The Round Rock ISD Curriculum Department spent months collecting feedback that included focus groups, surveys, prototype testing, and interviews, and are excited to unveil the new Aligned Round Rock Curriculum (ARRC) website. The new ARRC website has a streamlined appearance and is easier for teachers to use. The curriculum department has also created The Hub, a filterable, searchable, cross-departmental database of lessons and resources designed and curated by members of the Teaching and Learning Division of Round Rock ISD.

Teachers requested simplicity, consistency, and flexibility, but two other major themes emerged from their feedback. Many teachers desire unit plans that provide a model for each day’s instruction while other teachers want a searchable database in which they can find lessons based on unit, TEKS or key words.

A few comments from teachers that attended the final open house included: 

  • <“This ARRC will be very helpful and user friendly for planning.”
  • “I like the lessons and resources all on one page.”
  • “Unit Plan resources are so much easier to navigate than the old ARRC.”
  • “The side-by-side with TEKS is helpful.”
  • “I feel that all the components are very logically arranged and will be easy to locate.”
  • “Less tabs open, easier to navigate.”
  • “It seems to be ‘less busy’ than the current ARRC.”

The new ARRC provides a framework to meet these teacher needs. To read the full analysis completed by the district’s Research and Evaluation Department, access this document: ARRC Redesign Needs Analysis

The new ARRC website is integrated within the district website. ARRC documents provide the scope and sequence of what students are to learn in over 80 courses.  The ARRC provides direction and resources for teachers to plan while allowing teachers to develop and adapt instruction to serve their students’ needs.

The new ARRC is currently available for teacher use with the first six weeks of curriculum.  When teachers return to school in the fall of 2018, the entire first semester of curriculum will be housed on the new ARRC, with the old version of the ARRC available for teacher consultation.  This gradual transition reflects the curriculum department’s commitment to a continuous improvement model through which the ARRC will grow and adapt in real-time responding to teacher feedback and needs. Daily instructional suggestions and a dynamic teacher resource sharing system are also planned as future additions.

The curriculum department is also announcing a training program to support teachers in their navigation and use of the new ARRC website.  Teachers can now access screencasts that give overviews of the various parts of the new ARRC.  The curriculum department of Round Rock ISD will offer training on the new ARRC to teachers in May, during the summer, and in the fall of 2018.  Join the Curriculum Department for a YouTube Live session on Wednesday, May 30 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. You will receive a general overview of the features of the website, as well as an opportunity to ask any questions regarding the new ARRC.

Campuses or PLCs can request training support by contacting the curriculum department. On-demand training videos will also be available to support teachers as needed.