Curriculum Management Audit Dr. Doris McEwen Walker Superintendent Clover Park School District

Objectives Familiarize Cabinet members with the curriculum management audit process. Explain how the audit process can provide information to align the district so that we can appropriately manage the district’s mission of teaching and learning.

Curriculum Management Audit

The Management Audit “…an independent examination of objective evidence, performed by trained personnel, to determine whether integrated management systems, which are required to fulfill the contractual and legal obligations…are being effectively implemented.” Allan J. Sayle (1981) Management Audits

Curriculum Management Audit

Two Fundamental Questions Does the system have a properly managed instructional programs (curriculum) that is planned, executed, and assessed in accordance with generally accepted appropriate principles and standards. Does the system conform to the standards of quality in instructional organization which includes the following: Adequacy, specificity, and scope of board policies and planning? Sufficient quality in direction for teaching and learning? Consistency and equity in schools and program implementation? Effectiveness of program and process monitoring and assessment? Use and allocations of budget and resources for productivity and quality improvement?

AUDIT STANDARDS CONTROL: School district is able to demonstrate control of resources, programs, and personnel. DIRECTION: School district has established clear and valid objectives for students and clientele. CONNECTIVITY AND EQUITY: School district demonstrates internal consistency and rational equity in its program development and implementation. ASSESSMENT AND FEEDBACK: School district uses the results of district- designed or adopted assessment to adjust, improve or terminate ineffective practices or programs. PRODUCTIVITY AND EFFICIENCY: School district has improved productivity and efficiency, particularly in the use of resources.

Standard One: Control Curriculum adoption by board Policies Operational framework State requirements and local goals Use of data Administrative structure Functional Line of authority Organizational development Planning Change framework

Standard Two: Direction Goals and objectives Operations to carry out goals and objectives Curriculum trends Written curriculum for all programs Contextual responsiveness Program cohesiveness Direction for superintendent and staff Curriculum planning Curricular change

Standard Three: Consistency and Equity Internal connections Predictable consistency Equity of access Resource allocation Clearly explained curriculum Professional development Monitoring Responsiveness to policies

Standard Four: Feedback Assessment linked to policy Assessment trends Diverse assessment strategies Achievement trends Feedback loop for instructional program

Standard Four: Feedback (con’t) Data base to: Determine program effectiveness Engage in equity analysis Modify or terminate ineffective programs Cost-benefit analysis Continual improvement of system

Standard Five: Productivity Congruence: objectives, results, costs Systemic support systems School climate Means to improve Planned interventions Financial network Facilities

The Curriculum Audit. The Principle/Practice of The Curriculum Audit The Principle/Practice of TRIANGULATION The use of multiple methods of data gathering in order to verify findings in the audit. In order to appear in the audit a fact must be verified from at least two, hopefully more than two sources.

Curriculum Alignment Two Kinds of Alignment CONTENT = does the test item and its skills and knowledge base appear in the curriculum or curriculum surrogate (the textbook)? CONTEXT = does the test item format appear in the curriculum or curriculum surrogate (identical elements or situation)?

Today’s Situation Effective leadership is the key. Clover Park has various a sundry Comprehensive School Reform models and initiatives. An external evaluation of the models, teaching practices, and other programs interventions are important for us to move forward.

Direction of the curriculum... Do curriculum guides, teaching guides, or classroom guides, or other teacher work plans exist? Are there clear and valid objectives? Are the objectives in their current format adequate to provide direction for implementing the curriculum? Are the guides used?

Connectivity & Equity - curriculum is... centrally defined and adopted by the board clearly explained to principals and teachers accompanied by specific training programs to enhance implementation monitored by central office staff and principals

Connectivity & Equity - curriculum is... concepts of fairness, justice, and equity “All school clients, regardless of ethnic group, race, religion, national origin, sex, or handicap should have equal opportunity to master the best of what educational institutions have to offer.” W.K. Poston “What the best persons in our society hope for their children, society should want for all of its children.” John Dewey

Connectivity & Equity - curriculum is... No excuses! “How are the children?” Masai Tribe

Curriculum is connected... to mission, policies, strategic plans. “…if a school board has defined policies properly and direction has been established for teachers and learners, then it would be consistent to find administrators monitoring the implementation of such policy and direction.” Poston, W.K.

Today’s Situation How am I suppose to do one more thing? Why should I care if my curriculum is aligned?

Not Just A Review of Curriculum... Because a curriculum management audit is a systems analysis, ALL schools, departments and support personnel are included in the analysis.

So how much does it cost? The proposed cost of the audit is $75,000.

Logistics Training for key personnel Document collection District “point” person - Chief Worrier Host Site Visit Team Exit Report Audit Document and Recommendations

It’s the Principal of the Thing…Again!

FINDINGS Standard One 1.1 Board Policies are inadequate in scope and quality and are not used sufficiently in guiding district operations. 1.2 District planning is inadequate in design and ineffective in delivery. 1.3 The organizational structure does not meet audit criteria for effective organizational action. Only six percent of the policies, regulations, or procedures were adopted or amended within five years prior to the audit visit. Most of the 4000 series were adopted, developed or amended during the mid-1980s. Lack of focus on policy development/revision during recent years. Only 20% of the quality criteria from CMAC was met by a single policy or group of policies. Users may perceive the policies to be inadequate and therefore more of a deterrent than a benefit in facilitating effective curriculum management; they may also fail to recognize the important control function of board policy. The auditors determined that most of the adequate policies are not being followed, indicating a system problem. Technical Manual not referenced in policies or regulations. Staff development in policy calls for it to be needs based, but it is not needs driven (referenced Finding 3.1). The manual does not include an index by topic. The absence of a topic index precludes the inclusion of a cross reference index, an extremely helpful tool in conducting thorough research on a topic. No search drive for key-words

FINDINGS Standard One (Con’t) Standard Two 1.4 Job descriptions for sound curriculum management are adequate in scope and inadequate in quality. Standard Two 2.1 Scope of curriculum is adequate at Grade K-8, inadequate at Grades 9-12. 2.2 Curriculum guide quality is inadequate for effective teaching.

FINDINGS Standard Two (Con’t) Standard Three 2.3 Curriculum guides are not effectively used. 2.4 Classroom activities show little congruence with district expectations for robust and challenging classroom methods and activities. Standard Three 3.1 Staff development is inadequate in design and not linked to district goals 3.2 Articulation and coordination are weak

FINDINGS Standard Three (Con’t) 3.3 Board policies and standards for curriculum monitoring are inadequate for improving instruction 3.4 Special Education design and delivery are inconsistent. 3.5 Students are not provided differentiated support in accordance with needs and are not experiencing success equally.

FINDINGS Standard Four 4.1 The scope of the assessment is inadequate to monitor the full curriculum. 4.2 Student achievement is below national and state averages. Some students are not achieving according to district expectations. 4.3 The assessment plan is inadequate to provide direction, and assessment data are ineffectively used for curriculum management and decision-making.

FINDINGS Standard Five 5.1 Budget procedures and processes are neither performance-based nor connected to diagnosed differentiated needs of students. 5.2 Facilities and educational environments are adequate, but some problems require attention. 5.3 Site-based management processes in the system are fragments ands ineffective.

FINDINGS Standard Five 5.4 Program interventions are extensive but reflect lack of policy direction and non-congruence with audit criteria.

RECOMMENDATIONS Develop a comprehensive set of board policies that defines and focuses organizational actions, directs and implements innovation, clarifies and connects district planning, and directs curriculum and instruction for integrity with organizational purposes and excellence in all programs and services

RECOMMENDATIONS Design and implement a quality curriculum management system Redesign and implement a comprehensive and aligned curriculum and program management system to provide for consistency and continuity, meaningful data for decision-making in student learning and staff development, district operations, and improvement of teaching.

RECOMMENDATIONS Correct inequities in educational programs and services, and focus policy and procedures on assuring success for all learners. Restructure administrative roles and responsibilities in curriculum management for greater strength in curriculum design and delivery.

RECOMMENDATIONS Adopt a four-year plan for implementation of a program-based budget and allocations based upon diagnosed needs of clientele.

Final Report: Lead Auditor’s Comments to Board Exceptions Audit. Heart of the audit is quality control. Brings Teaching-Taught-Tested into congruence. Knowing difference between learning and achievement. do less/deeper increases achievement For every $10K of income - SAT scores go up 30 pts. Not teaching to test - teaching what the test measures.

Final Report: Lead Auditor’s Comments to Board High need for attention to data Accountability is on the system, not the students (Mission statement of the district is good because of its action orientation). District focus is not addressed across the schools (p. 22) 20% of Board Policies are effective Curriculum guides are missing resources, assessment, prerequisites, and teaching strategies. Monitoring is the principal’s job; avoid distractive management.

Final Report: Lead Auditor’s Comments to Board Drop-out rate at high school is a major concern and no one at the high schools seem to see it as a major problem. Worksheets are prevalent and they are the least effective teaching strategy. Need a policy on monitoring - job description should also include monitoring - principals need training. Articulation is weak. Students are getting redundancy and overlap w/o an articulated structure. Special Education needs to be centralized.

Final Report: Lead Auditor’s Comments to Board Achievement gap is also SES Program access is disparate - largely due to independence of the principals (site-based management) Principals think they are doing well but really it is an issue of free/reduced lunch - (p. 89); there is a predictable score (have Bill send this to us) Supplanting - Title I Tracking by ability

Final Report: Lead Auditor’s Comments to Board Audit reveals we are doing students a disservice to have open AP w/o more attention to training teachers in effective practices and student expectations **School system vs. system of schools Hard time getting data from business office - could not get cost analysis data Top three issues: Feedback, Curriculum, Policy

Final Report: Checklist What needs to be done next?