Curriculum Design and Resources

This short video offers a broad overview of the 21st Century Curriculum recently adopted by Alexandria City Public Schools. Featured are comments by ACPS Chief Academic Officer GwenCarol Holmes and Executive Director of Curriculum Services and Design John Brown.

ACPS Curriculum Design Web Page Overview: How to Use These Web Pages

The ACPS curriculum design Web pages are designed to present a detailed set of curriculum materials that constitute a new approach to curriculum design for the division. Educators, parents, and community members can use this information to understand the superintendent's vision for the future and purposes of curriculum in ACPS, as well as detailed descriptions of design principles, learning principles, and content specific curriculum overviews and curriculum maps.

We encourage users to understand that these Web pages will be updated regularly, including additions of new program areas as well as units developed by ACPS teachers as they implement the new curriculum maps for their respective content areas.

The Curriculum Design Web pages include:

• A Message from Superintendent Morton Sherman: The superintendent's vision for a 21st Century curriculum and its role in school transformation in ACPS

• 21st Century Learning Principles: How can we ensure that all students today achieve at high levels, acquire true life-long learning habits, and are equipped for our change-dominated and globally interdependent world?

• 21st Century Curriculum Design Principles: What is curriculum — and what are the characteristics of a curriculum that equips students for 21st Century success? How does curriculum function in Alexandria City Public Schools?

• Equipping All Students with 21st Century Skills and Habits of Mind: What should all students know, understand, and do when they graduate? How can we equip them with competencies and intellectual dispositions required for 21st Century success?

• Aligning Systemic Initiatives to Ensure Clarity, Rigor, and Transparency: How can we overcome discrete, atomistic approaches to standards and curriculum design in favor of authentic, performance-based teaching and learning?

• Literacy Framework: A Division-Wide Commitment to Literacy for All Learners: A synthesis of ACPS principles and strategies, including ideas for reading, writing, speaking, listening, and technology competence across the disciplines

• English Language Learner Curriculum Design Principles: How can we ensure that ELL students learn effectively as part of this new curriculum design process?

• Talented and Gifted Curriculum Design Principles: How can we ensure that Talented and Gifted students learn effectively as part of this new curriculum design process?

• Content-Area Overviews and Grade-Level Curriculum Maps: This section describes major content areas within the ACPS curriculum, their respective 21st Century design principles, and grade-level/course-level curriculum maps, organized by grading periods.

Contact Information

John Brown
Supervisor, Curriculum and Design
Alexandria City Public Schools
1005 Mt. Vernon Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22301
Tel: 703-824-6680
E-mail: