You Are On A Curriculum Evaluation Team In This Project
You Are On A Curriculum Evaluation Team In This Project You Will Loc
You are on a curriculum evaluation team. In this project, you will locate a curriculum to evaluate and prepare for a site visit to a school to review the curriculum. Review the following document. Download Approaches to Curriculum to gather ideas about what you might do. As a team: Identify a school and locate the curriculum to review.
Determine what elements of the curriculum you will examine. Plan the visit and create an agenda for the day. What documents will you ask to see? Who will you ask to speak with and about what? What observations will you do?
Write a site visit plan and agenda following APA 6th format. Be sure to include the identified curriculum as an Appendix item (See pages 38-40 of your APA 6th Handbook). Please add your file. Individual Portion You should select one unit of the curriculum to review and create a detailed rubric for evaluating the curriculum using a curriculum evaluation model (examples: Tyler's Objectives Model, Stake's Countenance Model of Evaluation, Parlett & Hamilton Illuminative Model, Eisner's Connoisseurship Model, the CIPP Evaluation Model, etc.)
Paper For Above instruction
Evaluating a curriculum through a structured site visit requires meticulous planning, comprehensive understanding of the curriculum, and the application of a suitable evaluation model. This process encompasses selecting an appropriate school, determining which curriculum components to review, creating an effective visit agenda, and developing evaluation rubrics for specific units within the curriculum.
Introduction
Curriculum evaluation is an essential process in educational quality assurance, providing insights into curriculum effectiveness, relevance, and adherence to educational standards. When conducting a curriculum assessment, evaluators must adopt a systematic approach that includes pre-visit planning, on-site data collection, and post-visit analysis. This essay outlines the steps involved in planning a curriculum review site visit, including curriculum selection, elements to examine, question formulation, document analysis, observational strategies, and rubric development for a targeted unit evaluation.
Curriculum Selection and Preparation
The initial phase involves selecting a school and locating the curriculum for review. This process may involve communication with school administrators, curriculum coordinators, or reviewing publicly available curriculum documents. A comprehensive understanding of the curriculum's scope, aims, and scope is necessary to formulate effective evaluation questions. A review of the "Approaches to Curriculum" document provides a theoretical foundation for identifying key elements, such as curriculum goals, instructional strategies, assessment methods, and resources.
Defining Elements for Examination
Critical elements of the curriculum to be examined include alignment with educational standards, coherence across units, instructional clarity, differentiation strategies, assessment validity, and resource availability. The evaluation also considers the extent to which the curriculum fosters student engagement, reflects diverse learning needs, and integrates technology. Selecting these elements ensures a comprehensive review aligned with curriculum evaluation frameworks such as Tyler's Objectives Model or Stake's Countenance Model.
Planning the Site Visit
Effective planning involves creating a detailed agenda outlining activities, document reviews, interviews, and observations. Key documents to request include curriculum maps, lesson plans, assessment tools, student work samples, and teacher guides. Interviews should be scheduled with administrators, teachers, and curriculum coordinators to gain perspectives on curriculum implementation, challenges, and successes.
Observations focus on classroom instructional practices, student engagement levels, and interactions. These data points help triangulate findings from document reviews and interviews. The visit should be scheduled to include class observations, teacher interviews, and informal chats with students and parents.
Developing the Rubric
For the individual component, selecting a specific curriculum unit involves analyzing the unit's objectives, instructional strategies, assessments, and resources. A detailed rubric is created using an evaluation model, such as Tyler’s Objectives Model, which emphasizes clarity of objectives, learning experiences, and evaluation criteria.
The rubric assesses dimensions such as:
- Alignment of objectives with curriculum standards
- Consistency of instructional strategies with objectives
- Validity and reliability of assessments
- Engagement and differentiation strategies
- Resource adequacy and appropriateness
This rubric provides a structured way to analyze the selected unit systematically, enabling evaluators to identify strengths, gaps, and areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Thorough curriculum evaluation through a well-planned site visit enables educators and policymakers to gauge instructional effectiveness and inform curriculum development. Utilizing frameworks like Tyler's Objectives Model ensures a disciplined approach, emphasizing alignment, coherence, and student learning outcomes. Ultimately, the process supports continuous curriculum improvement aligned with educational goals and standards.
References
- Tyler, R. W. (1949). Basic principles of curriculum and instruction. University of Chicago Press.
- Stake, R. E. (1975). Evaluating the arts in education. Harvard Educational Review, 45(4), 519-537.
- Parlett, M., & Hamilton, D. (1972). Evaluation as illumination: A new approach to the evaluation of professional practices. Scottish Journal of Education, 2(2), 33-42.
- Eisner, E. W. (1998). The enlightened eye: Qualitative inquiry and the enhancement of educational practice. Teachers College Press.
- Stufflebeam, D. L., & Shinkfield, A. J. (2007). Evaluation theory, models, and applications. John Wiley & Sons.
- McNeill, H. (2009). Curriculum evaluation: A review of models and approaches. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 41(4), 557-574.
- Madaus, G. F., Stufflebeam, D. L., & Kellaghan, T. (Eds.). (1992). Evaluation models. Springer Science & Business Media.
- Robson, C. (2002). Real world research (2nd ed.). Blackwell Publishing.
- Gall, M. D., Gall, J. P., & Borg, W. R. (2007). Educational research: An introduction. Pearson Education.
- Lichtman, M. (2010). Qualitative research in education: A user's guide. Sage Publications.