Curriculum and Development Cycle: Installation Stage

Curriculum and Development Cycle

Installation Stage

The installation stage of the curriculum development cycle signifies the conclusion of exploration.  As per the information drawn from the exploration stage and the decision of an institution to either move forward with the creation of an internal curriculum or the identification of a marketed program, the installation stage serves as the planning stage (Ronnis Systems Inc., 2009).  During this stage the institution will create teams to initiate or identify a curriculum or program aligned with the information provided from the exploration stage.  The installation stage also includes preparation for implementation including the development of program professional development, progress monitoring planning, and logistic preparation.  Similar to the exploration stage, participant membership within the installation stage consists of a combination of central office staff and school specific personnel, interested board members, and interested community members.  Participation by specific school personnel remains mandatory as per job descriptions and participation by board members and community members follows the same procedure listed during the exploration stage.

Curriculum Development Process

Participants	Activities	Product
·   Curriculum director ·   Special education director ·   School special education representative ·   Lead grade level teacher ·   One additional teacher from the corresponding grade level ·   One-Three School board members ·   One-Three community members	·   Engaging in a backward design process (Wiggins & McTighe, 2005) this team is charged with the creation and organization of one grade level program that meets the requirements of being research-based in its curriculum design and evidence-based in its instructional delivery ·   The curriculum developed must be reduced to 16 units, 32 weekly plans, and 160 daily lessons for teachers ·   Progress monitoring tools must include weekly and unit based assessments that are formative in nature and include a cumulative aspect of assessment ·   Professional development must be created to accompany the curriculum developed	·   One grade level curriculum program ·   Professional development created to accompany the curriculum program developed

Since the curriculum development process reaches across multiple grade levels there may be multiple curriculum development teams engaged in the curriculum development process at any given time.  Careful consideration needs to be taken by the Director of Curriculum and Instruction and the Director of Special Education to ensure that the strategic integration of skills and the order of information that is presented throughout the created programs adhere to a systematic and logical order.  Hence, the curriculum director and special education director should serve on all curriculum development teams.  Remaining team members may change per development process and by core content.  The Curriculum Development Process is an intense process that should not be entered into lightly as there are not many educators that possess the desire or knowledge to truly act as an architect for creating educational programs.

Program Identification Process

Participants	Activities	Product
·   Curriculum director ·   Special education director ·   School administration ·   School special education representative ·   Lead grade level teachers ·   One additional teacher from each grade level ·   One-Three School board members ·   One-Three community members	·   Create a curriculum rubric that adheres to the 6 effective design elements of curriculum development as a tool to be used to identify the potential of programs to be effective (Kamne'enui, Carnine, Dixon, Simmons, & Coyne, 2002) ·   Review research and evidence-based programs that address the desired learning outcomes and adhere to the educational philosophy provided during the exploration stage ·   Propose and present 3 programs to the school and community ·   Upon final review select and purchase a program ·   Organize professional development aligned with the program chosen	·   Curriculum rubric for program review ·   3 Programs for presentation and review by teachers and the community ·   Final decision of program for purchase ·   Organization and planning of professional development

Respectively, the Program Identification Process carries with it a responsibility of understanding  program design elements that result in an increase in effectiveness for certain programs over others.  Similarly not a process that should be entered into lightly, the Program Identification Process should be as intense as the Curriculum Development Process with the caveat that the programs being reviewed should include an indication of effectiveness and the opportunity to be observed in use at a school system similar in demographics.  The outcome goal of the Program Identification Process is to alleviate teachers from being designers of programs so they can focus more closely on instructional delivery and achievement diagnostics. 

References

Kamne'enui, Carnine, Dixon, Simmons, & Coyne (2002). Effective teaching strategies that accommodate diverse learners, 2nd Edition. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Ronnis Systems Inc. (2009). Building an RtI framework: Demystifying RtI. Retrieved on January 2010, from www.RonnisSystems.com

Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J.(2005). Understanding by design. Columbus, Ohio: Pearson, Merrill Prentice Hall.

Curriculum Development Cycle: Introduction & Exploration Stage

Curriculum Development Cycle

The next series of posts are designed to provide an example of an organizational approach to the curriculum development cycle for a K-12 school system.  Embedded within the posts are graphic representations of the curriculum cycle listed by phase name:

• Exploration
• Installation
• Implementation
• Fidelity & Innovation

The entire graphic representation will be posted at the conclusion of the series.

Exploration Stage

            The exploration stage of the curriculum development cycle is considered the learning stage.  It is during this stage that the institution gathers information, defines critical components of change, and identifies how change aligns with the institution’s vision and mission.  It includes conducting a needs assessment (Wiles, 2009), aligning the educational philosophy, and investigation into either the process of program identification or curriculum development.  Each phase within the exploration stage includes a specific purpose, targeted activities to be completed, and an outcome product.  Participant involvement and authority are also important factors to define within the exploration stage.

Participant membership for each phase consists of a combination of central office staff and school specific personnel, interested board members, and interested community members.  School system employees are aware of their responsibilities with respect to their job descriptions upon hire.  Interested board members and community members are invited to submit their names and curriculum phase interests to the curriculum director, who then chooses participants randomly at a pre-determined annual school board meeting.  Board and community members are notified of their selection by letter and phone.  The use of a predetermined method of choosing board and community members for participation based on a random selection process reduces potential political concerns and provides for a fair representation of community interest and viewpoints.

Conduct a Needs Assessment

Participants	Activities	Product
·   Curriculum director ·   Special education director ·   School level curriculum specialist ·   School level special education coordinator ·   One-Three School board members ·   One-Three community members	·   Using data sources that include State Testing scores, School Report Card results, Local Data, School Perception Information, and Title I AMO Reports identify school strengths, opportunities for improvement, and any missing data for future consideration ·   Identify to what extent if any current curriculum or programs need improvement or removal	·   Provide an organized list of findings as the basis for understanding the school and identifying priority areas for improvement ·   Based on the analysis conducted clearly document 3-5 priorities that emerge for the school regarding curriculum, instruction, and assessment

Align Educational Philosophy

Participants	Activities	Product
·   Curriculum director ·   Special education director ·   School Administration ·   One-Three School board members ·   One-Three community members	·   Ensure that the department vision and mission statements are concise and meaningful (Lucas, 1998; James, 2007) ·   Prepare both statements for application and use throughout the curriculum process	·   Provide a clear vision and mission statement ·   Clarify which educational philosophy best aligns with the vision and mission statement

Program Identification – Curriculum Development

Participants	Activities	Product
·   Curriculum director ·   Special education director ·   School administration ·   School level curriculum specialist ·   School level special education coordinator ·   One-Three School board members ·   One-Three community members	·   Using information from the needs assessment and alignment of the educational philosophy determine whether or not the program cycle should move forward in creating a curriculum program within the county or investigate marketed programs from various publishers	·   Formal recommendation based on the needs assessment findings and alignment of educational philosophy as to a decision to either create a curriculum within the county or investigate a marketed program ·   Must provide justification for the decision

References

James, D. (March 2007). Well-defined vision statement key to effective leadership. Crain’s Cleavland Business, 28(10), 16.

Lucas, J. (1998, February). Anatomy of a vision statement. Management Review, 87(2), 22-27.

Wiles, J. (2009). Leading curriculum development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press Inc.