Curriculum Resources
Curriculum Review Cycle
A currciculum review cycle ensures the continuous improvement of MCPS. Teachers in a Professional Learning Community commit to continuous learning about best, research-based practices while being open to trying new different approaches to enhance their effectiveness (Eaker & Keating, 2015). In total, teachers are committed to improving student learning by improving their own learning.
MCPS Curriculum Review Timeline
MT OPI K-12 Content Standards & Resources
- Counseling
- English Language Arts
- Fine Arts
- Health Enhancement
- Library Media
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- Technology
- World Languages
Counseling
MCPS Professional School Counselors empower all students, regardless of difference or circumstance, to maximize their potential as lifelong learners and productive members of our local and global community.
The Missoula County Public Schools PreK-12 comprehensive counseling program is a dynamic model proactive in nature yet responsive to the needs of each school. All students have access to a full-time, state certified, masters degree level school counselor to deliver the school counseling curriculum. This curriculum is developmental, sequential, preventative, data driven, and an integral component of the MCPS 21st Century education model. In our practice, we promote the foundation for healthy well-being through the delivery of academic, career, and personal/social life skills. We value the uniqueness of each student as they become lifelong learners. We actively engage in professional learning opportunities essential to maintaining a high quality school counseling program. MCPS professional school counselors abide by the American School Counseling Association's rigorous ethical standards.
Curriculum
- K-12 Counseling Curriculum Document (59 pages)
- K-5 (Coming soon!)
- 6-8 (Coming soon!)
- 9-12 (Coming soon!)
Counselor Tools
English Language Arts
The Missoula County Public Schools K-12 English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum aligns to the Montana Common Core Standards. The standards, which are divided into broad strands: Reading Literature, Reading Informational Text, and Reading Foundational Skills K-5; Writing; Speaking and Listening; and Language, reflect the essential skills necessary for college and career readiness and responsible citizenship in the 21st century. All students need to be skillful in English Language Arts to successfully learn in school, to become productive members of society, and to achieve their full potential through life-long learning.
Teacher Tools
FAQs
- How does MCPS define “curriculum”?
- How were ELA teachers in each school kept informed about the recommendations of the K-12 ELA Task Force?
- What is guaranteed and viable curriculum?
- What data lead to the decision to implement a standard curriculum K-12?
How does MCPS define “curriculum”?
Curriculum is the standards that we teach. It is the answer to the first question of our four questions within a Professional Learning Community - "What is it that we want our students to know and be able to do?" Once the standards are clearly defined then the materials and resources we use to address the standards are aligned. This answers the second question of a Professional Learning Community - “How will we know if they know it?”
“The curriculum must provide clear guidance regarding the content to be addressed in specific courses and at specific grade levels. “ (Marzano et al., 2014, p. 69)
How were ELA teachers in each school kept informed about the recommendations of the K-12 ELA Task Force?
At key benchmark moments in the District Curriculum Task Force process, task force members and the Teaching and Learning Department take the recommendations of the task force to each school and meet with teachers in that content area. They share the developed curriculum components and recommendations and seek feedback to better inform the implementation. Some schools and departments have had multiple discussions for each content area.
What is guaranteed and viable curriculum?
- Guaranteed curriculum means every student is provided the opportunity to learn a core curriculum, which provides them with the probability of success in school.
- Viable curriculum means that the necessary time is available in the day, and protected, so students will be able to learn the guaranteed curriculum.
What data lead to the decision to implement a standard curriculum K-12?
It is important to recognize that the current student achievement data that led to the decision to ensure MCPS has a guaranteed and viable curriculum as a baseline of instruction for every student K-12.
As a district that is implementing Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), we know that our data shows our current student achievement very closely matches the levels of poverty in our district. Specifically, we have about 65% of our students demonstrating proficiency across all academic and behavioral markers K-12. In a solid MTSS model, the district needs 80% of students to be proficient at the Tier 1 level so that teachers, special education support specialists, counselors and administrators can focus even more intervention on the 12-15% of students needing support in Tier 2, and the 3-5% needing extensive intervention and support in Tier 3.
Our current levels show that we have 65% of students in Tier 1, 20% of students in Tier 3 and and 15% of students in Tier 2. In short, the needs of our Tier 3 students are overwhelming our support structures and our systems in order to ensure all students achieve progress each year. We are overwhelming our intervention classes by not having appropriately scaffolded instruction K-12 to address a variety of learner needs.
The first step to fixing that problem is to get the curriculum in place to ensure that all students have the chance to build the same skills and content knowledge and that students who arrive to school behind their peers have the chance to catch up with specific interventions to build specific reading and writing skills. This practice is designed to allow all student subgroups to make progress and specifically to catch up the students who may come in behind their grade-level peers. It is no longer acceptable to expect parallel progress from all student subgroups- some subgroups need to make more than a year’s worth of progress to ensure they are on grade-level by the end of the year.
This decision does not limit the ability to expose students at higher skill levels to more content in the form of additional activities and access to literature. The adoption of guaranteed and viable curriculum ensures a consistent and rigorous foundation for all students from which teachers can augment and develop extension activities.
ENGAGE NY Questions for Grades 6-12
- Where does IEFA fit into Engage NY?
- Where does Art Integration fit into Engage NY?
- How do we continue to work with the Writing Coaches within the Engage NY modules?
- What about Dual Credit, IB and AP?
- How do teachers access Engage NY?
- Where is the teacher flexibility in Engage NY?
- Why are only excerpts read in some novels?
- What about novels that are not on the Engage NY list for high school? Will we still be able to teach other novels?
- What does the ACT data tell us about our student achievement?
- What about accessibility to the texts?
- How do we include our ACT preparation, especially with grammar and vocabulary?
- How do we collaborate with local authors and resources while still using Engage NY?
- What is the cost?
- What is an “invitational” implementation?
- What does Professional Development look like?
- What data is used to show that Engage NY is effective?
- How do we include the lesson plans and assessments we have already created and have had success in using?
- Will there be any curriculum nights for parents to learn more about how this works in our child’s classroom?
Where does IEFA fit into Engage NY?
Teacher teams have already begun to dialogue about ways to incorporate required IEFA connections. For example, teachers in the 7th grade District PLC discussed comparing and contrasting readings about the Salish Long Walk to the novel, Long Walk to Water. As we continue to build our understanding of the Engage NY Modules, teams will continue to add in IEFA lessons with support from our Native American Specialists.
Where does Art Integration fit into Engage NY?
How do we continue to work with the Writing Coaches within the Engage NY modules?
What about Dual Credit, IB and AP?
How do teachers access Engage NY?
Teachers will be supplied with a printed binder that highlights the units and modules we are implementing in MCPS. All materials are also in a shared Google Folder so teachers can add student work samples and photos of anchor charts. Additionally Teachers can access resources online at EngageNY; however, this also includes modules and units we are not implementing.
Where is the teacher flexibility in Engage NY?
This curriculum is a literacy curriculum that is designed with every single scaffold teachers could possibly need. Each support may not be necessary in every class. In our district PLC’s we have identified common text and common assessments. Teachers may compress lessons together if students already know the content or demonstrate the skills. Teachers can also spread the lessons out so that they can meet additional student need. This promotes teacher teams when answering the PLC Question #3 - What do we do with the students who do not reach the standard?; and Question #4 - What do we do if students do reach the standard?
This flexibility enables teachers to meet the different learning needs of children.
In addition, this is what Engage NY says about the teacher flexibility:
The curricular and instructional resources on EngageNY may be adopted or adapted by schools and districts for local use. Some lessons in the modules provide detailed instructions or recommendations, but it is important to note that the lessons are not scripts. Rather, the lessons should be viewed as vignettes to help the reader imagine how the classroom instruction could function. These resources are optional and supplemental, and school districts are free to develop or purchase other materials for local use.
Lessons are adaptable to allow for teacher preference and flexibility so that classroom instruction can meet students' needs while maintaining alignment with the Common Core learning standards. If you choose to make significant changes to lessons, the Tristate/EQuIP rubric is available to help you evaluate the quality, rigor, and alignment of your adapted lessons.
Why are only excerpts read in some novels?
EngageNY is structured to teach so that students become stewards of their own learning and offers teacher support where and when students need it. Each excerpt reading is selected due to its specific text complexity and rigor aligned to common core. The use of excerpts is a current practice in many MCPS ELA classrooms because it allows teachers to focus on specific reading skills such as close reading and literary analysis.
Classrooms may choose to read more of each text than the excerpt or they may read the novel in its entirety, depending upon the needs of the students.
What about novels that are not on the Engage NY list for high school? Will we still be able to teach other novels?
EngageNY identified novels and readings for their Modules with the appropriate grade level text complexity and the recommended balance of informational reading and literature. During Module 3, a “seed text” is used to help students identify possible independent research projects. Teachers may identify other novels that support this student research.
The content in the Engage NY Modules is a baseline framework to ensure that all students receive instruction aligned with the same standards, with the same materials at the same time during the instructional year. If students in a given class demonstrate proficiency with the skills and content in a given module quickly, teachers can supplement with additional resources and activities.
What does the ACT data tell us about our student achievement?
What about accessibility to the texts?
All books and readings identified are available in large print and audio or through a screen reader. Additionally lessons scaffold the reading by providing a masterful reading, partner shared reading, individual reading, discussion protocol and writing. This allows for students more than a grade level behind to gain access to grade level text.
How do we include our ACT preparation, especially with grammar and vocabulary?
Each lesson has designated vocabulary instruction. In addition explicit grammar instruction is built into the writing units at the 9-12 level and throughout the 6-8 units. When provided with explicit instruction in grammar and vocabulary throughout the year, students will be less likely to need additional test preparation and it can be moved to classroom warm ups instead of an entire unit.
How do we collaborate with local authors and resources while still using Engage NY?
What is the cost?
What is an “invitational” implementation?
What does Professional Development look like?
Implementing EngageNY well requires that teachers become familiar not only with the Literature and Informational text readings but with the classroom protocols and delivery models as well. Each year PLC’s will meet as a district team and model teach discussion protocols and collaborate around best practice. Throughout the summer, there will be two optional PIR days and a rollout day on one of the August PIR days. Teachers may also use videos linked into the EngageNY website for additional professional learning.
What data is used to show that Engage NY is effective?
How do we include the lesson plans and assessments we have already created and have had success in using?
Will there be any curriculum nights for parents to learn more about how this works in our child’s classroom?
Fine Arts
The Missoula County Public Schools Fine Arts Curriculum is designed to inspire creativity, self-expression, and critical thinking through meaningful engagement in the visual and performing arts. Grounded in national and state standards, the curriculum provides students with opportunities to explore a variety of artistic disciplines—including music, theatre, dance, and visual arts—while fostering cultural awareness and personal growth. Through hands-on experiences and reflective learning, students develop the skills and confidence to appreciate, create, and contribute to the arts both within their community and beyond.
Music
Music Curriculum
The MCPS Music Curriculum is provided to students as a means for developing creativity and expressive awareness. Through music education, students gain powerful tools for learning artistic modes of problem-solving, which bring an array of expressive, analytical, and developmental skills to every human situation. Music serves to heighten our rich culture while encouraging self-realization and developing self-discipline.
In addition to extensive creative and recreative opportunities that develop a functional understanding of music, students are also offered experiences in listening, viewing, and structural analysis. This leads to an understanding of historical and cultural development, resulting in aesthetic appreciation.
Our purpose is to foster attitudes, understanding, skills, and enjoyment so each individual’s artistic potential may be developed. In developing their potential, students will realize that lifelong participation in music is a valuable part of a life fully lived.
K-5 Music
6-8 Music
9-12 Music
- Beginning Band- Grade 9
- Intermediate Band- Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
- Advanced Band- Grades 10, 11, 12
- Jazz Band- Grades 10, 11, 12
- Wind Ensemble- Grades 10, 11, 12
- Guitar 1- Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
- Ukulele 1- Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
- Beginning Men's Choir- Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
- Beginning Women's Choir- Grades 9, 10, 11, 12
- Advanced Women's Choir- Grades 10, 11, 12
Theater Arts
Theater Arts Curriculum
Theatre Arts curriculum and instruction are provided to students as a means for developing creativity and expressive awareness. Through arts education, students gain powerful tools for learning artistic modes of problem-solving, which bring an array of expressive, analytical, and developmental skills to every human situation.
The Arts serve to heighten our rich culture while encouraging self-realization and developing self-discipline. The Arts play an essential part in the educational program of every student. The Arts require serious study. They cannot be learned through random or casual experiences. The Arts require regular, systematic programs of sequential study leading to clearly specified outcomes. They require a curriculum. The Arts have content consisting of skills, knowledge, and understanding. The Fine Arts are offered as part of the total education of students in Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS). They address all three of the basic domains of learning: cognitive (intellectual learning), psycho-motor (physical coordination), and affective (expressing and feeling emotion).
Experiences in the Arts provide a conceptual understanding of the basic properties of music, theatre, and visual art. In addition to extensive creative and re-creative opportunities that develop a functional understanding of the arts, there should also be experiences in listening, viewing, and structural analysis. This would lead to an understanding of historical and cultural development, resulting in aesthetic appreciation.
Our purpose is to foster attitudes, understanding, skills, and enjoyment so each individual’s artistic potential may be developed. In developing their potential, students will realize that lifelong participation in the Arts is a valuable part of a life fully lived.
Although the Missoula County Public Schools’ Theatre Arts curriculum was developed to assure that students meet the Montana Standards for the Arts at the appropriate grade levels, MCPS Theatre Arts learning targets were written based on the National Standards for the Arts, which specifically address K-12 Theatre Arts education.
Curriculum
Visual Arts
Visual Arts Curriculum
The MCPS Visual Arts Program encourages students to develop their creativity and expressive awareness. Through arts education, students gain powerful tools for learning artistic modes of problem solving which bring an array of expressive, analytical, and developmental skills to every human situation. The arts serve to heighten our rich cultural traditions while encouraging self-realization and developing self-discipline.
Our purpose is to foster attitudes, understanding, skills, and enjoyment so each individual’s artistic potential may be developed. In developing their potential, students will realize that lifelong participation in the Arts is a valuable part of a life fully lived.
Although the Missoula County Public Schools’ Visual Arts curriculum was developed to assure that students meet the Montana Standards for the Arts at the appropriate grade levels, MCPS Visual Arts learning targets were written based on the National Standards for the Arts, which specifically address K-12 Visual Arts education.
- Standard #1: Students will understand and apply media, techniques and processes.
- Standard #2: Students will use knowledge of structures and functions.
- Standard #3: Students will choose and evaluate a range of subject matter, symbols and ideas.
- Standard #4: Students will demonstrate understanding of the visual arts in relation to history and cultures.
- Standard #5: Students will reflect upon and assess the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others.
- Standard #6: Students will make connections between visual art and other disciplines.
Curriculum
Health Enhancement
The Missoula County Public Schools progressive Health enhancement curricula reflect the growing body of research that emphasizes teaching functional health and physical information (essential concepts); shaping personal values that support healthy behaviors; shaping group norms that value a healthy, fit lifestyle; and developing the essential health and fitness skills necessary to adopt, practice, and maintain health-enhancing behaviors.
Library Media
To thrive in the 21st Century, Missoula County Public Schools' students must employ a process of inquiry that can be adapted to any information need. By using information literacy skills in all aspects of learning, our students become empowered and engaged lifelong learners. By learning to access and evaluate information, our students gain an appreciation and respect for diverse ideas and creative expressions. By learning strategies to manage and ethically use information, our students open the door to the world in all of its diversity. MCPS library media specialists, in collaboration with classroom and content area teachers, empower all students to become information literate.
Tabs
Mathematics
The Missoula County Public Schools' Mathematics Curriculum is designed to equip our students with the powerful mathematical skills required for the 21st Century. More than at any other time in history, society is placing demands on citizens to interpret and use mathematics to make sense of information and complex situations. To be well informed as adults and to have access to desirable jobs, our students today require mathematical skills that go far beyond what was needed by students in the past. All our students must sharpen their skills; deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts, processes and applications; and hone their problem-solving, reasoning, and communication abilities. Mathematical literacy is essential for every child's future.
Missoula County Public Schools is currently reviewing the K–12 mathematics curriculum to ensure alignment with the updated Montana Office of Public Instruction standards, which will go into effect in Fall 2026. Details about this process, including the work being done by the review team, are available in the MCPS Math Content Review Timeline
Curriculum
Teacher Tools
Professional Reading
"Rich tasks, collaborative work, number talks, problem-based learning, direct instruction…with so many possible approaches, how do we know which ones work the best? In Visible Learning for Mathematics, six acclaimed educators assert it’s not about which one―it’s about when―and show you how to design high-impact instruction so all students demonstrate more than a year’s worth of mathematics learning for a year spent in school." (Corwin, 2018)
Science
The overarching goal of MCPS K-12 science education is “to ensure that by the end of 12th grade, all students have some appreciation for the beauty and wonder of science; possess sufficient knowledge of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on related issues; are careful consumers of scientific and technological information related to their everyday lives; are able to continue to learn about science outside school; and have the skills to enter careers of their choice, including (but not limited to) careers in science, engineering, and technology.” (From NGSS Framework for K-12 Science Educations, Chapter 1, pg. 2.)
To that end, MCPS is aligning its science curriculum with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). “The NGSS – developed by educators, scientists and experts in science education – will, by design, engage students at the earliest grades through graduation so that all students become informed citizens who are knowledgeable about how science and technology affect everyday life.“ (From ACHIEVE implementation manual, pg. 84.)
Through a collaborative process, the K-8 Science Adoption team constructed a vision statement to guide science teaching and learning. "At MCPS, we believe through inquiry-based science students will see themselves as scientists who innovate, solve problems creatively and critically, collaborate and communicate effectively."
Curriculum
Teacher Tools
Professional Reading
"In the best science classrooms, teachers see learning through the eyes of their students, and students view themselves as explorers. But with so many instructional approaches to choose from - inquiry, laboratory, project-based learning, discovery learning - which is most effective for student success? In Visible Learning for Science, the authors reveal that it's not which strategy, but when, and they plot the vital K-12 framework for choosing the right approach at the right time, depending on where students are within the three phases of learning: surface, deep, and transfer." (Corwin, 2018)
Social Studies
The object of the Social Studies curriculum is to define the knowledge and skills that our students need to successfully participate in the 21st Century. With a firm grounding in history and the social studies, our students should have the capacity to make wise choices and to be full participants in a rapidly changing state, nation, and world.
Our highly complex society needs well-educated minds and understanding hearts; it needs men and women who understand our political institutions and are prepared to assume the responsibilities of active citizenship. Our students need to understand our history, our institutions, our ideals, our values, our economy, and our relations with other nations in the world because we live in an interdependent world and function in a global economy. Specifically, we want our students to learn about the cultures, societies, and economic systems that prevail in other parts of the world and to recognize the political cultural barriers that divide people as well as the common human qualities that unite them. Students will ultimately demonstrate their comprehension of this social studies curriculum through their active participation and commitment as citizens. The story of our nation continues to unfold--what happens next will be determined by today’s students. Our goal is to prepare them well.
Tabs
Curriculum
Teacher Tools
Technology
The integration of curriculum and technology is essential to prepare today’s students for participation in a viable democratic society. Therefore, the Missoula County Public Schools Technology Standards are integral to all curricula, K-12. In this document, technology may refer to the instruments and techniques for investigations, inquiry, and analysis, as well as to technological literacy, knowledge of technologies, and the associated costs, risks, and benefits to society.
Tabs
World Languages
The MCPS World Languages curriculum was developed by a committee of Missoula's professional educators. It is based on current research and best practices and is intended to help prepare our students for the opportunities and challenges they face in our 21st Century global society.
WE BELIEVE
- All students can succeed linguistically and culturally in our global economy and society.
- Second language acquisition provides the vision and skills necessary to be a global citizen.
- A primary goal of world language education is real-life communication as represented by the common core state standards for reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language.
- World language education develops critical thinking skills.
- Formative and summative assessment must reflect the goals and learning targets set forth in this curriculum document.
- World languages must be part of the common core curriculum and aligned with common core state standards in 21st Century schools.
- A K-12 articulated world language program should be available to all learners at all levels as they increase their language performance from novice to intermediate to advanced.