Six-Year Curriculum Review Cycle

Year 1 - Evaluation 

Evaluate current curriculum expectations and student outcomes, measuring our impact on student learning by addressing three key questions:

• To what degree is our curriculum being taught with fidelity?
• What do achievement data say about the effectiveness of our curriculum?
• What do disaggregate achievement data say about the effectiveness of our curriculum?

Year 2 - Research

Conduct a review of best practices and review data and stakeholder input gained during program evaluation. Findings should be presented in at least four relevant categories, informing curricular development and future instructional practice:

• Feedback and/or input from stakeholders
• Analysis of new standards to be considered, if any
• Pedagogical research and best practice within the discipline
• Practical and/or content information from beyond education related to the discipline

Year 3 - Development 

Building upon previous efforts, findings, and recommendations, curriculum writing teams will complete the development of curricular documents which include priority standards, essential skills and questions, enduring understandings, and the scope and sequence.

Years 4, 5 & 6 - Implementation

Year 1 of implementation will include ongoing work and improvements to day-to-day lesson plans, as well as the development of assessments, rubrics, and reporting criteria that align with the curriculum.

• An implementation plan should include how this work will be carried out, including plans for teacher training.
• Recommended professional learning and support will foster ongoing teacher development around the following:
  • Content
  • Instructional resources and high-impact teaching strategies
  • Assessment review and development, data collection, analysis, and problem-solving

Curricular revision often requires new assessments, rubrics, and reporting criteria. These should be aligned to support the PLC process, teacher instruction, student understanding, and feedback about learning. Common assessments are expected to be written, published, administered, analyzed, and revised. Every consideration should be given to the following implementation needs:

• Assessment development
• Assessment use 
• Analysis of assessment results
• Revision of assessments

Teachers are expected to use adopted curricula and instructional resources in Year 1 implementation, providing ongoing feedback to improve lesson/unit plans, assessments, and rubrics. Improvements to day-to-day lesson plans are expected in Year 1, with system-wide cohesion/fidelity expected by the beginning of Year 2.