Curriculum Leadership Institute

Pathways to School Improvement

CCC

Second Cycle Curriculum Writing

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Most school districts have a “cycle” for revising curriculum, so that each subject is reviewed every five to six years.  The first cycle takes the longest because the curriculum must be created – a Subject Area Committee (SAC) must make decisions about what is most important and what will be required of all students.  Subsequent cycles usually take less time because our starting point is the existing curriculum, which has been implemented and assessed for a period of time.  However, there are still several considerations to be made as a curriculum is reviewed anew.  We still need to consider state or national standards (which may have changed), and we need to gather teacher input.  Now, we also have curriculum for other subject areas, which may not have been completed when the target subject was first written.  The existence of these additional curricula allows us to look more thoroughly for cross-curricular support than we might have been able to do in the first cycle. 

Below are some recommended steps for a second (or subsequent) cycle of reviewing and revising curriculum. 

  1. Gather information about what currently exists.  
    • Complete a crosswalk from the old standards to the new to determine the amount of change that may have occurred since the previous cycle. Make note of these changes.
    • Survey teachers of the subject to determine concerns with the current curriculum or suggestions for improvement.
    • Review data of student performance to identify areas that need improvement and determine if the curriculum is sufficient.  (If it is determined that curriculum is not the root of the problem, then the SAC will need to consider instructional causes and identify possible professional development needs.)
    • Examine curricula that have been implemented in other subject areas to identify where cross-curricular connections might be improved, or assessment items (especially at the elementary level) can serve more than one curricular area, thereby reducing the number of assessments.
    • Identify courses that may need to be added, removed, or modified.  (For instance, the addition of a compluter applications course at elementary or middle level may make the existing entry-level high school computer applications course unnecessary.)
  2. Make any necessary course changes according to information gathered.
  3. Review and update the subject mission and purpose statements.
  4. Add, remove, or make changes to outcomes and components as warranted, and recode to align to updated state standards.
  5. Identify where common assessments are affected by the curriculum changes and make adjustments to the assessments.
  6. Request professional development where data indicate a need.
  7. Evaluate existing resources for their appropriateness to the revised curriculum, and request new or additional resources if needed.
  8. Present changes to the Curriculum Coordinating Council for approval and recommendation to the Board.

Districts that have used the CLI Model for the first cycle are accustomed to using large sheets of butcher paper on the wall, with color-coded strands for curriculum topics.  Most districts find this is not really necessary in a second cycle, since they are using the existing curriculum as the starting point.  However, some CLI districts have found it helpful to make large-size copies of their curriculum and cut it apart.  They then highlight outcomes and components in color by strand so they can track standards across grade levels.

Depending on the extent of revision necessary or the quality of the assessments in place, the tasks listed above may take one school year or more, if necessary.  Some SACs may find their task can be completed in less than a school year if there are few changes required. 

Communicate and Celebrate Another Great Year!

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Click here for a printer-friendly version.It is amazing how quickly a school year goes by!  Often, we feel like there is not enough time to complete all of the tasks we planned.  But if you are staying true to your Long Range Plan, it’s a sure bet that you’ve been improving throughout the year and should communicate and celebrate the work that’s been done!

For an effective activity to reflect on your committee’s achievements, try addressing “Where have we been?  Where are we now?  Where are we going?”  Post three large pieces of paper around the room (poster size if you have it), with one of the headings “Where have we been?”  “Where are we now?”  or “Where are we going,”  divide your committee into three groups, and assign each group one of the posters, and, consequently, one of the questions.  Ask them to think about the question to which they are assigned and write their answers on the poster.  Then, you can either ask the groups to share out now, or they can rotate posters and add to them before sharing out.  Make sure to have someone record this information in the minutes and communicate it to the rest of the district, and even the public!

Not everyone can sit in on your committee work and may, therefore, misunderstand the intent, or even the results, of your work.  Take the time to communicate your successes to the rest of your stakeholders.  Make sure to do this in multiple ways; perhaps in a staff meeting, through email updates, on your website, and even in the newspaper.  Make your community proud of the great work that you are doing to improve teaching and learning!

Do not forget to have meaningful celebrations for those who are doing the hard work.  During the last day of committee work hold a potluck lunch, or cater it if you have the funds.  On the last day of school for teachers, use the last hour or so to thank all teachers for the work they’ve done.  Bring food (of course!) and make an example out of the teachers who did excellent work.  Perhaps award them with some school swag like a shirt, hat, or jacket with the school logo.  Whatever you decide to do, make sure you point out the specific things you’re celebrating.  It’s ineffective for you to leave the recognition with a blanket statement like, “Thank you for all you do for our students.”  Make sure your celebration is meaningful.

Photo credit: Jason Leung

 

Following the Trends: A Job for Your Curriculum Coordinating Council

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Are you having trouble keeping your district leaders informed on what is going on in the world of education?  The CLI Model has the expectation for leaders to continuously review externally mandated assessment and accreditation requirements. Finding time to do this can be a factor, so one solution is to have your Curriculum Coordinating Council (CCC) schedule 15 minutes or more each meeting for regular updates. A designated council member might report on the most recent events, and then facilitate a discussion on what that could mean for your academic programs. There are numerous resources for obtaining such updates, but here are some recommended and reputable ones to look at first.

 AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

This organization is typically the one to which your superintendent belongs, and it is very invested in providing guidance in the development of state and national education policy.

703-528-0700

twitter.com/aasahq

www.aasa.org

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS (AFT)

The AFT has helpful publications including the American Educator, AFT on Campus, Healthwire, Public Employee Advocate, and various topical pamphlets to support public education and services.

twitter.com/AFTunion

www.aft.org 

 

ASSOCIATION FOR MIDDLE LEVEL EDUCATION (AMLE)

The AMLE has a focus of providing support for educators who work with adolescents between the ages of 10 and 15. The students in this developmental stage have unique situations that require educators to have an understanding of their educational and developmental needs.  Concepts advocated by middle school educators are best expressed in the Middle School Journal and AMLE Magazine.

800-528-6672

twitter.com/AMLE

www.amle.org

ASSOCIATION FOR SUPERVISION AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT (ASCD)

One of the biggest and most active associations for supporting quality academic programs is ASCD. The Association’s comprehensive membership package includes many outstanding resources such as subscriptions to Educational Leadership, Education Update, Policy Priorities, and the ASCD Express.  Members may also select from printed publications, attend webinars, and participate in online professional development.

800-933-2723

twitter.com/ASCD

www.ascd.org

EDUCATION WEEK

This publication is an excellent way to keep up-to-date on many educational issues. Frequently published by Editorial Projects in Education, news and opinions are shared about K-12 curriculum, instruction, technology, and school environments. Print and digital versions are available.

800-445-8250

twitter.com/educationweek

www.edweek.org.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS (NAESP)

The NAESP is an organization with many helpful initiatives. Most of those are reported in the Principal Magazine and the Communicator. NAESP also provides support for the expanding leadership expectations of elementary and middle school principals.

800-386-2377

twitter.com/NAESP

www.naesp.org

 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS (NASSP)

The NASSP is an organization focused on providing support for secondary principals, assistant principals, and other school leaders through peer-tested and research-based information. Their publications include the NASSP Bulletin and Principal Leadership.

703-860-0200

twitter.com/NASSP

www.nassp.org

NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION (NEA)

Another large organization advocating for public education is NEA.  They are always active in working with government at national and state levels, and can be a good source for locating information about upcoming issues and proposals. NEA Today is their best-known publication available in digital and in print copy.

202-833-4000

twitter.com/NEAToday

www.nea.org

NATIONAL SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION (NSBA)

This organization speaks for all local boards of education around the nation.  They advocate for public education and influence public policy. Through the sponsoring of state and national conferences, NSBA creates support networks for decision making leaders across the nation.

twitter.com/NSBAComm

www.nsba.org

When there is a regularly scheduled item on the CCC agenda, it is easier to keep up with current issues by spending time sharing updates. Obviously, there are other associations and agencies that can also be used to give your CCC insight into important trends.  When those sources are discovered, they should be shared with the group to expand the “library” for obtaining professional knowledge. The key is to make staying informed a common practice so the best possible discussions are held and decisions made.

A Handy Guide for Annual Recognition

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lawn mower in grass

download_pdf_smRecently, another educator used a really great metaphor about taking time to “mow the lawn” now and again. Mowing the lawn is perhaps one of the least hated chores that we have to do. Maybe it’s because freshly cut grass smells so nice or because we also get in a little workout, but very likely it is due to the sense of instant gratification we feel when we take a look back at our progress.

Here we are in May and the end of the year is quickly approaching. The amount of hard work that has taken place with regard to curriculum, instruction, and assessment has, no doubt, seemed overwhelming to those who have participated in the process. But there are also many stakeholders who were not on the Curriculum Coordinating Council (CCC) or a Subject Area Committee (SAC) and who may not fully understand what has taken place.

So, take a moment to “mow the lawn.” Put together some sort of communication, whether it be an article in your district newsletter, an article in the community newspaper, or a video for the district website that highlights district curriculum, instruction, and assessment achievements from the past year. Don’t forget to present this as part of your report to the School Board at the next meeting; it is essential that they see the progress that the district has made!

Some questions to consider when “mowing the lawn:”

  1. Looking back at our year, what have we accomplished?
  2. What has been our greatest achievement? In other words, what makes us most proud?
  3. What role(s) did people play in each achievement?
  4. What excites us about the opportunities ahead?

To assist in answering these questions, below you will find a list of potential achievements from three stakeholder groups: CCC, SAC, and teachers. Look through each category and highlight the achievements that have been accomplished this year. Use the following lists to highlight the achievements of which you are most proud!

Potential Governance (CCC) Achievements

  • Created a set of operating procedures for curriculum, instruction, and assessment work.
  • Developed or revised a Long Range Plan to meet the needs of the district and align with state requirements.
  • Created or revised the District Mission and Vision statements as a guide for all work within the district.
  • Drafted or finalized a mastery statement as a foundation for making decisions regarding curriculum, instruction, and assessments.
  • Determined requirements for implementing the curriculum through classroom instruction and assessments.
  • Analyzed educational best practices to determine the effectiveness of current grading practices and grade reporting and offered researched solutions for consideration, discussion, and implementation.
  • Analyzed educational best practices to determine the effectiveness of extended learning opportunities and offered researched solutions for consideration, discussion, and implementation.
  • Prioritized professional development opportunities for upcoming years.

Potential Curriculum and Assessment (SAC) Achievements

  • Gathered information from all teachers within a content area about what is currently being taught.
  • Interpreted state standards to determine what they really mean.
  • Created a Subject Mission based on the desired profile of a graduating student regarding this content area.
  • Determined what is essential at each grade level and clarified the horizontal and vertical progression.
  • Drafted a guaranteed and viable curriculum to include outcomes and components that are high-priority, grade-appropriate, essential and focused, and are aligned to state standards.
  • Revised curriculum according to teacher feedback.
  • Drafted common outcome assessments aligned to the curriculum.
  • Revised common outcome assessments according to teacher feedback.

Potential Classroom (Teacher) Achievements Related to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

  • Drafted a Pacing Guide for teaching the curriculum and kept notes that can be used to write next year’s Pacing Guide
  • Organized materials and/or gradebook by outcome.
  • Used the new/draft curriculum and provided feedback to the Subject Area Committee.
  • Created instructional plans in alignment with the current target subject within the district curriculum
    • Developed formative assessments to determine if students are ready to move on
    • Aligned teacher strategies and student activities to promote student engagement
    • Created differentiation and enrichment opportunities to move students toward mastery of curriculum.
  • Provided feedback about potential resources with regard to their alignment to the curriculum.
  • Used common outcome assessments and analyzed student data to differentiate or revise instructional plans to ensure mastery for all students.
  • Provided feedback to the Subject Area Committee regarding the draft common outcome assessments.

Celebrate another successful year!

CLI Checklist for Administrators

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download_pdf_sm Sometimes administrators are unable to serve as members of the Curriculum Coordinating Council or Subject Area Committees. In these cases it is important to remember that their assistance in the curriculum development process is essential. The following checklist details what all administrators should be doing within each year of the CLI Model.

DURING THE FIRST YEAR OF CCC/SAC WORK

checkmark Read Pathways and become familiar with the CLI Model
checkmark Read the Curriculum Coordinating Council (CCC) minutes and ensure an understanding of decisions made.
checkmark Support and communicate CCC decisions to the faculty and professional staff members you supervise.
checkmark Keep the Long Range Plan (LRP) handy and know which Subject Area Committees (SACs) are currently working, and where they are in their action agendas. Speak often to each SAC chair to update and clarify decisions made and actions taken.
checkmark Pop in on or attend entire SAC/CCC meetings to show interest and support.
checkmark Ask questions and converse with teachers, SAC chairs, and CCC members to clarify information and show support.

 

DURING THE SECOND YEAR OF SAC WORK

checkmark Continue to do everything done in the first year.

Review the district’s Long Range Plan (LRP) and do the following for each active SAC in the second year of model implementation:

checkmark Locate and review subject area pacing guides because familiarity with them opens dialogue with teachers, shows your interest in the hard work being done, and serves as a source of information for walk-through evaluations.
checkmark Attend as much of the implementation training for the new curriculum as possible to understand demands being made of teachers.
checkmark Make issues or concerns about curriculum implementation a standing item on faculty meeting agendas.
checkmark Share these discussions with the SAC for further consideration.
checkmark Ask teachers often how close they are to being on track with their pacing guides.

Locate, review/critique, and use Instructional Planning Resources (IPRs). These planning documents can be especially helpful in evaluating teachers, deciding on appropriate professional development for teachers, and starting conversations about student learning. The following are other actions you should take with regard to IPRs:

checkmark Monitor the IPR completion process and deadlines.
checkmark Monitor the completion of validation forms by ALL subject area teachers.
checkmark Be flexible in the schedule when possible to give teachers time to work with IPRs, and allow additional release time for teachers if necessary.
checkmark Be visible! The staff needs to see principals actively involved with the implementation process.

 

DURING THE THIRD YEAR OF SAC WORK

checkmark Continue to do everything done in the first and second years with continuously active SACs.
checkmark Monitor common assessment writing timelines and other SAC needs.
checkmark Monitor curriculum fidelity by ensuring that teachers use all parts of the new curriculum faithfully.
checkmark Plan the purchase of resources, and provide time, guidance and the professional development needed to use them correctly.

 

DURING THE FOURTH YEAR OF SAC WORK

checkmark Continue to do everything done in the first, second, and third years with continuously active SACs.
checkmark Monitor the completion of common assessment validation forms.
checkmark Monitor the completion of item analysis on common outcome assessments; discuss assessment data with teachers and determine necessary remedies.