Course Adoption

How New Courses Are
Developed and Approved

Board Policy (BP) 6143 – Courses of Study and BP 6141 – Curriculum Development and Evaluation guide how new courses are developed, reviewed, and approved in the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD).

Teacher Proposals

New courses begin with teachers. As content experts, they create the proposal, describe what students will learn, and identify core skills and materials. Proposals are submitted to the district for review.

District Review

District staff review the proposals for instructional quality, alignment with California State Standards, and practical needs such as staffing, resources, and scheduling. Teacher committees and department teams often provide input during this phase.

Board of Education Approval

The Board of Education’s role is limited to final approval and oversight. Board members do not design courses, run the detailed reviews, or manage implementation. By policy, the Board votes “yes” or “no” at a public meeting once staff review is complete.

Board vote on new courses typically happen in December. Courses may appear on the Consent Agenda or as Action Items. Both carry the same binding effect.

Public Input

Community members may share comments on proposed courses during the public comment portion of Board meetings.

Feedback Routing

Anyone wishing to propose ideas or share feedback outside of meetings should direct comments to the teacher(s) involved. If the appropriate staff are not known, the site principal will help route the feedback to the correct place.

After Approval

Courses approved by the Board of Education are eligible for site consideration.  Graduation requirements are determined by the school board.  Any course that is not a mandatory graduation requirement for all students will be evaluated by each eligible site for inclusion in course catalogs and student course selection.  Not all approved courses are offered at each site.  Final inclusion in course catalogs is determined by the site principal in collaboration with the teachers and guidance staff.