K-12 Curriculum Development

Leading Curriculum Development is a book that supports the ongoing work of K-12 curriculum developers.  For several years, ESPN has aired classic sporting events on a channel called ESPN Classic.  Recently, ESPN started airing games under the title ESPN "Instant Classic."  It could be argued that Leading Curriculum Development is an "Instant Classic" in the field of education.  After reading this book, I would rank it with the following classic curriculum books:

Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction (1949)
Ralph Tyler

The Process of Education (1977)
Jerome Bruner

Curriculum Renewal (1987)
Allan Glatthorn

Understanding by Design (1998)
Grant Wiggins & Jay McTighe

Deciding What to Teach and Test: Developing, Aligning, and Auditing the Curriculum (2000)
Fenwick English

The main chapters in the book are titled, Defining Effective Curriculum Leadership,
Basic Tasks of Curriculum Leadership, Making Curriculum Purposeful, Building the School Curriculum Team, Constructing the Path for Curriculum Improvement, Detailed Planning to Implement Change, Curriculum Improvement Means Staff Development, Closing the Circle Through Evaluation, and Coordinating Successful Curriculum Work. 

The author, Jon Wiles, provides several helpful reproducible planning sheets and tools for curriculum developers in the book's appendix.  K-12 Curriculum Developers will benefit from these templates and resources.

It is difficult to identify a favorite chapter in this book, because I can see how I will benefit from different chapters depending on which stage in the curriculum development process I am currently encountering (i.e., Planning, Developing, Reviewing, Revising, Professional Development, Leadership, Developing a Teacher Leadership Team, etc.).  Wiles wrote, "Curriculum development is the essential function of school leadership.  Whether this role is carried out by a principal, an assistant principal, for curriculum, a team leader, a department head, or by leading classroom teachers, the curriculum defines all other roles in a school" (p. 2).  I agree with this definition of curriculum development and I like how the author introduces his book by stating that curriculum development is essential and it can be carried out by several different people in a school system.

Leading Curriculum Development shares Eight Common Curriculum Designs, Components of Detailed Curriculum Planning, Ten Tools That Empower Curriculum Leaders, and Four Evaluation Questions.  These are important things to consider when developing or revising a K-12 curriculum.  Some curriculum books are difficult to read or are filled with charts and templates that would take several years to complete.  While the author does not imply that curriculum development can be completed at a workshop or during the summer months, he does offer practical tools and strategies for increasing student achievement through the 'essential function' of curriculum leadership.  If you are serious about K-12 Curriculum Development, then you should order this book.  If you are a novice at curriculum development or you are a new principal, district leader, or teacher leader, then this book provides a solid introduction to the field of curriculum development.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on Leading Curriculum Development.

Wiles, J. (2009). Leading curriculum development. Thousand Oaks, CA:
         Corwin Press.