8700 South Kyrene Road
Tempe
AZ
85284
Resources for Families and the Community
Program of Study and Course Selection
Middle School Program of Study Handbook 2024-2025
The Kyrene School District Middle School Program of Study is designed to give students and their families information that will help them make appropriate selections from the variety of course offerings in our middle schools. Each course is described and prerequisites are listed so that students will know which course selections are most appropriate for them. The handbook also provides program information including the tenants of middle school design, models of instruction, assessment, enrichment and support, and descriptions of special programs and extracurricular activities at middle schools.
Course selection for the 2024-2025 school year will occur in November 2023. Packets will be sent home, students will complete their online elective interest form at school, and families can consult with teachers on class placements.
Core Courses
Middle School Elective Interest Sheets
Kyrene School District Curriculum Management Plan
The Kyrene School District Curriculum Management Plan is designed to support student learning by guiding the educational experiences that ensure high school preparation and life-long success. The purpose of this plan is to coordinate efforts in designing, developing, and delivering curriculum that is aligned from school to school and from classroom to classroom to meet the needs of a diverse student population. The plan outlines the expectations and procedures regarding the written curriculum, the taught curriculum, and the assessed curriculum. The curriculum management plan will be updated annually with time-sensitive information with a comprehensive review every three years.
Kyrene School District Student Assessment Dates
Kyrene School District System of Assessments establishes appropriate measures for determining the effectiveness of curricular design and instructional programming at district, school, and classroom levels. Assessments serve to provide data used to drive decisions at all levels, ensure that students are recipients of instruction anchored in a guaranteed curriculum based upon state standards, and ensure that students are recipients of instruction of a viable curriculum taught in alignment with the district’s scope and sequence. Summative assessment components will focus on assessment of learning; the formative and interim assessment components will focus on assessment for learning. The system is designed to be comprehensive and inclusive, allowing for the valid assessment of all students.
60-Day Media Center Public Review
As of January 1, 2023, per House Bill 2439, districts shall make available for public review a list of all books and materials purchased for any of the District's media centers. Each year, Kyrene School District will conduct at least one 60-day public review of new resources for media center collections.
We encourage students to make use of the school library/media center. Some general guidelines for behavior and use of the library/media center are as follows:
- The library/media center may be open before school, during lunch, or after school and available for students interested in studying, using the computers, or looking at or checking out books.
- Students are responsible for the care and return of all materials. In the event that materials are lost or damaged, media center staff will contact families regarding the replacement of or payment for the book(s).
- All school rules are enforced in the library/media center. Students are expected to study quietly, return materials to designated areas, and help keep the library/media center in order.
Arizona Department of Education K-12 Academic Standards
Academic standards are concise, written descriptions of what students are expected to know and be able to do at a specific stage of their education. Learning standards describe educational objectives—i.e., what students should have learned by the end of a course, grade level, or grade span—but they do not describe any particular teaching practice, curriculum, or assessment method. In Arizona, the Arizona Department of Education facilitates the development and update of standards and the Arizona Board of Education approves the standards for implementation. Arizona Academic Standards are implemented in all Arizona public schools and assessed on Arizona State assessments (AzMERIT and AIMS).
Kyrene School District offers elective Human Growth and Development and HIV/AIDS lessons to students in grades 5 through 8 in accordance with the requirements of Arizona Law and Kyrene School District policy. Click HERE for more detailed information about the Human Growth and Development lessons.
Kyrene's information and FAQ about Arizona's Academic Standards Assessment (AASA) and Arizona's Science Assessment (AzSCI).
Arizona Department of Education resources for Arizona's Academic Standards Assessment (AASA) and Arizona's Science Assessment (AzSCI).
Elementary Progress Reports Model
Reporting of student progress is standards-based in grades K-3, blended reporting in grades 4-5 (standards-based and letter grade in core subjects), and letter grades in grades 6-8 to align with high school expectations. Below are copies of the student progress forms used in grades K through 5.