Changes to Curriculum and Graduation Requirements
The field of education is always changing and evolving, and it is the duty of the Dobbs Ferry School District to stay ahead of upcoming changes from the New York State Education Department and to ensure that our students are receiving the best possible education. Changes are coming down from NYSED related to curriculum at all levels and graduation. The new Portrait of a Graduate seeks to ensure that a New York State diploma represents educational excellence and equity for all students.
The New York State Education Department described the changes in a July press release as follows: “The finalized version of the Portrait of a Graduate, has been informed by extensive stakeholder feedback, thorough review of relevant research, evidence-based practices, and a review of similar work conducted by school districts and other states. The Portrait of a Graduate serves as a forward-looking framework, where academic excellence intersects with the demands of a dynamic, rapidly changing world. It reflects our commitment to preparing students not only for college and careers, but for life as engaged, thoughtful citizens.”
Major changes are coming for graduation requirements, including changes to standardized testing requirements, that aim to make graduation more equitable and encourage a well-rounded education and academic excellence.
The NYSED Literacy Initiative seeks to enhance reading and writing education in the youngest New York State students. This initiative comes with direction for districts to adjust curricula and instruction to be in line with the Science of Reading. Similar changes to NYSED guidelines are coming for math curricula as well.
Without additional funding to implement NYSED’s changes, it falls to school districts like Dobbs Ferry School District to ensure the education provided meets or exceeds the NYSED standards while remaining fiscally responsible.
What Does this Mean for Dobbs Ferry?
Thanks to an attitude of excellence among our students and future-oriented decision-making by school leadership, Dobbs Ferry students are ahead of the game. Dobbs Ferry School District has been an IB MYP (International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program) school for years, which aligns with many of the curriculum and graduation changes that are on the way from NYSED. The independence and responsibility of our students combined with a flexible and rigorous IB curriculum, have meant that high school and middle school students were exceeding most of the new expectations years before they were implemented.
IB MYP connects Dobbs Ferry Middle School students with their future education by making meaningful middle school-level educational experiences that develop confident and prepared high school students.
Springhurst Elementary students already surpass expectations in reading, writing and mathematics thanks to the Bookworms program and Illustrative Math. Both programs make use of groundbreaking research and techniques to give students hands-on learning opportunities that contextualize lessons in ways that make learning both engaging and effective.
The reality is simple. Dobbs Ferry students are the model that many other districts will need to catch up to, and district leadership intends to continue to lead the way in providing our students with new and advanced opportunities to succeed. Keep an eye on this e-newsletter and our other communications for more information later this school year about changes from New York State and how Dobbs Ferry students are staying ahead.
For more information on NYSED changes, please visit their website.
| 
