After months of review, the North Allegheny Family and Consumer Sciences staff has recommended curriculum changes to keep the program up to date.

Most of the recommendations reflect changing times, the teachers told the school board during a recent meeting. For example, instruction would address debit cards and online shopping. Changes in the curriculum are being proposed for the middle, intermediate and high school programs.

To accomplish this, the district would adopt a unit-based, sequential curriculum so instruction easily flows from the sixth-grade level upward. Family and Consumer Sciences is required in grades six through eight. The classes become electives beyond that.

As it stands, the curriculum addresses finance and resource management; balancing family, work and community responsibility; food science and nutrition; and child development.

The staff is recommending the district add a half-credit honors course in child development at the high school level and begin offering the child development elective at the intermediate high school.

The recommendations also include removing three elective courses, Nutrition, Fitness and You, and Living Now at the intermediate high school and Food Science and You at the high school. The team recommended expanding the Child Development curriculum at the intermediate level.

First Published: April 8, 2010, 9:45 a.m.