Conducting Curriculum Reviews

The Standards-in-Action (SIA) 2.0 State-Based Curriculum Review Training is designed to teach your state and program teams how to assess the quality of existing curricula or instructional materials. Two sets of training materials are available: one for reviewing English language arts (ELA)/literacy curriculum and another for reviewing mathematics curriculum.

Learn how to evaluate the quality of your program’s instructional materials in relation to the state standards—and—high levels of adult learning and development. The trainings are designed to deepen practitioner knowledge about literacy and mathematical content and research-based instructional strategies. Each training provides an orientation to evidence-based dimensions of curriculum quality, as well as a curriculum’s effectiveness with English learners. The training resources include a series of annotated PowerPoints, curriculum review workbooks, and sustainability planning guidance.


 

SIA 2.0 Conducting State-Based Curriculum Reviews for ELA/Literacy

Orientation

Introduces the participant workbook and the model curriculum for ELA/literacy.

Dimension 1. Close Reading of Complex Text

Concentrates on the importance of curriculum to provide students with regular opportunities to learn from complex text to endow students with a strong foundation for their future studies and careers.

Dimension 2. Building Academic Language

Focuses on the significance of curriculum to grow students’ knowledge of words as an essential component of successful reading, writing, and speaking.

Dimension 3. Volume of Reading to Build Knowledge

Highlights the benefit of curriculum to reflect the research that shows that reading about topics in a focused way builds knowledge and vocabulary efficiently.

Dimension 4. Evidence-Based Discussions

Addresses the value of curriculum to offer frequent discussion opportunities for students to build an ability to express well-supported ideas.

Dimension 5. Evidence-Based Writing

Examines the importance of curriculum to present frequent text-based writing opportunities to prepare students for many jobs and advanced training.

Experienced SIA trainers are available to provide this training to states and programs. For more information, please email the LINCS Technical Assistance Center at training@lincs.ed.gov.

SIA 2.0 Conducting State-Based Curriculum Reviews for Mathematics

Orientation

Introduces the participant workbook and the model curriculum for mathematics.

Dimension 1. Critical Mathematical Concepts and Skills

Concentrates on the importance of curriculum to narrow the scope of mathematical content so that students and instructors focus their time and energy on the most critical concepts.

Dimension 2. Mathematical Progressions and Connections

Focuses on the need for curriculum to make explicit connections between and among concepts. That way, content unfolds meaningfully as students apply prior knowledge and use known skills to build new ones.

Dimension 3. Reasoning and Communicating with Mathematics

Highlights the importance of curriculum to ask students to apply the mathematics they learn in new ways, construct viable mathematical arguments, and critique the mathematical reasoning of others.

Dimension 4. Quality Mathematical Tasks

Addresses the value of curriculum to engage students in challenging problem-solving situations.

Experienced SIA trainers are available to provide this training to states and programs. For more information, please email the LINCS Technical Assistance Center at training@lincs.ed.gov.