EDLD 5335 Curriculum Management
Diana Mitchell
Cohort 9
Week 1 Assignment
Overview
In this course, you will develop the knowledge and skills of an instructional leader who also effectively manages curriculum and instruction. The course assignments will guide you as you increase your leadership abilities in the areas of curriculum management, application of state law
and local policy as they relate to curriculum and instruction, and campus improvement planning.
In this week’s assignment, you will summarize required curriculum components and high school
graduation requirements, describe the components of the TEA learning system
and make suggestions for improvement, and collect data to begin decision-making on a
learner-centered staff development session. This week, you should:
 Identify and summarize the components of a state-required curriculum.
 analyze the components of the TEA learning system and make suggestions for
improvements.
 analyze state-generated data and a Campus Improvement Plan for the purpose
of decision-making.
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Rubric
Use the following rubric to guide your work.
Accomplished
Part 1: Summary of
Curriculum Requirements
Clearly summarizes the
requirements of the Texasmandated curriculum with
seven paragraphs – one for
each component.
Proficient
Unacceptable
Does not summarize the
requirements of the Texasmandated curriculum.
(0 points)
(3 points)
Summarizes the requirements of the Texasmandated curriculum. Not
all seven components addressed.
(2 points)
Part 2: TEA Learning
System Components
Effectively summarizes the
state and local provisions of
the TEA learning system.
(3 points)
Summarizes the state and
local provisions of the TEA
learning system.
(2 points)
Does not summarize the
state and local provisions of
the TEA learning system.
(0 points)
Part 3: Gathering
Data for Decision
Making
Makes an in-depth analysis
of AEIS data and a CIP to
select a content area and
objective for a learnercentered staff development
session.
(3 points)
Analyzes AEIS data and a
CIP to select a content area/
objective for a learnercentered staff development.
(2 points)
Does not analyze AEIS data
and a CIP to select a learner-centered staff development topic.
(0 points)
Mechanics
Few to no errors in grammar, spelling or punctuation.
(1 point)
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Responses lack clarity and
depth and/or multiple errors
in grammar, spelling or
punctuation.
(0 points)
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Week 1 Assignment: Curriculum and the TEA Learning System
Part 1: Summary of Curriculum Requirements
Knowledge of the state’s required curriculum provides an emerging leader with a foundation for
decision making. In this part of the assignment, you will examine what Texas law says about
curriculum.
Directions:
From your Web address box, access the TEA Web site
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter074/index.html.
Read and study the following sections of the Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, Part II:
74.1 Essential Knowledge and Skills
74.2 Description of a Required Elementary Curriculum
74.3 Description of a Required Secondary Curriculum
74.4 English Language Proficiency Standards
74.62 Minimum High School Program
74.63 Recommended High School Program
74.64 Distinguished Achievement High School Program—Advanced High School Program
(Note: Requirements changed as of the 2007-2008 school year, and §74.63 and §74.64 reflect the new 4 x 4 requirements.)
Compose a two-page summary of the seven components. Include at least one paragraph on
each section. Type your paper in the expandable box below.
Summary of Curriculum Requirements
Section 74.1 addresses the Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) required for grades
Kindergarten through grade 12. This section outlines the foundational requirements for ELA,
mathematics, science and social studies. Section 74.1 also states the type of course that should
be included in an enrichment curriculum such as health, physical education, languages other than
English, fine arts, economics, career and tech education and religious literature. Part (b) of this
section stipulates that school districts must provide instruction in the essential knowledge and
skills that are appropriate for each grade level along with enrichment objectives that are also appropriate for each individual grade level. This section also gives districts the right to add different course offerings for students, but specifically states that no foundation or enrichment curriculum pieces may be deleted.
Section 74.2 addresses the requirements for the elementary curriculum. Mixed age programs should be in positions that are developmentally appropriate for every student enrolled in
the district. These programs should address the standards for each specific grade level from kindergarten through fifth grade. This section addresses the ability of a district to provide variations
in instruction that are developmentally appropriated for all students at all levels of elementary
school.
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Section 74.3 (a) targets the curriculum requirements for secondary the secondary curriculum middle school grades six through eight and high school grades nine through twelve. Section 74.3(a)(1) states that districts must provide curriculum instruction for grades six through
eight. Each district must schedule enough time for teachers to teach and for students to learn the
foundational curriculum elements along with elements from the enriched curriculum requirements. Time must also be allotted for students to learn a language other than English. At this
level the district must provide variations in instruction that will address the different learning
styles of student population within the district (settings, mixed-aged programs, etc). Section
74.3(a)(2) requires that each student entering grade 6 in the 1010-1011 school year completes
one Texas essential knowledge and skills-based fine arts course during his/her sixth, seventh, and
eighth grade school years. 74.3(b) addresses the requirements for grades nine through twelve.
This section addresses the same instructional requirements in curriculum as the earlier grades.
Each district must provide enough time for the teaching and learning process for all students to
acquire knowledge related to the required curriculum. Instruction should be provided in a variety of settings along with flexible learning arrangements for appropriate instruction for all students. 74.3(b)(2) lists all the required courses for high school and that schools provide proof that
these requirements have been met. It is also stated that districts can offer additional courses from
the approved course offerings list that has been developed by the State Board of Education to
satisfy graduation requirements. This section also requires that starting in 2007-08 students who
are enrolled in the enriched curriculum or recommended programs are required to take a research
writing course. All programs and courses offered in grades six through twelve should meet
graduation and promotion requirements. This section clearly outlines the graduation requirements for recommended and minimum completion plans for high school.
Section 74.4 addresses English Language Proficiencies and standards for English language learners for grades Kindergarten through twelfth grade. This section should be implemented throughout each subject in the required curriculum. An ELL must acquire both social
and academic language for them to be successful. This enhances their ability to become critical
thinkers and increases their ability to understand and process new concepts, complex academic
material along with increasing their ability to interact and communicate in English academic settings. 74.4 outline the school district responsibilities to the ELL. Levels of proficiency will be
determined or identified in the areas of speaking, listening, reading, and writing based on specific level descriptors (beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high levels). The school’s
responsibilities for fulfilling the requirements of this section are also outlined in detail. Crosscurricular second language requirements for second language acquisition essential knowledge
and skills are included in this section also.
Section 74.62 outlines the minimum requirements for a student who is graduating under
the minimal plan. The number of credits required for this level is twenty-two. A student graduating under the minimal plan is required to have four credits in English (English I,II, III, IV or an
alternative English course that has been approved by the state), three credits in math (Algebra I
and Geometry with an additional credit coming from the approved course offerings list developed by the State Board of Education). Science, Social Studies, Economics, Fine Arts, Physical
Education and its’ substitutions along with elective course requirements are also covered in this
section of the code.
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Section 74.63 addresses the recommended High School Graduation program. The number of credits required and the type of credits required are outlined in this section. For a student
to graduate under this plan he/she must complete 4 credits each of math, science and English.
The requirements for social studies, economics languages other than English, physical education
or a substitute course, speech, electives, and fine arts are also described in this section. It is also
stated that no substitutions are allowed in the Recommended High School Program that have not
been stated in this section.
Section 74.64 outlines the required courses for the Distinguished Achievement High
School Program or the Advanced High School Program. Under this program a student is required to complete twenty-six credits. The student that graduates under the Distinguished
Achievement plan must complete 4 years each of math, science, English, science and social studies along with submitting and original research project that has been judged by a panel of professionals or submit scores of three or better on three College Board advanced placement examinations.
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Part 2: TEA Learning System Components
In this section of the assignment, you will describe the minimum state provisions of the six components of the TEA learning system, desirable local provisions for each component, and your
preliminary ideas for improvement.
Directions:
Review the components of the TEA learning system in the Week 1 lecture and the information
you gathered in Part 1 of the assignment. As you review, think about desirable local provisions
for each component. Consider strengths and weaknesses in local provisions.
Access the Texas Education Code at http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/ed.toc.htm and/or the
Texas Administrative Code, Title 19, (TAC): Part II Texas Education Agency at
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/index.html. Peruse these sites for more information about the
TEA learning system components.
Collaborate online with two colleagues to complete the table on the TEA learning system by describing the minimum state provisions, desirable local provisions for each of the six components, and your preliminary suggestions for improvement. Your suggestions may change after
completing the course.
TEA Learning System Components
Collaborator #1:
Component
Learning Goals
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Collaborator #2:
Minimum State
Provision
Desirable Local
Provision
Learning goals are the
desired learning outcomes we want students
to know and master after
completing any course of
study they have been
enrolled in for a predetermined designated
period of time. In the
state of Texas, our
learning goals are called
TEKS.—Texas Essential
Knowledge and Skills.
These TEKS outline in
detail within the Texas
Administrative Code. All
grade level and subject
area curriculum guides
that state the desired
learning goals are
included within the TEKS.
The Scope and Sequence
is the desirable local
provision. This scope and
sequence provides the
written road map for
objectives to be taught and
tested. This document is
designed based on the
TEKS and is divided into
sections that correspond to
the grading cycle of the
district. Lesson plans are
based on the objectives
outlined in the district’s
scope and sequence.
Included within this guide
are activities that
incorporate enrichment and
ELL activities along with
additional resources that
may aid instructors with
accomplishing the goals
and objectives outlined in
Preliminary
Suggestion for
Improvement
One preliminary
suggestion for
improvement is to make
the scope and sequence
an ongoing project. As the
year progresses, new
ideas for improvement
should be submitted and
reviewed. Time
adjustment suggestions
should also be submitted
and recorded.
Adjustments and
modifications should be
documented along with the
reasons for the
adjustments to improve the
success of all students.
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the district’s scope and
sequence. Test reviews,
subject area vocabulary and
additional reference
materials are also included
within this guide.
It is a state requirement that
districts supply every
student with a free textbook.
It is also a requirement that
each teacher is supplied
with a teacher’s edition for
the subject area that he/she
is assigned to teach along
with support resources or
other instructional aides that
enable the teacher with
fulfilling the requirements of
the curriculum guide.
Districts should review
instructional resources
regularly (textbooks and
resource materials) to
insure that they meet the
needs of all students.
Curriculum
Documents
The curriculum component is designed to help
school districts realize
their mission for
educating all students.
This component is the
written road map for
teaching and assessing
all students. The
assessment piece is
needed to help evaluate
whether or not the “road
map” is leading all
learners in the right
direction. Within this
area the state requires
that school districts select
a textbook publisher to
furnish adopted textbooks
to the district along with
providing complimentary
Teacher editions of the
adopted text. This
insures that teachers will
have tools and resources
to assist them in
preparing students to
reach the instructional
goals of the district.
Instructional Program
This component is the
“how to get it done”
section. Here is where
educators get the
guidelines for what
objectives must be taught
and how to teach them.
These objectives are and
must be based on the
TEKS. All instructional
programs must meet the
needs of every student.
School districts must
provide instruction of the
required curriculum or
scope and sequence. This
instruction must be
presented in a variety of
ways to address the needs
of all students and must
support the student success
in acquiring the goals and
standards for each grade
level being taught.
Documentation of lab time
for high school teachers
should be ongoing and
checked periodically.
Monitoring of class lessons
should be done frequently
to insure that the
curriculum is being
addressed/taught.
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Staff Development
Program
Measurement System
Administrative
Procedures
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This area addresses the
teacher evaluation or
appraisal process known
as (PDAS) along with
staff development needs
of the district. This
component also gives the
requirements needed for
an educator to attend a
Leadership Development
seminar that consists of
36 hours. Student
centered learning is a
major component of the
PDAS. Staff
development should
address areas of interest
that will assist the district
educators in accomplishing the goals of the
district.
The district is responsible
for designing staff
development activities that
will enhance the teaching
ability of the teachers along
with evaluating teachers for
their effectiveness in
presenting their subject
area material. The district
should also provide PDAS
training for new Instructional
leaders through the
Instructional Leadership
Development program that
focus on “best practices”.
Instructional staff members
are always in need of
resources. Having a
central location for sharing
resources that support
“best practices” would
certainly be a step in the
right direction. Pairing new
teachers with on campus
mentors for support and is
another idea that would
help promote success
among staff members.
This component analyzes
the end results. The
AEIS report compiles a
variety of information
from all districts across
the state such as TAKS
data, ethnicity, dropout
rates, graduation rates,
and college readiness.
The AEIS report covers
all factions of district data.
The decision a campus or
district makes should be
reflective of the information
collected from the AEIS
report. The data supplied
by the AEIS should be the
driving force for educational
programs and CEIC
decisions. Districts are
required to develop
programs that support the
state standards.
Form special committees
to target areas of concern
from data collected by the
AEIS reports. The duties
of these committees would
be to investigate the
cause(s) of the problem
and generate or brain
storm solutions to improve
the reported results.
Provisions for Site-Based
Decision Making are
defined in this component
of the TEA Learning
System. The most
important key in this area
is the Campus
Improvement Plan. The
Campus improvement
Plan should be designed
to improve all student
performance on the
state’s AIES report and
must support the
educational goals and
The district should make
sure each campus CEIC
committee is up and
functioning. Each campus
based CEIC committee
should closely analyze the
data that has been collected
and reported in that
campus’ AEIS report. After
reviewing the AEIS report,
the CEIC should review and
revise their Campus
Improvement plan to ensure
that all student needs are
met. The CEIC should
Continuous and constant
monitoring of daily
operational procedures
and teaching methods will
allow administrators to
gather additional data on
whether the CIP goals are
being met. These
observations will also help
the CEIC in determining
the types of professional
development activities that
will enhance the learning
experiences of students
and the effectiveness of
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objectives of the state
and district.
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regularly update the plan for
additions of new
measurable goals and
deletions of measurable
goals that have become
outdated.
classroom educators.
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How can understanding the components of the TEA learning system assist you in your work as
an instructional leader?
Knowing what is expected enables the instructional leader to more plan effectively. Having this knowledge allows the leader to plan staff development activities that will enhance the
teaching staff’s ability to reach the desired campus, district and state goals. Knowing and understanding the components of the TEA learning system makes being the academic leader the
chief navigator for effective. Plotting the course for success for the campus and for the students
becomes clearer. When the trip is well planned the journey to the final destination is smoother.
Knowing how all the pieces fit together allows the leader to plan the trip wiser. Knowing what is
expected at the end helps me fine tune my road trip for the desired destination. This knowledge
will assist the instructional leader in scheduling classes and determining what classes to offer.
With the data that will be collected, the instructional leader can modify and adjust any curriculum
concerns/issues that may arise.
Why is it important that an instructional leader improve the components of the TEA learning system?
As time changes skills also change. Modifying and adjusting the components of the TEA
learning system allows the instructional leader to address the ever changing needs of all students. As the state requirements change, campus plans must also change to insure that every
child will be prepared for the future. Instructional strategies and information should always be
updated to meet the growing needs of society. Therefore, it is the job of the instructional leader
to insure that the most up-to-date information is available for the teachers that are on under his
leadership. Providing training (staff development) for these changes is a necessity. As always
quoted “If we continue to do what we have always done, we will always get the same results”.
So to reach the higher levels of success, the instructional leader must be prepared to make
modifications and adjustments to the TEA learning system.
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Part 3: Gathering Data for Decision Making
A critical skill for an instructional leader is the ability to make data-based decisions. You will
practice this skill as you begin work on a learner-centered staff development session. You will
select a school—ideally one in which you work, review its AEIS data and Campus Improvement
Plan (CIP), and select a content area/objective for improvement. You are not required to present
the staff development during this course, but you must have a principal approve your agenda
and arrange a time with the principal for presentation of the session.
Directions:
Access the 2006-07 AEIS Campus Reports at:
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/perfreport/aeis/2007/campus.srch.html.
Complete the form to select a school and access a campus report.
Review the Academic Excellence Indicator System (AEIS) data, answer questions about the
data, and identify four content areas that need improvement.
Review the selected school’s Campus Improvement Plan (CIP). Answer questions about the
data, and locate two objectives for each of the four content areas identified in the AEIS data.
Based on the data, choose one content-area and an objective within that content area as the
focus of a learner-centered staff development session.
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Data-Based Reflection and Decision Making
Is there anything in the AEIS or CIP data that you do not understand? If so, what would you like
clarified?
The principal on my campus practices and encourages data driven decision making.
The educational programs that are available to the students on my campus are due to the decisions made from disaggregating the data from the AEIS and CIP reports. We as campus educators are encouraged to use data as a basis of our daily curriculum. These two reports have
been discussed and broken down by our subject area instructional coaches and department
chairpersons into terms that campus educators can comprehend. At this time I have no concerns addressing the information presented in these two reports.
What about the data surprises you? What about the data concerns you?
When reviewing the data contained in the AEIS report the results for mathematics for all grade
levels are of concern to me. The percentage point growth increased for every grade level and
subgroup except ninth grade LEP, but it is still not at the level of Social Studies and ELA. My
concern is that all subgroups increased in mathematics except ninth grade LEP. In this subgroup there was a decrease. What surprises me is that the percentage increase in the majority
of the subgroups showed a gain of at least three plus percentage points. With some subgroups
the gain was more than 20 percentage points. The math passing rate had growths of at least
three percentage points in most of the subgroups tested. Even though the passing percentage
for mathematics in all grade levels increased, the campus results were still below the campus
group, state and district passing rates.
How does the information fit with your feelings about how the students at this school are doing?
This information supports my feeling about the learning atmosphere of this school. Students are gaining information required for them to be successful on the TAKS test. Since mathematics is an area that is difficult for most students the growth accomplished is very impressive.
This is an indicator that this campus analyzes data and bases decisions on the data contained
in these reports.
Does it seem to differ from what you have personally experienced? Did the students do as well
as you and the school expected?
The students at this school performed better than expected in all categories.
Their performance in Social Studies and ELA showed at least a one point percentage gain from
2006 to 2007 for all grade levels. Math and Science showed at least one percentage point gain
for all grade levels. I expected to find that the students on this campus would show a sign of
growth in Social Studies and ELA, but did not anticipate such a growth in math.
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On the basis of the data you examined, in which areas of the curriculum are students performing well?
The students are performing well in the areas of English and Social Studies for both
2006 and 2007. The areas of Math and Science are areas that have shown a great deal of improvement. These two areas had drastic increases in percentage points. All areas tested have
shown improvement from 2006 to 2007.
On the basis of the data you examined, in which area(s) of the curriculum are students performing poorly? Why do you think students are performing poorly in those areas?
The areas of mathematics and science are improving, but the percentage of
passers is still not at the level of ELA and social studies. I feel that one of the reasons
for this is that mathematics and science requires more analytical thinking skills. Another possible reason is that most of the students have weaker foundations in mathematics
and science. Having a good firm foundation in these two areas is a must for higher student success.
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Complete the following table to clarify content areas and objectives that need improvement.
Campus: Central MMHS
AEIS-Identified
Content Area
Content Area #1
District: Beaumont
Grade:
9th
Mathematics
AEIS Data Evidence
Principal: Mrs. P. Lambert
CIP-Identified Objectives
#1 All teachers and staff will
implement strategies learned
from professional development
Whites
staff in-services that are designed to provide strategies associated with managing diversi2007
33%
ty and increasing the effective2006
83% ness of instruction.
#2 All subgroup performance
in all subject areas on standardized tests (TAKS) will increase by at least 10%
Content Area #2
11th
ELA/Reading
#1 All teachers and staff will
implement strategies learned
from professional development
Hispanic
staff in-services that are designed to provide strategies associated with managing diversi2007
64%
ty and increasing the effective2006
77% ness of instruction.
#2 To increase all subgroup
performance in all subject areas
on standardized tests (TAKS)
by at least 10%
Content Area #3
Reading
9th
#1 At least 85% of the student
testing population will demonMales
strate TAKS mastery and meet
AYP requirements and will
2007
74% achieve at least a 10% increase
2006
79% in all content areas.
#2 All subgroups will increase
performance on state and local
standardized assessments in anticipation of decreasing the learning
gap between the current passing
percentages and the desired pass-
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ing percentage of 90.
Content Area #4
Science
10th
Special Ed
2007
2006
#1 At least 85% of the student
86% population taking TAKS will satisfy the standards for AYP and
89% TAKS for all subject areas along
with showing at least a ten percentage point gain in all areas
under the current testing standards.
#2 No more than three percent
of the special education student
population is in self contained
settings. Approximately 95% of
students that are in inclusion
classes are being successful on
district benchmark exams and
state tests.
Select a content area/objective for your learner-centered staff development. To do this, answer
the following question:
Based on the data, which content-area should be the principal’s highest priority? Explain why
you think so.
The ninth grade math results should be the area of concern for the campus principal. The
principal should be concerned because of such a tremendous drop in the achievement of this
economic subgroup. This group lost fifty percentage points. Even though the white population
has declined, the percentage passing should not have declined. Research should be done to
determine the cause of this decrease in achievement for this subgroup. Reevaluation of the
curriculum, available programs, and other resources should be done to insure that the educational needs of this particular subgroup are being met.
How can a leader use the AEIS to initiate the development of an instructional focus for a campus?
The instructional leader can use the information contained in the AEIS report to target areas and ethnic group weaknesses. Since the AEIS is the school’s report card, the instructional
leader should analyze it carefully to identify the problem areas of his/her campus. After identifying the problem areas or groups, the instructional leader can now plan for course offering
changes, reassignment of teachers to different subject areas, staff development activities that
will address methods that will improve these problem areas, special after school programs that
target specific student groups and/or specific objectives. Also, this report shows how well the
curriculum is addressing student readiness and informational needs in the different testing areas. Instructional leaders use the AEIS as a tracking system for graduation rates, drop-out rates,
academic growth, and subgroup gains and losses.
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