Curriculum Writing

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Curriculum Writing

• Candace Wallace, Director of Curriculum Testing
• June, 2009

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Topics

• The Process
• What is Curriculum?
• What is Instruction?
• What is Assessment?

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Instructional Process

• the Plan - Curriculum
• The Delivery - Instruction
• The Evidence - Assessment

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What is Curriculum

• "a plan for a sustained process of teaching and
  learning"
• David Pratt, 1997.

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What is Instruction?

• The execution of the curriculum, actually
  teaching it. Instruction doesn't always follow
  curriculum. It is often unplanned.

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What is Assessment?

• Student outcomes must be measurable, so we must
  design a set of evaluative instruments that will
  measure those skills and knowledge in a way that
  provides a formative link to future instructional
  strategies.

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Curriculum
Curriculum writing is guided by

• State standards
• Needs of the students
• Current educational research
• District standards

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Mile wide, Inch deep.

• Instruction needs to address skills and content
  through depth of concepts. We know our
  curriculum is ineffective when it is mile wide,
  inch deep.

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CURRICULUM FOR THE 2009-2010
PAST FUTURE
Content Coverage Less Content/More Depth
Repetition/Review Coordinated/Articulated
Transmission of Facts Active Learning to Reflect Critically, Think Creatively, Problem Solve
Rigid Boundaries Between Disciplines Connections among Subject Areas
Rich, Worthwhile Content to Advanced Students Rich Worthwhile Content to All Students

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Instruction
Instructional Development
The Backward Design Process
In Understanding by Design Jay McTighe and Grant
Wiggins suggest that in crafting educational
experiences we must focus on the student learning
by targeting student outcomes and designing our
curriculum and instruction around them. This is
the backward design model.
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UbD
The Backward Design Process

• Stage 1. What is worthy and requiring of
  understanding?
• Stage 2. What is evidence of understanding?
• Stage 3. What learning experiences and teaching
  promote understanding, interest, and excellence?

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In other words

• What do we want the students to know and retain.
• What should they understand and be able to do?
• How are we going to get them to understand?
• How will we know that they know and better
  still, that they understand?

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Assessment using UbD
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Components of a Curriculum Framework

• We use the backwards design model in designing
  our Curriculum Framework by starting with student
  outcomes and working backwards towards the
  instructional strategies and models to achieve
  those outcomes.

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Components of a Curriculum Framework

• Curriculum Guide -
• Philosophy or rationale
• Course Description
• Standards
• Outline
• Bibliography
• Instructional Blueprint
• Handbook (teacher)-
• Detailed resources
• Sample unit and lesson plans
• Examples of cross discipline integration
• Classroom and instructional process

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Why Such a Detailed Framework?

• It is imperative that the whole district aligns
  with a set of standards to
• Map the common goals and objectives of
  instruction
• Monitor the instructional standards for rigor and
  relevance
• Maintain the pace of instruction consistently
  throughout the district.
• Periodically and uniformly assess student skills
  for mastery

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The Curriculum Guide

• delineates the skills and concepts taught and
  evaluated to enhance student achievement. It
  includes a pacing instrument called an
  Instructional Blueprint.

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The Instructional Blueprint

• Creates a snapshot of the educational
  activities of every classroom within the
  district.
• Captures the content, skills and assessments,
  which are aligned to the standards, and which are
  taught by every teacher in the district.

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The Instructional Blueprint

• Organizes this information into an easily
  accessed visual that presents a timeline of
  instruction by teacher and course.

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The Instructional Blueprint

• The Blueprint is a quick graphic representation
  of
• what is taught
• why it is taught
• how it is taught
• when it is taught
• how it is measured.

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The Instructional Blueprint

• Instructional Objectives
• NJCCCS
• Essential skills concepts
• Enduring Understanding
• Essential Questions
• Measurable Outcomes
• Strategies and best practices
• Methods of Assessment Formative Summative
• Project based learning tasks
• Authentic Assessments
• Pacing Timeline

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Instructional Blueprint
Thematic Units, Topics Timeline
What students should know
What the students can do
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
MEASURABLE OUTCOMES
Student Learning
A Unified Plan Of Evaluative Measures
Focus on Critical Analysis Problem Solving
Essential Skills and Concepts
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The Handbook

• A teacher handbook
• A reference tool
• Includes any ancillary materials
• Examples of thematic units
• Examples of Target Activities

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Curriculum Review Process
Research and review district data and best
practices
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Curriculum Review Process
Research and review district data and best
practices
Analyze data and begin construct of strategies
to improve deficiencies
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Curriculum Review Process
Research and review district data and best
practices
Analyze data and begin construct of strategies
to improve deficiencies
Review resources and NJCCCS alignment
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Curriculum Review Process
Research and review district data and best
practices
Design the Curriculum addressing all of the
components
Analyze data and begin construct of strategies
to improve deficiencies
Review Resources and NJCCCS Alignment
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Curriculum Review Process
Research and review district data and best
practices

• SUSTAINABILITY
• Professional Development
• Review Textbooks and Resources
• Update Primer
• Monitor student skill sets with matrix and adjust
  instruction and curriculum

Analyze data and begin construct of strategies
to improve deficiencies
Design the Curriculum
Review Resources and NJCCCS alignment
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Procedures

• Posting
• Apply for position
• OBOE approval
• Notification of Approval
• Timeline
• Instructions for using the Wiki
• Instructions for submitting paperwork

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Curriculum Review Process
Planning Design Development a viable Curriculum Guide and Instructional Handbook