Components of Curriculum Implementation - …

1 CHAPTER 1. Components of Curriculum Implementation . Overview KNOWLEDGE OF KEY CURRICULAR factors is essential to meet the curri- culum Implementation demands of multi-tiered response to intervention (RTI). This includes an understanding of five key curricular Components of teaching and learning found in every classroom, three key types of curricu- lum operating simultaneously in every classroom, and the significance of these topics in the Implementation of multi-tiered RTI. Key Topics Curriculum defined Explicit, hidden, and absent curricula Curricular Components of instructional content, interventions, arrange- ment, management, and monitoring Interrelationship among curricular types, curricular Components , and multi-tiered instruction RTI and the Implementation of five curricular Components . Learner Outcomes After reading this chapter, you should: 1.

2 Be knowledgeable about an integrated definition of Curriculum Implementation 2. Be able to assess the extent to which explicit, hidden, and absent curricula function in everyday classrooms 3. Be able to describe the interrelationship among the five curricular Components of effective teaching and learning 4. Understand how a variety of Curriculum factors, in addition to content, contribute significantly to the Implementation of multi-tiered RTI. 5. Be familiar with the historical progression of Curriculum Implementation for struggling learners, including those with disabilities, over the past five decades S I G N I F I C A N C E T O C O N T E M P O R A RY. CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION. A fundamental aspect of RTI is the effective and proper Implementation of cur- riculum to meet the needs of all learners. Educators in today's classrooms must ensure that the Curriculum has been implemented with integrity for all students prior to making general assumptions about suspected learning or behavior prob- lems as intrinsic to the student.

3 As a result, we are faced with the challenge of implementing the Curriculum in the manner in which it is intended to be imple- mented, as well as providing corroboration that effective Implementation has actually occurred. This is significant in the process of multi-tiered RTI due to the increased emphasis on providing sufficient opportunities to learn within a cur- riculum that has been implemented with integrity. To best meet this challenge, we must understand the critical factors that provide the basis for making effective Curriculum Implementation decisions if we are to meet the needs of all learners. A complex issue for teachers is to understand the Curriculum they are required to implement, along with the outcomes reflecting student learning. Many educators 4 CHAPTER 1 Components of Curriculum Implementation view the Curriculum primarily as the content they must teach, with little or no consideration of other critical curricular elements that are essential to effective teaching.

4 This chapter begins by presenting an integrated and practical discussion of Curriculum and its Implementation that serves as a foundation for implement- ing RTI. First, however, several key terms used throughout the book are defined. These terms are categorized within several broad headings to simplify their use. Response to Intervention Multi-tiered instruction Levels or layers of instruction that increase in duration and intensity based on the learner's response to that instruction Response to intervention (RTI) Process within multi-tiered instruction that determines the extent to which a learner responds to instruction ( , what is taught) and uses the RTI results as a basis for subsequent multi-tiered curricular decisions Fidelity Implementation of the Curriculum and assessment in the man- ner in which they were designed and researched to be used ( , consis- tently and accurately).

5 Universal screening Process by which all students are screened (usually three times per year) for progress toward Curriculum benchmarks Progress monitoring More frequent monitoring ( , monthly, biweekly). of students' progress toward benchmarks or objectives Diagnostic assessment Process by which specific learners' needs are pinpointed, which may include evaluation for a possible disability Cut score assessment proficiency level or score ( , the 25th percentile). that learners are expected to achieve to be considered as making adequate progress toward benchmarks Curriculum and Instruction Curriculum Implementation The integration of instructional content, arrangement, interventions, management, and monitoring in the classroom Curriculum differentiation Modifications or adaptations of Curriculum Implementation to meet a variety of students' needs Curricular types Three types of Curriculum found in every classroom (explicit, hidden, absent).

6 Differentiated classroom A classroom that contains structures and procedures designed to deal simultaneously with the variety of factors that students bring to the learning environment ( , varied preferences for learning, varied experiential backgrounds, cultural/linguistic diversity, range of reading levels, self-management abilities, time-on-task levels). Differentiated instruction Use of evidence-based interventions in the Implementation of research-based curricula to meet the varied educa- tional needs /preferences of students in differentiated classrooms Significance to Contemporary Classroom Instruction 5. Collaboration in Curriculum The process of cooperatively implementing the Curriculum and performing assessment to meet the needs of all students Culturally responsive Curriculum A Curriculum that is contextually relevant to all students, including culturally and linguistically diverse learners Evidence-based curricular interventions Specific teaching and learning techniques with demonstrated effectiveness for their intended purposes in research and validation studies Research-based Curriculum Comprehensive curricular programs that have been developed, researched, and validated to be effective in teaching and learning ( , a reading Curriculum ).

7 Interventionist An educator with specialized skills who provides targeted curricular supports to struggling learners using either push-in or pull-out methods Benchmarks Grade- or age-level academic and behavioral standards Learner and the Curriculum Struggling learner A student who fails to exhibit adequate proficiency or rate of progress toward academic and/or behavioral benchmarks Study skills Educational tools used by students to promote more efficient and effective task completion ( , various reading rates, time manage- ment skills, library usage abilities). Learning strategies Strategies used by students to increase access to and retention of curricular content and skills ( , active processing, rehearsal abilities, coping skills). Essential Curriculum Factors Viewing Curriculum and its essential Components in an integrated manner provides educators with a comprehensive perspective that allows them to understand more clearly what they teach, as well as allowing them to make more informed curricular decisions for all learners.

8 In addition, the demands of multi-tiered RTI require today's teachers to have greater knowledge about Curriculum , as illustrated in Figure As Figure shows, three critical factors must be addressed in imple- menting the Curriculum for all learners in multi-tiered RTI: Factor 1: Curriculum Implementation must be done the way it was designed to be done ( , with fidelity); in a consistent manner; and with challenges to students to facilitate the development and use of higher level thinking abilities. Factor 2: Opportunities to learn must include curricular differentiations designed to achieve desired needs or outcomes; relevant to the learner;. and implemented during classroom instruction. 6 CHAPTER 1 Components of Curriculum Implementation FIGURE Three Critical Curricular Factors Factor 1 Factor 2. Implementation Differentiations Fidelity Targeted Consistency Relevant Accuracy Critical Curriculum Contextual Factors in Multi-tiered Response to Intervention Factor 3.

9 assessment Curriculum Based Instructionally Linked On-going Factor 3: Effectiveness of the Curriculum and its Implementation requires assessment that is based on the Curriculum taught in the classroom; is linked directly to what has been taught; and is conducted on a regular basis to closely monitor students' progress toward curricular benchmarks. Curriculum Implementation , differentiation, and assessment are discussed in detail throughout this book, beginning with an exploration of important factors that educators should be aware of to meet the needs of all learners in multi-tiered RTI ( , those who achieve above, at, and below benchmark levels). This includes the definition of Curriculum , five curricular Components , and three types of Curriculum , each discussed relative to multi-tiered RTI. We begin with the definition of Curriculum referred to throughout this book.

10 How Is Curriculum Defined? How one defines Curriculum depends on how one implements, differentiates, and assesses Curriculum . For some educators, Curriculum is simply all planned occurrences in the classroom (Wiles & Bondi, 2007). For others, Curriculum is How Is Curriculum Defined? 7. narrowly defined as the content they teach every day. Still others view curricu- lum in a manner that is more refined than all classroom occurrences and broader than content. However Curriculum is defined, it has three important Components : (1) the intended outcomes, (2) what is taught, and (3) the manner of Implementation . Eisner (2002) suggested that Curriculum pertains to instruc- tion that is planned with associated intended outcomes, recognizing that much more may occur in the classroom that is meaningful and relevant, even though it may be unintended.