Rocklin Unified School District - Curriculum and Instruction

Curriculum and Instruction

The Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD) is dedicated to fostering educational excellence in all its classrooms and programs. Rocklin Unified offers a comprehensive, rigorous, and engaging educational experience tailored to address the diverse needs of the student body.

Instruction in the classroom is crafted to instill a passion for learning, cultivate critical thinking, and enhance problem-solving abilities, thus ensuring students are well-equipped for the challenges ahead. Rocklin Unified provides a wide array of courses spanning all grade levels, including innovative Dual Language and STEM programs, arts and humanities, Career Technical Education (CTE), and GATE/Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) options.

Rocklin Unified's committed team of educators and staff strive to establish supportive and intellectually stimulating learning environments that promote academic, social, and personal growth. Alongside core academic offerings, RUSD emphasizes social-emotional learning, offering various resources and support systems to safeguard each student's well-being. The school believes in educating the whole child, and efforts are made to foster a sense of community, resilience, and respect among the student body.

Standards & Curriculum Frameworks

Curriculum Standards:

The Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD) implements California's Common Core State Standards, including the California Mathematics Framework, California’s English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework, and the State’s Next Generation Science Standards and History Social Studies Frameworks. These standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn. They are designed to be relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that young people need for success in college and careers.

The Department of Educational Services works to assist educators throughout the district in providing the highest quality teaching and learning with a focus on student growth and achievement. Teachers are continuing to grow in their role as skilled facilitators who can provide experiences that enable students to take ownership of their own learning. They are equipped with tools to use technology to expand their learning, work collaboratively in groups, and individually apply and solve complex real-world problems. Additionally, district teachers will continue to be supported in their use of instructional technology.

Click California Common Core Standards to review the state standards on the California Department of Education website.

Curriculum Frameworks:

Curriculum frameworks provide guidance for implementing the content standards. Click California Curriculum Frameworks to review the state frameworks on the California Department of Education website.

State Adoption Information:

Curricular Resources

RUSD Adoption Information:

Content-Area Resources:

Instructional Options

TK-12 Mathematics Education Vision

The Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD)'s mathematics education is a collective effort by students, educators, leaders, and families to prepare students to apply mathematics in the real world. Mathematics courses should develop conceptual understanding, fluency, and application. Rocklin Unified's vision is for every student to develop confidence, curiosity, and perseverance as they grow as mathematicians.

Students

See themselves as mathematicians.
Persevere through challenging problems.
Talk and debate math ideas with classmates.
Use math to make sense of the real world.
The majority of the thinking, talking, and problem-solving takes place in their classroom.
Use technology to support and show their math learning.

Families

Encourage a positive attitude about math.
Celebrate their child’s growth.
Understand their child’s progress in learning mathematics.
Communicate with teachers about their child's progress and needs.
Support their child in reflecting on their learning and speaking up for themselves.

Educators

Establish an organized, positive, and respectful learning environment.
Embrace lifelong learning.
Use a variety of strategies that actively engage students.
Create opportunities for mathematical discourse and collaboration.
Design tasks that address the math standards and require critical thinking and multiple strategies.
Provide feedback to students using informal and formal assessments.

Leaders

Provide time and space for teachers to collaborate and plan mathematics instruction.
Offer professional learning focused on effective math teaching.
Organize evidence-based curriculum and resources.
Support teams in using data to adjust instruction and create interventions.

Middle School Mathematics Placement Policy

An image titled "RUSD Middle School Math Placement" showing a flow chart of mathematics course pathways for students in the Rocklin Unified School District. Starting from the left, a bracket labeled "6th Grade District Math placement scores" leads to two 7th-grade options: Math 7 and Accelerated Math 7. The chart then illustrates the possible transitions to 8th-grade courses: Math 7 students typically progress to Math 8, though an arrow also indicates a path to Integrated Math I. Accelerated Math 7 students typically progress to Integrated Math I, though an arrow also indicates a path to Math 8.

The Rocklin Unified School District (RUSD) strives to place each student in a math course that fits their current readiness level and supports long-term success. Moving into advanced math too early can create gaps in foundational skills, making later coursework more difficult. To help ensure students are prepared, we use multiple academic measures for math acceleration placement.

Students have multiple opportunities for math acceleration (in 7th, 8th, and 10th grade). These entry points give students flexibility to accelerate when they are ready, while keeping all future pathways open — including the option to take calculus in high school. Our priority is to help students build strong math foundations so they can feel confident and succeed in advanced courses at a pace that supports their success.

7th Grade: All incoming 7th-grade students are enrolled in Math 7, which covers grade-level standards. Students may be placed in Accelerated Math 7 if they meet both of the criteria listed below — demonstrating qualifying performance on the CAASPP (California’s statewide academic assessment) and the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress, a nationally normed growth assessment) tests.

Math CAASPP Performance:

Score at Level 4 on either the 5th-grade or 6th-grade Math CAASPP assessment
Earn no lower than Level 3 in Math in 6th-grade

Math MAP Growth Performance (6th Grade):

Score at or above the 85th percentile* on two out of three Math MAP administrations
Note: Students coming from outside the district will take an RUSD Math MAP assessment on published dates in May or August to determine if they are ready for accelerated math.

8th Grade: Most students progress from Math 7 to Math 8, which covers grade-level standards and keeps students on track to take Integrated I as freshmen. In some cases, a student may move directly from Math 7 into Integrated I in 8th grade if they meet all of the following requirements:

Math CAASPP Performance:

Score Level 4 on either 6th-grade or 7th-grade Math CAASPP
Earn no lower than Level 3 in Math in 7th-grade

Math MAP Growth Performance (7th Grade):

Score at or above the 85th percentile* on two out of three Math MAP administrations
Earn a final course grade of A in Math 7
Note: Students enrolling from outside the district will take the RUSD Math MAP assessment on scheduled dates in May or August to determine readiness for placement in Integrated I.

*National percentile rankings referenced in this document are based on the 2025 NWEA MAP Growth normative study, which establishes nationally representative benchmarks for student performance.