1. In planning curricula, most administrators and teacher-leaders agree that determining the locus of planning is crucial. To what extent should Principal Powers’s curriculum committee involve community member David Smith?

1. Why is the principal of a school important in curriculum alignment, and what are the principal’s responsibilities? 2. What is the real value of the Common Core State Standards? 3. How would you deal with a teacher who refuses to follow the district’s curriculum guide?

1. Why is it important to have a standard curriculum to improve a district’s lagging student achievement scores? 2. How important is it to include participants on the various committees from all grade levels? 3. Respond to the challenge and each of the key issues or questions in the case study

1. In the following chart that is provided, identify the elements from each of the curriculum development models that address Bradley’s effectiveness model. 2. How can curriculum evaluation improve methods of teaching and instructional techniques?

1. What are some possible reasons that Principal Bevington’s third-grade curriculum is out of alignment with state standards? 2. What are some other innovative approaches that Principal Bevington might use to increase student achievement scores? Identify the strategies, and explain why you think they might be effective.

1. How would you respond to this question: Since our competency is being judged by students’ test scores, due to high-stakes testing, do you feel teaching to the test is necessary? 2. Why are multiple measures needed to address the full depth and breadth of our expectations for student learning

Be prepared to discuss or write about your views on this statement: Curriculum alignment projects are unnecessary attempts by administrators to control teachers and damage the climate of trust essential in effective schools.

Develop an outline of a professional-learning program in technology for your school. Using the professional-learning worksheet, as well as Canada’s Shifting Minds Model, discuss the major components of your program

1. What are some areas in ELA and reading that may change with the passage of ESSA? Explain your answer 2. What are some areas in mathematics and science that may change with the passage of ESSA? Explain your answer 3. What are some areas in social studies and art that have changed dramatically with new innovations in technology? Explain your answer.

Using the form shown in Table 11.1 (or your own modification of it), develop an alignment project planning guide that could be used in a school district with which you are acquainted.

1. Suppose a classroom teacher posed this to you: “I want to evaluate my own course. I don’t know much about statistics. Can you tell me how to evaluate it in a way that won’t take too much time?” Write the answer you would give that teacher.

1. In leadership for diverse groups, do you agree with Pace (2012) that diverse sexual orientation should be openly addressed in classes? Yes or no? Justify your response 2. Respond to the challenge and each of the key issues or questions in the case study

Using electronic testing and setting benchmarks is proving to be a successful evaluation strategy. What are some other novel or innovative ways that principals, teacher-leaders, and other faculty can use data-driven instructional methods to evaluate student performance, as well as overall school curricula?

1. Explain how developing a course of study (curriculum resource guide) facilitates the teacher as content expert 2. Outline responsibilities for the program committee. 3. Distinguish the responsibilities of the subject-writing committee from those of the program committee

If you answered no to any of the curriculum development indicators in Bradley’s effectiveness model from Figure 12.4, explain how you would make it or them positive (yes).

To test your ability to use the technological model, do the following: a. Identify the parameters of a new course you might develop. b. Describe the purpose of data in regard to assessing the needs of the learner. c. List the learning objectives for the course. d. Identify the learning activities you would recommend for one of the objectives.

Researchers argue that a more equitable ranking of international test performance could be achieved by comparing average test scores for all students attending public schools with poverty rates that are less than 10%. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your position

1. The expense of online assessment programs can be challenging for many school districts. How can these costs be addressed? 2. It is the hope of the authors that educational leaders will make every attempt possible to eliminate arbitrary judgments and biases when selecting and developing supportive curriculum.

One of the issues that confronts larger districts is whether all of the elementary schools in that district should use the same reading series. What position would you take on this issue? What reasons would you advance in support of your position?

Determining alignment of online assessment programs with district, state, and national standards is crucial to the curriculum process. What actions can middle school and high school principals take to make sure feeder schools are aligned with district curricula?