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Curriculum Action Plan

Toni Crawford

Grand Canyon University

EAD 520: Strengthening Curricular Programs

Dr. Michael Schlabra

November 30, 2022

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Survey Results

Survey results showed similar concerns and gaps within the curriculum and can be found

in the attached pdf of the survey results.

Map Differentiation, Strategies, Materials, and Technology

The scope and sequence for each subject are given by the district which they create based

on the curriculum chosen for the school. During the discussion with my principal, I was made

aware that they are not part of the team that makes the scope and sequence, so all answers are

based on us reviewing the scope and sequence together. Based on the scope and sequence, there

are not any sections that show support for differentiation based on individual needs, a variety of

strategies or resources for teachers and students to use, nor does it have anything discussing the

use of technology or materials needed for the lessons. The scope and sequences share the lesson

number, section focus, and skills that students will be working on. This lets the teachers know

what day they are to complete each lesson; so, they can find it in the curriculum manuals to

know what they are teaching.

Strengths and Gaps

The strengths of the curriculum are that it provides scaffolding techniques and a variety

of instructional strategies. Scaffolding allows students to understand the information by being

taught to them in smaller chunks and or with tools that can help. Scaffolding needs to be

incorporated, not only in teaching strategies but also in aspects of course design and materials

preparation including documents such as course specifications and course reports (Awadelkarim,

2021). This is important because it helps meet the needs of students and gives them different

strategies to use to recall information. Providing diverse methods of instruction allows students
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to learn necessary skills in the way that fits them best. As Tener (1996) shared that a variety of

instructional strategies such as outlining, graphing, summarizing, interpreting, relating,

classifying, researching, evaluating, identifying fact or opinion, generalizing, drawing parallels,

self-correcting, applying criteria, and hypothesizing can promote critical thinking skills and real-

world application outside of the curriculum and classroom.

The gaps in the curriculum are a lack of technology and a variety of creative activities.

The biggest concern shared by all participants was the lack of transition, correlation, and

expectations of what each grade should know by the end. One teacher shared that kindergarten

students are only taught to add and subtract within ten by the end of the year, but by the end of

first grade they are expected to be able to add and subtract within a hundred and twenty. As

shared above technology integrations and diverse instructional strategies provide students with

learning opportunities they can connect with for better understanding. The curriculum, standards,

and objectives should be a seamless transition between grades building upon previous grades;

however, teachers shared it is a major gap leaving them to struggle and find ways to reach every

student to be prepared for the next grade. Teachers shared how detrimental the curriculum

expectations are because if a student comes in below grade level, they are further behind because

the information they should have learned does not even prepare them for the following grade.

Instructional Resources

All instructional resources support the curriculum because they are provided by the

curriculum. All student workbooks, manipulatives, textbooks, activities, and teacher materials

are given with the curriculum manuals; therefore, they all support the curriculum. As discussed,

supplementary resources may be used as interventions for students that need additional help, but
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the school does not provide those resources for teachers because the curriculum has intervention

lessons and plans built into them and the expectation is that teachers are using them.

Vision and Mission

The school’s vision is for all adults and children to exceed expectations by becoming

independent lifelong learners. While the school’s mission is to provide scholars with committed

adults who provide rigorous instruction in a positive and caring environment. The scope and

sequence do not reflect the school mission or vision because it is a general calendar that let

teachers know what they are teaching, but the parts of the curriculum reflect the mission and

vision because it is rigorous and diverse to meet the needs of all students in support of teaching

students to be lifelong learners.

Refinement Areas

Areas of refinement include technology integration, diversity, and real-world

connections. Representation matters and students should be able to see themselves within text

and learning materials. Culturally responsive teaching gives students an opportunity to share

their experiences, backgrounds, and cultures so they can connect them to their learning. This

shows students that they are valued, cared for, and respected, which aligns with the school’s

mission and vision. Technology integration is necessary for this climate because students are

surrounded by it; therefore, we must use it to our benefit and teach them how to use it for their

learning and future. Teachers should promote the use of technology to increase equity, inclusion,

and digital citizenship practices (ISTE, 2022), and helping students develop accurate and

vigorous understandings of technology should be the goal of every educator (Lachapelle, et. al,

2019); encouraging and motivating them to be lifelong learners prepared for the global world.
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References

Awadelkarim, A. A. (2021). An Analysis and Insight into the Effectiveness of Scaffolding: EFL

Instructors’/Teachers’ Perceptions and Attitudes. Journal of Language and Linguistic

Studies, 17(2), 828–841.

ISTE. (2022). ISTE Standards: Education Leaders. ISTE. Retrieved November 29, 2022, from

https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-education-leaders

Lachapelle, C. P., Cunningham, C. M., & Oh, Y. (2019). What is technology? Development and

evaluation of a simple instrument for measuring children’s conceptions of technology.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, 41(2), 188–209.

https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/09500693.2018.1545101

Tener, N. (1996). Information Is Not Knowledge (Report No. vo172 p100). Childhood

Education. (ERIC Documentation Reproduction Service No.) WBN 9501503906007.