Curriculum & Instruction

Curriculum & Instruction is responsible for a broad range of areas:

  • K-8 Curriculum Review and Support

  • Assessment and Accountability

  • Instructional Programs

  • Professional Development

  • English Language Learners

  • Gifted and Talented Education

Saco Central Office, in collaboration with building administrators, provides leadership in coordinating research, development, and support to ensure high-quality education for Saco students. For questions regarding curriculum and instruction, please email Margaret Parkhurst, Assistant Superintendent at the Saco School Department.

Assessment & Accountability

There is a need for assessment information at both state and local levels to measure progress and ensure accountability regarding the system of learning results, which must be accomplished through a comprehensive system of local and state assessment involving multiple measures to determine what each student knows and is able to demonstrate regarding the standards of the system of learning results. [20-A MRSA section 6201]

The purpose of the assessment system is to provide information that will be used to monitor student progress toward proficiency and meet the needs of individual students; inform instruction and curriculum; enable school administrators to make informed determinations regarding the quality and effectiveness of the educational program and the need for professional development; provide the State with student achievement data; inform parents of student progress, and enable the School Board to make informed decisions related to the allocation of resources.

Opting Out of State Assessments
Saco utilizes all assessment data to help inform our practices at the district, school, classroom, and individual levels for our students. Although we encourage students and parents to participate fully in our assessment program, it is important to note that parents/guardians may opt their child out of state testing. If you are interested in doing so, please reach out to your child’s principal to complete the required form.

Below are some helpful links:

In addition to curriculum-based assessments, our teachers use some or all of the following: 

NWEA /Maine Through Year:

  • Reading &  Math

  • Administered three times a year

  • Grades 2nd - 8th

  • Used as Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) for grades 3rd - 8th 

Science MEA: 

  • Grades 5th & 8th 

  • New Meridian

Otis Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT):

  • Grades 3rd & 5th

  • Used to identify students for Gifted and Talented Program

ESSA & ESEA Acts

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) or No Child Left Behind,  Applications, and Performance Reports are on file in the Office of the Superintendent and are available for public review. Public comments on the NCLB Application are always welcome. Please visit the Every Student Succeeds Acts (ESSA) Dashboard for more information. For report cards prior to 2017, please click here.  ESSA Grant Application public notice is open for comments yearly, via this form.   Please email Margaret Parkhurst, Assistant Superintendent at the Saco School Department, 90 Beach Street, Saco, Maine, 04072 or call 207-284-4505.

Notice To Parents As Required By ESEA (Elementary & Secondary Education Act):
Parents have the right to request the professional qualifications of their child's teacher. Parents interested in accessing the professional qualifications of a teacher should make the request in writing to the Assistant Superintendent of the Saco School Department, 90 Beach Street, Saco, Maine, 04072.

District LAU Plan
Title 1 - Parents' Right to Know

Maintenance of Equity

Saco is required to meet the Maintenance of Equity (MoEquity) requirements set forth in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) IFR; the Maine Department of Education is required to publish the following information for each non-excepted SAU: 

  • High-poverty schools within the SAU 

  • Per-pupil amount of funding for each high-poverty school in FYs 2021 and 2022  

  • Per-pupil amount of funding in the aggregate for all schools in FYs 2021 and 2022  

  • Per-pupil number of FTE staff for each high-poverty school in FYs 2021 and 2022  

  • Per-pupil number of FTE staff in the aggregate for all schools in FYs 2021 and 2022 

  • Whether the SAU did not maintain equity for any high-poverty school in FY 2022

That published information can be found here.