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.