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Important Second Semester Information for All High School Students

Important Second Semester Information for All High School Students
Important Second Semester Information for All High School Students

Dear High School Families,

The second semester of the school year begins this week. To help students and families get off to a strong start, I am writing to share important information about curriculum and instruction, grades, standardized assessments, conferences, and how families can seek support when questions arise.

What’s Changing in Semester 2: 

  • Students enrolled in 1.0 credit courses on a semester schedule, or 0.5-credit courses on a quarterly schedule, will begin their new classes this week. 
  • Students who are enrolled in one or more of the nearly 250 courses offered on the A/B schedule across our three high schools will continue in those classes during Semester 2. 
  • Student schedules may be viewed in PowerSchool.  

Semester 1 and Quarter 2 Grades:

  • Grades from Semester 1 and Quarter 2 courses will be posted in PowerSchool on Friday, February 6.

Curriculum: 

High school teachers are expected to follow the approved curriculum for the courses they are teaching. 

Since 2022, the district has invested millions of dollars to redevelop K–12 curriculum across all content areas and grade levels. For grades 6-12, much of this work was completed by Curriculum Committees and Content Area Teams made up of our middle and high school teachers. These groups developed curriculum, wrote curriculum guides, selected instructional materials, and created pacing guides to ensure consistency and rigor across all sections of each course. 

Curriculum materials are updated regularly and stored in an online Curriculum Dashboard available to all teachers and staff. 

Family Access to Curriculum Information: 

Teachers are expected to provide students with a course syllabus that outlines units of study, core concepts, and how learning will be assessed. Families are encouraged to review the syllabus with their child. 

In addition to the course syllabus, families may refer to the following for curriculum information:  

  • An overview of courses developed by SPS is available through the Curriculum Dashboard. 
  • Information about college-level courses developed outside SPS is available as follows: 

Instruction & Course Pacing:

Our courses are content rich and require teachers to be engaged with instruction from “bell to bell” during all class meetings (90 classes for 1.0 credit courses or 45 classes for 0.5 credit courses.)  

Teachers have access to all curriculum materials and pacing guides through the SPS Curriculum Dashboard. 

Department leaders, school administrators, and members of the Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Team are available to support teachers with instruction or pacing. 

Spring Assessment Dates:

Please mark your calendars for the following state-mandated assessments which will be administered to all 11th grade students as follows:  

  • SAT: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
  • Next Generation Science Standards: Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Additional information will be provided by your child’s school. 

Parent-Teacher Conferences:

Parent-teacher conferences will be held February 18-20, 2026. Conferences provide an opportunity to discuss academic expectations, progress, and learning goals. Your child’s school will share information about how to sign up for conferences. 

Questions or Concerns:

If you have questions about course content, curriculum pacing, or your child’s progress in a particular course:

  1. Please begin by emailing your child’s teacher.
  2. If your concern is not addressed in a timely manner, please contact the appropriate school assistant principal or principal.
  3. Any concerns that remain unresolved at the school level should be brought to my attention.

We appreciate your partnership as we begin the second semester and continue working together to support high-quality teaching and learning for all students.

 

Sincerely, 

 

Amy Beldotti
Chief Academic Officer
Stamford Public Schools
abeldotti@stamfordps.org