Part One – Reading and Thinking Read the first part

Part One – Reading and Thinking

Read the first part of Chapter 1. Developing Curriculum Leadership and Design from the book Align the Design.  This includes the beginning through Figure 1.1.  I think this article describes things that very often take place in schools, but perhaps not necessarily yours.  The fascinating part of reading this for me is to think about how curriculum leaders, which you all are, can avoid the pitfalls mentioned in the article and ensure a guaranteed and viable curriculum.  That is what I would like you to think about as you go through this article.

Part Two – Respond to the Following:

1. Briefly summarize the status quo that “Ann” experienced upon creating curriculum guides for her district.  Can you relate to her experience?  If yes, discuss in which ways.  If no, please explain.
2. Now that standards (Common Core, Louisiana Student Standards, etc.) have answered the question, “What do we want our students to know?” what do the authors of this article argue is the next critical question to be asked?  Describe why it is so important for this question to be explored.
3. What two sets of research findings do the authors use for developing curriculum?  Describe why each is so important.
4. In order to ensure curriculum is created with a focus on instruction, what two phases do the authors recommend in order to manage the work?
5. Consider the picture created by the authors in regard to curriculum development.  Also, consider your experience when thinking about this next question.  What is the status quo when it comes to curriculum implementation at your school?  Provide specific examples.

Part Three – Reading and Thinking

I would like for you to read the rest of this chapter, which includes a step by step guide to what the authors offer as a “Do” and “Don't” do list when it comes to being a curriculum leader.  Also included here is a guide to review and evaluation, aligning structure with leadership, and insight into the role of the central office.  As you read the rest of this chapter, please continue to think about how – as a curriculum leader – you can avoid the pitfalls associated with curriculum development and implementation.  Also, it is important to remember that the overall purpose of this article is to share ideas about how curriculum leaders can – and have to – focus on not just developing a curriculum guide but ensuring a guaranteed and viable curriculum through an emphasis on high-quality instruction.

Part Four – Respond to the Following:

1. Copy and paste three – five quotes from at least three different sections of the article (Step 1: Establish the Foundation through Reactions from the Field) that are the most significant thoughts to you when it comes to being a successful curriculum leader.  You can see an example of this in what I posted as “Most Significant Thoughts” in this module.  However, please note that I included more than five quotes from six different sections of the article.  Please limit yourself to the number of quotes and sections used that I am asking for.  I chose these quotes because I know that I can use information from them to discuss what I can do as a curriculum leader to be successful at implementing a guaranteed and viable curriculum in a school setting.
2. Utilize the thoughts behind the quotes you chose to respond to the following: Because you are a curriculum leader, your principal has asked you to lead a curriculum development project.  S/he has asked you for your thoughts about how to ensure the implementation of a guaranteed and viable curriculum.  In other words, s/he wants the result to be high-quality instruction leading to significant increases in student academic achievement.  S/he has asked that you write out and describe/explain/justify 3 – 5 of what you believe to be the most important things/actions/thoughts that need to be taken into consideration as the school embarks on this process.  Upon hearing this, you know that you are up to the task!