Curriculum and Assessment Overview .

Curriculum
Achieving academic excellence is an important goal here at Immaculate Heart of Mary School (IHM). The IHM curriculum is both challenging and comprehensive, and adheres to the California State and Archdiocesan content standards, as well as the Common Core State Standards. Students are expected to work to the best of their abilities and their efforts are recognized and encouraged throughout the learning process. Teachers strive to develop and implement innovative and dynamic teaching strategies that will enable greater student learning, thereby facilitating academic excellence. Curriculum content is grade level appropriate, yet enriching and challenging. At the same time, accommodations are made for students requiring extra help and motivation.

IHM has implemented the Core Instructional Practice (CIP) beginning the school year 2014-2015. CIP has allowed students to master objectives by hearing them and seeing them written on the board. Students explain the objective in his/her own words,  explain why the objective is important to learn,  and explain what steps he/she has taken thus far to learn the objective. In addition, students are able to practice metacognition by increasing accountable talks, which allow students to become critical thinkers. Furthermore, the CIP model is student-centered. The students are thus manipualting the content and both teacher and student together create a positive culture for learning.

The Archdiocese has graciously allowed our school to pilot Blended Learning with the help of some grants. IHM has adopted Accelerated Reader, IXL, Splashmath, and Mathletics into Blended Learning. Other technology programs used include Khan Academy, Newsela, and Google Classroom for online instruction. Blended Learning has been geared towards language arts and mathematics. Blended Learning provides students with hybrid learning and small-group instruction. We use programs that provide differentiated online adaptive content so that all students can work on his/her own level. Blended Learning has allowed teachers to meet the needs of every student through small group instruction. The online programs provide teachers with real-time progress monitoring. During grade level meetings, data is disaggregated and analyzed.  During whole group staff meetings, analysis of assessment results are discussed for planning and instructional purposes (again, to meet the needs of each student). 

IHM expects to produce life-long learners. The teaching staff at IHM uses a large variety of strategies to help meet the needs of students, thereby engaging each child in their daily learning. Teachers use instructional strategies, such as problem solving activities, collaborative learning, presentations, discussions, blended learning, role playing, guided and independent practices, peer-evaluation, and off campus field trips. For students with special needs, the teachers provide behavioral and academic modification plans set forth in the STEP program and/or through IEPs provided through LAUSD. IHM ensures that all forms of instructional methodology and assessments fit the teaching and learning process stated in our philosophy and Student Learning Expectations in order to foster the growth of the whole child. 

Assessment
Teachers utilize many forms of assessment to meet the needs of the individual child. A variety of assessment is used daily in every subject to determine which areas need more in-depth instruction and which areas can just be reviewed. All assessments drive the curriculum and instruction. The basic intent of all teachers is to use the assessment to measure the effectiveness of our teaching, and also to measure student mastery of the content area. In addition, the results of the assessments are used as diagnostic tools to assist teachers in planning and strategizing for future teaching and/or re-teaching. Throughout the years, students have received more one-on-one attention and lessons are catered towards his or her individual need.  
 

IHM produces well-rounded students (spiritually, academically, and socially) who are confident that they will be successful in their future endeavors with the help of a rigorous curriculum.