Kansas Instructional Curriculum/Resource Adoption Process Guide
The Kansas State Department of Education in conjunction with many Prek - 16 math leaders across the state recently completed work around the area of curriculum/resource adoption.
Why is there a Curriculum/Resource Adoption Process?
Kansas teachers and administrators need to feel confident that they are choosing mathematics resources that will positively impact their students’ achievement.
Curriculum and other instructional resources play a significant role in the mathematics that is taught and learned. Educators will remember from education courses the various types of curricula explained by research. The types described by Glatthorn, Boschee, Whitehead, & Boschee (2012) are the recommended curriculum, written curriculum, supported curriculum, taught curriculum, tested curriculum, and learned curriculum. When researching and analyzing curriculum keep in mind the outcomes expected for your school or district and how the different types impact what students actually learn.
It is difficult to separate curriculum from the instructional practices employed by teachers when analyzing effectiveness. A quality curriculum should be provided to educators but quality professional development that is continous and focused must also be provided (National Research Council, 2001). Educators should be aware of the interplay between the curriculum adopted and the instruction provided.
Once a curriculum is provided to educators, a purposeful and thoughtful plan must be utilized when implementing the units and the individual lessons. This does not mean that the curriculum is adhered to without thought toward the needs of the students that are in the classrooms. Educators need to understand those educational needs and make informed modification and adaptations within the curriculum as necessary, without losing sight of the end goal in mathematics. Maintaining rigor is essential!
As a group of committed mathematics educators we believe that all students can learn mathematics at high levels and that all students deserve a robust, rigorous, and appropriate education. Mathematics education is constantly evolving, and as a result, mathematics resources continually evolve. We recognize that mathematics resources are an investment for your school and our children, so we are providing this document as a guide for your resource adoption process. We hope this document will assist in focusing on important mathematics for students now and in the future.