Organizing and Implementing the Curriculum

Organizing and Implementing the

Curriculum

Oliva, Peter F.Developing the Curriculum

Chapter 9

Presentation by: Jack Baker, Alisa Barnett, Marty Gilchrist, Bruce Hunt, Beth Jones

Organizing and Implementing the Curriculum

Chapter Overview & Objectives Curriculum Past, Present, &

Future• Strengths & Weakness of Various Plans

• Psychological & Sociological Impact of the various plans

• Curriculum Goals - pick, choose, & defend


What’s In It For Me? What to take from this chapter as an

educational leader:1. Curriculum is a means to an end -

start with the end in mind2. “What has been will be again,

what has been done will be done again, there is nothing new under the sun” - Solomon

3. Know where you have been, where you are, and where you are going


Two Main Considerations For Developing Curriculum:

The Path to Development:• How did we get where we are? • Where exactly are we?• Where are we going?

Assessing the Organization:•Are you starting from scratch? •(a curriculum planning book assumption)• - unlikely•Can you toss everything that currently exists? •(another curriculum planning book assumption)• - also unlikely



The Graded School• Based on the practice of grouping children together by

chronological age• Some variation of the 12 year plan was normal in most

school districts• Characteristics included self- contained classrooms

with 25 students and 1 teacher, individual subjects taught at specific times and measurement based graded intervals and not growth periods


The Activity Curriculum• Attempt move from the graded school by

catering to the learners needs• Curriculum was based on human impulse,

activity and subject matter from the child’s world

• Students were grouped according to interest level

• Teachers served as a guides, not experts


Non Graded Elementary School• Another attempt to depart from the graded

school curriculum• Abandoned grade level designations by allowing

students to progress through school as he or she in ready

• Students are grouped according to ability and not age. A student never fails. Reading is key component


Open Education and Open Space• Refers to a style of education and to a method

of laying out schools• Teacher is viewed as a facilitator/ Team

teaching is common• Schools were built to accommodate this style of

large group learning by not having walls• Student oriented curriculum



Characteristics• Institution in search of an identity• Is it an upward projection of the elementary

school or a downward projection of the high school

• Most junior highs found themselves being more similar to the high school in regards to curriculum


Conant’s Recommendations (Subject Centered)

• Required subjects including English, social studies, math and science

• Small percentage of students would start Algebra and foreign language

• Basic skills from elementary school should be carried over

• Ensure smooth transition from elementary school to high school

• Coordination and flexibility in scheduling


ASCD (Student Centered)

• Specific junior high programs

• Ungraded programs

• Variations in class periods


Core Curriculum• Extended block of time in daily schedule

in which students are involved in activities that a directly related to them

• Unification of Subject matter• Content cuts across all subject matter• Problem style of learning• Team Teaching



Subject Matter Curriculum

• Predominant historical and prevalent form of curriculum organization in the world

• Emphasis on academics and basic skills

• Used to greatest extent in high school and college


Subject Matter Curriculum•Number of subjects: from 7 in ancient Greece to over 300 in U.S. by the 1930s•End of 19th century: NEA sought equal treatment for all subjects•1906: Carnegie Unit created – to qualify, classes had to meet 5 days per week, 40 minute minimum (120 class hours per year), 16 units for graduation


Aspects of Subject Matter Curriculum

•Premise: adult knowledge (heritage) transmitted to immature learners•Assign-study-recite-test•Operates primarily in cognitive domain, some in psychomotor•Students easily assessed•Differences in students addressed by the available electives


Broad-Fields Curriculum

Attempt in early 20th century to integrate and unify parts of subjects

Example: English, Composition, etc. became Language Arts;

History, Geography, etc became Social Studies


Team Teaching• Cooperative planning, instruction,

evaluation

• Flexible student grouping and daily schedules

• Promotes creative use of media and space

• Utilizes instructional assistants

• Recognizes individual teacher talents


Team Teaching Trump Plan

•Large group instruction 40%

•Small group instruction 20%

•Independent study 40%


Nongraded High School

•Extreme flexibility

•Grade levels not fixed

•Has not reach intended goal of

developers



How We Got Here:Back to Basics and other Research-based Reforms

Curriculum Present •Effective Schools Correlates•Time on Task & Direct Instruction•Emphasis (over-emphasis?) on Testing•Alignment of the curriculum (local & state)•Traditional vs. Non-Traditional Evaluation


Worth Noting:•The Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education - NEA 1918•Educational Policies Commission:•1938: Four-fold purpose of Education•1944: Ten Imperatives of Youth•1961: “The central purpose of American education is to develop the ability to think”


Counter Point:•Richard Mitchell author of The Graves of Academe•Declared the seven cardinal principles of 1918 the “seven deadly principles”•Agreed with H.L. Mencken that making dramatic improvement in schools would be easy - just hang all the professors and burn down the schools.


•Unaddressed in curriculum past: LD, ED, EMH, EMR, ESL, at-risk, gifted, etc…•Dramatic drop in funding for “regular ed” between 1967 and 1996•My $.02 - ALL students are special ed, (particularly the middle schoolers)

The “Special” Ones


•Relatively new - 40 years at most, some junior high schools still in operation, but dwindling•Meets the needs of an in-between bunch of kids•Curriculum may be focused on needs and growth of students from many angles - non graded academics and “core”

The Middle School


•Welcome to “Shopping Mall High”•- a uniquely American approach of how to be everything to all students•Conant’s three objectives: •1. Good general ed for all future citizens•2. Good elective programs for non-college bound•3. Good preparation for the college bound

The Comprehensive High School


Criticisms - they are always there

Too much/not enough academics, affective

domain, cognitive domain, structure,

responsibilities, career education, college prep,

etc...


Reform!

•The Seven Cardinal Principles are too inclusive and are “inflated statements of purpose” Anti-intellectual?-Mitchell•Schools have taken on burdens they have neither the resources or talent to overcome•Schools can not be responsible for all aspects of life and cannot reform all of society’s ills


School Reform•Movement towards accountability•Between 1983 (A Nation at Risk) and 1993 business involvement in schools grew, new programs were developed and the public became very interested in education•Regardless of how much reform is discussed….no single model of education is likely to be established in all schools in the U.S. •Page 312-313.. Examine suggestions for high school


School Reform

•Graduation requirements have increased and receiving a diploma has become a sign of achievement

•Reform… Reform… Reform…


Alternative Schools•An increase in education by choice or educational options

•“The impact of agencies outside the school- family, peer group, church, business, industry- on learners is far greater than that of the school” (page 316)

•“In a democratic society families should have a choice to the type of education they wish their children to receive. “(page 316)

•“Unless the public schools make changes from within, young people will either drop out physically, stay in and drop out mentally, or transfer to private schools” (page 316)


Alternative SchoolsWhat is an alternative school?

•An alternative school is any school which provides alternative learning experiences and is available by choice to every family at no extra cost •Some alternative schools are not necessarily “by choice”. Those being one which are required due to behavior issues (Roland E. Cook in Roanoke)


Types of Alternative Schools

•Schools to address behavioral concerns•Community based schools•Residential public schools (School of Math and Science, Durham, North Carolina)


Magnet Schools

•Math and Science•Governor’s School•School for Performing Arts in New York (FAME)•Brooklyn Tech•Health Professionals High School (Dallas)•School to feature the tourism industry (Orlando)•Sports Management (Florida)


Growth in the number of alternative schools opening

around the country is an clear example of……..CHANGE.

(School and Community)


Requirements for Graduation

•Graduation requirements have grown over the years•Schools are requiring more credits to graduate•There are more required credits and less electives •Some states now require students to pass a proficiency test for graduation


What to expect

•Higher scores required for tests•Increase in required courses•Higher grades need for sports eligibility•Deemphasize extra-curricular activities•Cover more content•Use of computers


An Encouraging Note… Lightfoot•Conducted a positive study in schools.. She did not look for their deficits but focused on the postives.•She found schools where teachers and principals cared for their students and were able to motivate them•Teachers were treated with respect and were regarded as professional by administrators and given a dominant role in the school•“There are good things going on in our schools”


Curriculum Present Summary

•Cooperative learning•Integration of curriculum•Values•Inclusion and mainstreaming•Portfolio assessments•Increased requirements for graduation•Longer hours in the school day•Increased standards of achievement



The Elementary School

•-integrating curriculums across disciplines•-competencies will be spelled out•-mastery of minimal concepts by every student (By setting the minimum… will teachers stop there and not exceed the minimum??????)


Subject vs. Child•Schools must prove themselves in regards to test scores•Once scores are higher the focus may swing to the child with concern for them in regards to their feelings and values•Greater interest in learning styles….. Thus a change in teaching style•Match the teaching style to learning style•Teachers have students (grouped) 2 years in a row or more


The Middle School

•Junior Highs will become Middle Schools•Core content with integrated curriculum•Teams will be formed•Block and rotating schedules•Promote character education… (Character Counts)


The High School.. “Full Service”

•Character education•Cooperative education for all levels•Integration of curriculum•Cultural literacy •Development and assessment of national standards•Intellectual, physical, vocational, cultural and social needs will be addressed


Schools will be based on the needs and wishes of the communitySome schools will be very innovative while others retain more traditional practicesSome will be a mix of the two


Technology

•What we are doing now is small in comparison to the future use of technology in schools.•Schools will continue to receive additional computers enabling students to contact experts worldwide to enhance learning•Learning will be at their fingertips…. (A laptop for every student?????)•Computers will be an emphasis and integrated part of education beginning with preschool


Past vs. Present Computer Availability

•1984-1985 – 63.5% students per computer•1996-1997 – 7.3% per computer•1994 – internet access was available in 35% of the schools•1997- internet access was available in 78%


Will Computers Take the Place of Our Schools?

•Sleight (1980) – children won’t come to school anymore… they will learn at home via a computer. •Perelman (1992) – “hyper-learning” used to describe schools and technology•If computers replaced face to face learning, what influence will it have?•Socialization, multicultural education, athletics, extra-curricular activities


Computer Positives in Education

•Long distance learning•Students can locate additional sources of information at their fingertips•When students miss school they can find out what they missed and keep up•Communication with others•Interactive learning•Immediate results on testing (Praxis, SOL)


Public vs. Private

•46.8 million in public schools now and projected 48.2 million in 2008•5.9 million in private school and projected 6.1 in 2008•However, it is possible that a larger percentage will look towards private or charter schools, possibly even home-schooling•Public schools will survive with adequate funding, sharing of successes and facing competition

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Organizing and Implementing the Curriculum

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