Designing Mathematics or Science Curriculum Programs A Guide for Using Mathematics and Science Education Standards (1999) / Chapter Skim
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Process for Designing a Curriculum Program
Process for Designing a Curriculum Program
Pages 31-46
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From page 31... ...
Each stage of the process makes a contribution to these goals. This report assumes that a curricu lum program design committee, with representatives of various stakeholders in the school system or district, wait be responsible for the design process.
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From page 32... ...
As the starting point in the development of an improved curriculum program, a district needs goals and a set of standards to guide the work of the curriculum program design committee, particularly in the important areas of creating a framework and selecting the core instructional materials. The previous section of the report, "Components of Coherent Mathematics and Science Education Curriculum Programs," lists criteria for goals and DESK MA-~MA:~CS 0R Sit standards and indicates how national standards provide guidance for districts that are writing their own.
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From page 33... ...
Examining sample instructional materials or student work also coul(1 help the committee clarify the nature of student ~ OU~E FOR USING It A~D SCONCE EDUCA:~ S~DARDS
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From page 34... ...
For example, teachers may not agree about the contributions and limitations of lecture versus inquiry or of small group versus large group instruction. These issues are best addressed explicitly in a positive, professional environment where relevant educational research literature can be accessed anti reviewed.
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From page 35... ...
As men i° Because of the widespread influence of national standards in mathematics and science, increasing numbers of instructional materials and, in some cases, multi-year programs are available commercially that provide for instruction and the learning of content called for in the national standards. Both commercial publishers and curriculum development groups funded by the National Science Foundation have developed these materials.
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From page 36... ...
Examining the instructional materials informs the committee as to what is available at each grade level, how the standards are presented in the materials, and the prior knowIedge students need before beginning each unit. After the design committee reviews information about the materials, it may find a need to revise some portions of the framework.
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From page 37... ...
richly The design committee, having worked with the policy documents (goals and standards) , developed and described its vision of teaching and learning, analyze(1 the current program, and reviewed and selected instructional materials, is really to begin refining the curriculum framework.
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From page 38... ...
As written, this phrase can be interpreted in many ways. Some teachers may have their sixth-grade students memorize definitions; other teachers may go so far as to have students design experiments to collect evidence that plants need light; and yet others wait ask students to memorize the equations that summarize the chemical reaction.
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From page 39... ...
The instructional materials selected to support the K-12 framework may come from several sources. I(leally, one curriculum series or program would suffice for a complete span of gra(les, such as K-5 or Kid.
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From page 40... ...
A design committee refining its curriculum framework could address gaps and transition problems by recommending that . instructional materials be modified to create transition activities; · new units be written where major gaps exist; supplemental units from other sources be identified; or professional development be provided for teachers that addresses the issues associated with the gaps.
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From page 41... ...
Once this process is understood and a few examples developed across several grade levels, continuous improvement of the total curriculum program will become much easier. vidual instructional materials adopted ~ OU~E FOR DIG it A~D for the curriculum program may have been pilot tested in other school districts, the particular collection of materials now gathered in the design committee's framework may not have been.
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From page 42... ...
· What professional development is needed so that teachers can maintain the coherence of the curriculum program without denying access to students who have not attained the prior knowledge and skills called for? · What professional development is needed to support teachers and principals in the use of the instructional materials in the curriculum program?
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From page 43... ...
Second, the Concerns-Based Adoption Model has developed a method of describing and mapping the progression of implementation of an innovative program (Hall & Loucks, 1978~. Third, the National Science Foundation-funded Classroom Observation Protocols (Weiss et al., 1998; Horizon Research, 1999)
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From page 44... ...
. developing a two-way communication link with all stakehol(lers through status reports, newsletters, World Wi(le Web sites, newspaper articles, anti presentations to school staffs and parent-teacher organizations; seeking input and response on a periodic basis through questionnaires, focus groups, use of external reviewers, and presentations to faculty and community groups; · informing stakeholders of pilot testing results, how the feedback has been used, and the specific impact both are having on the committee's work; judging the degree to which the committee's work has been accepted by examining the various forms of feedback received (a committee that has communicated its work well will have a good sense of the degree to which its work will be supported)
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From page 45... ...
These include professional development for both teachers and administrators and development of a number of support mechanisms. See Appendix A for an overview of this topic.
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