content that students will use in the Salt Lake City School District. We select high-quality materials align with the Utah Core Standards and that will ensure all students receive a well-rounded and engaging education.
The core curriculum includes subjects such as (but not limited to) the following:
- English/Language Arts: Reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are emphasized to enhance communication and comprehension abilities.
- Mathematics: Fundamental mathematical concepts, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking are developed to promote quantitative literacy.
- Elementary adopted program: Eureka Math
- Middle School adopted program: MidSchoolMath
- High School adopted program: College Preparatory Mathematics (CPM)
- Science: Students explore various scientific disciplines to understand the natural world and scientific methods.
- Social Studies: Social studies through the grades foster an understanding of society, culture, and governmental systems.
- Health and Physical Education: Activities and exercises are included to promote physical fitness, coordination, and a healthy lifestyle.
- Please see the list on the department website as it is updated regularly.
- Arts: Students are exposed to visual arts, music, theater, and/or dance to encourage creativity, self-expression, and appreciation for the arts.
- Foreign Language: Some districts include foreign language studies to promote cultural awareness and communication skills in other languages.
The core curriculum provides a strong foundation; schools may also offer additional elective courses and extracurricular activities to support students' individual interests and talents.
The materials that your student will be used are listed in the course disclosure document that every teacher provides at the beginning of the course. If you have questions or would like to review the adopted materials for a course, please reach out to your student's teacher. Additionally, the content area pages include additional resources to support the programs that have been adopted by the district.
Curriculum Adoption
About every seven years, school districts go through an adoption process for primary curriculum. This process is conducted by teams of administrators, parents, and educators. The committees are dedicated to ensuring the voice of all schools and educators are represented.
Each member of the committee spends 25+ hours over the 3-month process to determine the key indicators of a high-quality program that would meet the needs of district educators and students and review the responses and materials that were submitted from each vendor. 75% of the points are awarded for the quality of the curriculum, and 25% are awarded based on the cost effectiveness of the program.
The district will hold an Open House to display the programs that have been determined to meet the required qualifications for adoption by the district. Information about curriculum adoptions will be shared with stakeholders through district communications.