Curriculum, Standards, and Testing

1. Curriculum, Standards, and Testing Chapter 10

2. The things I know for sure, I know through • My reasoning • My senses • I don’t know anything for sure

3. The Visible Curriculum • 17th century: The Two Rs….reading and religion • 18th century: Building a New Nation • 19th century: A Secularized curriculum • Progressive education in first half of 20th century • Sputnik: 1950s and 1960s • Social Concern and Relevance: late 60s and 70s • Back to Basics, Standards, and Testing: 80s to Today

4. The most important things I learned in school, I learned • In sports or band or theater • Through hanging out with my friends • In elementary school from the teacher • From one or two teachers in high school

5. The Invisible Curriculum • Implicit/Hidden Curriculum…not always intended, but learned by students • Null Curriculum…all the material not learned in schools • Extracurriculum…activities such as sports, clubs, governance “The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton.” higher self-esteem, improved race relations, higher test scores, better health, higher career aspirations

6. Who and What Shape the Curriculum • Teachers • Parental and Community Groups • Students • Administrators • State and Local Governments • Colleges and Universities • Standardized Tests • Education Commissions and Committees

7. Who and What Shape the Curriculum? • Professional Organizations • Special Interest Groups • Publishers • Federal Government

8. The most important people shaping the curriculum are • The Teachers • The Administration • Parents • The State • The Federal Government

9. The Technology Revolution • Simulations • Virtual Field Trips • Distance learning • Live teleconferencing with students world-wide • World Wise Schools as a Peace Corps project, following the workers

10. The Reign of the Textbook • Textbook Adoption States • Texas and California effect (and Florida and North Carolina) • Dumbing down • Mentioning phenomenon

11. The Standards Movement • Standards-based education: what students should learn, continual testing to see that it’s learned • Content standards: what students should know and be able to do in each subject at each grade level….the politics of who decides • NCLB: high-stakes testing culture…annual testing in reading and math (grades 3-8); academic improvement (adequate yearly progress); report cards of district and school progress; highly qualified teachers (academic major in the field and licensed) • Performance standards: assessing how well the students have learned the content standards • Video Segment 27: Explaining Standardized Tests • Video Segment 28: Teachers’ Opinions of High-Stakes Tests

12. Standardized Test Problems • At-Risk Students placed at Greater Risk • Lower Graduation Rates • Higher Test Scores do not Mean More Learning…teaching being redefined as test preparation • Standardized Testing Shrinks the Curriculum • Tests Themselves Often Flawed • Teacher Stress • What’s Worth Knowing?

13. Other Issues • Authentic Assessment as alternative to high-stakes testing • Video Segment 29: Alternative Assessment • Tension Points: Intelligent Design versus Evolution • Censorship of the Curriculum: self-censorship • Cultural Literacy…cultural imperialism?