Academics Office

The Academics Office provides leadership in curriculum and instruction as well as student services, working to ensure that every student in APS is safe, healthy, challenged, supported, and engaged.  This includes collaborating throughout the division to develop and implement academic and social-emotional curriculum that meets the needs of individual students and is aligned with national and state standards, legislation, and evidence-based best practices. The Academics Office works with schools on implementation of best practices, methods of assessing student learning emphasizing a variety of approaches which include objective tests of knowledge and skills as well as more complex measures of students’ abilities to apply what they have learned. These efforts allow school staff to focus more closely on the needs of the individual students. Staff also serve as liaisons to citizen advisory committees, part of the Advisory Council on Instruction (ACI) structure; and work with other citizens, individuals, and families to support programs. In addition, the Academics Office is responsible for:

• Implementing recommended teaching methods, PreK-12, with an emphasis on creative thinking, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and citizenship (civic and community responsibility).
• Implementing new resources and materials (PreK-12).
• Developing appropriate academic and social-emotional core curriculum as well as intervention programs to accelerate student learning.
• Providing district and site-based counseling crisis response and intervention.
• Leading substance abuse prevention and intervention.
• Developing performance assessments to measure complex learning and report their results.
• Developing and implementing curriculum using best practices for all students including English learners, students with disabilities, and gifted learners.
• Monitoring and coordinating the implementation of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) legislation, funding, and requirements.
• Supporting professional learning to assist staff in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and behaviors to work effectively with our culturally and linguistically diverse student body.
• Monitoring the success of student’s academic achievement; conducting quarterly reviews of grade reports, communicating and adjusting academic planning with the assistance of teachers, students and families. Conducting yearly academic planning sessions with each student to ensure that students are on the path to graduation and that they have a defined post-secondary pathway.
• Building relationships that support student learning by implementing high-impact family and community engagement (FACE) strategies and activities both within each school and system-wide in collaboration with community-based organizations, the Arlington County government, and other public and private entities.
• Analyzing changes to the Standards of Quality, Standards of Accreditation, and the Standards of Learning and the results of the Standards of Learning assessments, modifying programs as appropriate.
• Engaging in school coaching and support to challenge and engage all students.