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Curriculum

Portland Public Schools takes pride in preparing our students for college and career-ready. The faculty, staff, and administration are committed to a collaborative approach that encourages and creates a learning environment to engage, motivate and prepare students. Instructional best practices and curriculum choices are developed through research, experience, and innovation. The curriculum implemented is vertically designed to meet the educational needs of all students, horizontally aligned to maintain consistency, and our teachers deliver high-quality instruction to engage the learners in the process fully.  In addition, all curriculum materials have been aligned to the Common Core or Michigan Department of Education Academic Standards. Specific courses offered by Portland Public Schools, specified by each building can be found on the District Course Catalog webpage.

For further information regarding curriculum or instruction, please contact our curriculum directors: 

Director of Elementary Education (PK-5): Simone Margraf, (smargraf@portlandk12.org)
Director of Secondary Education (6-13): Jennifer Warner, (jwarner@portlandk12.org)

Thank you for allowing Portland Public Schools to participate in your student’s educational journey. 

Elementary Curriculum Overview

Developmental Kindergarten is where children begin to develop a relationship with learning and, through play, develop early knowledge about the world. Children focus on skills needed for reading, expanding their vocabularies, learning about numbers and solving math problems, and hands-on learning in social studies and science. They also continue developing their social and emotional skills. The kindergarten classroom stimulates children's curiosity to learn more about the world around them. It's the job of the teacher to help children become comfortable working in a classroom setting and to introduce some basic literacy and math-related skills. Our first through fifth-grade elementary children learn important skills and knowledge through direct instruction from their teachers, opportunities for problem-solving, and independent mastery. Instructional technology is used to engage students in critical thinking, research using approved resources, and communication of their ideas.

You can find more detailed information for each grade level in the sections below.

Oakwood Elementary

Westwood Elementary

Portland Middle School

In order to provide the best possible education to Portland’s students, while preparing them for the future years of education, the curriculum has been aligned through the work of pacing guides. Pacing guides are a way to clearly communicate the “itinerary” for our courses and the student’s learning.

It is also imperative to note that the 6th Grade students and faculty follow a specific plan that is designed to increase their success during this transition year from elementary to middle school. The 6th-grade plan can be viewed in this presentation.

Please review the documents linked below, as needed to be well informed regarding your student’s course pacing and content.

Portland High School

The high school is committed to following the graduation requirements outlined by the Michigan Merit Curriculum Graduation Requirements, established by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). Specific courses offered by Portland Public Schools, specified by each building can be found on the District Course Catalog webpage. 

In order to provide the best possible education to our students, while meeting the above-mentioned requirements, we have aligned our curriculum through the work of pacing guides. Pacing guides are a way to clearly communicate the “itinerary” for our courses and the student’s learning. Please review the documents linked below, as needed to be well informed regarding your student’s course pacing and content. 
 

Health Education Advisory Board

Portland Public School’s (PPS) Health Education Advisory Board’s (HEAB) has been established to create a sexual health education program that is abstinence-based, and works with partners and community members and is routinely updated. Below you will find more information about our program. If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Warner at jwarner@portlandk12.org.

Future meetings will be updated when set on the announcement below: