K-12 Curriculum Development

 
 
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One of the first books that introduced me to curriculum development was Renewing the Social Studies Curriculum, by Walter Parker. 






Parker (1991) described a 'Home-Grown Curriculum.'  A 'Home-Grown Curriculum' "comes from the hearts and minds of people who actually work with children in the schools and on whose shoulders the burden of implementation lies" (p.v).

Too often, educators assume that state standards are the curriculum.  Erickson (2007) reminds us that "Academic standards are not a curriculum; they are a framework for designing curriculum.  A curriculum is a coherent, teacher-friendly document that reflects the intent of the academic standards" (p. 48).

Some educators believe that each teacher is a curriculum developer and that individual teachers know what is best for the students in their classrooms.  Both of these statements are true.  Teachers develop curriculum and they are the experts when it comes to the learning needs of their respective students. Anderson (2002) cited increasing evidence that a well-aligned curriculum has a considerable impact on student achievement and an even greater impact on achievement among minority students.  An aligned curriculum will provide clarity about instructional purposes and priorities.  In order to develop alignment in a school or in a school system, teachers cannot work in isolation.  I believe this is the type of work that Parker described in Renewing the Social Studies Curriculum.  While Parker's book is written for social studies educators, the concepts described in this book apply to all content areas.

If educators believe that curriculum development impacts student achievement, then we must ask the following questions:

1.  Do we have a 'Home-Grown Curriculum'?

2.  What are the benefits of a 'Home-Grown Curriculum'?

3.  If our district is required to use state and national standards to develop
     curriculum, do all teachers have the same interpretation of priorities in
     the standards?

4.  Does our school system have a document which outlines key concepts,
     key skills, enduring understandings and district priorities
     (i.e., a Guaranteed Curriculum)?

5.  "All learners benefit from and should receive instruction that reflects
     clarity about purposes and priorities of content" (Tomlinson &
     McTighe, 2006, p. 6).  How can Parker's description of 'Home-Grown
     Curriculum' development help our school system identify the curriculum
    that reflects clarity about purposes and priorities of content?
 
References:

Anderson, L.W. (2002). Curricular alignment: A re-examination. Theory into
      Practice, 41, 255-260.

Parker, W.C. (1991). Renewing the social studies curriculum.  Alexandria, VA:
      Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Erickson, H.L. (2007). Concept-based curriculum and instruction for the
      thinking classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Tomlinson, C.A., & McTighe, J. (2006). Integrating differentiated instruction
      and understanding by design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision
      and Curriculum Development.

Author's Note:
I would like to thank Walter Parker for his influence on my career as an educator.  Renewing the Social Studies Curriculum provided me with a foundation in curriculum development and curriculum theory.  Since reading Parker's book, I have read several other books which describe curriculum development.  Parker's book is worn out and yet I still find new insight each time I revisit the book.  In my opinion, this book is timeless and it provides educators with the foundation for developing a 'Home-Grown Curriculum' which is aligned to state and national standards.  If the United States moves to a national curriculum or common core state standards, the art of deliberation and curriculum development will still be needed in school systems.  Renewing the Social Studies Curriculum is available for Free at ERIC or for purchase at Amazon.