High performing school divisions are continuously seeking feedback and reflecting on methods to improve their operations to meet their vision and mission. In that regard, ACPS recently concluded an evaluation of the written, tested, taught, and supported curriculum with the goal of better understanding the strengths of the curriculum and areas for improvement. The project began in May 2015 after the ACPS curriculum had been implemented for several years to assess whether the essential content is articulated and whether the relevant resources and assessments are aligned.
To conduct the evaluation, ACPS sought the expertise of an external and independent evaluator. McRel International, a non-profit, non-partisan education research and development organization was selected to conduct this work through a competitive awards process. McRel researchers reviewed the written curriculum, interviewed staff, conducted focus groups of students, teachers, and administrators, administered surveys to school staff and parents, and conducted classroom observations.
Such an evaluation could not be effectively conducted without the input of critical stakeholders including school and division staff. The school staff survey was administered to 1,297 school staff throughout the division. In addition, 96 teachers and administrators participated in nine focus groups providing in-depth feedback on the curriculum. Over 100 randomly selected teachers also contributed to the evaluation by being observed in their classrooms by McRel researchers. ACPS acknowledges and appreciates all who contributed to the evaluation which will inform next action steps.
The evaluation sought to address six main areas:
- Determine the extent of alignment between the written curriculum and VA SOLs
- Determine the extent of alignment between the written curriculum and the tested curriculum
- Determine the extent of alignment between written curriculum and taught curriculum
- Determine the extent to which the needs of special populations are met in the classroom
- Determine the extent to which ACPS classrooms are rigorous and engaging
- Determine extent to which the supported curriculum (professional development, time and materials) meets the needs of district and school staff to improve student learning
The final report submitted to the Board and reported on September 29 included 32 commendations and 29 recommendations. The report commended the curriculum’s use of a common framework for elementary, middle and high school levels. It also commended the inclusion of a variety of diverse learning experiences including group work, individual work and project-based learning. McRel found that the ACPS curriculum included useful literary recommendations which provide opportunities to link lessons across different content areas in the curriculum guide. Teachers planned for a variety of student learning needs and adjusted their instruction during the lesson to better meet student learning needs. Additionally, ACPS staff perceived the greatest strengths of the curriculum to be the integration of technology, essential questions to guide instruction and key vocabulary.
Four themes emerged from the recommendations including the usability of written curriculum documents; usability of data from Transfer Tasks; meeting the needs of diverse learners; and how professional development supports curriculum implementation. Within these themes, specific recommendations included:
- replacing the current on-line PDF format with a web-based searchable platform
- providing instructional guidance for lesson planning that is specific to the individual unit’s subject matter content
- including ACPS teachers more directly in the development of curriculum lessons and utilizing their expertise to determine the most useful resources for instruction for all students
- convening meetings with teachers to discuss which curriculum supports for special student populations are most needed in the curriculum guides for each content area
- providing guidance on how to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities when administering Transfer Tasks
- providing professional development on how to use data from Transfer Tasks
- ensuring that all staff are aware of and can easily access additional guidance documents relevant to meeting the needs of diverse learners
- increasing availability of school-based teacher supports provided by specialists and coaches
- reassessing current scheduling and communication practices for professional development
- reassessing when and how staff development is conducted during the school year
The Department of Curriculum and Instruction, in collaboration with teachers and administrators, has already initiated steps toward responding to the recommendations of the evaluation. Some examples include: updating written guidelines to include a scope and sequence aligned to the SOLs; updating and specifically align the Transfer Tasks to the SOLs; working with teachers to develop lesson planning resources; eliminating inactive hyperlinks in the Curriculum Guides; convening meetings with teachers of diverse learners to discuss and share curricula; and addressing areas of misalignment to certain VA SOLs. A three-year Curriculum Project Work Plan was presented to the Board identifying desired results, specific deliverables, action steps, and a project timeline. Specific deliverables include efforts to:
- incorporate teacher voices into the curriculum revision process;
- update ACPS written curriculum guides to reflect feedback from stakeholders;
- select and purchase a web-based searchable platform to house the ACPS curriculum;
- provide professional development to support teachers in meeting the needs of diverse learners; and
- work with teachers to create exemplar lesson plans aligned to units.
In the subsequent months, teachers will have an opportunity to learn more about the curriculum evaluation and provide their input on the Curriculum Project Work Plan. Teachers will be able to express their interest in becoming engaged in the vital work of continuing to refine and enhance the curriculum.
Read the full report, Board presentation and presentation of next steps.