One of a series of Education Resource Strategies (ERS) publications and tools, this paper explores important ways to organize and invest in Professional Growth & Support that strengthen teaching capacity and effectiveness at the system level. It draws on research, ERS experience with urban school systems nationwide, and detailed analyses of…

As part of its proposal to the U.S. Department of Education, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) committed to developing Kindergarten through Grade 2 Model Content Frameworks for English language arts (ELA)/literacy (K-2 Model Content Frameworks) to serve as a bridge between the Common Core State Standards…

This document discusses the importance of maintaining the quality of DACUM (Developing a Curriculum) occupational analyses and presents a 2-page checklist detailing DACUM quality performance criteria. The introduction to the checklist discusses various "infractions" discovered during an analyses of some curriculum/program developers'…

The fourth edition of this curriculum planning resource takes users through the entire process of planning a social studies program, from deciding on a rationale to selecting curriculum materials to installing and maintaining the program. The guide incorporates current concerns such as standards-based curriculum, authentic assessment, and…

This booklet begins by examining the role played by evaluation in course and curriculum development, and then shows how the basic "error elimination" approach advocated by the philosopher Karl Popper can be used as a basis for the on-going evaluation of instructional systems. Next, two contrasting paradigms of evaluation are described,…

Describes a method of monitoring the district curriculum during an extended maintenance period. The program audit for each subject area addresses the degree of fidelity to curriculum objectives, determines whether teachers are emphasizing the curriculum objectives, and identifies factors constraining curriculum implementation. (MJL)

Formative evaluation is an evaluation done with the intention of identifying potential for improvement. This handbook provides techniques and ideas for discovering how students are learning and how much students are learning from their experiences in the classroom. Surveys, questionnaires, observations, class discussions, journals, and…

Presented is a manual for environmental education program leaders in public schools and other agencies who have little background in needs assessment and evaluation. Written as an instructional package for persons about to design and implement studies, the publication may also be useful for college students and instructors. The manual consists of:…

This evaluative checklist for the evaluation of educational media programs in higher education is designed so that it can be self-administered without extensive inventory of all resource items within the program. Fundamental elements included in this checklist are assumed to be common to most educational media programs. These include (1)…

This evaluative checklist for the evaluation of educational media services in public schools is designed so that it can be self-administered without extensive inventory of all resource items within the program. The elements contained in this checklist are assumed to be common to most educational media programs. These include (1) administrator and…

Competency testing is only one component of competency-based education (CBE); the others are: educational objectives, instructional process, remedial instruction, and program evaluation/reconceptualization. To implement only competency testing may result in disillusionment with the entire concept of CBE, which seeks to improve programs, not fail…

The instructional development (ID) process is a teaching method that can be applied to an entire course, unit, or subject. The ID process can be compared to the decision making stages in purchasing and designing a house. These stages involve such concepts as communication theory, audience analysis, and study of goals and objectives. The choice of…

A project to propose a system for managing curriculum improvement at the state level (1) identified the basic functions necessary for a statewide curriculum management effort, (2) explained the supporting activities required to initiate and maintain its operation, and (3) developed a model system for curriculum management. The five functions…

To achieve substantive as well as procedural compliance with Public Law 94-142, it must be determined whether using the formative evaluation system which is useful for monitoring the effects of instruction, increases teacher success in developing student programs. Causal modeling techniques were used to examine the relationships among…

This program planning guide is the introductory volume in a series designed to provide school planners and guidance personnel with a model for a comprehensive developmental guidance program which can be adopted, adapted or used to create new programs. The materials focus on program planning, staff development, guidance curriculum, and activity…