Teaching & Learning

The Department of Teaching and Learning oversees Curriculum and Instruction.

Elementary

At the elementary level, BHAS utilizes a variety of curricular programs that support student success in school by guiding them to learn necessary skills and acquire positive attitudes toward academic mastery. Programs support decision making, skill development and awareness, while students explore educational possibilities and pathways.

Secondary

At the secondary level, BHAS’s curricular programs focus on the rapidly changing needs of young teens and our students who are becoming responsible adults. Our curricular goals help to develop realistic and fulfilling life plans based on clear understandings of themselves and their needs, interests, abilities and skills. Our Middle School, High school and Alternative Education center curriculum meet the simultaneous needs of meeting graduation requirements, preparing for college and assisting our students to develop competence in decision-making career planning and working with others while taking responsibility for their own behavior.

Michigan Core Content Standards

The state academic standards serve to outline learning expectations for Michigan’s students and are intended to guide local curriculum development. They should be used as a framework by schools for curriculum development with the curriculum itself prescribing instructional resources, methods, progressions, and additional knowledge valued by the local community. Furthermore, these standards provide a platform for state assessments, which are used to measure how well schools are providing opportunities for all students to learn the content outlined by the standards.

Academic Standards

Michigan Merit Curriculum & Graduation Requirements

The Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) is not a curriculum in the traditional sense - it is legislation that specifies all students awarded a diploma have demonstrated proficiency with the content outlined by the state academic standards, benchmarks or guidelines.

Michigan Merit Curriculum One-Pager

Curriculum Works

Benton Harbor Area Schools is excited to announce our partnership with Curriculum Works, a comprehensive, teacher-driven, educational tool that streamlines all things teaching and learning. Our partnership comes from a shared vision of providing high quality, results-oriented learning experiences for all students, no matter which classroom or teacher they are assigned.  With this partnership, each child will receive the same opportunity to learn at high levels.

Our work together ensures that all teachers have full access to approved and up-to-date curriculum resources and all required standards and concepts are being taught throughout the school year.  This new platform provides administrators the transparency needed to track and review all curriculum, plans and daily lessons to provide accountability.  BHAS educators are further enabled to use their creativity and work collaboratively to share best practices with each other.  Collaboration and accountability will be extended to our stakeholders by providing teachers the ability to share their courses and lessons with our students’ caregivers.   As an example, below are links to the core curriculum by grade level and course. Please click on the view icon (eyeball) to view any lesson on a specific day of the school year.

Benton Harbor teachers and administrators provide input, guidance, and suggestions to the Curriculum Works development team.  This input led directly to the development of a new set of Special Education features that make it easier and faster for our special education teachers to record, track and report service time spent with students to ensure needs are met. Planning specially-designed instruction for students to improve learning is smarter due to the ability to collaborate with all service providers.

As a district, we have committed to NWEA MAP Growth Assessment which is one of the most trusted and innovative assessment for measuring achievement and growth in K–12 math, reading and language usage. It provides teachers with accurate, and actionable evidence to help target instruction for each student.  We are excited about the steps we are taking at BHAS to enable our teachers and improve the educational outcomes of all students and are pleased to be able to share this information with you.