National Curriculum

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National Curriculum

• By Eric Knight, Andy Skunberg
• Alex Langner, Jason Aberson

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National Curriculum Essential Questions

• How does a national curriculum effect test
  scores?
• Culturally would a national curriculum work for
  the United States?
• Other than test scores, how do other countries
  assess their curriculum?
• Is the United States to diverse to have a
  national curriculum?

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What is National Curriculum?

• The National Curriculum is a framework used by
  all maintained schools to ensure that teaching
  and learning is balanced and consistent.

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What is National Curriculum?

• It sets out
• the subjects taught
• the knowledge, skills and understanding required
  in each subject
• standards or attainment targets in each subject -
  teachers can use these to measure your child's
  progress and plan the next steps in their
  learning
• how your child's progress is assessed and reported

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What is National Curriculum?

• Within the framework of the National Curriculum,
  schools are free to plan and organize teaching
  and learning in the way that best meets the needs
  of their pupils (in the UK)
• Many schools use the Qualifications and
  Curriculum Authority (QCA) Schemes of Work to
  plan their curriculum. These help to translate
  the National Curriculums objectives into
  teaching and learning activities.

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Countries with National Curriculum

• England (first to introduce the Curriculum 1988)
• Wales
• Northern Ireland
• Jordan
• Singapore
• China
• New Zealand
• France
• Hungary

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Countries with National Curriculum

• Italy,
• Japan,
• Korea,
• the Netherlands
• Norway
• Portugal
• Most states in the U.S. follow common guidelines
  for a core curriculum, although there is no
  national curriculum as such.

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Advantages of a National Curriculum

• Establishes a Unified Educational Front
• Gets all states on the same page
• Allow state by state comparison
• All standards would be the same
• Certification for teaching standards
• State qualifications be the same across the board
• Could see where strengths/weakness areas are
• Certain disciplines in certain areas of the
  country

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Advantages of a National Curriculum

• Post-Secondary Consistency
• A way to assess outside of the ACT, SAT, Etc.
• Other than Standardized tests
• Regulations could be the same
• Special Ed
• Pacing of Students
• Students who move interstate benefit
• Broken homes allow student to not be left behind
  with a move

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Disadvantages of a National Curriculum

• Disagreement between lawmakers
• Who decides what is important/ what is not
  important
• Other aspects of education need to become uniform
• Starting date, days of school, salaries
• Availability of educators
• Some need more training to cover topics wanted to
  cover in certain areas
• Not available in rural areas
• Inclusion of other types of schools
• Private, charter, home schooled.

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Disadvantages of a National Curriculum

• Hidden Curriculums differ
• State by state things in between curriculum lines
  differ
• Federal Government power
• Allows the feds not the state where their funding
  should go
• Too much power to people that are not involved
  with the area
• Different Cultures make up United States
• Different cultures value different aspects of
  education

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Why doesnt every Country have a National
Curriculum

• Questions about learning targets and which are
  most important
• Decision on what is most important to least
  important
• Size of US is a factor because of the control
  that local authorities feel they need
• A fear of breaking educational practice
  traditions
• England began in 1988
• Countries have changed in recent years

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How Countries Measure Curriculum
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How a National Curriculum Effects Test Scores
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Would a National Curriculum Work in the U.S.

• America has a long tradition of local control of
  schools
• Would Americans wonder if it would be
  educationally enhancing?
• Would experiences of students in the schools be
  enriched?
• Would we better serve students that are at
  risk?

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Sources

• Abramson, Larry (2007, January 1). Conversation
  calls for National Education Curriculum.
  Retrieved May 2, 2007, from National Curriculum
  Web site http//www.parent.org.uk/national.htm
• Give us freedom to teach Madeleine Brettingham.
  The Times Educational Supplement. LondonNov 17,
  2006. Iss. 4712, p. 1
• (2003, October 3). Education in UK. Retrieved May
  2, 2007, from Education in the UK System Web
  site http//www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/UK_
  systems/93541.htm
• Henning, John E. Education. Chula VistaSummer
  2006. Vol. 126, Iss. 4, p. 729-737 (9 pp.)
• Kamotsu, Shigehisa (1999, November 22).
  International Education Journal. Retrieved May 2,
  2007, from Japanese Education Web site
  http//ehlt.flinders.edu.au/education/iej/articles
  /v3n5/4komatsu/paper.pdf
• National curriculum could dent education
  standards Iemma AAP General News Wire.
  SydneyOct 6, 2006. p. 1
• Rationing Education In an Era of Accountability
  Jennifer Booher-Jennings. Phi Delta Kappan.
  BloomingtonJun 2006. Vol. 87, Iss. 10, p.
  756-761 (6 pp.)