Session 1:
4 T’s of Curriculum Design
NTI
March, 2015
Our Beliefs about Adult Learning
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Norms for Collaboration
• Review Norms for Collaboration p.1-4
• Self-Assess
• Set a Goal
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Agenda
Day 1
•4 T’s of Curriculum Design
•Components of Common Core curriculum
•Critiquing Text Selection
Day 2
•Critiquing Assessments
•Quality PD for Curriculum Design
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Learning Targets
1. I can explain how the principal’s role in
curriculum design impacts student
achievement.
2. I can describe the “4Ts” of Common Corealigned curriculum design.
3. I can describe the phases of curriculum
design and compare them to what we
currently resource/support.
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Curriculum
• How do you define curriculum?
• The term curriculum refers to the lessons and
academic content taught in school or in a
specific course or program.
• An individual teacher’s curriculum would be
the specific learning standards, lessons,
assignments, and materials used to organize
and teach a particular course.
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Curriculum
Overt, explicit or written curriculum is that which
is written as part of formal instruction of the
schooling experience. It may refer to a
curriculum document, texts, and supportive
materials that are overtly chosen to support the
intentional instructional agenda of a school.
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Curriculum
Curriculum can be envisaged from different perspectives. What
societies envisage as important teaching and learning constitutes
the "intended" curriculum. Since it is usually presented in official
documents, it may be also called the "written" and/or "official"
curriculum. However, at classroom level this intended curriculum may
be altered through a range of complex classroom interactions, and
what is actually delivered can be considered the "implemented"
curriculum. What learners really learn (i.e. what can be assessed and
can be demonstrated as learning outcomes/learner competencies)
constitutes the "achieved" or "learned" curriculum. In addition,
curriculum theory points to a "hidden" curriculum (i.e. the unintended
development of personal values and beliefs of learners, teachers and
communities; unexpected impact of a curriculum; unforeseen aspects
of a learning process).
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Learning Target
1. I can explain how the principal’s role in
curriculum design impacts student
achievement.
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“What Works” - Marzano
The first school-level factor is a “guaranteed and viable
curriculum.” I rank this as the first factor, having the most impact
on student achievement. As indicated in Figure 2.3 (p. 19), a
guaranteed and viable curriculum is primarily a combination of my
factors “opportunity to learn” and “time” (Marzano, 2000a). Both
have strong correlations with academic achievement, yet they are
so interdependent that they constitute one factor.
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“Focus” - Schmoker
What We Teach. This simply means a decent, coherent
curriculum, with topics and standards collectively selected by a
team of teachers from the school or district—that is actually
taught. The number of "power standards" (Ainsworth, 2003a) must
not be excessive; it should account for about half of what is
contained in our standards documents (Marzano, 2003). This
allows us to teach the essential standards in sufficient intellectual
depth, with adequate time for deep reading, writing, and talking.
Why is this so important? Because such "guaranteed and viable
curriculum" (Marzano, 2003, p. 22) is perhaps the most significant
school factor that affects learning. But such a curriculum is found
in very few schools (Berliner, 1984; Marzano, 2003; Schmidt,
2008).
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Learning Target
2. I can describe the 4 T’s of Common Corealigned curriculum design.
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Transformational Literacy
• How do the 4 T’s support students in meeting
the Common Core reading and writing
standards? (See pgs. 86-93).
 What new information did you gain
regarding common core aligned literacy
curriculum?
 What information is relevant to your
school/district and why?
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The 4 T’s
• While viewing, take notes on new information
regarding the 4 T’s. (pg. 9)
• Goal: be able to explain how they work
together.
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Role Play
• You just recently delivered a PD about the 4 T’s to
your entire staff. You gave an overview and then dug
deeply into “Topic.”
• A teacher who missed the PD session keeps hearing
other staff discussing the “4 T’s” and she is irked
that she doesn’t know what they are referring to.
• She won’t leave your office until she knows what the
4 T’s are.
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Curriculum Planning
• Locate p. 10

(you may skim p.11-14 or read later)
• Consider: which of these stages are occurring
while your teachers plan curriculum?
• Most importantly – how do you know?
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Transformational Literacy
•
•
•
•
Where are your teachers at?
How do you know?
What would be the right next step for them?
What professional development do they need
and how will you provide it? (pgs. 57-71)
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Learning Targets
1. I can explain how the principal’s role in
curriculum design impacts student
achievement.
2. I can describe the “4Ts” of Common Corealigned curriculum design.
3. I can describe the phases of curriculum
design and compare them to what we
currently resource/support.
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