1. Solutions for struggling schools.
Curriculum Audits
Solutions for struggling schools.
Group project by GFC- J. Bradshaw, B. Cobbs, A. Flora, J. Guilliams, A. Hamrick, A. Rigney

2. What is Curriculum Auditing?
It provides an agenda for improvement for even the best of school organizations.
A system’s policies, plans, organizational structure, curriculum equity, assessment, facilities, and budget are evaluated for effective design and delivery of teaching and learning.
There is no more valuable way to assess the quality of a school system or to improve the achievement of learners.

3. Curriculum
Delivery Design
Quality Control
Teacher Test
Delivery

4. Curriculum Audit History
The first curriculum management audit was conducted by Fenwick English in 1979
Trained educators in the audit process examine a school district to determine if a school has the capability to improve student achievement.
Curriculum auditors collect information using documents, interviews, and site visits.
The curriculum auditors evaluate the school district using the following principles and 5 standards…

5. Guiding Principles of the Curriculum Audit
Objectivity – Any two auditors using the same standards and data base will reach approximately the same conclusions.
Independence – The auditors will have no vested interest in the outcome of the audit.
Consistency – The same procedures, techniques, and methods will be followed with each audit.
Materiality – The auditors will have authority to make distinction between what is important and what is not.
Full Disclosure – The auditors will reveal all information that is important to the users of the audit.

6. Curriculum Audit Standards
Standard One – The school system is able to demonstrate its control of resources, programs, and personnel. (Control)
Standard Two – The school system has established clear and valid objectives for students. (Direction)
Standard Three – The school system demonstrates internal connectivity and rational equity in its program development and implementation. (Connectivity)
Standard 4 – The school system uses the results from system designed and/or adopted assessment to adjust, improve, or terminate ineffective practices or programs. (Feedback)
Standard 5 – The school system has improved productivity. (Productivity)

7. Following a Curriculum Management Audit
Written recommendations are included in the report of findings.
When there has been a failure to meet audit standards in a specific area, recommendations are made with specific steps for improvement.
Increasingly, state education departments have utilized curriculum management audits because of their impartiality in assessing a system’s ability to provide continual student improvement. Curriculum audits are conducted nationally and internationally.

8. The Model for the Curriculum Management Audit
Taught Curriculum
Written Curriculum
Quality
Control
Assessed Curriculum

9. Assumptions of a Curriculum Audit
At least 3 elements must be present in any organizational and work-related situation for it to be functional and capable of being improved over time.
1. A work standard, goal/objective, or
operational mission.
2. Work directed toward attaining the
mission, standard, goal/objective.
3. Feedback which is related to or aligned
with the standard, goal/objective, or mission.

10. Additional Assumptions
An educational system, as one kind of human work organization, must be responsive to the context in which it functions and in which it receives support for its continuing existence. In the case of public educational systems, the support comes in the form of tax monies from 3 levels, local, state, and federal.

11. Additional Assumptions
In return for such support, mass public educational systems are supposed to exhibit characteristics of rationality – being responsive to the public will as it is expressed in legally constituted bodies such as Congress, state legislatures, and locally elected appointed boards of education.

12. Financial vs. Curriculum Audit
Financial Audit - The main concerns are safeguarding of assets and reliability and integrity of financial information.
Curriculum Audit -Evaluation for effective design and delivery of teaching and learning.

13. Financial vs. Curriculum Audit
Recording
Policies
Processing
Plans
Summarizing
Organizational Structure
Reporting of Financial Data
Equity
Assessment
Facilities
Budget

14. Help for Boones Mill Elementary
Boones Mill Elementary tested 68 fifth graders on the History and Social Science test in Seventy two percent (72%) passed the test. The division score was 66%.
Principal’s Goal—90 % pass the History SOL test.
SOL’S
Who are you going to call? Call GFC Curriculum Audit Team

15. Help for Boones Mill Elementary What does GFC want to exist?
Focus group interviews
“You can’t fix it, if you don’t know what is wrong!” John Busher-Director of Instruction, Botetourt County.
Meaningful way to gather rich, qualitative information.
Objective-ask probing questions to staff to gather information that will be used to improve Boones Mill’s overall effectiveness.
Information gathered puts a human face on accountability (Kruger 2004).
Focus group interviews are only as good as the questions written. Must ask the questions that will provide accurate and provide information if the curriculum taught is effective.

16. Help for Boones Mill Elementary What does GFC want to exist?
Teacher Audit
High skills
High Skills
Low Motivation
High Motivation
Low skills
Low skills
Low Motivation
High Motivation

17. Help for Boones Mill Elementary What does GFC want to exist?
Focus group surveys
Teacher Audit
Student chart of scores to identify bubble kids.
Staff Development
Unit test
Curriculum guides
Mapping tool/pacing guides
Textbook adoption
Lesson Plan format-Unit plan
Classroom assessment-dept/division –teacher
CSIP

18. Help for Boones Mill Elementary
In 2002, 58 students were tested and 96% passed the History SOL test. The division average was 77%
In 2003, 66 students were tested and 92% passed the History SOL test. The division score was 86%. Many schools modeled Boones Mill.

19. Stelia Wilbourn Boones Mill Elementary Principal
Internal Audit (GFC)
PEP Plans
Study Guide
Lesson Plans
CSIP
PARENTS
Teacher Collaboration
Disaggregate Data
Curriculum Alignment
Vertical Alignment

20. What is Curriculum Auditing?
Curriculum auditing focuses on increasing student productivity. Based on effective schools research and governed by the same principles and standards as a financial audit, the curriculum audit determines how effectively the school district designs and delivers its curriculum.
“Texas Curriculum Management Audit Center, 2004”

21. Summary of Curriculum Auditing
Key Ideas
evaluates a division or individual school for effective design and delivery of teaching and learning
Policies and Plans
Visions, Goals, Roadblocks, Internal/External Politics
Organizational structures
Curriculum alignment and Assessments
Analysis of data (Today’s schools must be data driven.)
Facilities and Budget
Curriculum driven budget that supports teaching and learning

22. Summary of Curriculum Auditing
Provides an agenda for improvement even for the best of school organizations
Encourages communication between all stakeholders
Parents
School Board Officials
Administrators
Teachers
Staff

23. Works Cited AH
The Curriculum Management Audit: Improving School Quality. (2000). Edited by Larry E. Frase, Fenwick English, and William K. Posten, Jr.. Lanham, Maryland: The Scarecrow Press.
Phi Delta Kappa International Curriculum Management Center. Features of an Audit. Retrieved from the World Wide Web

24. Works Cited BC Busher, John. Personal Interview. 29 March 2004.
Israel, Glenn D. April “Using Focus Group Interviews for Evaluation Extension Programs.” University of Florida.
Krueger, Richard A. April “Asking Questions that Yield Powerful Information.”
McNamara, Carter, PhD “Basics of Conducting Focus Group.”
“Sample Teacher Focus Group Questions.” March Sun Associates Educational Technology Integration.
What is Curriculum Auditing? March
The Curriculum Management Audit: Improving School Quality. March

25. Works Cited Notes from “Curriculum Audit” video
Texas Curriculum Management Audit Center /
Interview-Stelia Wilbourn, Principal Boones Mill Elementary.