Williamson County Schools to develop open source social studies curriculum
Williamson County Schools will develop another open source curriculum this year. The district has spent the last year developing an open source science curriculum, and now, they're working on a social studies version.
It's a move that district officials say helps tailor educational material to the district's learning objectives. Plus, the effort is projected to save money.
An open source curriculum swaps textbooks for reputable materials available from sources like museums, government organizations and other groups, said Tim Gaddis, WCS assistant superintendent for teaching, learning and assessment.
The district assigns a team of educators to develop the curriculum for about a year.
"We were able to craft instructional units that are directly tied to our scope and sequence and what we want students to learn, and really get at what's important," he said.
School officials have also slated their open source efforts as a cost-savings measure. The open source science curriculum saved the district about $3.3 million. An open source social studies curriculum may post similar savings, with estimates at about $3.5-4 million, Gaddis said.
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