Making Quality Curriculum Central to Your PathwaysPenni Hudis, Director

Pathway and Curriculum Developmentwww.ConnectEdCalifornia.org

Session Goals

Introduce and describe

• A different approach to curriculum quality

• Curriculum quality, curriculum integration, and the Multiple Pathways approach

• Principles underlying curriculum quality in the Certification tool

• Some of the available curricula

Why Focus on Curriculum Quality?

• Creating quality curricula is hard to do.• Changing school structure is not

enough.• The stakes for students and schools are

high.• Every pathway component involves

curriculum.

Quality Design Principles

Where do they come from?

• Theory and research

• Classroom observation

• Classroom experience

• Expert input

• Mission

What Does Quality Look Like? Two Underlying Goals

• Prepare students for both college and career

• Serve students with varying abilities, interests, and aspirations

Quality Design Principles

Prepare students for both college and career

• Deliver a standards-based, college-preparatory curriculum through authentic applications

• Incorporate integrated, sequential work-based learning

• Leverage business, higher education, and community contributions

• Address 21st Century Workforce and Learning Skills

Quality Design Principles

Serve students with varying abilities, interests, and aspirations

• Avoid tracking

• Incorporate range of academic and non-academic supports

• Honor students’ choices

Quality Criteria for Curriculum and Instruction

Engaged learning: academic core

• Standards-aligned curriculum

• College-preparatory curriculum

• Real-world relevance

Quality Criteria for Curriculum and InstructionEngaged learning: technical core

• Demanding technical component

• Standards-aligned curriculum

• Skill demonstration and certification

Quality Criteria for Curriculum and Instruction

Engaged learning: integrated curriculum

• Multidisciplinary, integrated curriculum

• Horizontal alignment

• Vertical alignment

• Habits of mind/SCANS/21st Century skills

• Citizenship

Quality Criteria for Curriculum and InstructionEngaged learning: instruction and

assessment

• Project-based approach

• Authentic assessment

• Balanced assessment

Quality Criteria for Curriculum and Instruction

Engaged learning: work-based learning

• Design reflects significant industry and educator input

• Connected to academic and technical coursework

Quality Criteria for Curriculum and Instruction

Engaged learning: support services and personalization

• Differentiated instruction

• Academic intervention

Integrated Curriculum:|It’s the “Glue”

Develop criticalthinking skills

Develop effectiveteam-work skills

Make the learning experience

engaging for all students

Deliver challenging, integratedacademic and technical

content

Provide authenticcontext for

delivering instruction

Continuum of Integration

BEGINNINGBEGINNING INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED

Single Subject

Parallel (Paired)

Interrelated

Conceptual

Single Subject Integration

BEGINNING BEGINNING INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED

Single Subject

Parallel (Paired)

Interrelated

Conceptual

Individual teachers

make connections within their

own classroom

Parallel or Paired Integration

BEGINNING BEGINNING INTERMEDIATEINTERMEDIATE ADVANCED ADVANCED

Single Subject

Parallel (Paired)

Interrelated

Conceptual

Two teachers share some

topics, without team planning

Interrelated Integration

BEGINNINGBEGINNING INTERMEDIATEINTERMEDIATE ADVANCEDADVANCED

Single Subject

Parallel (Paired)

Interrelated

Conceptual

Several teachers plan to

coordinate topics and instruction

Conceptual Integration

BEGINNINGBEGINNING INTERMEDIATEINTERMEDIATE ADVANCEDADVANCED

Single Subject

Parallel (Paired)

Interrelated

Conceptual

Teacher team uses a concept or

problem to frame instruction and

create curricular coherence

Curricula Available

• Core technical courses

• Integrated curriculum units linking technical and academic courses

• Career-themed academic support curricula

• Multi-themed, cross disciplinary curricula

Core Technical Curricula

• Engineering (PLTW, Inc.)

• Finance (NAF)

• Hospitality & Tourism (NAF)

• Information Technology (NAF)

Core Technical Curricula Under Development

• Biomedical and Health Sciences (PLTW, Inc.)

• Healthcare (ConnectEd and NAF)

• Law and Justice (EDC and ConnectEd)

• Media and Digital Design (EDC and ConnectEd)

Integrated Curricula

• Healthcare (ConnectEd)

• Engineering (ConnectEd and NAF)

• Media and Digital Design (EDC and ConnectEd)

• Law and Justice (ConnectEd and EDC)

Career-Themed, Academic Support Curricula

• Pre-algebra for Engineering Pathways

• Algebra I for Engineering Pathways

Multi-Themed, Cross-Disciplinary Curricula

• Ford PAS (EDC)

• Green Technology [part of Ford PAS]

The Bottom Line on Quality Curriculum in this Initiative

• Fidelity of implementing the full Multiple Pathways approach is essential to assessing the effectiveness and success of this initiative.

• Quality curriculum is one of the keys to fidelity of implementation.