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Teaching and Learning

Welcome to Teaching & Learning

Welcome to Teaching & Learning

We are a collaborative, service‑minded team of thought‑partners who are deeply invested in the growth of every stakeholder. Grounded in research and in the daily realities of our school sites, we deliver responsive, credible support that educators want to opt into. By holding ourselves and our partners accountable for what is best for students, owning our missteps, and acting with intentionality, we build relationships that people can rely on and that consistently add value to teaching and learning.
OUR Values

OUR Values

To realize our Ravenswood Promise, we hold the following values at the core of our work in Teaching and Learning:
  • Science of Reading: We embrace evidenced-based reading strategies to ensure that all students develop strong language and literacy skills.
  • Coherent Learning Experiences: All students deserve an education aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and History-Social Science Framework.
  • Integrated Knowledge and Skills: Content knowledge and interdisciplinary language and literacy skills develop together—students need both to succeed.
  • Essential Academic Language: Proficiency in academic language and literacy is crucial for success in all content areas.
  • Support for All Students: We are committed to ensuring that all students, particularly those historically underserved—Emerging Bilingual students, African-American students, and students with disabilities—are supported in tackling complex academic work.
  • Opportunities for Learning: Students must have opportunities to demonstrate their understanding through coherent assessment strategies.
  • Building Core Competencies: Developing the social and emotional skills of both students and adults is vital for fostering a thriving learning community.
Learn more about Teaching and Learning

Learn more about Teaching and Learning

2025-26 District Priorities and Goals

Language & Literacy
  • 65% of TK-2 students are at or above benchmark in foundational literacy skills
  • Distance from standard improves by 15 points for 3rd-8th grade students
  • 50% of multilingual learners improve their English proficiency
 
Attendance
  • Average daily attendance is 96%+
  • Chronic absenteeism is <30%
  • 80% of elementary students and 65% of middle scoholers feel like school is a safe and welcoming place
 
Talent
  • All educators receive regular observations and actionable feedback from a coach or site leader
  • All evaluators are trained in the educator evaluation process, based in the California Standards for the Teaching Profession
  • A district-wide recruitment & retention strategy is developed

2025-26 T&L Core Practices

Our 2025–26 Ravenswood Core Practices are district‑wide, precisely defined, evidence‑based instructional and leadership routines that every school and educator is expected to implement with fidelity.
  • Instructional and Curricular Expectations: Use board‑authorized curricula as your primary tools
  • Scope and Sequence and Pacing: Plan collaboratively in grade‑level PLCs (including unit and weekly lesson internalization with coaches) and follow the Ravenswood Instructional Pacing Guide
  • Observation and Feedback: Engage in cycles of observation/feedback, and coaching is strongly recommended
  • Data-Driven Instruction and Analysis: Use curriculum‑embedded assessments with timely data entry 

2025-26 Adopted Core Curricula

Content Grade Core Curriculum
English Language Arts TK-5 Amplify, CKLA, 2023
English Language Arts 6-8 Savvas, myPerspectives, 2022
English Language Development TK-5 Amplify, Language Studio, 2023
English Language Development 6-8 Savvas, iLit ELD, 2023
Mathematics TK-5 IM, Illustrative Math K-5, 2023
Mathematics 6-8 Kendall Hunt, Illustrative Math 6-8, 2023
Science TK-5 FOSS NGSS, 2021
Science 6-8 Green Ninja, 2022
Social Studies TK-5 Savvas, Scott Foresman CA Social Studies, 2007 Digital Licenses
Social Studies 6-8 TCI, History Alive!, 2021
 

Embracing the Science of Reading

The science of reading offers a wealth of evidence on how students learn to read and write. Our approach encompasses:
  • Phonological Awareness: Teaching students to recognize and manipulate sounds in words.
  • Phonics and Word Recognition: Explicit instruction on letter sounds and sound-spelling patterns.
  • Fluency: Encouraging students to read and re-read from connected texts to build fluency.
  • Vocabulary and Oral Language Comprehension: Incorporating high-quality, language-rich interactions into instruction.
  • Text Comprehension: Teaching metacognitive strategies to enhance reading comprehension.

Universal Tier 2 Time (UT2T)

Universal Tier 2 Time (UT2T) is an integral part of our Response to Intervention/Acceleration (RTI/A) model within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). This framework ensures every student’s academic, behavioral, and social success. Key features include:
  • Strategic Use of Time and Staff: Creating a universal RTI/A schedule allows for targeted interventions and flexible student grouping for remediation or enrichment.
  • Mental Health and Social Emotional Learning (SEL): We are able to provide time for SEL without removing students from core instruction.
  • Data-Driven Progress Monitoring: Regularly assessing student progress ensures that they can move between groups as their academic or emotional needs evolve.
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Contact US

Contact US

Dr. Omar Currie
Chief Academic Officer
 
Shawna Tigre
Director of Teaching and Learning
 
Joy Shen
Director of Strategy & Academic Operations
 
FAX:  650 327-8397
Important Links

Important Links

Provides information about the current District Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), School Plans for Student Achievement (SPSA), School Accountability Report Cards (SARC), and other relevant plans and documents. 
 
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