Board approves new AP and pilot courses after CCAP review; CCAP chair notes voting irregularity on gaming proposal

The Mesa Public Schools Governing Board approved several curriculum items on Sept. 23 after review and recommendation by the Community Curriculum Advisory Panel (CCAP).

What passed: By recorded votes the board approved (1) awarding a half-credit of government in addition to the existing half-credit of economics for an International Baccalaureate (IB) yearlong course so that IB students receive a full credit for the yearlong program; (2) an AP Business with Personal Finance course (available to grades 10–12); (3) an AP Cybersecurity course (grades 10–12, pilot availability dependent on teacher certification and enrollment); (4) a memorandum of understanding and curriculum document for Integrated Statistics and Quantitative Reasoning (ISQR) pilot work in collaboration with ADE; and (5) updated junior- and senior-high course catalogs.

CCAP process and a voting irregularity: Rachel Bostock, CCAP chair, reported the panel’s August meeting produced majority approvals for most items but that a double-counted/extra vote affected the gaming-concepts pilot outcome. She said a voting irregularity—an extra vote cast by a person who still believed they could vote after being replaced—produced a 7–6 result that would have been 6–6 had the extra vote been removed; because that vote removed the majority the gaming items were not forwarded to the board.

Board discussion: Board members asked about teacher certification, program costs, and equity of access to courses. Staff said AP and CTE courses require appropriate teacher credentials and that pilot courses would be available only at schools that select to run them and can staff them. The district indicated ADE and other partners would provide professional learning for pilot teachers and that the district would monitor enrollment and outcomes. For the IB credit change, staff said the change aligns the district’s course catalog with IB requirements and the district’s 4-year sequencing for IB students.

Follow-up: CCAP and district staff agreed to fix the panel voting record and to continue returning detailed syllabus- and unit-level materials for courses as they mature. Board members asked staff to make fuller unit and syllabus materials available to CCAP and the public so members and families can review the instructional resources tied to new courses.