CONCEPT OF CURRICULUM PLANNING

The phrase curriculum planning can mean one of two related things: either the
process of an individual teacher to build a class curriculum, or the means through
which school boards coordinate the various curricula being used by teachers in
order to achieve uniform goals. On its own, a curriculum is basically a lesson plan
that functions as a map for learning. Careful planning is required to ensure first that
the lessons actually touch on all required topics, and also that they meet school or
governmental standards of basic education.
Planning Goals
Teachers must typically have a solid idea of where their courses are headed in
order to teach them effectively. A curriculum plan is one of the best ways for
teachers to look objectively at what needs to be taught over the course of a
semester or year, then organize an effective way to get from beginning to end.
Most of the time, teachers are not working in isolation that is, they are usually
teaching alongside many others who are covering similar ground. A large
elementary school is likely to have four or five third grade classrooms, for
instance. Schools typically want to make sure that all third graders are learning the
same things, no matter the teacher in charge. This is where institutional curriculum

planning comes in. Schools use curriculum plans to set overarching goals and basic
requirements that teachers must follow to ensure at least some degree of
uniformity.
The Process
Teachers often draw up their curriculum plans over the summer, while school is
out. Plans can range from basic outlines to detailed charts and reports, but almost
always include rough ideas of dates, as well as major topics to be covered.
Anticipated exams, papers, and other assessment mechanisms are usually included,
too.
Most schools also host curriculum planning meetings over the summer months,
where teachers gather to exchange ideas and share curriculum plans in progress.
Teachers generally have to submit their plans to a school reviewer before the year
starts. Reviewers evaluate plans to make sure that they meet any set requirements.
Main Components
Most curriculum planning comes in five phases: framing the context, planning the
lessons, implementing those lessons, monitoring progress, and evaluating learning.
Teachers and school boards usually start with context in order to keep the
overarching goals at the heart of the planning process. In a nuanced class like

astronomy, the context is all but self-evident. For broader classes like second
grade or seventh grade math, however, school benchmarks and end goals must
be kept in mind in order to keep a curriculum plan on track.
Individual lesson planning and implementation is where instructors have the most
flexibility. Schools often set required reading lists or text books, but teachers can
almost always organize their lessons and their classroom activities as they see fit.
Teachers are usually in the best position to gauge individual student needs, and are
generally encouraged to adapt lessons as needed to aid in understanding. Some
flexibility is also important when it comes to current events and breaking news:
should something happen in the world that directly relates to a lesson or otherwise
impacts student life, teachers will often try to weave it into the days instruction.
Measuring Success
Curriculum plans are an easy way for teachers and schools to quickly monitor
progress. When lessons are progressing according to a set plan, it is easy to notice
when students are falling behind, or when objectives are being missed. In this way,
planning can be a sort of net to ensure that no major concepts are lost through the
course of teaching.

Planning is also an important way for schools to streamline student assessment.

Ideally, students should learn the same basic things no matter who their teacher is.
Teachers are often required to incorporate certain assessment rubrics into their
curriculum planning in order to ensure uniformity within the school, school
district, or region. Sometimes this is as strict as standardized tests. More often,
teachers have the freedom to write their own tests and paper assignments, but must
usually use student results to prove that certain concepts have been mastered.
Special Considerations for Home School
Parents who elect to home school their children often face unique curriculum
planning issues. In some places, home school curriculum is set by local
government entities, the same as in public and most private schools but not
always. Parents must usually spend a lot of time researching and planning their
curricula to make sure that their children learn as well as their peers in more
traditional schools.
In the home school setting, there is not usually any school board looking for
uniformity. Rather, the onus is on the parent to ensure that the chosen curriculum
will incorporate everything the student will need to know. A plan that is too easy
can disadvantage children when it comes to standardized tests and college or
university admissions. Plans that are too challenging, however, often cause

students to miss important things. A number of home school organizations and

community groups provide curriculum planning resources to parents looking to
find the right balance.
Definition of Curriculum Development
Curriculum development is defined as planned, a purposeful, progressive, and
systematic process to create positive improvements in the educational system.
Every time there are changes or developments happening around the world, the
school curricula are affected. There is a need to update them to address the
societys needs.
To illustrate this contention, lets trace back history.
During the ancient times, people taught their children knowledge and skills to
survive by catching fish or hunting animals for food. They had no formal education
during that time, but their children learned and acquired the knowledge and skills
for survival. So, during that time, they already had a curriculum that other
educators call as, the saber-tooth curriculum. This type of curriculum refers to a
kind of curriculum that existed during the ancient times in which the purpose of
teaching was for survival.

However, when the effects of discoveries and inventions became inevitable,

ancient peoples way of life had changed for the better. As a result, education
became formal, and curriculum development evolved as systematic, planned,
purposeful and progressive, even today.
Importance of Curriculum Development
Curriculum development has a broad scope because it is not only about the school,
the learners, and the teachers. It is also about the development of society in
general.
In todays knowledge economy, curriculum development plays a vital role in
improving the economy of a country. It also provides answers or solutions to the
worlds pressing conditions and problems, such as environment, politics, socioeconomics, and other issues of poverty, climate change, and sustainable
development.
There must be a chain of developmental process to develop a society. First, the
school curriculum, particularly in higher education, must be developed to preserve
the countrys national identity and to ensure its economys growth and stability.
Thus, the president of a country must have a clear vision for his people and the
country as well.

For instance, in the Philippines, if President Aquino would like the country to
become the Asia-Pacifics tourism hub, then the school curriculum must be
developed along that line. Curricular programs for higher education can be crafted
in such a way that it will boost the tourism industry. For example, different models
may arise such as edu-tourism, eco-tourism, cultural tourism, medo-tourism, biztourism, techno-tourism, agri-tourism, archi-tourism, among others.
If universities have curricular programs that are innovative and in demand in the
local or global markets, many students even from foreign countries will enroll. A
higher number of enrollees would mean income on the part of the universities. As a
result, if the income is big, it can be used for teachers promotion, scholarship, and
remuneration. It can also be used in funding research and development endeavors,
and in putting up school facilities, libraries, and laboratories.
I believe that the countrys economy can improve the peoples way of life through
curriculum development. And to develop it, curriculum experts or specialists
should work hand in hand with lawmakers such as senators and congressmen, the
local government officials, governors, mayors, among others. Likewise, business
communities and industries, and other economically oriented players in society
may be engaged in setting and implementing rules and policies for educational
reforms.

Hence, curriculum development matters a lot in setting the direction of change in

an organization, not only at the micro but also at macro levels. As long as the goals
and objectives of curriculum development are clear in the planners mind, cuttingedge achievements in various concerns can be realized.
For

additional

information

on

curriculum

development,

please

read

Edecolepmentalism: a Personal Philosophy of HIgher Education, and Translating

the Edecolepmentalism Philosophy Into a Universitys Vision, Goals, and Program
Objectives.

What is the definition of "curriculum evaluation"?

A:
Quick Answer
The National Center on Accessible Instructional Materials states that curriculum
evaluation is a set of measurement procedures that use direct observation and a
recording of a student's performance in a specific curriculum to gather information.
The information is then used to make instructional decisions.

Curriculum-based assessment is used to help determine what teachers teach based

on student performance. It is designed to eliminate unnecessary instructional
materials that do not match up with the skills of students and the demands of the
current curriculum. For assessments, learning objectives are identified and a
specific performance level is established for math, reading, science, dictionary
skills, direction following and the use of study skills. The measurement procedures
and the data collected vary for each area of study.
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CONCEPT OF EVALUATION AND ITS PRINCIPLES
Contents
1 Objectives
2 Concepts of testing, measurement, assessment and evaluation
3 Testing

 4 Assessment
5 Concept of Evaluation
6 Purposes of Evaluation
7 Types of Decisions
8 What should teachers learn about evaluation?
Objectives
At the end of this this session,you will be able to
Define the terms evaluation, testing, measurement and assessment.
Describe the ways in which evaluation is relevant to make instructional
decisions.
See relationship between the objectives, teaching and evaluation.
Explain why the knowledge and practice of evaluation is required for
teachers
Concepts of testing, measurement, assessment and evaluation

Testing
An instrument or systematic procedure for measuring a sample of behaviour by
posing a set of questions in a uniform manner. Because a test is a form of
assessment, tests also answer the question, How well does the individual perform
either in comparison with others or in comparison with a domain of performance
tasks? Measurement The process of obtaining a numerical description of the
degree to which an individual possesses a particular characteristic. Measurement
answers the question, How much?. Example:- When the teacher calculates the
percentage of problems of student Geetha has correct, and gives her a score of
70/100, that is measurement.
Test is used to gather information.
That information is presented in the form of measurement.
That measurement is then used to make evaluation.
Assessment
Any of a variety of procedures used to obtain information about student
performance includes traditional paper and pencil tests as well as extended
responses (e.g. essays) and performances of authentic tasks (e.g. laboratory

experiments). Assessment answers the question, How well does the individual
perform?. Note that term assessment is used to mean the same as evaluation.
Concept of Evaluation
Evaluation has a wider meaning. It goes beyond measurement. When from useful
information including measurement, we make a judgement, that is evaluation.
Example:- The teacher may evaluate the student Geetha that she is doing well in
mathematics, because most of the class scored 50/100. This is an example of
evaluation using quantitative data (measurable information). The teacher might
also make an evaluation based on qualitative data, such as her observations that
Geetha works hard, has an enthusiastic attitude towards mathematics and finishes
her assignments quickly.
Evaluation is a Science of providing information for decision making.
It Includes measurement, assessment and testing
It is a process that involves
Information gathering
Information processing

 Judgement forming
Decision making
From the above, we can arrive at the following concept of evaluation
Evaluation is a concept that has emerged as a prominent process of assessing,
testing and measuring. Its main objective is Qualitative Improvement.
Evaluation is a process of making value judgements over a level of performance or
achievement. Making value judgements in Evaluation process presupposes the set
of objectives
Evaluation implies a critical assessment of educative process and its outcome in
the light of the objectives.

Purposes of Evaluation
Evaluation is the process of determining the extent to which the objectives
are achieved.
It is Concerned not only with the appraisal of achievement, but also with its
improvement.

 Evaluation is a continuous and a dynamic process. Evaluation helps in

forming the following decisions.

Types of Decisions
Instructional
Curricular
Selection
Placement or Classification
Personal
Among the above decisions, we shall learn how evaluation assists a teacher in
taking instructional decisions. Evaluation assists in taking certain instructional
decisions like:
1.
1. to what extent students are ready for learning experience?

2. to what extent they can cope with the pace of Learning Experiences
provided?
3. How the individual differences within the group can be tackled?
4. What are the learning problems of the students?
5. What is the intensity of such problems?
6. What modifications are needed in the instruction to suit the needs of
students, etc.
Evaluation is an integral part of teaching and learning process. This is explained in
the following figure.

What should teachers learn about evaluation?

1.
1. Choosing evaluation methods appropriate for instructional decisions;
2. developing methods appropriate for instructional decisions;
3. administering, scoring and interpreting the results of both externally
produced and teacher-produced evaluation methods;
4. using evaluation results when making decisions about individual
students, planning teaching, developing curriculum and school
improvement,
5. developing valid pupil grading procedures, which use pupil
assessments,
6. communicating evaluation results to students, parents, other lay
audiences, and other educators;
7. recognizing unethical, illegal and otherwise inappropriate evaluation
methods and uses of evaluation information.