As a learning community, we learn with and from one another to spark innovation, foster growth, and ensure continuous improvement for all.

The Allendale District Office of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment is committed to fostering the following habits of mind for ALL students through engaging, rigorous, joyful, and meaningful learning experiences:

The Allendale School District is proud to serve a diverse community where every individual is valued, cared for, and celebrated for who they are and what they bring to our schools. We strive to ensure every voice is seen, heard, and respected. We believe that social connection, friendship, and a sense of belonging are for everyone, and we work together to ensure this is a reality for every member of our school community. These core values are also reflected in our curriculum and instruction.

The Allendale School District is a vibrant learning community where students, teachers, administrators, and staff are committed to a mindset of lifelong learning. We believe that learning is a dynamic process—one in which everyone has the opportunity to share their existing expertise while continuously expanding their ways of knowing. Our schools foster curiosity, critical thinking, and thoughtful engagement with the world, preparing students to navigate and make sense of the information-rich environments they encounter in everyday life.

Allendale strives to develop curriculum and instructional practices that are innovative, hands-on, and designed to engage students in complex thinking. Our focus is on helping students make connections, grapple with challenging ideas, and apply their learning in meaningful ways. We model the habits of lifelong learners: staying curious, asking thoughtful questions, and actively listening to understand.

Similarly, staff is engaged in a wide variety of high-level learning, including district-wide professional development, job-embedded learning with an Instructional Coach, and teacher-choice learning options. This allows us to integrate the most innovative and engaging practices into our classrooms.

In the Allendale School District, we simultaneously celebrate our successes while identifying ways in which we can grow.  We develop habits of mind across a wide range of disciplines, integrating knowledge broadly and with intentional awareness of diverse perspectives.  We take on challenges, because we understand that enduring learning requires experimentation, struggle, trial and error, grit, and perseverance.   We can cultivate a joy for learning even (and perhaps especially) when we do hard things!

Strong communication and collaboration are indispensable skills. The Allendale School District supports students' agility with academic presentational skills, Socratic discourse, conflict resolution, conversational etiquette, and active listening.  

Collaboration is integrated into all aspects of teaching and learning.  Teachers work together to plan learning experiences and share professional knowledge with one another.  Students work together to solve problems, support one another's understanding of instructional content, and support the development of metacognitive processes.