Academics

21st Century Learning | Literacy Program Goals | National Honor Society | National Junior Honor Society
New York State Seal of Biliteracy

The faculty and staff of the Goshen Central School District are dedicated to educating the “whole child” and preparing students for successful careers and rewarding lives.

Goshen offers a K-12 program designed to promote the academic and personal development of all students, regardless of their abilities or future plans.

Our curriculum aligns with New York State Next Generation Learning Standards. Each teacher develops lesson plans for the school year with the option to cover topics at appropriate times. Learn more about Next Generation Learning Standards.

The elementary classes are reasonably sized to allow staff to provide programs for students in need of remediation, as well as for those who are gifted.

The secondary program is diverse with many offerings, which include extended ranges of academic subjects as well as Fine Arts, Music, Business, Physical Education, Technology and Family & Consumer Science. Latin and advanced placement courses such as Biology, English, French, Spanish, Calculus and U. S. History are taught. View high school courses available.

Students in grades 9-12 can join a variety of clubs, such as National Honor Society, Mock Trial, Student Senate and the school newspaper, to name only a few. Every student is encouraged to enrich his or her school experience by participating in at least one activity each year.

The district’s special education program is supplemented by the outstanding staff and facilities of the Orange-Ulster BOCES. A broad array of occupational preparation programs are also pursued by Goshen students at the BOCES complex which is only three miles away from the district’s own campus.

Approximately 90 percent of our graduates enroll in further education at highly competitive colleges and universities. Goshen’s dropout rate is normally below one percent and standardized test results are consistently above average.

If you have any questions about your child’s academic program, please contact the classroom teacher or the building principal.

21st Century Learning Initiative

The Goshen Central School District recognizes that our world is changing, and our schools must respond appropriately to help provide students with the necessary skills to prepare them for success. This page is dedicated to informing parents, students and the community about the district’s 21st century learning initiative.

What is 21st century learning?

The terms “21st century learning” or “21st century skills” refer to certain core competencies that our schools must teach in order to help our students thrive in today’s world. They include:

• collaboration
• digital literacy
• critical thinking
• creativity
• problem solving

Literacy Program Goals: Reading, Writing Listening, Speaking

In the Goshen Central School District, our goal is to create students who are highly effective users of both oral and written language and can apply literacy to real-life situations so they can become productive members of a global society.

All of our teachers are teachers of literacy: reading, writing, listening and speaking. In all K-6 classrooms, our teachers present a balanced approach to literacy through their daily instructional practices. It is the expectation of the school district that teachers in grades K-6 will engage students in the following grade appropriate best practices in an informed and systematic manner:

Reading Instruction

Reading Workshop, Independent Reading, Conferring, Guided Reading, Shared Reading, Read Aloud, Phonics, Spelling and Word Study

Writing Instruction

Writing Workshop, Independent Writing, Conferring, Interactive Writing, Modeled Writing

Each day, all students will participate in a Reading Workshop that incorporates the instructional components listed above, as appropriate. Reading instruction will focus on the Twelve Strategic Actions that readers must develop in order to become proficient:

• Thinking Within the Text (solving words, monitoring and correcting, searching for and using information, summarizing, maintaining fluency, adjusting)
• Thinking Beyond the Text (predicting, making connections, inferring, and synthesizing)
• Thinking About the Text (analyzing and critiquing)

Each day, all students will participate in a Writing Workshop that incorporates the instructional components listed above, as appropriate. Writing instruction will focus on the following elements of writing: process, craft, genre and conventions.

Teachers monitor, document, and evaluate each student’s reading and writing development. Through formal and informal assessments, ongoing achievement data will help our teachers make informed decisions about next instructional steps so that their students can make continuous progress in reading and writing.

National Honor Society

The National Honor Society (NHS) is a selective organization based on the characteristics of Scholarship, Character, Leadership and Service. Students who meet the criteria established by the national organization and the Goshen chapter are inducted in either their junior or senior year.

Access more information about National Honor Society at Goshen High School.

National Junior Honor Society

The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is the nation’s premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle level students.

Access more information about National Junior Honor Society at C.J. Hooker Middle School.