A parent recently asked about Emerald’s curriculum,
wondering if we follow the much-discussed Common Core Curriculum that is being
implemented in the nation’s public schools. This engendered a broader
discussion about how Emerald curriculum is developed. The short answer to the
question about Common Core is a resounding “no.” Emerald faculty do not follow
any published curriculum slavishly. Instead, we have an ongoing curriculum
development process during which our faculty investigate and analyze available
published curricula, professional standards and benchmarks, and best practices
from other schools. At the same time, Emerald faculty keep the children’s
developmental trajectories firmly in mind as they consider when it is
appropriate to teach a specific skill to a specific child. As new research and
theories regarding brain development and functioning become available, our
faculty re-examine the teaching strategies they are using in light of research results.
Our ERB standardized testing results, which provide us with very detailed
information about our children’s growth as well as a comparison between our
students and those from other top schools in the country, provide an additional
source of information upon which we build curriculum.
Emerald’s faculty think critically about the information and
ideas from all of these sources as they work collaboratively to design a
curriculum that helps each child grow and learn to the very best of his or her
ability. Our experiential program, built around a new theme each year, provides
the framework for this curricular investigation. For all of these reasons,
Emerald students follow a curriculum that is uniquely Emerald’s and which is
built upon the combined knowledge of all of our faculty members. Narratives
describing Emerald’s curriculum in various subject areas can be found on the
program page of our website, at http://www.emeraldmountainschool.org/#!program/c1ktc.
Each year, as we revise, update, and enhance the program, we rewrite our
narratives to reflect the learning opportunities we provide for our students.
As our faculty work together to develop each year’s plans, they produce “maps”
which help them find connections between different subjects within the program
as well as providing structure to our own, Emerald-developed, curriculum.
The curriculum at Emerald Mountain School reflects its
developers. It is an inspiring, challenging, individualized, experiential, and
creative curriculum developed and constantly fine-tuned by faculty who embody
those very values.
