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Director
Schauna L. Findlay, Ph.D.
Mathematics, Business, and AP Coordinator
Laura Daley
K-5 Language Arts Coordinator
Natalie Nelson
Science, World Language, PE, Health
and FACS Coordinator
Joanne Schafer
6-12 Literacy, Social Studies
(open)
Technology Education, Career Education,
Grants, and Fine Arts Coordinator
C. Todd Cummings, Ph.D.
Intervention Specialist
Lori Wilson-Snyder
Middle School Coaches
Marjorie Goyings
Sarah Smith
High School Coach
R. Kay Wells
Secretary
Barb Smith
Secretary
Nancy Barrett
Literacy Coaches
Barbara Boggs K-5
Sherry Crisp-Ridge K-5
Kathy Douglas K-5
Mary Johnson K-5
Jennifer McDunnough K-5
Julia Tipton K-5
Math/Science Coach
Connie Fullerton K-5
Mathematics Coach
Harry Arbaugh 6-12
Social Studies Coach
Sandra Carroll 6-12
English Coach
Carter Jones 6-12
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FWCS K-12 curriculum is based upon the Indiana Academic Standards and is provided to students in accordance with the Course and Program Descriptions for Indiana Schools. The curriculum includes a planned scope and sequence of learning experiences of adequate breadth and depth so that all students can learn to high standards and acquire skills to succeed in life after high school. FWCS Core Curriculum identifies the skills and concepts to be learned in courses required for all students. It is coordinated across the content areas and articulated between the various grade levels. The English/language arts, math, science, and social studies curriculum are documented through curriculum maps at the District Curriculum Office website through Curriculum Mapper. All teachers of these courses document what was actually taught in their own classrooms using the master map to guarantee the FWCS curriculum is taught to all students. Curriculum maps include alignment of content, skills, assessments, strategies, and resources. Curriculum Mapper software allows teachers to see all curriculum maps and to collaborate to ensure a common instructional plan for each grade level. A support curriculum provides similar information for courses not required for graduation. For each content area, the district identifies research-based teaching practices. These strategies serve as a framework of instruction—they identify the educational practices that are expected in FWCS classrooms. Principals and teachers receive on-going professional development in the use of the FWCS instructional models.
A Curriculum Management System houses all documents reflecting the state’s academic standards and resources to support the curriculum. The Curriculum Management System houses direct links to state standards, frameworks lessons, frameworks assessments, pacing documents, directions to create and use curriculum maps, links on differentiating instruction, links on using a Levels of Service High Ability (Gifted and Talented) Approach, links to the FWCS research-based instructional models, links to the Institute for Learning’s Principles of Learning, and links to examples and information on informal and formal assessments including strategies for looking at student work and using instructional data to drive instruction.
An FWCS priority is graduation of all students at high levels of academic achievement. To that end, all courses that do not lead to additional study or direct use in the workplace have been eliminated. The district has a District Master Course file of secondary courses in which most courses listed qualify as Academic Honors and Core 40 courses (except for Vocational and Technical Education courses). Because no low level courses are offered within the district, students have ready access to the courses leading to Core 40, Core 40 with Academic Honors, or Core 40 with Technical Honors. The district does offer a few introductory courses in Basic Skills to students entering school for the first time in their lives. Since Fort Wayne is a relocation site for many Catholic Charities refugees, we have a substantial population of students who have no prior schooling.
All middle and high school students are encouraged to take courses leading to an Academic Honors, Technical Honors, or Core 40 Diploma. Counselors, teachers, and administrators, provide course planning information during middle school and early high school years, and then monitor student completion of a designated course of study to encourage the more challenging diploma options.
FWCS has waivers connected to the textbook adoption process. Of note is our waiver to use science kits in lieu of an elementary science textbook and to use the Discovering Algebra and Geometry series in our math courses.
The Fort Wayne Community Schools Assessment System is a collection of assessments aligned to the FWCS and Indiana academic standards in reading/language arts and mathematics covering grades 2-9. Designed as a critical component of a strong instructional program, the assessments are used to measure student learning and to identify student, class, school, and district strengths and weaknesses. Results of the assessments are used to modify instruction as necessary. Conscientious use of the Assessment System will lead to an alignment of the written, taught, and tested curricula which will result in improved student learning.
The Assessment System includes the following components:
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Acuity
— FWCS administers exams to assess Indiana Academic Standards and indicators in Reading/language arts, Science, and Mathematics.
The exams include both multiple choice and open-ended questions and are aligned in both content and format with ISTEP+ exams.
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ISTEP+
— a standardized, criterion-referenced test.
It is mandated by the State for all students in grades 3-8. ISTEP+ also includes optional standardized, norm-referenced tests at all grade levels. FWCS administers the norm-referenced portion of ISTEP+ in grades 3-8.
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SRI
— a computer adaptive reading assessment to determine students’ reading levels.
Teachers use students’ Lexile levels to match them with appropriate instructional level and independent reading level text and differentiate with scaffolding instruction based on students’ reading levels. SRI is administered in grades 4-12.
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DIBELS and TRC
— assessment used to assess phonemic awareness, knowledge of phonics, and oral reading fluency.
DIBELS assessments are administered in the fall, winter, and spring for all students in grades K-3 to determine current instructional needs. Students who are not at benchmark are progress monitored to plan for instruction and to ensure the instruction is meeting students’ needs. Progress monitoring is done by intervention providers or classroom teachers.
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mClass math
— assessment used to assess the basic early math functions in numeracy and computation.
mClass math is administered in the fall, winter, and spring for students in grades K-2.
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DRA: Developmental Reading Assessment
— assessment is used to determine a reader’s independent reading level, comprehension, and fluency (4-8).
The DRA is administered using the K-3 and 4-8 kits in grades K-5 only for students for whom additional information is needed to plan appropriate instruction. The DRA provides a full Running Record analysis and a comprehensive comprehension rubric. This assessment is used to confirm or re-direct ongoing instruction and identify struggling and gifted readers so that appropriate instruction can be delivered.
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ECA: End of Course Assessment
— Students take end-of-course assessments at the end of Biology, Algebra, and English 10.
Students must pass Algebra and English 10 to earn a diploma or receive a waiver.
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