Designing Mathematics or Science Curriculum Programs A Guide for Using Mathematics and Science Education Standards (1999) / Chapter Skim
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Components of Coherent Mathematics and Science Education Curriculum Programs
Components of Coherent Mathematics and Science Education Curriculum Programs
Pages 17-30
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From page 17... ...
Because high-quality instructional materials should contain a variety of assessments for use by classroom teachers, the presence of aligned assessments will be an important criterion in evaluating instructional materials. While a common "vision" is a critical starting point for the design of a coherent curriculum program, it is not often considered to be a part of the actual program blueprint.
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From page 18... ...
The document then sets out four learning goals that describe students who are able · "to experience the richness and excitement of knowing about and catty." understanding the natural world; · to use appropriate scientific processes and principles in making personal . · ~ clec~s~ons; DESK MA-~MA:~CS 0R Sit · to engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about matters of scientific and technological concern; anti · to increase their economic pro(luctivity through the use of the knowle(lge, un(lerstan(ling, anti skills of the scientifically literate person in their careers." The NCTM Standards state that "...to(lay's society expects schools to insure that all students have an opportunity to become mathematically literate, are capable of extending their learning, have an equal opportunity to learn, anti become informed citizens capable of un(lerstan(ling issues in a technological society" (NCTM, 19891.
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From page 19... ...
The absence of such a declaration creates uncertainty when subsequent decisions are made about standards, instructional materials, instructional grouping, assessment, budget allocations, and so on. Although the goals in the national standards are for all students, it should be recognized that different students wait proceed at different rates and, therefore, wait have some common and some individualized experiences.
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From page 20... ...
YES ~ ~O MA-! ~ EMA:~- ACT 0R A comprehensive set of content standards that defines what students are to un(lerstan(1 or be able to (lo is the key component in the (resign of an effective curriculum program.
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From page 21... ...
Performance standards should include multiple benchmarks that lead to higher standards of proficiency, making it possible to demonstrate progress for students at all levels of achievement. To the extent that content standards include examples of assessment tasks and of various levels of real student performance in response to these tasks, they can better provide teachers and the public with the insights into the concrete meaning of the standards and specific expectations for student learning" (McLaughlin & Shepar(l, 19951.
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From page 22... ...
One of the important purposes of standards is to focus instruction and student learning on a deep understanding of fundamental content. In science, the NSES (NRC, 1996b)
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From page 23... ...
should be used. The NSES developers settled on "understand" and "develop the abilities Of' to communicate knowIe(lge an (1 skills , respectively, an (1 the Benchmarks developers chose "know" anti "know how." Both groups a(l(lress the qualities of effective instruction in other ways: the NSES included "Science Teaching Stan(lar(ls," anti Project 2061 included chapters on teaching in Benchmarks as well as in Blueprints for Reform: Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education (NRC, 1996b; AAAS, 1993 anti 19981.
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From page 24... ...
by grade level that guides the development of the curriculum and the selection and placement of instructional materials. Ideally, the framework also includes the performance standards associated with the content standards.
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27 illustrates in a more detailed fashion the growth of understanding from the NCTM "Statistics Standard." The treatment of the science and mathematics standards represented in Figures 4 and 5 represent only the "big idea" parts of these standards. It should be noted that the framework allows consi(lerable flexibility for the (resign of the sequence of learning activities in the instructional materials.
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From page 26... ...
When elements are listed in order according to the number of protons (callecl the atomic number) , repeating patterns of physical ancl chemical properties identify families of elements with similar properties.
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From page 27... ...
· Data displays can be constructed to communicate information accurately ancl clearly. They can also be designed to distort communication and encourage wrong interpretations.
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From page 28... ...
that span several grade levels can be "unpacked" and assigned to particular grade levels. At times, adding intermediate standards or benchmarks wall be desirable because the conceptual or procedural gap between standards is so great.
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From page 29... ...
This is addressed by the fourth and final component of the curriculum program to be addressed in this report instructional materials. There is broad consensus in both the mathematics and science education ~ OU~E FOR DIG it communities that use of instructional materials aligned with the content and teaching standards in national standards documents is a critical component of effective curriculum programs.
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From page 30... ...
DESK MA-~MA:~CS 0R Sit Criteria for the Selection of instructional Materials The following broad criteria have been gleane(1 from the procedures for analyzing anti selecting instructional materials (lescribe(1 above.
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