What do you believe is the best way for organizing a curriculum council on the individual school level? On the school district level?
40 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I feel that to set up a curriculum council you have to have the people who are going to be involved. I feel that at both levels you need teachers, students (if applicable), parents, principals ( I feel this is important at both levels because other people can see things that you cannot see at your own school), parents, community members,aides, special education teachers. I think depending on the area you need the curriculum specialist. I feel very strongly in having the people who are responsible for the task and the production to play a large part in the planning.
I agree Loren. The the best way for organizing a curriculum council on the individual school level is to use the people who are going to be involved (teachers, parent, school staff, etc). In the secondary area, I think it is really important to hear the student's voice. I also believe organization of curriculum on the district level is necessary to maintain some continuity within the division. Similar to the school, those that will use the curriculum need to be part of the school ditrict level team. Along with supervisors and specialists on the district level, it is important that all schools have a voice in curriculum.
I believe the best way to begin organizing a curriculum council is to choose an individual from the school who is strong in the content which is going to be organized, as well as a strong leader, and ask them first to be on the council, as a leader. Explain the goals of the group so they have a clear understanding before accepting or denying the position. Then ask for volunteers from different grade levels (at the school level) and different schools and grade levels at the district level. This, I think will ensure interest and buy in at least at the council level, which will build enthusiasm with everyone else.
Also other constituents at the school must be involved. Representatives from all who are going to participate somehow with the curriculum should have a part on the council if they desire, this includes older students (when applicable), instructional aides, specialty teachers, parents and other lay persons and community members.
Within every school there are many highly qualified individuals to serve on a curriculum council;however, the leadership role of the council must be given to a motivated and dynamic personality that can bring about the desired change in the curriculum framework. Also, I believe it is vital to place new teachers on these councils to encourage their input and to give them these working experiences to understand the process of curriculum change.
I believe that when developing a curriculum for a specific subject at the school level many people should be involved. The curriculum specialist, the principal, department head, and teachers should actively participate. Curriculum developed for fourth and fifth grade students should also include middle school teachers. Curriculum developed in middle school should have input from high school teachers. Teachers should not only be cognizant of curriculum that they are teaching but also should be informed of what the subjects leading to their instruction will be teaching. Once the curriculum is developed community members, parents, and students should be informed about the curriculum as well as any changes that have been made to the previous curriculum. Curriculum development for a school district should include the curriculum specialist, principal, department heads, lead teachers, and all teachers within the subject area. Basically, the people who are responsible for instructing the students should play a major role in the development of the curriculum.
I completely agree with Rosalind. I feel especially being a part of such a small school division we do not have nearly enough collaboration. Elementary and secondary schools have little contact and often individual schools are doing completely different things. While classroom teachers do play an important role in organizing their own instruction, more collaboration is needed to ensure we are all adhering to the curriculum. Curriculum specialists, classroom teachers, and principals should work together to best organize curriculum.
So many good comments--As Rosalind so aptly pointed out,it is important for educational leaders to seek input not just from teachers at their own school but also from teachers representing other schools that have influenced or will influence their students' education. I also agreed with Terri's statement that "the leadership role of the (curriculum) council must be given to a motivated and dynamic personality that can bring about the desired change in the curriculum framework." In addition, it is important that that person is not only respected by the faculty but also possesses knowledge of group dynamics and the ability to facilitate change. Finally, as many have pointed out, it is important to have a council representative of the broad range of stakeholders found in your community, not just educational leaders. I was asked to serve as a parent representative on a council at my daughter's school last year. When I arrived, almost all of the parent representatives were teachers at other schools in the district.
I can't exactly say I have ever arranged a curriculum council, however, I will say my first reaction was that a core team should consist of the gen. ed. and special ed. teachers of the subject area. The extended team would include central office personnel, administrator, and a representative from the two surrounding grades, with the exception of kinder & twelfth grades which would only have one additional teacher.
I believe that, whenever you are trying to set up a committee, it is important to aim for a wide representation of stakeholders while balancing the size of the committee. We have to keep in mind that committees ultimately have work to do, and they can quickly grow so large as to become disfunctional. I guess the most important thing is to invite as many people as possible, and have those who express interest then help determine the final composition of the committee. That way, we can increase the transparency of the formation process while representing as many voices as possible and still limiting the committee's size.
These guidelines could serve for both school- and district-level committees. My only suggestion for the difference between school and district committees would be to attempt to include on the district committee a school board member who is also a parent. Board members work with central office staff too infrequently (if ever), and it might be useful for both groups to gain some perspective by working together.
I feel that the council must be a microcosm of the greater school community. All facets of the school community must be represented. The council can not be dominated by one person. Many times the process is as important as the end product and the development of said process must include all individuals impacted by the end product.
In order for all stakeholders to buy into the curriculum I feel that you need to have representation from all groups and subgroups.Including, teachers, non-certified staff that work with the children, resource teachers, administration, community members, and parents and students. I feel that this should be done at both the school and school division scale. Even though it is hard to avoid politicization of committees. Ideally, it would best suit students if educators that are highly qualified and have demonstrated success in their respective areas can be part of these committees. As opposed to those teachers that are well liked but demonstrate an overall deficit in the classroom.
I feel that in order for the council to be useful, you must have people involved who have an interest in the material and the task. I think that councils/committees should be on a volunteer basis and then approved by the builing administrator. I think that when stipends/rewards are offered, some teachers will volunteer for the money or pd points and not for the task that needs to be completed. At both levels, I believe that you need several areas involved: teachers, adminstrators, curriculum specialist, and special eduction teachers involved. All areas need to be considered when planning or revising the curriculum.
It is important to include all stakeholders in the school when organizing a curriculum council at both levels. Stakeholders may include but are not limited to students, parents, teachers, special education teachers, principals, members of the greater community. At the district level, council members may also include curriculum supervisors and school board members.
It is important that curriuclum council members be strong leaders. These leaders should possess charisma and the ability to implement changes.
It is important to involve the stakeholders. I believe content area specialists, curriculum specialists, teachers, administrators, parents, student representatives as well as anyone interested with knowledge of the field or process could be involved in planning. The school and district levels wouldn't have to be different committees. Since we would want people higher up to know what's going on in schools, it would be better to have the district level committees remain the same as the school level committees.
I feel that in order to set up a curriculum council you have to have all of the stake holders. I feel that by doing this that each group as a whole feels they have a voice in what is going to happen, good or bad. I also think it needs to be the same structure at the district as well as the school levels. Clay Moran
I agree with what everyone has been saying here already. It is important that all stakeholders be represented in order to feel that everyone has a voice and values the outcome. I think that a great way to manage the size of this committee would be to look for people who could fulfill several of those stakeholder roles. You could include a community member who may be a business owner and a parent (or former student, board member, etc). It is much easier to manage the output of a smaller group but it still needs to be representative of all. I think that the same basic principle applies when creating a district wide committee as well.
I agree with Becky. It is important that the people who make these decisions about curriculum have a genuine need to be there. I think the best approach is to ask for voluteers and then the administrator need to pick the best. If the best haven't came forth then I think a good administator needs to go and ask for the help needed. Sometimes we pick curriculum by books available. I also agree with many others that all instructors whether teachers, parents, special ed., specials teachers need to have an input. I also believe that a small respesentive group needs to make the final recomindation.
On the individual school level, a curriculum council should be focused on one content area and include all teachers involved - core teachers, and resource teachers. In our county, we plan our curriculum through our grade level subject areas. Our guidelines are the pacing guides provided by central office. Therefore, on the district level, the council should still focus on one subject, have equal representation from the schools within the county, and have the central office curriculum specialist serving as chair. The central office curriculum specialist’s knowledge of SOL’s would provide the framework and guidance for the process. Invitation to participate should be extended to all who will be working with the curriculum, but not mandatory. Those who willingly participate will bring the energy needed to keep the process moving.
What do you believe is the best way for organizing a curriculum council on the individual school level? On the school district level?
PArticipation is the key to organizing curriculum council on individual school levels. If you have great participation the process will move forward. Have individuals that are organized and resourceful. These people are sometimes hard to come by especailly at smaller schools but they are the key. They need to be leaders within the school.
You must have participation, especially of those who have a joy in teaching in the curriculum, who know what must be taught and why. Plus these people must be surrounded by other members of the council who know that a complete curriculum needs to be in place, with teachers who are supportive of such a curriculum.
If everyone is not on board, you will have people dragging their feet and not getting the new curriculum under way.
You mmust have people invilved that have a joy of teaching in a curricula. They should be surrounded by committee members who know what should be taught, and how to instruct. These members should come from all sectors of the community.
If you don't get dedicated, knowledgeable individuals, then you may not have the best results from the council
I believe that when organizing a curriculum council, it is important to include many stakeholders. I believe that at both levels it is important to include teachers, both subject-area and grade level, building administrators, parents and community members. At the middle and high school level, it is important to include students. I also feel it is important to include specialty teachers. Grade level or content area teachers should determine who will represent them. Curriculum supervisors i.e. math, science and health, social studies, should be included at the district level. Special education and G and T supervisors should also be included.
I completely agree with Rosalind. I believe that developing a curriculum within a school requires a lot of participation from teacher, curriculum specialists (coordinators), department heads, principals, special education teachers/coordinators, and gifted teachers/coordinators. I also believe that in order for it to function properly in a school district, it is something that needs to be implemented vertically, bridging gaps between elementary schools and middle schools and middle schools and high schools. Teachers need to be aware of not only the curriculum in which they are responsible, but that which may overlap in grades to come. The one aspect that I feel schools often leave out of the mix of curriculum development is the community and support from community member and parents. When developing curriculum, communication needs to take place in the internal school community with specialty teachers, as well as outside the school.
I believe that the curriculum council should be formed that includes but is not limited to teachers of content, special education teacher(s), students who are affected by the curriculum, community members and administration. The administration should identify key people in each of these areas and seek their participation along with recommendations from these people, if they choose not to participate. The council should not exceed 10 members. While the council develops/reviews curriculum smaller committees may be formed to address specific issues. It should be stated at the beginning of the development of the council what the goals and objectives of the group are to be in order to focus the group toward that end.
Regarding the district level, representatives from each school that directly relate to the curriculum that is being developed should be “recruited” to participate on the council. Again, recommendations from the building administration can be taken if those “recruited” choose not to participate. The additional representatives can include parents, community members, building administration and students. The same process of establishing goals/objectives should be followed at the district level as well.
I agree that the community should be fully involved in the process as most have posted here. I think it is very important for the principal to take the lead role in organizing the school-level curriculum council. The school level decisions are instruction-delivery oriented and principals need to take an active role as instructional leaders. A school committee in my opinion would be composed of the people within the school community(principal-teachers-parents-students).
The school district level committee would include the superintendent or designee, community members, board members, business leaders, curriculum specialists, higher education, etc.
On the school level I believe it is important to have all subject teachers, including special education, involved in the process. Everyone needs to have some input. A group leader will emerge as they work together, and does not always need to be appointed by the administration. Input should also be gathered from other stakeholders; parents, students, administration, etc. Ideally every teacher who has a stake in the curriculum should be involved at the district level, but in larger divisions the size of the council could be difficult to manage. I would want to see at least 2 teachers per grade level/subject area from each school. In addition building administrators and central office administrators would be included. It may also be wise to ask community leaders for their limited input and to seek guidance from outside experts.
I agree with others in that I believe that it is important to have the teachers that will be using the curriculum, the principal, a mature student and a parent participate on the curriculum council. The teachers should be the entire grade level teachers or the entire department or at the very least the department head. Since the principal is the instructional leader he/she should be a large influence in the organization of the curriculum in all departments and grade levels. A student should only be used if they are older or mature enough to assist in the process. All of these parties have a stake in the use of the curriculum and therefore should have some input. This should take place on both the individual and on the district level. I also agree with others in that the next grade up should also have some input, because it will affect how and the depth of what they will teach the following year.
Loren seems to have really covered this well. I agree with her that many different groups representing both the internal and external community must be represented as well as different levels of the school system. At the top of this council you must have a strong educational leader. I would like to see an educational leader from each school in the district and a central office administrator, but as Jonathan pointed out, we must balance the size of the committee.
I agree with most of what has already been stated. It is important to have teachers, speciality teachers, supervisors, administrators, parents, special education teachers, community representation, and possibly students. I believe at the district level, a curriclulm specialist and school board members as well as the superintendient should play a part in curiculum development.
I feel that a curriculum council should not only consist of educators but also community stakeholders. These individuals need to have a vested interest in the success of the school. As far as educators on the council I agree that they need to be highly motivated indivuals that are directly involved. I was happy to see earlier post including special educators - Thank you!!
When organizing any type of council or committee, organizers must try to involve at least one representative from every area that has an interest in the mission of the council/committee. As we have learned in many of our leadership classes, it is important to empower all stakeholders in the decision-making process, even if you do not use their ideas!
Therefore on the school level, you would want to include at least one teacher from each grade level, special education, specialty teachers, Title I, G&T, parents, and students. On the school district level, it would be beneficial to have similar representation from each school as well as the specialty/elective teachers, Special Ed, G&T, parents, students, and the school board.
As a school administrator, I would communicate with my staff about the upcoming school curriculum council opportunity. I would provide brainstorming time about the council to see if those with strong feelings emerge. I would open the opportunity up for all, but personally invite those I feel would represent the school effectively. I would ask for representation from grade levels, specialty teachers, gifted, special education, technology, curriculum specialists, support staff, parents, and business partners. As Allison pointed out, it is extremely important to include the vertical planning aspect within a curriculum council.
Once the council is in place, it is vital to keep all stakeholders informed as the progress develops. The curriculum outcomes of this process will be better received if those affected are aware of the changes.
I agree with most everyone else that all members of the staff need to have the opportunity to be involved within the curriculum council. As a superintendent, it would be a good idea for all schools within a district to run their curriculum council meetings in the same fashion and organization. That way when the district committee meets everyone could be on the same page. I would create some sort of guidelines and possibly an in-service to teach principals how to go about creating their curriculum committees and how to manage the meetings that will take place.
When it comes to creating a committee for the county, I would think that minimumly, dept heads and administrators should be involved in the process. Community members, school board, etc., might need to be involved as well.
I believe the best way to organize a curriculum council at the individual school level is to have representation from all grade levels, special education and specialty areas. It would also be critical to have administrative personnel and parents involved on the curriculum committee. This would ensure that there is a voice for every party at the school.
At the district level I would give the opportunity for each school to have a grade level rep. It would also be important to have curriculum specialists from the county, administrators, representatives from special education and specialties. Parents would also be involved at the district level as well. It is very important to have representation from all parties that will be involved in implementing any changes or additions to the curriculum at both levels.
I believe that the best way to organize a school level curriculum council is to allow all stakeholders an opportunity to participate. Opening the doors for all invested members fosters a welcoming atmosphere and will yield informed results that the faculty as a whole will be able to stand behind.
When forming a district level committee I think that it would be helpful to include reps from each school who are chosen by faculty members. I also think it is important for central office staff to work with non-office based personal in order to meet curriculum needs so that the ever changing needs of the students and teachers are always represented.
I agree with Becky in that the members of the council should be on a volunteer basis. If nobody is willing to volunteer then a stipend may be a needed incentive. I think the council should have a diverse makeup of administrators, teachers, parents, students, and other members of the community. The district council should be organized from members of each school level council.
I agree with Jonathan...aim for a wide representation of stakeholders while balancing the size of the committee (according to the school and district size) At both levels - effective instructional leader(s), general ed classroom teachers (across grade levels), special ed teachers, parent(s), student(s) depending on grade level, content or curriculum specialist, other specialists (gifted, resource, media, etc.), and perhaps other community members. Those participating should not simply be particpating to complete "staff development hours" or community service but instead, truly be interested in the task(s) at hand, be effective in their positions.
I believe that every school should have a curriculum council made up of the stakeholders (administrator, teachers representing all levels and departments, parent, staff, community member, and students or student input). At the elementary level there should be student representation through class surveys and at the middle and high school, there should be students serving on the council. I'm surprised at the number of schools that don't have curriculum councils at all! They rely on pacing plans and the district to tell them what to do - I think the school should still take responsibility for the curriculum, even with the pacing guides that are available.
The best way to organize a curriculum council is to invovle all necessary stakeholders(representation from the people that will be invovled or affected by the outcome). If you are looking at a specific content area then you would need to have content area specialist invovled. Having people with different backgrounds and different needs represented I beleive would make for a strong planning team.
40 comments:
I feel that to set up a curriculum council you have to have the people who are going to be involved. I feel that at both levels you need teachers, students (if applicable), parents, principals ( I feel this is important at both levels because other people can see things that you cannot see at your own school), parents, community members,aides, special education teachers. I think depending on the area you need the curriculum specialist. I feel very strongly in having the people who are responsible for the task and the production to play a large part in the planning.
I agree Loren. The the best way for organizing a curriculum council on the individual school level is to use the people who are going to be involved (teachers, parent, school staff, etc). In the secondary area, I think it is really important to hear the student's voice. I also believe organization of curriculum on the district level is necessary to maintain some continuity within the division. Similar to the school, those that will use the curriculum need to be part of the school ditrict level team. Along with supervisors and specialists on the district level, it is important that all schools have a voice in curriculum.
I believe the best way to begin organizing a curriculum council is to choose an individual from the school who is strong in the content which is going to be organized, as well as a strong leader, and ask them first to be on the council, as a leader. Explain the goals of the group so they have a clear understanding before accepting or denying the position. Then ask for volunteers from different grade levels (at the school level) and different schools and grade levels at the district level. This, I think will ensure interest and buy in at least at the council level, which will build enthusiasm with everyone else.
Also other constituents at the school must be involved. Representatives from all who are going to participate somehow with the curriculum should have a part on the council if they desire, this includes older students (when applicable), instructional aides, specialty teachers, parents and other lay persons and community members.
Within every school there are many highly qualified individuals to serve on a curriculum council;however, the leadership role of the council must be given to a motivated and dynamic personality that can bring about the desired change in the curriculum framework. Also, I believe it is vital to place new teachers on these councils to encourage their input and to give them these working experiences to understand the process of curriculum change.
I believe that when developing a curriculum for a specific subject at the school level many people should be involved. The curriculum specialist, the principal, department head, and teachers should actively participate. Curriculum developed for fourth and fifth grade students should also include middle school teachers. Curriculum developed in middle school should have input from high school teachers. Teachers should not only be cognizant of curriculum that they are teaching but also should be informed of what the subjects leading to their instruction will be teaching. Once the curriculum is developed community members, parents, and students should be informed about the curriculum as well as any changes that have been made to the previous curriculum. Curriculum development for a school district should include the curriculum specialist, principal, department heads, lead teachers, and all teachers within the subject area. Basically, the people who are responsible for instructing the students should play a major role in the development of the curriculum.
I completely agree with Rosalind. I feel especially being a part of such a small school division we do not have nearly enough collaboration. Elementary and secondary schools have little contact and often individual schools are doing completely different things.
While classroom teachers do play an important role in organizing their own instruction, more collaboration is needed to ensure we are all adhering to the curriculum.
Curriculum specialists, classroom teachers, and principals should work together to best organize curriculum.
So many good comments--As Rosalind so aptly pointed out,it is important for educational leaders to seek input not just from teachers at their own school but also from teachers representing other schools that have influenced or will influence their students' education. I also agreed with Terri's statement that "the leadership role of the (curriculum) council must be given to a motivated and dynamic personality that can bring about the desired change in the curriculum framework." In addition, it is important that that person is not only respected by the faculty but also possesses knowledge of group dynamics and the ability to facilitate change. Finally, as many have pointed out, it is important to have a council representative of the broad range of stakeholders found in your community, not just educational leaders. I was asked to serve as a parent representative on a council at my daughter's school last year. When I arrived, almost all of the parent representatives were teachers at other schools in the district.
I can't exactly say I have ever arranged a curriculum council, however, I will say my first reaction was that a core team should consist of the gen. ed. and special ed. teachers of the subject area. The extended team would include central office personnel, administrator, and a representative from the two surrounding grades, with the exception of kinder & twelfth grades which would only have one additional teacher.
I believe that, whenever you are trying to set up a committee, it is important to aim for a wide representation of stakeholders while balancing the size of the committee. We have to keep in mind that committees ultimately have work to do, and they can quickly grow so large as to become disfunctional. I guess the most important thing is to invite as many people as possible, and have those who express interest then help determine the final composition of the committee. That way, we can increase the transparency of the formation process while representing as many voices as possible and still limiting the committee's size.
These guidelines could serve for both school- and district-level committees. My only suggestion for the difference between school and district committees would be to attempt to include on the district committee a school board member who is also a parent. Board members work with central office staff too infrequently (if ever), and it might be useful for both groups to gain some perspective by working together.
I feel that the council must be a microcosm of the greater school community. All facets of the school community must be represented. The council can not be dominated by one person. Many times the process is as important as the end product and the development of said process must include all individuals impacted by the end product.
In order for all stakeholders to buy into the curriculum I feel that you need to have representation from all groups and subgroups.Including, teachers, non-certified staff that work with the children, resource teachers, administration, community members, and parents and students. I feel that this should be done at both the school and school division scale.
Even though it is hard to avoid politicization of committees. Ideally, it would best suit students if educators that are highly qualified and have demonstrated success in their respective areas can be part of these committees. As opposed to those teachers that are well liked but demonstrate an overall deficit in the classroom.
I feel that in order for the council to be useful, you must have people involved who have an interest in the material and the task. I think that councils/committees should be on a volunteer basis and then approved by the builing administrator. I think that when stipends/rewards are offered, some teachers will volunteer for the money or pd points and not for the task that needs to be completed. At both levels, I believe that you need several areas involved: teachers, adminstrators, curriculum specialist, and special eduction teachers involved. All areas need to be considered when planning or revising the curriculum.
It is important to include all stakeholders in the school when organizing a curriculum council at both levels. Stakeholders may include but are not limited to students, parents, teachers, special education teachers, principals, members of the greater community. At the district level, council members may also include curriculum supervisors and school board members.
It is important that curriuclum council members be strong leaders. These leaders should possess charisma and the ability to implement changes.
It is important to involve the stakeholders. I believe content area specialists, curriculum specialists, teachers, administrators, parents, student representatives as well as anyone interested with knowledge of the field or process could be involved in planning. The school and district levels wouldn't have to be different committees. Since we would want people higher up to know what's going on in schools, it would be better to have the district level committees remain the same as the school level committees.
I feel that in order to set up a curriculum council you have to have all of the stake holders. I feel that by doing this that each group as a whole feels they have a voice in what is going to happen, good or bad. I also think it needs to be the same structure at the district as well as the school levels.
Clay Moran
I agree with what everyone has been saying here already. It is important that all stakeholders be represented in order to feel that everyone has a voice and values the outcome. I think that a great way to manage the size of this committee would be to look for people who could fulfill several of those stakeholder roles. You could include a community member who may be a business owner and a parent (or former student, board member, etc). It is much easier to manage the output of a smaller group but it still needs to be representative of all. I think that the same basic principle applies when creating a district wide committee as well.
I agree with Becky. It is important that the people who make these decisions about curriculum have a genuine need to be there. I think the best approach is to ask for voluteers and then the administrator need to pick the best. If the best haven't came forth then I think a good administator needs to go and ask for the help needed. Sometimes we pick curriculum by books available. I also agree with many others that all instructors whether teachers, parents, special ed., specials teachers need to have an input. I also believe that a small respesentive group needs to make the final recomindation.
On the individual school level, a curriculum council should be focused on one content area and include all teachers involved - core teachers, and resource teachers. In our county, we plan our curriculum through our grade level subject areas. Our guidelines are the pacing guides provided by central office. Therefore, on the district level, the council should still focus on one subject, have equal representation from the schools within the county, and have the central office curriculum specialist serving as chair. The central office curriculum specialist’s knowledge of SOL’s would provide the framework and guidance for the process. Invitation to participate should be extended to all who will be working with the curriculum, but not mandatory. Those who willingly participate will bring the energy needed to keep the process moving.
What do you believe is the best way for organizing a curriculum council on the individual school level? On the school district level?
PArticipation is the key to organizing curriculum council on individual school levels. If you have great participation the process will move forward. Have individuals that are organized and resourceful. These people are sometimes hard to come by especailly at smaller schools but they are the key. They need to be leaders within the school.
You must have participation, especially of those who have a joy in teaching in the curriculum, who know what must be taught and why. Plus these people must be surrounded by other members of the council who know that a complete curriculum needs to be in place, with teachers who are supportive of such a curriculum.
If everyone is not on board, you will have people dragging their feet and not getting the new curriculum under way.
You mmust have people invilved that have a joy of teaching in a curricula. They should be surrounded by committee members who know what should be taught, and how to instruct. These members should come from all sectors of the community.
If you don't get dedicated, knowledgeable individuals, then you may not have the best results from the council
I believe that when organizing a curriculum council, it is important to include many stakeholders. I believe that at both levels it is important to include teachers, both subject-area and grade level, building administrators, parents and community members. At the middle and high school level, it is important to include students. I also feel it is important to include specialty teachers. Grade level or content area teachers should determine who will represent them. Curriculum supervisors i.e. math, science and health, social studies, should be included at the district level. Special education and G and T supervisors should also be included.
I completely agree with Rosalind. I believe that developing a curriculum within a school requires a lot of participation from teacher, curriculum specialists (coordinators), department heads, principals, special education teachers/coordinators, and gifted teachers/coordinators. I also believe that in order for it to function properly in a school district, it is something that needs to be implemented vertically, bridging gaps between elementary schools and middle schools and middle schools and high schools. Teachers need to be aware of not only the curriculum in which they are responsible, but that which may overlap in grades to come. The one aspect that I feel schools often leave out of the mix of curriculum development is the community and support from community member and parents. When developing curriculum, communication needs to take place in the internal school community with specialty teachers, as well as outside the school.
I believe that the curriculum council should be formed that includes but is not limited to teachers of content, special education teacher(s), students who are affected by the curriculum, community members and administration. The administration should identify key people in each of these areas and seek their participation along with recommendations from these people, if they choose not to participate. The council should not exceed 10 members. While the council develops/reviews curriculum smaller committees may be formed to address specific issues. It should be stated at the beginning of the development of the council what the goals and objectives of the group are to be in order to focus the group toward that end.
Regarding the district level, representatives from each school that directly relate to the curriculum that is being developed should be “recruited” to participate on the council. Again, recommendations from the building administration can be taken if those “recruited” choose not to participate. The additional representatives can include parents, community members, building administration and students. The same process of establishing goals/objectives should be followed at the district level as well.
I agree that the community should be fully involved in the process as most have posted here. I think it is very important for the principal to take the lead role in organizing the school-level curriculum council. The school level decisions are instruction-delivery oriented and principals need to take an active role as instructional leaders. A school committee in my opinion would be composed of the people within the school community(principal-teachers-parents-students).
The school district level committee would include the superintendent or designee, community members, board members, business leaders, curriculum specialists, higher education, etc.
On the school level I believe it is important to have all subject teachers, including special education, involved in the process. Everyone needs to have some input. A group leader will emerge as they work together, and does not always need to be appointed by the administration. Input should also be gathered from other stakeholders; parents, students, administration, etc.
Ideally every teacher who has a stake in the curriculum should be involved at the district level, but in larger divisions the size of the council could be difficult to manage. I would want to see at least 2 teachers per grade level/subject area from each school. In addition building administrators and central office administrators would be included. It may also be wise to ask community leaders for their limited input and to seek guidance from outside experts.
I agree with others in that I believe that it is important to have the teachers that will be using the curriculum, the principal, a mature student and a parent participate on the curriculum council. The teachers should be the entire grade level teachers or the entire department or at the very least the department head. Since the principal is the instructional leader he/she should be a large influence in the organization of the curriculum in all departments and grade levels. A student should only be used if they are older or mature enough to assist in the process. All of these parties have a stake in the use of the curriculum and therefore should have some input. This should take place on both the individual and on the district level. I also agree with others in that the next grade up should also have some input, because it will affect how and the depth of what they will teach the following year.
Loren seems to have really covered this well. I agree with her that many different groups representing both the internal and external community must be represented as well as different levels of the school system. At the top of this council you must have a strong educational leader. I would like to see an educational leader from each school in the district and a central office administrator, but as Jonathan pointed out, we must balance the size of the committee.
I agree with most of what has already been stated. It is important to have teachers, speciality teachers, supervisors, administrators, parents, special education teachers, community representation, and possibly students. I believe at the district level, a curriclulm specialist and school board members as well as the superintendient should play a part in curiculum development.
I feel that a curriculum council should not only consist of educators but also community stakeholders. These individuals need to have a vested interest in the success of the school. As far as educators on the council I agree that they need to be highly motivated indivuals that are directly involved. I was happy to see earlier post including special educators - Thank you!!
When organizing any type of council or committee, organizers must try to involve at least one representative from every area that has an interest in the mission of the council/committee. As we have learned in many of our leadership classes, it is important to empower all stakeholders in the decision-making process, even if you do not use their ideas!
Therefore on the school level, you would want to include at least one teacher from each grade level, special education, specialty teachers, Title I, G&T, parents, and students. On the school district level, it would be beneficial to have similar representation from each school as well as the specialty/elective teachers, Special Ed, G&T, parents, students, and the school board.
As a school administrator, I would communicate with my staff about the upcoming school curriculum council opportunity. I would provide brainstorming time about the council to see if those with strong feelings emerge. I would open the opportunity up for all, but personally invite those I feel would represent the school effectively. I would ask for representation from grade levels, specialty teachers, gifted, special education, technology, curriculum specialists, support staff, parents, and business partners. As Allison pointed out, it is extremely important to include the vertical planning aspect within a curriculum council.
Once the council is in place, it is vital to keep all stakeholders informed as the progress develops. The curriculum outcomes of this process will be better received if those affected are aware of the changes.
I agree with most everyone else that all members of the staff need to have the opportunity to be involved within the curriculum council. As a superintendent, it would be a good idea for all schools within a district to run their curriculum council meetings in the same fashion and organization. That way when the district committee meets everyone could be on the same page. I would create some sort of guidelines and possibly an in-service to teach principals how to go about creating their curriculum committees and how to manage the meetings that will take place.
When it comes to creating a committee for the county, I would think that minimumly, dept heads and administrators should be involved in the process. Community members, school board, etc., might need to be involved as well.
I believe the best way to organize a curriculum council at the individual school level is to have representation from all grade levels, special education and specialty areas. It would also be critical to have administrative personnel and parents involved on the curriculum committee. This would ensure that there is a voice for every party at the school.
At the district level I would give the opportunity for each school to have a grade level rep. It would also be important to have curriculum specialists from the county, administrators, representatives from special education and specialties. Parents would also be involved at the district level as well. It is very important to have representation from all parties that will be involved in implementing any changes or additions to the curriculum at both levels.
I believe that the best way to organize a school level curriculum council is to allow all stakeholders an opportunity to participate. Opening the doors for all invested members fosters a welcoming atmosphere and will yield informed results that the faculty as a whole will be able to stand behind.
When forming a district level committee I think that it would be helpful to include reps from each school who are chosen by faculty members. I also think it is important for central office staff to work with non-office based personal in order to meet curriculum needs so that the ever changing needs of the students and teachers are always represented.
I agree with Becky in that the members of the council should be on a volunteer basis. If nobody is willing to volunteer then a stipend may be a needed incentive. I think the council should have a diverse makeup of administrators, teachers, parents, students, and other members of the community. The district council should be organized from members of each school level council.
I agree with Jonathan...aim for a wide representation of stakeholders while balancing the size of the committee (according to the school and district size)
At both levels - effective instructional leader(s), general ed classroom teachers (across grade levels), special ed teachers, parent(s), student(s) depending on grade level, content or curriculum specialist, other specialists (gifted, resource, media, etc.), and perhaps other community members.
Those participating should not simply be particpating to complete "staff development hours" or community service but instead, truly be interested in the task(s) at hand, be effective in their positions.
I believe that every school should have a curriculum council made up of the stakeholders (administrator, teachers representing all levels and departments, parent, staff, community member, and students or student input). At the elementary level there should be student representation through class surveys and at the middle and high school, there should be students serving on the council. I'm surprised at the number of schools that don't have curriculum councils at all! They rely on pacing plans and the district to tell them what to do - I think the school should still take responsibility for the curriculum, even with the pacing guides that are available.
The best way to organize a curriculum council is to invovle all necessary stakeholders(representation from the people that will be invovled or affected by the outcome). If you are looking at a specific content area then you would need to have content area specialist invovled. Having people with different backgrounds and different needs represented I beleive would make for a strong planning team.
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