While every CPS school is responsible for adopting its own curriculum, CPS core values guide school curriculum choices and drive district-wide consistency across content areas and grade levels.
Our core values prioritize ensuring equity; meeting individual student academic, social and emotional needs; and maintaining high academic standards based on Common Core Standards and Illinois Learning Standards. These standards emphasize the 21st-century skills that employers demand, such as analytic thinking, creative problem-solving, and effective teamwork.
Well-designed classroom assessments accompany the curriculum to help teachers better monitor student progress. The district also provides professional development to improve teachers’ ability to engage and support students in mastering curriculum content.
| Content Area | Standards/Frameworks/Strategies |
|---|---|
| ALL |
WIDA (ELD & EELD, as applicable) |
|
World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (ACTFL Standards) |
|
|
Illinois Learning Standards |
|
|
Illinois Social and Emotional Learning Standards |
|
| Arts |
Illinois Arts Learning Standards |
| English/Language Arts |
Illinois State Standards |
| Spanish Language Arts/Standards |
Common Core en Español or SLA/Literacy or WIDA Spanish Language Arts standards |
| Math |
Illinois State Standards |
| Science |
Illinois Learning Standards - Science (Next Generation Science Standards) |
| Service Learning | |
| Social Science | Illinois Social Science Standards |
| ISBE Mandate Guidance | |
| World Languages |
World Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (ACTFL Standards) |
| Physical Education |
SHAPE America Standards and Grade-Level Outcomes |
|
ISBE Physical Development & Health Performance Descriptors |
|
| Early Childhood Education |
Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards (Student Age 3 to 5) |