The Shadow
LOW MOOR — AHPS has acquired new textbooks for certain subject areas to support learning.
In each case, the textbooks were selected with teacher input. Additionally, the school board was briefed on textbook selections at several board meetings this past spring.
“While textbooks are not perhaps the most exciting thing to discuss for many people, they are important resources for our students,” said Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson.
“We are grateful for financial support that allows us to keep these resources up-to-date.
Teachers will be learning about these new resources throughout the school year, and they are eager to talk about them with any parent who has questions.”
It is crucial that textbooks and other teacher resources align with the most current Standards of Learning expectations as well as with best practices in the field of education, and AHPS teachers have a variety of training and experiences to allow them to provide input on textbook selection. In preparation for the 2024-2025 school year, textbooks were purchased in the following areas:
Career-Technical Education Textbooks: AHPS was very pleased that funding was available to update CTE textbooks and classroom library resources at Jackson River Technical Center. Updated textbooks were provided for Electricity, Welding, Carpentry, Building Management, Automotive Technology, Drafting and Design, and Early Childhood Education programs. Additionally, extensive classroom resources
were purchased for the Culinary Arts, Nurse Aide, and Drafting and Design programs. Because technology changes quickly in fields like nursing, many CTE textbooks are replaced frequently.
New Elementary Science and History Textbooks: Digital curriculum resources were selected from the state-approved vendor Five Ponds Press in Richmond which has had extensive collaboration with our division in the past. Students are not required to access these resources at home.
New Middle School History Textbooks: Curriculum resources were selected from Five Ponds Press. New Middle School Science texts and curriculum resources were selected from state-approved vendor Savvas Learning.
New High School Science Textbooks: Textbooks and curriculum resources were selected from state-approved vendor Stemscopes.
All texts have digital formats/materials students can access on Chromebooks at school.
Digital formats are useful as they can be readily updated. However, it is still useful for students to practice learning from printed text, so options are available as appropriate.
“We are fortunate to have teachers with a great deal of professional skills and experiences that help us select quality materials that will meet the practical needs of our students,” commented Kim Halterman and Melinda Snead-Johnson, leaders of AHPS.
Candice Dupoise, a teacher at Mountain View Elementary School, was one of the AHPS faculty involved in textbook selection.
“The textbook adoption process is crucial for choosing high quality educational materials for our school system. I served on the History and Social Science Textbook Adoption Committee,” she said. “On presentation day, several textbook companies met with us at the school board office with physical and digital samples.”
“With numerous Standards of Learning revisions, it is vital that we provide print and digital curriculum resources for our students that are aligned to these standards and equip our students with the best instructional platforms for their mastery in academic subject matter,” said the Director of Elementary Instruction Sherman Callahan.
Textbooks are used as tools for learning, but activities such as simply reading a chapter and answering questions are much less common in today’s educational environment. Rather, activities are more interactive. Class notes are often used as study materials.
AHPS has a policy that states the following about curriculum development and adoption in Policy IF, shared here absent only formatting details such as Code of Virginia references:
“The curriculum is a coherent and comprehensive plan for teaching and learning built upon a framework that promotes continuity and the cumulative acquisition and application of skills. The curriculum states clearly and specifically what students are expected to know and
be able to do by grade level and course. Alleghany Highlands School Board curricula meets or exceeds the requirements of and are aligned with the Standards of Learning.”
This policy and the full AHPS policy manual are available on the AHPS website.
The school division expects to select, or “adopt,” new textbooks in Mathematics in 2024-2025 for the 2025-2026 school year. Individuals with questions should contact Sherman Callahan, Director of Elementary Education, or Dwayne Ross, Director of Secondary Education, by calling 540-863-1800.
With approximately 2,700 students, the school division is jointly funded by Alleghany County and the City of Covington.
AHPS news and events are regularly updated on Facebook at AHPublicSchools and Instagram at ahpublicschools. Information is also available at www.ahps.k12.va.us.
