[school-discuss] Curriculum Framework Tracker

[Jeff <tackweed@whidbey.net>]

4/19/02 5:33:09 AM, Michael Hall <olc@ninti.com> wrote:

>The only
>reporting that really matters where I teach is reporting against the
>outcomes stated in our state curriculum framework. Individual
>teachers might record numerical grades, but they have no meaning
>outside that teacher's classroom. I'd be interested in something
>that helped all teachers do the kind of systemic assessment and
>reporting that we are required to do.

I've tossed this idea around several times over the course of the 
last few years.  Most of the 'solutions' that I have seen are nothing
more than a glorified checklist with cryptic comments like 'instructional'
'practicing' and 'achieved' or 'demonstrated' to indicate some level
of mastry/competence.  The problem with most of these 'solutions'
(and the problem with most frameworks) is that they are highly
speculative systems and the crossovers are limited only by the 
imagination of the of the person doing the assessment - just look
at any text salesman wares showing how their text 'meets the 
guidelines (framework, whatever): each chapter/topic appears to meet 
a plethora of the frameworks - but there is no real 1 to 1 correspondence
for most of them.  They are inferred.

I suppose it is a chicken /egg problem. Most school administrative
bodies are pushing the benchmarks/frameworks/etc. as the curriculum
when in fact, they are usually isolated skill/concept targets. They
lack cohesion which would make them a true curriculum.

I don't think there is a software solution to this problem until such time
as the currciulum can be defined in terms of connected, cohesive, 
outcomes. At that point, the assessment/evaluation software can
be written.

I would like to hear from those who might have a different spin on this-
the program that Mr. Hall requests is a need.....


Jeff LeMieux
Middle School Math
http://www2.whidbey.net/ohmsmath