Department contact: Curriculum & PD – (313) 827-3181
The Dearborn Public School District offers a warm, safe, and caring learning environment for your child. We offer a wide range of educational opportunities such as an early college program as well as many advanced and highly specialized math and science programs.
MDE Curriculum Standards Pre-K-12
Elementary Grade Level Expectations
Mathematics
Mathematics is the science of patterns and relationships. It is the language and logic of our technological world. Mathematical power is the ability to explore, conjecture reason logically, and use a variety of mathematical methods effectively to solve problems.
Whether you are making or giving change, calculating the number of days until your birthday, or figuring out your grade, mathematics is a constant and important part of our daily lives. The ultimate goal of the math program in Dearborn is for all students to develop the mathematical power to participate effectively as citizens and workers in our contemporary world. The Eureka Math series is used in Dearborn elementary schools.
Ready Classroom is the curriculum resource for all middle schools.
In 2020-2021, Dearborn adopted the enVision Math resources for Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry. Additionally, students can opt to take higher level electives, including Physics, Statistics, and Advanced Placement classes, either at their home buildings or through intensive programs offered at the Dearborn Math, Science, and Technology Center.
Science
Science and its applications play a significant role in our everyday lives, from the challenge of developing vaccines to finding alternative energy sources to exploring Mars. In Dearborn, the ultimate goals of the science program are for all students to understand their surroundings and comprehend and appreciate the relationships within these surroundings. During the next decade, demand in the United States for scientists and engineers is expected to increase at more than double the rate for all other occupations. The Dearborn Public Schools science program will prepare students to meet the challenges of this ever-changing future.
In Dearborn, Mystery Science is the primary resource used to teach elementary science.
Middle School science teachers use the Michigan Tech-developed resource, Mi-STAR Science.
High School students study Biology in 9th, and followed by either Physics or Chemistry, depending on the school or program in which they are enrolled. The Michigan Merit curriculum requires three years of science in high school. Students can choose a variety of elective classes, offered at all of our high schools and at Dearborn Center for Math, Science and Technology, including Forensic Science, classes on the environment, and Advanced Placement selections.
Our curriculum is aligned with the Michigan Science Standards which are based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
Social Studies
Social studies prepares young people to become responsible citizens. In Dearborn, our social studies program of instruction and assessment incorporates methods of inquiry, involves public discourse and decision making, and provides opportunities for citizen involvement. Each year, students receive instruction that allows them to think and act as historians, geographers, political scientists, and economists. Students are also taught to respect and reflect core democratic values in their daily activities.
Each grade focuses on specific content:
Kindergarten, Myself and Others;
1st grade, Families and Schools;
2nd grade, the Local Community;
3rd grade, Michigan Studies;
4th grade, United States Studies;
5th grade, Integrated US History (through 1791);
6th grade, Global Studies;
7th grade, Ancient World History;
8th grade, Integrated US History (through 1900);
9th grade, World History and Geography;
10th grade, US History (through modern day);
11th grade, Economics (one semester) & U.S. Government/civics (one semester). Students can also choose high school elective classes in Psychology, Sociology, and Advanced Placement selections.
The elementary classes primarily use the Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum.
Our middle school will use the UM-developed curriculum resource, Read, Inquire, Write.
High school courses use textbooks from a variety of publishers, including McDougal Littell, Pearson and Glencoe.
Language Arts
Dearborn Public Schools provides instruction for students in grades PK-12 under the Balanced Literacy Framework. Teachers at the elementary level use the Benchmark Advance curriculum resource to provide instruction in reading and writing every day. All students work with grade level texts in whole and small groups. Additional small group instruction is provided at the students’ reading level as needed.
At the secondary level, the district is implementing Readers Apprenticeship into content area classes to develop literacy skills and engage students with challenging texts. Readers Apprenticeship is a framework of reading strategies that engage students in a range of classroom routines that motivate students and meet content area learning goals. The framework relies on four interacting dimensions that support reading development: Social, Personal, Cognitive and Knowledge-Building (Fielding, et al 2003).
Beginning in the 2022-2023 school year, middle school teachers and students will begin using the Amplify ELA curriculum resource for language arts.
High school language arts classes use a teacher-developed resource for instruction: (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Os6BcO9iaoDPcjIro2WjypAdLh527mUMeIKjReygLRI/edit?usp=sharing).
World Languages
Credit for two years of the same world language is required for high school graduation in most cases. The high schools offer Arabic, Spanish, French, German, and American Sign Language based on student interest. Middle schools will offer Arabic, Spanish, and/or French based on student interest. World Language teachers use a variety of teacher-developed resources, depending on the language and course.
Health and Human Development
Health and Human Development is taught in the 5th, 7th and 9th grades. The 5th grade content is taught using selected resources from Puberty:The Wonder Years (https://pubertycurriculum.com/). One HIV/AIDS lesson is required by the Michigan Department of Education and is included in the 5th grade curriculum (this is a separate lesson from Michigan Model).
The 7th grade course is based on the Michigan Model for Health – Growing Up & Staying Healthy (Middle School (7-8) | Michigan Model for Health).
The 9th grade course is taught using the Safer Choices resource (Safer Choices – Program Success Center).
Under Michigan law, parents can review the curriculum used for reproductive health classes and may opt their students out of that instruction. Fifth, seventh and ninth grade teachers will offer parents this opt-out form before that instruction begins.
Michigan also requires the district to provide periodic reports about its reproductive health program. Find the most recent report here.