Welcome to the United ISD Department for Curriculum and Instruction.  The department is organized into five instructional branches:  Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Special Education, Instructional Accountability and Campus Intervention.  Each branch is led by an Executive Director.  Together the instructional team guides and empowers all instructional directors, coordinators, and support staff ensuring effective, efficient, instructional support to all UISD campuses.

The department is committed to the continuous improvement of the PK-12^th grade TEKS based, learner centered, aligned scope and sequence for all core areas.  All teachers are expected to adhere to the scope and sequence as a means of ensuring a comprehensive sequential delivery of instruction throughout UISD.

The department has reached the desired alignment between the taught TEKS Curriculum, and the tested TAKS Curriculum through the development of 3T’s – TEKS Targeted Tests. The revised 3T assessments will provide timely feedback for early intervention and accelerated academic success for all students.

Both the scope and sequences and the 3T’s will continue contributing to the attainment of the following instructional goal:  Provide consistent quality TEKS based instruction and/or an alternative curriculum for all students, resulting in improved student achievement.  In addition, the emphasis on learner centered instruction and highly effective questioning will reinstitute an excitement for learning in a nurturing environment.  To ensure consistent quality instruction in every UISD classroom all teacher staff development will focus on instructional accountability/meeting the needs of diverse learners.

Another UISD goal:  Increase participation in advanced academic courses with successful completion of advanced placement exams and increase the participation at SAT preparation opportunities resulting in increased average SAT/ACT score will focus on encouraging students to achieve at their maximum potential.  A comprehensive Apex Review and Sure Score Plan will prepare students through integrated classroom instruction and zero hour/ Saturday PSAT/SAT/AP preparatory opportunities.

In the 2008-2009 academic year we will renew our commitment to creating responsive learning environments.  We will put Reading First in every PK-12 classroom by explicitly teaching phonological and phonemic awareness, decoding and word recognition, fluency, academic vocabulary, and comprehension.  In addition we will strengthen all students’ reading ability by providing reading materials within each students’ Lexile measure.  In addition we will increase the fidelity of our implementation of the three tiered model of interventions with continuous differentiation to meet each students’ needs.  We will continue to engage all students in rigorous and relevant learning through Highly Effective Questioning resulting in a culture of engaged critical thinkers.

I congratulate our two exemplary campuses, Col. Santos Benavides Elementary and Trautmann Elementary and our fourteen recognized campuses, Borchers Elementary, Centeno Elementary, Cuellar Elementary, D.D. Hachar Elementary, de Llano Elementary, Fasken Elementary, Finley Elementary, Gutierrez Elementary, Juarez-Lincoln Elementary, Kazen Elementary, Newman Elementary, Nye Elementary, Prada Elementary and Zaffirini Elementary.  I am confident that through outstanding campus leadership and the delivery of quality instruction from all teachers United ISD will be a 2009 recognized school district!