THE CURRICULUM

1. Explain how the school curriculum is developed.

The first thing is to clarify the focus of planning. Two dimensions of planning
are focus and time orientation. Focus may be at the macro-level, meaning it
is intended for large groups of students. National goals are macro-level.
Micro-level is another focus, where the focus is on a school or classroom.
Present or future is what is considered when time is the focus. Future would
normally be national goals, state-level curriculum guidelines, semester-long
or monthly plans or unit plans. Present focus would be more at classroom
level, influenced by the unique needs of the specific groups of students. Daily
or weekly curriculum decisions or lesson plans or present focus. A key
concern when developing curriculum is the greater emphasis needed on the
requirements of the subject area or on the needs of the students. No course
is entirely subject or student centered. Subject-centered means the primary
emphasis is on the logical order of discipline the students should use to study.
The teacher is usually an expert on the subject matter and is primarily
concerned with helping students to understand facts, laws and principles.
Typically high school is more subject centered. Student centered is more
concerned for the students and their needs. A teacher teaches content but
emphasizes on growth and development of the students. Elementary school
is more student centered. Another type of curriculum is integrated which
draws from different subject areas and focuses on a theme or concept rather
than subject. Curriculum is planned by various agencies and people outside
the school and people within the school. The various agencies and people
outside of the school are textbook publishers, federal government, and state
departments of education. Textbook publishers influence curriculum by
guiding with matter in the textbook. The federal government sets national
education goals. State departments of education develop broad and specific
competencies for students to master. Within the school there is a curriculum
planning team and classroom teachers who plan the curriculum the students
experience. The teacher decides what material to use, sequence of content,
and the time to spend on teaching the material.

2. Describe influences on the curriculum development process.

Curriculum is influenced by religious, political and utilitarian agendas.
Influence also comes from pressure by the community, court decisions,
students life situations, testing results and other factors. More direct
influences are social issues and the changing of values such as educational
theories and teachers educational philosophies. Curriculum is influenced by
the need to solve social problems or achievement of local, statewide or
national goals. Diversity is another influence on the curriculum because of
the different interests and values of the students and their families. Textbooks
influence curriculum because textbooks are used as the basis of lessons and
homework. Objectives, learning activities, test, audiovisual aids and other
supplements are provided by textbooks.
3. Explain the role of standards in todays classrooms
Standards refer to the level of knowledge or skill generally acknowledged as
necessary to perform a specific task or occupy a particular role in society.
Standards set the criteria students must meet to receive an A for a grade, or
to be promoted to the next grade, or to graduate. Educational standards take
different forms. The performance of students on standardized test of
achievement is one form. Performance and behavior of a student at
classroom level is another. The teacher demonstrate commitment to high
standards by giving students intellectually demanding reading and writing
assignments, providing extensive, thoughtful feedback on the students work;
presenting intellectually stimulation lessons that are personally relevant,
interesting and meaningful. Standards should help students to meet the
developmental challenges of moving from childhood to adulthood and to
realize goals they have set for themselves.

4. Describe key features of standards-based education

Standard-based education is basing curricula, teaching and assessment of
student learning on rigorous, world-class standards. Standard-based
education is based on belief all students are capable of meeting high
standards. Ensuring excellence and equity has become part of our nations
public school systems through standard-based education.