The graduate evaluates curricula and recommends improvements that will ensure academic and non-academic programs are high-quality, technology-rich, and coherent.
2045.4.2 : Implementing and Aligning the Curriculum
The graduate implements and aligns the curriculum to ensure achievement of expected learning outcomes.
Before you begin this task, you must have completed and passed Task 1, and you must complete and pass this task prior to beginning Task 3.
Part of being an effective school leader is ensuring the programs of study are coherent and prepare students for success. You will lead the school’s efforts in developing, implementing, and evaluating curricula, instructional practices, and assessments.
Over the three tasks for this assessment, you will use eight of the nine steps of curricular evaluation. For this task, Task 2, you will complete steps four through six of the curricular evaluation process for programs of study: refine curriculum map, refine curriculum materials (i.e., curriculum guide), and suggest time allocations. Task 1 covers steps one and two and Task 3 covers steps seven through nine.
While you do not need to complete step three, which is to map the desired curriculum, this step would be at the beginning of this task.
The documents in the attachments section compose a rich case study similar to the type of information you would have access to as a principal when conducting a curriculum evaluation. You may not need to use each of these attachments in every task, although some attachments are required for this task. However, collectively, the attachments will give you a broad scenario to analyze, and individually, the attachments will help inform thoughtful responses to real-world situations.
You have successfully led West Oak Cove Elementary School through the first two steps of the curriculum evaluation process for the fourth-grade math curriculum based on the Illinois Common Core State Standards. You and your team have set the project parameters for the curriculum evaluation process, including identifying the purposes behind the evaluation and the stakeholders who should be involved. You have also completed the plan to orient the faculty to the curriculum evaluation. You will now continue the process, leading your faculty and staff through the next four steps of the curriculum evaluation process.
Your submission must be your original work. No more than a combined total of 30% of a submission and no more than a 10% match to any one individual source can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. An originality report is provided when you submit your task that can be used as a guide.
You must use the rubric to direct the creation of your submission because it provides detailed criteria that will be used to evaluate your work. Each requirement below may be evaluated by more than one rubric aspect. The rubric aspect titles may contain hyperlinks to relevant portions of the course.
Tasks may not be submitted as cloud links, such as links to Google Docs, Google Slides, OneDrive, etc., unless specified in the task requirements. All other submissions must be file types that are uploaded and submitted as attachments (e.g., .docx, .pdf, .ppt).
A. Evaluate the attached “Curriculum Map” by doing the following:
1. Discuss how well the attached “Curriculum Map” aligns to established Illinois Common Core State Standards.
2. Discuss student performance data as it relates to the standards in the attached “Curriculum Map,” including identification of areas that could be improved.
3. Recommend modifications to the attached “Curriculum Map,” and justify your recommendations based upon your responses to part A1 and part A2.
4. Explain the time allocations for key elements discussed in the attached “Curriculum Map.” Justify all changes to time allocations for key elements you would make, based on your responses to parts A1–A3.
B. Evaluate the attached “Curriculum Guide Excerpt” by doing the following:
1. Discuss how well the attached “Curriculum Guide Excerpt” addresses each of the following elements:
• grade-level standards alignment
• student performance data
• equity and cultural relevance
• use of technology
2. Recommend modifications to the attached “Curriculum Guide Excerpt,” and justify your recommendations based upon your response to part B1.
3. Explain each of the time allocations for key elements discussed in the attached “Curriculum Guide Excerpt.” Justify all changes you would make, based on your responses to parts B1 and B2.
C. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
D. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.