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Development & Maintenance of Curriculum

Review and Evaluation

Curriculum study and writing should be a continuous improvement process. Each curriculum document is reviewed on an annual basis and is revised and updated (in-depth year) on a five-year cycle via approval of the Rockwood School District Board of Education. The content and format for the curriculum documents are also clearly established and meet the guidelines established by MSIP.

The expectation exists that a review and evaluation of curriculum will take place during years one through four after the in-depth year. These reviews have been on an informal basis with small changes being made to the document. A general public hearing on all curriculum areas is also conducted each year. View the 2009-2010 curriculum schedule >>

Beginning with the 1999-00 school year, the review and evaluation procedures will be expanded to include the following:

a. As a part of the Curriculum Department's continuous improvement model, the curriculum coordinators will set goals annually in each content area. An on-going review committee that is responsible for obtaining feedback and evaluating the curriculum each year moves these goals forward.

b. Extensive feedback about the effectiveness of the curriculum in meeting students' needs is secured by surveying parents, students, staff and principals. Feedback is also secured as a result of information obtained from the buildings as an outcome of their "Curriculum Implementation Plans."

c. Student achievement data is analyzed annually with small adjustments possibly being made to the curriculum documents as a result of the analysis.

d. Any changes to the curriculum documents (recommended by the review team as a result of "b" or "c" above) are compiled by the curriculum coordinators, submitted in writing, and presented as an information item to Curriculum Advisory Council. The changes are presented changes are presented to the principals' meeting with a follow-up memo documenting the presentation and feedback from the principals.

e. The above information and findings from the new evaluation procedure (see below) are submitted by the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction to the Superintendent each year in the "State of the Curriculum" document.

Program Evaluation

The purpose of curriculum program evaluation is to determine what is working, what is not working, what to change, and what to keep. Evaluation is a process used to assess the quality of the curriculum. In addition to analyzing student assessment data, the curriculum writing and review committees will respond to these four interrelated questions:

a. Is the Curriculum design one of quality?

b. Is the curriculum being implemented as designed?

c. Are students mastering the core conceptual objectives and performing at a high level on the application level assessments identified in the implemented curriculum?

d. Is the curriculum effective in accomplishing the overall goals, mission, and vision of our district?

Evaluation will also occur as a result of the review and the degree to which the goals set annually in each content area is accomplished.

A systems approach to curriculum evaluation can result in better alignment among the district's written, taught and tested curriculum. The data and information gathered through the new, comprehensive evaluation procedure can also be used to make improvements in instruction, assessment, and staff development. Curriculum Development

In the in-depth year, the curriculum coordinator leads the curriculum writing committee in the revision and update of the document. The in-depth year includes a review of the current document, feedback from the members of the curriculum writing committee regarding needed revisions, analysis of curriculum documents from other school districts, overview of the needed structure for the documents and the writing of the new document. The adoption process includes feedback from the Curriculum Advisory Council, feedback from a public hearing, a first reading by the Board of Education with their feedback, and finally a second reading with their approval of the document. This adoption process also concludes the in-depth year.

When a curriculum is in its in-depth year, the curriculum coordinator and writing team will compile a "Curriculum Framework" which accompanies the curriculum documents. (The first Curriculum Framework to be completed will accompany the elementary math curriculum, which will be presented to the Board of Education in the fall of 1999.) The Curriculum Framework includes:

a formal review of current literature, current practices, and researching regarding teaching and learning in the content area.
analysis of survey feedback from parents, students, and staff collected by the review team.
copy of achievement data for the particular content area.
analysis of achievement data for the particular content area.
summary of changes that has been made to the document as a result of the yearly review from the past four years.
obtain additional ideas, curriculum documents from Rockwood's benchmark districts, other St. Louis County school districts, and several nationally recognized school districts from around the country are secured.

Pilot projects may be suggested as a means of testing the effectiveness of materials and/or programs. The process for approval of a proposed Pilot Project is available from the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Office.

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