Curriculum alignment is an academic term meaning that the state and local academic standards, educational programs, instructional materials, teaching techniques and academic assessments all coordinate with one another within schools. Different components of curriculum alignment take place at the school, district and state levels. Schools and school districts implement curriculum alignment as part of an effort to improve student performance. Most school districts must provide their states with curriculum guides or other documentation to demonstrate how they are meeting the standards. Show
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1 Vertical and Horizontal AlignmentThere are two main forms of curriculum alignment. A vertically aligned curriculum is scaffolded so that the information students learn in a lower grade or a previous course prepares them for more advanced grades and more challenging work. A curriculum that is horizontally aligned means that the same material is being taught across different classrooms in a given grade level, and that the material being taught is in alignment with the learning standards and assessments established by the district or state. Federal and state agencies use curriculum alignment to standardize education for the purpose of improving academic achievement and educational quality. The alignment is also used to mitigate factors like race, gender and socioeconomic levels that often cause disparity in academic performance. WHC Conservation Certification requires that formal learning projects be aligned with learning standards. But what exactly are learning standards, and why are they important? Learning standards, also called academic standards, are the standardized benchmarks of quality and excellence in education. The standards for grades K-12 are typically set by the government agency responsible for education, or in some cases are set directly by the school. Undergraduate- and graduate-level classes will also have standards set by the school or professor. Learning standards lay out expectations for the specific information and skills students at each grade level should learn, ensuring that the topics, skills, and rigor for each grade level are age-appropriate. Learning standards function as goals. They differ from the teacher’s curriculum, which is a detailed plan for day-to-day teaching with specific information about topics, activities, and exams and is designed to meet the goals set by the learning standards for the applicable subject and grade level. When you align your conservation education activities with learning standards, you are helping ensure that your activities are focusing on the knowledge and skills deemed essential for learners at your audience’s grade level. Aligning your team’s educational activities with learning standards makes the activities more attractive to teachers and school administrators, who may not want to take time away from classroom activities that are needed to meet standards. Supporting state standards with conservation education activities also provides teachers with a way to engage learners in hands-on, minds-on learning that meets their objectives, and provides students with an outdoor setting where they can gain and practice newfound knowledge and skills. The best way to ensure your conservation education activities align with learning standards is to coordinate directly with the teachers who will be bringing their students to your site. Working with teachers to develop outdoor, hands-on lessons will help you ensure that those lessons are relevant to what students are learning in the classroom and help meet learning standards. This helps demonstrate to teachers, parents, and school administrators the value of your site’s relationship with the school. To learn more about the requirements and recommendations for formal learning projects, be sure to read our Formal Learning Project Guidance, or contact [email protected]. In April 2012, the U.S. Departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services formed a Federal partnership and issued a letter of joint commitment to promote the use of career pathways to assist youth and adults with acquiring marketable skills and industry-recognized credentials through better alignment of education, training and employment, and human and social services among public agencies and with employers. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Transportation joined the partnership to advance career pathways in response to the anticipated hiring needs in the transportation sector. Today, our Federal partnership has grown to include the agencies that are part of the Administration’s Skills Working Group (Working Group). This group, launched in November 2014, maintains momentum for the Administration’s Job-Driven Training Initiative, which seeks to assure that youth and adults completing our education and training programs have the skills businesses need. The Working Group comprises the White House National Economic Council, the Office of Management and Budget, and thirteen Federal agencies, including: the U. S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, the Social Security Administration, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs (the Departments). The Working Group coordinates activities across these various agencies, including efforts to ensure that career pathways are available to all individuals, especially our nation’s low-skilled youth and adults, many of whom are already in the workplace. In an effort to meet the demand for a skilled workforce, the Departments of the expanded Federal partnership have consistently articulated the need for increasing the skills of American workers, including adults and youth with disabilities, and invested in education and training as an economic and business imperative. Career pathways can offer an efficient and customer-centered approach to training and education by connecting the necessary adult basic education, occupational training, postsecondary education, career and academic advising, and supportive services for students to prepare for, obtain, and progress in a career. The newly-enacted Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014 includes an updated definition and overarching framework for the implementation of career pathways at Federal, State, local, and tribal levels. WIOA defines a career pathway as “a combination of rigorous and high-quality education, training, and other services that:
The Departments encourage State, local, and tribal policymakers to use these elements to promote alignment among their public workforce, education, and social and human services systems. At the same time, the Departments continue to take steps to incorporate career pathways approaches into a wide range of program investments, evaluation and research activities, and technical assistance efforts. Download the 2022 Dear Colleague Letter Regarding Use of American Rescue Plan Funds for Career Pathway (PDF, 401 KB) Why is it important for teachers to understand national state and local standards for student achievement?Without standards, districts and schools don't have goals to shoot for. By matching what is taught in the classroom to the standards in each subject area, students (and their parents and teachers) will know what teachers should be teaching, what students should be learning and what they will be tested on.
What is the purpose of national and state standards?Standards help measure achievement.
These form a common set of goals that can be measured within a state or across the country to determine student success.
Why is it important to align intended curriculum with implemented curriculum?The coherence between the intended, implemented and the attained curriculum is important as it determines the kind of product the teaching and learning process yields.
How can you align your lesson plans more closely to required national and state standards?5 Steps to Ensure Your Lessons Are Aligned to State Standards. Find the standard(s) to which the lesson aligns. ... . Understand and break down the standard. ... . Find and complete any and all related state assessment items. ... . Complete the End and Mid (if applicable) Module Assessments.. |
