The Curriculum Committee is in charge of the curriculum selection process; it ensures the choice of subjects and their content for any given curricular program is assessed (Briars, 2014). Identification of individuals who will form part of the curriculum committee varies in its scale. The committee aims at initiating a generic collaborative process.The committee’s foremost duty is mapping and describing the current curricular matter utilized by schools or school districts. Evaluation of either extant district academic material or those put forward for potential adoption necessitates digging deeper and paying attention to content relevance and instructional design nature. Here, discrete learning objectives constitute the key. For ascertaining whether learning material is able to fulfill the established academic objectives, an analysis process is needed, commencing with identifying standards and the cumulative progress measures which will function as the analysis’s intellectual base (Harris et al., 2015). The task needs to be completed prior to commencing evaluation of curricular materials.
Secondly, the committee ought to undertake an initial inspection of curricular material for gauging whether or not it has the potential to fulfill desired learning objectives. This ought to be followed by making an initial pass at them and determining which materials’ approach and content seems to be corresponding relatively well to learning objectives (Briars, 2014). The subsequent task would be assessment of curricular content to gauge its alignment with desired learning objectives and the instructional technique.
Subsequent to the aforementioned analysis, the curriculum committee needs to progress to the next stage of examining a ranked listing of instructional content suited to a particular grade and subject within the curricular framework. The analysis stage ought to culminate with recommendations which will facilitate the organization of the phase of selection; however, they need to be studied and amended as needed. When undertaking selection responsibilities, the following 4 components need to be integrated by the curriculum committee: (1) analysis information, (2) comparative cost, (3) information amassed during preparation for review, and (4) need for professional development (Briars, 2014; Prince Edward Island Department of Education, 2008).
This needs to be succeeded by the experimental field investigation phase. The material ought to be implemented, with emphasis given to preliminary reviews on learning materials and their educator editions....
These chiefly impact the classroom teaching-learning process. Based on outcomes of the practical analysis, proper decisions ought to be taken, which include supporting effective instruction via assessments, extra practice, professional learning and incorporation of technology in classrooms. Lastly, the choices ought to be narrowed down to materials capable of adequately meeting instructional support and content requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) of the most effective curriculum materials selection process
i. How are curricular materials aligned to state standards and frameworks? How do they ensure learners are prepared to undertake state assessments?
All material is nationally-developed and is broadly reflective of the nation’s literacy benchmarks and educational standards. State-level tests and frameworks are usually more specific as compared to national documents in that they cover more matter and lay emphasis to particular areas. School districts must scrutinize individual programs for ascertaining how effectively they correlate with district or state frameworks and the degree to which they align with the state assessments. Though a few publishers have undertaken the task of doing the preliminary work for certain states, there is a need to examine correlations (Parkay, Anctil & Hass, 2014).
ii. What level of professional development is needed in case of educators?
A majority of school districts commencing the adoption of novel materials plan no less than a couple of professional development seminars wherein educators have the opportunity to look over the material, engage, at least to a certain extent, in hands-on experience, and study the program or unit’s content structure. According to certain school districts, it is enough to devote around two days to every module. Meanwhile, other districts have decreased this to a certain number of hours and provided additional follow-up within classroom settings. Opportunities for educators to continue studying material as it is implemented, or via coaching, group sessions, and team meetings, follows this preliminary work.
iii. Do such materials require more time for educator preparation?
Educators with scant experience in the area of material management and learner engagement should commit more time than needed to lesson preparation. The time dedicated will differ based on how chosen curricular programs package and structure material utilization (Parkay et al., 2014). With educators’ familiarity with the curricular program, approaches…
