Message from the Executive Director

Welcome to the Douglas School District Curriculum page!

As a district, we are committed to “Prepare all students to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world.” To do that, we implement a rigorous, standards-based curriculum that emphasizes inquiry, choice, high expectations, differentiation, and strong alignment from one grade / course to the next.

We utilize standards to guide our instruction and assessment. Standards do not dictate curriculum, but provide teachers, parents, and students with clear benchmarks for learning. Standards describe what students should know and be able to do—the teachers, our experts in the classrooms, determine the best resources and activities to achieve that learning. Assessments inform instructional decision-making and Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) harness the power of teams to support teachers as they strive to provide every child with opportunities to be successful and grow. For additional information on testing, please refer to the South Dakota DOE Assessment Resources.

Curriculum development at Douglas is a process that is undertaken on a regular schedule, in alignment with State Content Standards adoptions. We have access to State resources to build teacher capacity, provide training, and extend our networks and resources beyond the boundaries of our district. Teachers carefully evaluate everything they do to be sure it is the most appropriate for the children in their classes—adjusting year to year for the unique groups they work with. 

Our ultimate goal is to provide every child with the learning opportunities s/he needs to become a successful, contributing members of society. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Ann Pettit

Ann Pettit

Executive Director of Elementary Academics

Douglas School District 51-1

Box Elder, SD 57719

Phone: 605.923.0000 ext. 1002

Email: [email protected]