Curriculum

The School District of South Milwaukee is committed to using benchmarked and rigorous standards that set the highest expectations for student learning. Keeping in line with our Moral Imperative: “The SDSM acts with a relentless commitment to remove barriers and care for all students so they feel accepted and will learn without exception.”

The School District of South Milwaukee implements a K-12 curriculum based on the adoption of rigorous academic standards and social emotional learning competencies. These standards set the stage for our expectations for what students should know and be able to do throughout their educational journey. While the standards/competencies set the benchmark for expectations, the curriculum is the detailed process outlining how the students will meet the expectations. As part of the curriculum development process, educators in South Milwaukee identify the activities, instructional strategies, resources, and assessments that ensure the students are learning according to the standards.

We remain committed to the standards that the School Board has previously approved, and regularly evaluate and update the standards based on the WI DPI suggested timeline for review and adoption of standards. As students are exposed to a variety of assessments, formal and informal, standardized and locally based, we will use the standards to support our alignment to the skills and concepts necessary for career and college readiness. Academic and Social Emotional Learning standards and competencies  are established by a variety of agencies including, federal and local organizations and school districts. 

The School District of South Milwaukee has local control of the development of the curriculum, implementation, and assessment process. This means that groups of dedicated educators gather to discuss the best ways to meet the needs of all students in each and every classroom. The School District of South Milwaukee School Board has previously reviewed and approved the curriculum being implemented. The Board also reviews and formally adopts the academic standards on an annual basis.  We are confident that we will continue to deliver a high quality curriculum that meets or exceeds all adopted standards.