Foundations of Curriculum

Course Description

This course surveys the field of curriculum with specific emphasis on foundations, principles, and issues for public educators in California’s linguistically and culturally diverse society. The course identifies various approaches to curriculum and the development, design, implementation, and evaluation of curriculum. Application of curriculum approaches will be provided through student-designed analyses of curriculum.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify and discuss the central foundations, principles, and issues for the field of curriculum–with specific expertise about linguistic and cultural diversity in California public education.
• Describe and discuss the relationship between curriculum, instruction, evaluation, and the resolution of planning, design and delivery problems.
• Design strategies for evaluating curriculum effectiveness: including curriculum alignment techniques, formative and summative evaluations, and norm-referenced, criterion-referenced,and authentic evaluations.
• Review research related to effective educational programs–perform and promote local curriculum research.
• Explain the inter-relatedness of curriculum design, instruction, curriculum alignment,teacher effectiveness, and school effectiveness.
• Interpret curriculum to public, peers, administrators, and others.