Curriculum Evaluation & the Teacher Curriculum evaluation is premised the on concept of alignment of planned, written and implemented curriculum. it is an attempt to answer two big questions as: • Do planned courses, programs activities as written and implemented produce desired outcomes? • How can these school curricula be improved? What, Why & How to Evaluate a Curriculum Curriculum evaluation is a new idea for many teachers, not knowing that everyday, the teacher is involved in several components of evaluation. There are two ways of looking at curriculum evaluation: 1. Curriculum Program Evaluation. Refers to the overall aspects of a curriculum as a subject, degree program, curriculum reform program and the like. Some examples are: The Curriculum Development as a Subject, Bachelor of Education as a degree, K to 12 as a curricular reform, Outcomes-Based Education as a Process, Mother Tongue Based Multi- lingual Education as a program. Program evaluation will be using program evaluation models like Bradley Effectiveness Model, Tyler's Objective Centered Model, Stufflebeam's CIPP Model, and Scriven's Consumer-Oriented Model among others. 2. Components of a Curricular Program. This will cover separate evaluation for a curriculum component such as (1) Achieved Learning Outcomes (2) Teaching Learning Process (3) Instruction Materials (4) Assessment of the Learning Outcomes. Curricular program component evaluation refers directly to the assessment of curriculum contents and processes as implemented everyday in view of the learning outcomes as either formative or summative. Reasons for Curriculum Evaluation Why is there a need to evaluate a curriculum? The curriculum processes presented by Tyler, Taba and others at the end of the line or cycle undergo an evaluation. All of them agree that planning, designing and implementing are less useful unless there is evaluation. Here are some the specific reasons. - Curriculum evaluation identifies the strengths and weaknesses of an existing curriculum that will be the basis of the intended plan, design or implementation. This is referred to as the needs assessment. - When evaluation is done in the middle of the curriculum development, it will tell if the designed or implemented curriculum can produce or is producing the desired results. This is related to monitoring. - Based on some standards, curriculum evaluation will guide whether the results have equalled or exceeded the standards, thus can be labelled as success. This is sometimes called terminal assessment. - Curriculum evaluation provides information necessary for teachers, school managers, curriculum specialist for policy recommendations that will enhance achieved learning outcomes. This is the basis of decision making. In curriculum evaluation, important processes were evolved such as (a) needs assessment, (b) monitoring, (c) terminal assessment and (d) decision making. Curriculum Evaluation Models 1. Tyler Objectives- Centered Model 2. Bradley Effectiveness Model 3. Daniel Stufflebeam's Context, Input, Process Product Model 4. Scriven Consumer Oriented Evaluation 5. Stake Responsive Model Bradley Effectiveness Model In 1985, L.H. Bradley wrote hand book on a Curriculum Leadership and Development. This book provides indicators that can help measure the effectiveness of a developed curriculum. For purposes or written of the classroom teachers, some of the statements were simplified. First, you have to identify what curriculum you will evaluate. Example: Elementary Science Curriculum, Teacher Education Curriculum, Student Teaching Curriculum, Fiel Study Curriculum. Then find out if the curriculum you are evaluating answers Yes or No. Answering Yes to all the questions means, good curriculum as described by Bradley. Indicator: Vertical Curriculum Continuity The course of study reflects a K-12 format that enables teachers to have quick and constant access to what is being taught in the grade levels below and above them. Also, upward spiraling prevents undue or useless curricular repetition. Indicator: Instruction Based on Curriculum Lesson plans are derived from the course of study, and curriculum materials used are correlated with the content, objectives, and authentic tasks developed. Yes or No Indicator: Curriculum Priority Philosophical and financial commitments are evident. Clerical assistance is provided and reasonable stipends are paid to teachers for work during the summer months. In addition, curriculum topics appear on school board agendas, administrative meeting agendas, and building-staff meeting agendas. Indicator: Broad Involvement Buildings in the district have teacher representatives on the curricular committees; elementary, middle level or junior high, and high school principals (or designees) are represented; and school board members are apprised of and approve the course of study. Indicator: Long Range Planning Each program in the district is included in the 5-year sequence and review cycle. Also, a philosophy of education and theory of curriculum permeate the entire school district. Indicator: Decision Making Clarity Controversies that Occur during the development of a program center on the nature of the decision, and not on who makes the decision. Indicator: Positive Human Relations Also, the initial thoughts about the curriculum come from teachers, principals, and the curriculum leader. All participating members are willing to risk disagreeing with anyone else however, communication lines are not allowed to break down. Yes or No. Indicator: Theory-into- Practice Approach The district philosophy, vision, mission, exit (graduation) outcomes, program philosophy, rationale statement, program goals, program objectives, learning outcomes, and authentic tasks are consistent and recognizable. Indicator: Planned Changed Tangible evidence shows that the internal and external publics accept the developed program course of study for the school district. The process of developing a course of study for each program or discipline in a school district is no longer one of determining how to do it, but one of determining how to do it better. If any of the 10 indicators are identified with a No (negative), consideration should be given to make it a Yes (positive) indicator. Tyler Objectives- Centered Model Curriculum Elements Objectives/Intended Learning Outcomes Evaluation Process 1. Pre-determine intended learning outcomes or objectives. Action Taken: Yes or No Curriculum Elements Situation or Context Evaluation Process 2. Identify the situation/context that gives opportunity to develop behavior or achieve objective. Action Taken: Yes or No Curriculum Elements 3Evaluation Instruments /Tools Evaluation Process 3. Select, modify and construct evaluation instruments or tools. Check its objectivity, reliability and validity. Action Taken: Yes or No Curriculum Elements Utilization of Tool Evaluation Process 4. Utilize the tools to obtain results. 5. Compare the results obtained from several instruments before & after to determine change. Curriculum Elements Analysis of Results Evaluation Process 5. Analyze the results obtained to determine strength and weaknesses. Identify possible explanation about the reason for the particular pattern. Curriculum Elements Utilization of Results Evaluation Process 6. Use the results to make the necessary modifications. Using all the steps to evaluate the curriculum and obtaining all YES answer would mean the curriculum has PASSED the standards. Tyler's Model of evaluating the curriculum is relatively easy to undertand which many teachers can follow. Daniel Stufflebeam's Context, Input, Process Product Model Daniel Stufflebeam's Context, Input, Process, Product Model The CIPP Model of Curriculum Evaluation was a product of the Phi Delta Kappa committee chaired by Daniel Stufflebeam. The model emphasized that the result of evaluation should provide data for decision making. There are four stages of program operation. These include (1) CONTEXT EVALUATION, (2) INPUT EVALUATION, (3) PROCESS EVALUATION and (4) PRODUCT EVALUATION. However, any evaluator can take only any of the four stages as the focus of evaluation. Context Evaluation- assesses needs and problems in the context for decision makers to determine the goals and objectives of the program/curriculum. Input Evaluation- assesses alternative means based on the inputs for the achievement of objectives to help decision makers to choose options for optimal means. Process Evaluation- monitors the processes both to ensure that the means are actually being implemented and make necessary modifications. Product Evaluation- compares actual ends with intended ends and leads to a series of recycling decisions. Stake Responsive Model Responsive model is oriented more directly to program activities than program intents. Evaluation focuses more on the activities rather than intent or purposes. Robert Stake (1975) recommends the following steps (next slides to the curriculum evaluator. Step 1. Meets with stakeholders to identify their perspectives and intentions regarding curriculum evaluation. Step 2. Draws from Step 1 documents to determine the scope of the evaluation. Step 3 Observes the curriculum closely to identify the unintended sense of implementation and any deviations from announced intents. Step 4 Identifies the stated real purposes of the program and the various audiences. Step 5 Identifies the problems of the curriculum evaluation at hand and identifies an evaluation design with needed data. Step 6 Selects the means needed to collect data or information. Step 7 Implements the data collection procedure. Step 8 Organizes the information into themes. Step 9 Decides with stakeholders the most appropriate formats for the report. Scriven Consumer Oriented Evaluation Michael Scriven, in 1967 introduced this evaluation among many others when education products flooded the market. Consumers of educational products which are needed to support an implemented curriculum often use consumer-oriented evaluation. These products are used in schools which require a purchasing decision. These products include textbooks, modules, educational technology like softwares and other instructional materials. Even teachers and schools themselves nowadays write and produce these materials for their own purposes. Consumer-oriented evaluation uses criteria and checklist as a tool for either formative or summative evaluation purposes. The use of criteria and checklist was proposed by Scriven for adoption by educational evaluators. Use the following codes to rate the material + means yes or good quality 0 means all right but not of good quality _ means no or poor quality NA means not applicable Criteria 1. Content covers a significant portion of the course competencies. 2. Contents are up-to-date. 3. Reading level is appropriate for most students who will use the material. 4. Intended learning outcomes, competencies are stated. 5. Formative and summative assessments are included. 6. Activities are varied to meet the needs of students. 7. Teacher's guide is included with management suggestions. 8. Materials are presented in logical order. 9. Learning outcomes, competencies and/or tasks 10. Degree of match between learning activities and intended learning outcomes. 11. Quality of test items and degree of match with intended learning outcomes 12. Quality of direction on how students will process through the materials 13. Quality of drawings, photographs, and /or other materials 14. Overall design of the learning activities for individual instruction 15. Quality of management procedures for teachers (TGs) 16. Optional (List course map competencies covered by the instructional material) Using the checklist for instructional material review or evaluation may help any curricularist make a decision as to which textbook modules or any instructional support material will be used, revised modified or rejected. A Simple Way of Curriculum Evaluation For a very simple and practical way of curriculum evaluation, responding to the following questions will provide evaluation data for curriculum an decision. Just ask the following questions and any NO answer to an item will indicate a need for a serious curriculum evaluation process. 1. Does the curriculum emphasize learning outcomes? 2. Does the implemented curriculum require less demands? 3. Can this curriculum applied to any particular level? (kindergarten, elementary, secondary, tertiary levels) 7.Does the curriculum provide quantitative methods of assessment? 8. Assessment? Does the curriculum provide for qualitative methods of assessment? 9. Can the curriculum provide the data needed for decision making? 10. Are the findings of evaluation available to stakeholders?
