Running head: CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT

Raymond Loihle Curriculum Improvement Plan New Jersey City University

CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT Lyndhurst School Districts academic goals for the year 2011-2012 call for all students in grades K-8 to participate in a locally designed program to increase technological proficiency; all students in grades K-12 to participate in a locally designed program to integrate technology across the curriculum; all students in grades 1-12 to participate in a locally designed program to enhance writing skills across the curriculum; all students in grade 9 to participate in a shared science program, utilizing resources from the Hackensack Meadowlands; all students in grades 3-8 to participate in locally designed benchmark assessments to identify skills, in order to increase proficiency on the mathematics portion of NJASK; and for all special education students in grades K-12 to participate in the district established student learning goals with the assistance of a district-wide inclusion program (Lyndhurst Board of Education, 2011). In order to meet these goals, by June 2012, all staff will provide students with technology-enhanced lessons at least twice a month; students in grades K-12 will develop portfolios representing the completion of these technology applications in 3 content areas; 90% of students in grades 1-12 will submit a portfolio of written samples demonstrating improvement based on locally designed criteria; and 90% of students will successfully pass a science activity measured by locally designed assessment criteria. By August 2012, 10% of students in grades 48 will demonstrate an increase in their NJASK mathematics score and 50% of all special education students will meet the aforementioned criteria (Lyndhurst Board of Education, 2011). I propose an increase in the use of technology-based lessons from twice a month to a minimum of twice a week. Technology can be used in a variety of ways to achieve these curriculum goals, and the more frequently students are exposed to technology, the more proficient they will become. I would also like to mainstream special education students as much as possible by implementing monthly group-based projects between special education students

CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT and students from one grade level above them (e.g., special education kindergarten and first graders). This will give the mainstream children a chance to teach while all students improve social and problem-solving skills. In order to implement these changes and ensure district goals are achieved, we must incorporate aspects of the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) model curriculum. The model curriculum will assist with the implementation of the Common Core Standards and the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards by providing targeted learning objectives and identifying the content for each grade (New Jersey Department of Education, 2010). We will be focusing on special education students, specifically kindergarteners, as only 50% are currently meeting the criteria of Lyndhursts district goals. By focusing on kindergarteners, we ensure these standards are in place throughout a students academic career and implemented effectively to give each student the best possible chance for success later in life. In Kindergarten, it is important to actively incorporate students with prompts and support as well as group reading activities among peers. Writing activities should allow for drawing and story telling to engage students and encourage creativity. Through repetition and group-based classroom activities, students will develop reading, writing, and social skills in a fun, interactive environment. Assessments will include basic reading comprehension and weekly spelling quizzes. These will serve as a guide for teachers to identify each of the students strengths and weaknesses in order to modify classroom activities within the parameters of the school curriculum. Benchmarking will be used in mathematics to give students time for repetition and practice, in order to increase levels of proficiency by the end of the year. Drawings, sounds (e.g.,

CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT claps, tapping feet), and acting out situations will be used to introduce numbers in a fun, interactive manner. Objects will be used to help students visualize and better understand the mathematic operations addition and subtraction. Group activities will continue to be implemented as a way of improving language arts skills while applying math to solve word problems. Objects (e.g., popsicle sticks, clay) will be used to introduce shapes and allow the students to actively learn the shapes by recreating them at their desk. By the end of Kindergarten, these methods will ensure special education students have a basic understanding of phonics, problem solving, and basic mathematical operations. Students will know the alphabet (upperand lower-case), basic colors (i.e., red, blue, yellow, green, orange, black, white), basic shapes (i.e., square, circle, triangle), and how to positively interact in social situations (i.e., sharing, following directions). Assessments at the Kindergarten grade level should be used as tools for teachers to make instructional modifications if necessary. Aspects of the NJDOE model curriculum should provide a guideline for schools, not encourage a one-size-fits-all model for curriculum. Promoting socio-emotional development will go a long way in ensuring students, specifically special education students, have the basic skills needed to not only acquire knowledge throughout their academic careers, but also to apply it for success later in life.

CURRICULUM IMPROVEMENT References Lyndhurst Board of Education. (2011). 2011-2012 District Goals (Data file). Retrieved from http://www.lyndhurstschools.net/newDistrict/boardOfEducation.html New Jersey Department of Education. (2010). Model Curriculum (Data file). Retrieved from http://www.state.nj.us/education/modelcurriculum/