Education K-12 Curriculum Development & Standards 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'backward design' mean in curriculum planning?
- Starting with the oldest textbooks and working forward
- Beginning with desired learning outcomes and then planning instruction (Correct answer)
- Reviewing curriculum after the school year ends
- Teaching in reverse chronological order
Correct answer: Beginning with desired learning outcomes and then planning instruction
Backward design (Wiggins & McTighe) starts with the end goal and works backward to plan assessments and instruction.
Question 2: What are the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)?
- Federal mandates requiring identical curriculum in all states
- Shared academic expectations in ELA and math adopted voluntarily by most US states (Correct answer)
- A national testing program for K-12 students
- Standards developed by each state independently
Correct answer: Shared academic expectations in ELA and math adopted voluntarily by most US states
CCSS define what students should know in ELA and math at each grade level; adoption is voluntary but widespread.
Question 3: What is a 'scope and sequence' in curriculum design?
- A school discipline policy
- An outline of what will be taught and in what order across grade levels (Correct answer)
- A list of required reading books
- A teacher's daily lesson plan format
Correct answer: An outline of what will be taught and in what order across grade levels
Scope and sequence maps the breadth of content (scope) and the order in which it will be taught (sequence).
Question 4: What is the purpose of a pacing guide in K-12 education?
- To manage student movement in hallways
- To help teachers allocate instructional time across the year to cover required standards (Correct answer)
- To track student attendance
- To set the speed of reading instruction
Correct answer: To help teachers allocate instructional time across the year to cover required standards
A pacing guide outlines a timeline for teaching specific standards or units throughout the school year.
Question 5: Which federal law established annual testing requirements and accountability for K-12 schools?
- IDEA
- Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (Correct answer)
- Title IX
- The Bilingual Education Act
Correct answer: Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
ESSA (2015) replaced No Child Left Behind, maintaining annual testing requirements while giving states more accountability control.
Question 6: What is a 'hidden curriculum'?
- Secret advanced coursework for gifted students
- The implicit values, norms, and lessons transmitted through school culture beyond the formal curriculum (Correct answer)
- A curriculum adopted without school board approval
- Elective courses not listed in the official catalog
Correct answer: The implicit values, norms, and lessons transmitted through school culture beyond the formal curriculum
The hidden curriculum refers to unwritten lessons about social norms, values, and expectations that schools transmit implicitly.
Education K-12 Curriculum Development & Standards 1
What does 'backward design' mean in curriculum planning?