Year Two, Day One Iowa Core Curriculum training is scheduled for October 5 and repeated on October 8. The sessions in Des Moines are closed but space is still available at the four other locations. Teams are reminded to bring their self-study materials for Outcomes 1, 2, 3 and 5 to the training and any other materials needed for work during team planning time. One focus of the October training will be alignment, and participants will have an opportunity to preview the self-study for Outcome 4. Some curriculum terms will be briefly reviewed as a part of the alignment segment of the day. Curriculum can be divided into three categories: intended, enacted and assessed curricula.
Intended curriculum: the content target for the enacted curriculum, often captured in content standards or other similar documents.
Enacted curriculum: the content actually delivered during instruction in the classroom and other learning settings.
Assessed curriculum: the content that is assessed to determine achievement (Porter, 2004).
The following is the answer to a frequently asked question related to alignment.
Question: Are we aligning the Iowa Core Curriculum to our local standards and benchmarks? If not, why not?
Answer: The Iowa Core Curriculum is not about rewriting district standards and benchmarks. Rather, it focuses on providing a curriculum that includes the essential concepts and skills for all students. However, an even more important question is, do the local standards and benchmarks really represent what is going on in the classroom (enacted curriculum)? The goal is to align the content, instruction and assessment delivered to students with the Iowa Core Curriculum. (Taken from the Department of Education’s Iowa Core Curriculum Network Team work)
Questions about the Iowa Core Curriculum may be directed to Linda S. Biermann Hoobin, Teaching and Learning Consultant, who can be reached at lhoobin@aea11.k12.ia.us or 515-270-0405 extension 14327.
