A Curriculum For All K 12 Grades

Curriculums are the roadmaps for schools which provide purpose and direction for administrators, educators, parents, and students. Curriculum typically refers to, “the knowledge and skills students are expected to learn, which includes the learning standards or learning objectives they are expected to meet; the units and lessons that teachers teach; the assignments and projects given to students; the books, materials, videos, presentations, and readings used in a course; and the tests, assessments, and other methods used to evaluate student learning.” (Curriculum, 2015, para. 1) Curriculums may come in many shapes and forms, whether they’re purchased as a package at the school or district level or they’re created or refined by educators and

There are many approaches that can be taken in order to develop a school’s curriculum, or the material that the students will learn. If there were no federal regulation of curriculum, then it would not be possible to compare student achievement across districts or even states. The federal program, Common Core State Standards, assists in equaling education across the nation. The Common Core has reinvented the perception of student learning which, in turn, has caused American education to become a corporate institution. As a result, there has been a threat to states’ rights for education as more rigorous content has been implemented into classrooms by the government, which ultimately changes the role of the teacher.

Part I Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills also known as TEKS are state standards that students should know and be able to do. (Texas Education Agency, 1998) The TEKS cover each grade level and content from kindergarten to the 12th grade.

Adopted by forty-two out states in 2010, the Common Core State Standard Initiative strives to provide an educational structure which details what English language arts and mathematics should be taught from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The initiative is the federal government’s attempt to ensure all students who graduate from high school are adequately prepared to enter a two or four year college or the workforce. Despite their intentions, the Common Core has caused much controversy in the education community. The thought behind Common Core is very valid and has the potential to help students, however changes must be made to unrealistic standards and wordy statements. Common Core must first be rewritten so that the language is clear and can be easily understood by the general public. Next ask experts on childhood development and elementary school teachers to review the standards and rewrite standards they see as unneeded or irrelevant as well as unrealistic.

We adhere closely to the Indiana State Standards and use the ISTEP and NWEA mandated assessments. Each teacher is given free rein to teach how they see fit; however, we were asked to submit curriculum mapping outlining the content/topics, key terms, sources/resources, assessments and standards we use in our classrooms. Overall, my classroom is teacher driven, that is, I introduce the stories and activities and guide the instruction. We do use a textbook from time to time as well as websites, and additional resources found.

Teachers are demonstrating a greater knowledge of their content, and are teaching the same subjects for longer periods of times. The district level should require the teachers to implement a backwards design when creating their unit plans. The same grade level teachers from the parish will meet as a group to design the district test for each unit. This planning will help the teachers set their instructional objectives for their classes, and find additional resources to use during instruction. As a future district level supervisor, I believe, as stated in Standard 2, I have gained the knowledge and the understanding of curriculum design, implementation, evaluation, and refinement in order to help the teachers improve their student’s math

U.S. Dept. of Education. (n.d.). Elementary and Secondary Education Act | U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved August 6, 2015, from http://www.ed.gov/esea

The second compliance standard we discussed was “Identified gifted/talented students are assured an array of learning opportunities that are commensurate with their abilities and that emphasize content in the four (4) foundation curricular areas.” She stated that the G/T students are given additional challenging and creative opportunities to master the content. Furthermore, G/T teachers are required to demonstrate the ways they facilitate the differentiated content for these students. This includes participating in projects and fairs, taking field trips, and encouraging student-centered instruction. The last standard we discussed was “A minimum of thirty (30) clock hours of professional development . . . required for teachers who provide instruction and services that are a part of the district’s defined gifted/talented services.” She mentioned that Plummer Middle School provides adequate staff developments for educators who are also given a deadline to complete their certification. Teachers are well informed about opportunities to improve professionally and the principal is keen on allowing them to attend these activities (Texas Education Agency, 2009; M. Studer, personal communication, February 16, 2017).

This section of the handbook included the following subcategories: Curriculum, Elementary School Program, Junior High School Program, High School Program, Alternative Education, Special Accommodations, Special Education, Gifted Education, ELL (English Language Learners), Title I, Response to Intervention (RtI)/Teacher Support Team (TST), Homebound Instruction, Health/Sex/Family Education, and Abstinence-only Sex Education.

Structuring on the best of existing state standards, the Common Core State Standards provide a clear and reliable learning goal to help prepare students for college, career, and life. The standards clearly demonstrate what students are expected to learn at each grade level, so that every parent and teacher can understand and support their learning. From Kindergarten through 8th grade, grade-by-grade standards exist in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. From 9th through 12th grade, the standards are grouped into grade sets of 9th through 10th grade standards and 11th through 12th grade standards. Moreover, the CCSS stress the importance of using primary texts in the classroom to build literacy, along with many other things. While the standards set grade-specific goals, they do not define how the standards should be taught or which materials should be used to support students. States and districts know that there will need to be a range of supports in place to guarantee that all students, including those with special needs and English language learners, can master the standards. It is up to the states to outline the full range of supports appropriate for these students.

This introduces the second standard set forth in 2012 known as the Alaska Standards K- 12 which focuses on content base material in the areas of study of language arts, mathematics, history /social studies, and technology studies ( ). The Alaska Standard is written with broad statements of content base topic and ideas which the students need to master in order to prepare them to be successful in their universities studies. These standards mirror those which are presented by the Common Core Initiative however they do not incorporate the common core

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are regarded as a detestable beast by many in the educational field. For those who teach literacy, this is not an uncommon idea or ominous threat, yet for those who have never taught literacy and are now expected to implement writing and reading comprehension student learning expectations (SLE), this can be a daunting task. CCSS along with the Arkansas Department of Education insist on this being done (2013). Many times the CCSS were listed on the lesson plans at the high school to soothe the conscience of the educator and to appease the administration, but they were not taught effectively or briefly skimmed over with the students. With the advent of the

Gaining knowledge from each grade level is important. Students obtaining all of the information and resources from their twelve year education, will prepare them for college as well as success in entry-level careers. When students are not challenged beyond their limits, then they are hindered from receiving the best education possible. The complexity of texts that students are reading today does not match with what is demanded in college. For example, many college athletes lack all of the skills and knowledge necessary to excel in academic college courses. Some public universities have athletes who could read only up to an eight-grade level. Common core standards will ensure to create uniform milestones that will enhance students with the standards of being college and career ready. Students as well as people in the career field should learn knowledge and skills that are relevant to the real

The State Board of Education (SBOE) sets the policies and standards for Texas public schools. In Texas the Texas Education Agency (TEA) oversees primary and secondary education of students. The TEA helps provides the resources, guidance and leadership to help schools meet the educational needs of all students, according to the TEA. The SBOE is composed of three committees; committee on instruction, committee on school finance and a committee on school initiatives. The SBOE has adopted curriculum standards called the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). The TEKS describe what students should know and be able to do, in each grade and subject area.

In 1971 the primary curriculum was introduced. This led to most special schools and classes providing a modified curriculum for their students. The Department of Education developed Curriculum Guidelines for Schools for the Moderately Handicapped. One important principle of these guidelines was that children have needs as children that have to be satisfied at school as well as their needs as future adults.