Norwich Public Schools

Joseph F. Stefon
Director of
Curriculum & Instruction

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90 Town Street
Norwich, CT 06360

(860) 823-6284 x111
(860) 823-1880 (fax)

The Norwich Public Schools office of curriculum and instruction is responsible for the development and implementation of curricula in all subject areas. Curriculum revision is completed by certified staff in the district under the guidance of a curriculum committee chairperson – a coach or coordinator, principal, or teacher. The writing of all curriculum is based upon national standards and the Connecticut curriculum frameworks.

The curriculum is the cornerstone of a school district’s instructional focus and its beliefs in what students need to know and will be able to do to succeed in work and advanced education. A quality curriculum depends on the strength of its development and construction of its individual components and how they are designed and blended in a strong comprehensive program which meets the needs of all learners.

In keeping with the beliefs and philosophy of the Norwich Board of Education, the office of Curriculum and Instruction believes that all children can learn and can learn at higher levels than expected or recognized. High but reasonable standards are set for all students at all grades, in all subjects. We believe that it takes a strong curriculum, highly motivated students, along with a dedicated, highly trained cadre of professional educators and support staff. To support teachers adequate resources are a necessary condition for academic success. Today’s curriculum must prepare our students for a life in a technologically rich global society. Teachers must work to motivate students to want to learn and be successful give them the motivation and thirst to be life-long learners.

The Curriculum Council is a group of Norwich Public School teachers and administrators who serve a number of roles:

1. Advisory committee for the Director of Curriculum and Instruction
2. Support and guide the alignment of curriculum development projects to state and national standards to ensure the curriculum is relevant, coherent, dynamic and interconnected.

Council members will remain current regarding educational practices and will make decisions based upon research and data

The Professional Development Committee consists of representatives that vary by school, department, and/or bargaining group. This committee meets monthly with the Director of Curriculum to plan professional development activities, review evaluations of completed workshops, address particular school or district level professional development needs, and to ensure the planned activities and workshops are aligned to each school’s School Improvement Plan, the District Improvement Plan, and the overall needs of each district staff member.

Personnel with the office of curriculum and instruction are also responsible for state and federal grant writing and management, including the McKinney-Vento grant which supports any services for children and their families who are found to be in a situation where they are homeless. Office personnel also manage the continuing education credits for certified staff.

Although children's ability to recognize the letters of the alphabet is an excellent predictor of first - and second-grade reading achievement, children do not need to know all of the letters of the alphabet or know them in any particular order before they begin learning to read and write, says Dorothy Strickland in Chapter 5 of Teaching Phonics Today: Word Study Strategies Through the Grades. The best practice is to help children identify letters and numbers in an enjoyable way as they acquire the broader concepts about print and books they will need as a foundation for literacy.

Strickland offers these specific tips:

• Focus on letters that have special meaning for children, such as letters in their own names.
• Teach the alphabet song.
• Read alphabet books on a regular basis and make them available for children to look at on their own
• Make simple picture dictionaries available.
• Help children make a class alphabet book or an individual one.

Not only are these suggestions good for classroom teachers, but parents can do much of the same at home with their child.

Student Assessment