1. THE Art of Curriculum Policy
Who, What, When, Where, and Why?

2. The Urgency to Emerge
“He who controls the present, controls the past. He who controls the past, controls the future.”
~ George Orwell

3. The Urgency to Emerge
“He who directs the present must understand the past. He who understands the past, must nurture the future.”

4. Divergent Interests What does high quality instruction look like?
What is an appropriate mechanism to set into place to monitor curriculum and instruction?
Collaboratively create in concert with one another.
Lay out the consequences of not providing high quality instruction at the outset.

5. Monitoring Two-way Board to hold administration accountable
Administration to hold board accountable
Ensuring execution is predicated upon understanding
On-going, deliberate, informal

6. Transparency—The Research
Michael Fullan - “…both inevitable and desirable…”
Sheila Bethel – “Congruent words and actions gain trust.”
Warren Bennis – “…to lay our cards on the table.”
Steven Covey – “…disclose…ahead of time.”
Ken Blanchard – 43% important/41% mistake

7. Paramount—Responsibility
“The vast possibilities of our great future will become realities only if we make ourselves responsible for that future.”
~ Gifford Pinchot

8. “To rule is easy, to govern difficult.”
Governance
“To rule is easy, to govern difficult.”
~ Goethe
Think: governance in the age of accountability…what should it look like? How can less become more…that’s our story. Cheapest way to enhance student performance.

9. *Framework for School Governance
Vision: student achievement
Structure: guidance & direction
Accountability: measure & communicates
Advocacy: promotes vision
Unity: teamwork toward vision
Governance is anchored by your vision.
Anecdotes on communication
*Adopted by the State Board of Education, January 1996
Revised by the State Board of Education, July 2012

10. Principles to Guide Governance
High Functioning
Low Functioning
Stability (desire to serve)
Short regular meetings
“Governance Team”
Communicative Board Chair
Policy focused on student achievement
Ability to collaborate=trust
Training
Personal agendas
Operations focused
Micromanagement
Board openly speaks against superintendent
Clandestine meetings between board members and employees
No vision
Walser, N. (2009). The essential school board book: Better governance in the age of accountability. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press..

11. POLICY

12. “It is easier to change the location of a cemetery than to change the local curriculum.”
Woodrow Wilson
I think we can all agree with this quote. It resonates deeply in the hearts and minds of all educators. Most of you in the room were teachers yourselves. You knew that you could close the door and get after it---It being whatever you decided, the teacher. And depending on you age and years in the business, you probably did not need to worry about the Legislature, TEA, or accountability.
Burring Question number 1. “How did you know if what you taught was taught well?
Burning Question number 2. “Could others speak to your ability with any kind of data i.e. proof?”
Illustration: Much like the religion in Texas—High School Football– Most of us can see the proof and make our own determinations. Usually AD’s get fired because their “curriculum’ is not getting the job done.

13. From the Top: Superintendents on Instructional Leadership
Comprehensive research study conducted by Education Week, Belden, Russeleno $ Stone (2005) 4 important areas:
District leaders on setting the direction of Curriculum and Instruction
Effect of NCLB on Leadership
Leadership practices on instructional Leadership and Student achievement
Barriers to providing Instructional Leadership
In 2005 ed-week conducted a research study and surveyed Superintendents across the nation
No longer can the instruction of students be left to just teachers and principals. Staffing schools with great teachers and great principals is not enough. 90% of supts. surveyed have taken an active role in Instructional leadership and providing direction form curriculum in their district.
While supts. Agree that NCLB is not the sole driver for reform in their district. It has spurred on the “need to know” based on accountability results. In Texas we deal with it in a more finite way due to AEIS and now the STAAR.
Most supts. Believe that the effort to reform should be a collaborative one and the majority of supts. Believe they are providing this direction: it comes from—Managing data to determine student weaknesses. Developing a common language on instruction, common textbooks, and district wide reading and math programs. Most supts. Reported the data analysis and adjustment of programs were new concepts
Barriers that exist according to the superintendents surveyed was the lack of resources, funding or actual staff to complete the processes. Not many cited the issue being teacher or principals

14. Why
If you do not change the direction, you may end up where you are heading.”
Lao Tzu
Are we equal?
Where are we?
Is everyone capable?
What do we want leaders to do?
Education is the great equalizer, provided that we all move in a similar direction. We know that no two school are equal in funding. We know that no two schools possess the same type of students. We know that our population is changing, rapidly everyday. We know that we have more students who come to school with a poor foundation in reading and math. We know that a poverty of effort exists in our society.
Accountability-in the zero sum game of accountability it is incumbent upon leaders to ensure the classroom is producing viable learning. Can a designated curriculum do that? Sure-provided appropriate conversations, relationships, training exist. But never in the absence of leadership. Most classrooms go unchecked.
Not all teachers are created equal. However, all state assessments measures performance of the TEKS for a particular subject at a high rate of proficiency. Additionally, our SPED students are now leveled on a state assessment regardless of the IEP. I don’t think we can leave it up to chance or rely or the “She/He is a good teacher” attitude. Im wondering how many Racehorse teachers—teach at your school. Ponder the thought—Tom Brady is a great quarterback but he is running Bill Belkeichek offense, right? Im sure the back up can run the offense, but can he execute it like Tom Brady? No? Brady is the racehorse in that organization. Not all teachers are created equal.
What about the shortage in state of good campus leaders? Is the research correct, across the nation? Campus leadership must take the position of leading excellent instruction. We call it instructional leadership, which is different than managing a campus. Managing has the connotation of allowance. Leading has the connotation cooperation, performance, excellence, vision, mission, execution…

15. How does it happen? Attended Curriculum Audit Training (CMSI) at TASA.
Researched policies from many districts
Collaborated with Supt. and ILT
Formulated a combination of various policies.—Adopted By LISD Board of Trustees, July 2012.

16. Purpose and Scope of Work
Central Office leadership is responsible for developing and managing the district curriculum operations.
Implementing a guaranteed and viable curriculum and monitoring fidelity are key drivers in the curriculum management process
Providing support through building teacher capacity and allocating resources are critical to ensuring an effective curriculum system.
The overall purpose is to provide an agenda for improvement for all stakeholders: board trustees, administrators, teachers, students, and parents.

17. Auditing Guiding Principles Audit Standards Objectivity Independence
Consistency
Materiality
Full Disclosure
Audit Standards
Control
Direction
Connectivity
Productivity

18. Findings No comprehensive local policy
Triangulation of goals, resources, and related curriculum policy are not clearly evident.
Collective faculty and staff efforts and district direction fragmented, and unclear.
comprehensive curriculum development plan does not exist.
The absence of district mandated curriculum guides leaves teachers without a planned board-approved focus as they plan their teaching

19. Who? Board Superintendent Instructional Leadership Team
Campus Principals
Assistant Principals
Teachers
Students

20. Curriculum Policy EG-Local
If it is not monitored, It’s optional
Student Performance 2 things
Curriculum
Instruction
Informs ALL parties – Public, Board, Students, Teachers and Administrators our commitment to education
We need to discuss the actual policy here

21. How to translate success
Board Support
Administrative Commitment
Teacher Commitment
On-going, Comprehensive Professional Development for ALL Parties
Continual Monitoring
Staying Power