CURRICULUM EVALUATION

EVALUATING THE CURRICULUM

 Module Overview
This module is all about curriculum evaluation in the context of its definition and
the role of the teacher as an evaluator. It will present the ways of evaluating the
curriculum as written, planned or implemented. It will reference popular models
of curriculum models currently used in educational programs here and abroad.

Curriculum evaluation is a component of curriculum development that

responds to public accountability. It looks into educational reforms or
innovations that happen in the teacher’s classrooms, the school, district,
division or the whole educational system as well. It is establishing the
merit and worth of a curriculum. Test results will only be used as one of
the pieces of evidence of evaluation. For at the end, the purpose of
evaluation is to improve and not to prove.

WHAT, WHY AND HOW TO EVALUATE A CURRICULUM

Strategy: Oral/Written Presentations & Task Card

WHAT?
Persons Definition
Ornstein, A. & Curriculum evaluation is a process done in order to gather data  Graphic shows it is part of a process.
Hunkins , F. that enables one to decide whether to accept, change, and  Therefore, it is a continuous process from what is intended to what is
(1998) eliminate the whole curriculum of a textbook. implemented to what is achieved.
McNeil, J. Evaluation answers two questions.
(1997) 1. Do planned learning opportunities, programs, courses and Bilbao, et. Al. (2003) differentiated what is intended, implemented and
activities as developed and organized actually produced achieved.
desired results?  Intended curriculum-refers to the planned objectives, goals, and purposes of
2. How can a curriculum best be improved? the curriculum. Answers what the curriculum maker/ framer wants to do.
Gay, L. (1985) Evaluation is to identify the weaknesses and strengths as well  Implemented curriculum–refers to the various learning experiences provided
as problems encountered in the implementation, to improve the to the students to achieve the goals.
curriculum development process. It is to determine the  Achieved curriculum- refers to the learning outcomes measured by learning
effectiveness of and the returns on allocated finance. performances.
Olivia , P. It is a process of delineating, obtaining and providing useful
(1988) information for judging alternatives for purposes of modifying, or What are the objectives of curriculum evaluation?
eliminating the curriculum. These are the general objectives of curriculum evaluation:
 examine and evaluate the historical, philosophical, ethical, social, economic and
WHY? political influence on curriculum.
 Any aspect of an activity or undertakings should be evaluated for purposes of  evaluate curriculum methods and structures in relation to national curricular
better performance in the future. standards and to national value-added mandates.
 If evaluated objectively, this brings good result and achieves quality  Relate cognitive and brain-based research to curricular methods, structure and
performance. intents.
 Curriculum assessment is not a one shot deal.  Analyze the compatibility of the curriculum and related assessments.
 Explore the effects of curriculum on teaching, learning, supervision and policy. Steps in Conducting a Curriculum Evaluation
 Evaluate the curricular demands of a digital age.
 Define personal philosophy and approaches regarding curriculum design, Steps What to Consider
development and implementation. 1. Identifying primary Curriculum Program Sponsors, managers and
audiences administrators. School heads, participants (teachers
4 Reasons for Curriculum Evaluation & students) content specialist; and other stake
 Curriculum evaluation identifies the strengths and weaknesses of an existing holders.
curriculum that will be the basis of the intended plan, design or implementation. 2. Identifying critical Outcomes (expected, desired, intended)
 When evaluation is done in the middle of the curriculum development, it will issues/ problems process (implementation) resources (inputs)
designed or implemented curriculum can produce or is producing the desired 3. Identifying data People (teachers, students, parents, curriculum
results. This is related to monitoring. source developers) existing documents , available records,
 Curriculum evaluation will guide whether the results have equaled or exceed evaluation studies
the standards (sometimes called as TERMINAL ASSESSMENT) 4. Identifying Standardized test, informal test, sample of students
 Curriculum evaluation provides information necessary for teachers, school techniques for work, interview, participant observations, checklist,
managers, curriculum specialist for policy recommendations that will enhance collecting data anecdotal record
achieved learning outcomes. This ids the basis of decision making. 5. Identifying Standards previously set by agency (DepEd, CHED,
established Professional Organization)
In curriculum evaluation , important processes were evolved such as standards and
(a) needs assessment, criteria
(b) monitoring, 6. Identifying Content, process analysis, statistics,
(c) terminal assessment and techniques in data comparison, evaluation process
(d) decision making. analysis
7. Preparing Written, oral; progress; final; summary; descriptive;
HOW? evaluation report graphic; evaluative and judgmental; list of
recommendations
8. Preparing modes Case studies; test scores summary; testimonies;
of display multimedia presentations; product display (exhibit);
technical report

 The steps are easy to follow. Begin thinking of how curriculum evaluators will
proceed in finding out if there is a need to modify, enhance or continue with the
implementation of the curriculum. After all, the main purpose of evaluation is to
improve the existing condition, so that it would benefit the students.

Despite of variety of methods in curriculum evaluation, the approaches are usually

classified in to two broad areas:
 Traditional evaluation – is concerned with determining the extent to which
students achieve the outcomes of curriculum.(relies heavily on the testing of
students)
 New-wave evaluation – testing should not play the only role in evaluation but
that a great variety of factors should be considered.

Following are several models consistent with the traditional and new wave
approaches.
Different Curriculum Evaluation Models of evaluation
PERSONS EVALUATION/ MODEL SHORT DESCRIPTION
L.H. BRADLEY BRADLEY EFFECTIVENESS MODEL  STAKE’S COUNTENANCE MODEL
RALPH TYLER TYLER’S OBJECTIVE CENTERED MODEL - model emphasizes the importance of both description and observation
DANIEL STUFFLE BEAM DANIEL STUFFLE BEAM MODEL (CIPP) in evaluation.
ROBERT STAKE STAKE’S COUNTENACE MODEL (1967) , - Distinguishes between the evaluator’s description and judgment at the
STAKE RESPONSIVE MODEL(1976), different stages of implementing a curriculum or program; antecedents’,
STAKE’S CASE STUDY MODEL(1978) transactions’ and outcomes’.
MICHAEL SCRIVEN SCRIVEN CONSUMER ORIENTED EVALUATION
HAMMONDS HAMMOND’S GOAL- ATTAINMENT MODEL  STAKE RESPONSIVE MODEL
PARLETT AND (1976) ILLUMINATIVE MODEL - is oriented more directly to program activities than the program intents.
HAMILTON Evaluation focuses more on the activities rather than intent or purposes.
KEMMIS KEMMI’S (1974) SURROGATE EXPERIENCE
MODEL  STAKE’S CASE STUDY MODEL
- The case study model is so called because of its emphasis on the
CURRICULUM EVALUATION MODELS specific situation to be investigated.
 Curriculum models by Ralph Tyler and Hilda Taba end with evaluation.
 SCRIVEN CONSUMER ORIENTED EVALUATION
Evaluation is a big idea that collectively tells about the value or worth of
- uses criteria and checklist as a tool for either formative or summative
something that was done.
 Curriculum specialist have proposed an arrays of models which are useful for evaluation purposes. The use of criteria and checklist was proposed by
classroom teachers and practitioners. Scriven for educational evaluators.
 Let’s look some of these.
 HAMMOND’S GOAL-ATTAINMENT MODEL
 BRADLEY EFFECTIVENESS MODEL - Five steps for determining whether a curriculum has achieved its
- first, you have to identify what curriculum you will evaluate, then find out objectives:
if the curriculum you are evaluating answers yes or no. answering yes
 Isolating the program or part of the curriculum to be evaluated
to all questions means good curriculum as describe by Bradley.
 Defining the descriptive variables
 TYLER OBJECTIVE CENTERED MODEL  Stating objectives in behavioral terms
 Assessing the behavior described in the objectives
- Involves: establishing goals or objective; stating the objectives in
behavioral terms; measuring aspects of student performance at the  Analyzing results to arrive at conclusions about the objectives
completion of teaching; comparing test results with behavioral
 PARLETT & HAMILTON’S ILLUMINATIVE MODEL
objectives
- this model aims to illuminate the audience’s understanding of a
- it is a continuing process
curriculum or program.
 DANIEL STUFFLEBEAM MODEL- CIPP - illuminative evaluation is less restricting than traditional evaluation.
- The model made emphasis that the result of evaluation should provide - Is more concerned with description and interpretation tan measurement
data for decision making. There are four stages of program operation. and prediction.
These include:
 KEMMI’S SURROGATE EXPERIENCE MODEL
1. context evaluation
- based on the view that curriculum cannot be measured in precise and
2. input evaluation
3. process evaluation objective ways, but requires a broad evaluation involving the interaction
4. product evaluation of many variables.

- however, any evaluator can only take any of the four stages as the focus
Topic: CURRICULUM EVALUATION THROUGH LEARNING ASSESSMENT

CLOSURE
We have gone a long way in understanding, interpreting and applying the concept
of curriculum development. We will continue to understand that curriculum can be
evaluated right in the teacher’s classroom. Finding out if the planned, written,
implemented curriculum are functioning as intended in the assessment of learning
is very crucial.
How does a teacher know, that the students have learned from what is been taught?
Many educational practitioners agree that the measure of one’s teaching is indicated
by what the children have learned. The teacher cannot claim that he/she has taught STRATEGIES/TOOLS TO ASSESS THE CURRICULUM
if the students have not learned anything. Strategy: Concept Web

Assessment of learning is an evaluation process that tells whether the Assessment Strategies are the structures through which student knowledge and
intended learning outcomes, through the teaching-learning process, have skills are assessed.
been converted into achieved learning outcomes. Learning outcomes can be
measured through the use of different assessment tools. Finding out what students know and can do requires multiple sources of information
and differing types of assessment. The key is to match the learning and the
ACHIEVED LEARNING OUTCOMES assessment tool. The selection of a strategy is determined both by what is to be
Strategy: Level of Hierarchy assessed and the reasons or purposes for the assessment. The phase of the
learning process at which the teacher and the students are working affects the
Achieved learning outcomes is an outcomes based education as a product of what selection of the assessment strategy and the tools used as one tool may be
are have been intended in the beginning of the teaching-learning process. unsuitable for different purposes.
Indicators of the learning outcomes which are accomplished are called achieved
learning outcomes. Standards and competencies are used as the indicators and STRATEGIES/ TOOLS TO ASSESS THE CURRICULUM
measures of these outcomes.
1) PAPER-AND-PENCIL STRATEGY

THE ESSAY
- Is a writing sample used to assess student understanding and/or how well
students can analyze and synthesize information.
- A student constructs a response to a question, topic or a brief statement.
- Provides the student with the opportunity to communicate his/her reasoning
in a written response.

THE SELECT RESPONSE

- An assessment in which the student is used to identify the correct one
answer;
- Is a commonly used procedure for gathering formal evidence about student
learning, specifically in memory, recall and comprehension

2) PERFORMANCE BASED STRETEGY

THE PERFORMANCE TASK

- Is the assessment which is requires students to demonstrate a skill or
proficiency by asking them to create, produce, or perform.
Knowledge, Process, and Understanding are learning outcomes. Students who can
- May be an observation of a student or group of students performing a
show that they have gained knowledge, can apply such knowledge and have
specific task to demonstrate skills and or knowledge through open-ended,
achieved several meaning on the particular knowledge have achieved the learning
“hands-on” activities.
outcomes.
THE EXHIBITION/DEMONSTRATION
Level IV of the learning outcomes can be assessed through Performance or
- Is a performance in which a student demonstrates individual achievement
Product. These learning outcomes can best be done through the use of authentic
through application of specific skills and knowledge
evaluation.
- Is used to assess progress in task that require students to be actively
engaged in an activity. (e.g. performing an experiment)
 reading, viewing, listening to, or discussing.
3) OBSERVATIONAL STRATEGY
7) COMBINATION OF STRATEGIES
OBSERVATION
- Is a process of systematically viewing and recording student behavior for THE PORTFOLIO
the purpose of making programming decisions; permeates the entire - Is a purposeful collection of samples of a student’s work that is selective,
teaching process by assisting the teacher in making the decisions required reflective, and collaborative;
in effective teaching. - Demonstrates the range and depth of a student’s achievement, knowledge,
and skills overtime and across a variety of contexts;
4) PERSONAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGY - Has student involvement in selection of portfolio materials as part of the
process;
THE CONFERENCE - Is a visual presentation of a student’s accomplishments, capabilities,
- Is a formal or informal meeting between/among the teacher and student strengths, weakness, and progress over a specified time
and/or parent;
- Has a clear focus on learning for discussion. RECORDING DEVICES/ TOOLS
Strategies: Bubble Quotes and Structured Overview
THE INTERVIEW
- Is a form of conversation in which all parties (teacher, student and parent)
increase their knowledge and understanding?

5) ORAL STRATEGY

THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

- Questions: Are posed by the teacher to determine if the students
understand what is being/has been presented or to extend thinking,
generate ideas or problem- solved.
- Answers: To provide opportunities for oral assessment when the student
responds to a question by speaking rather than writing.

THE CLASSROOM PRESENTATION

- Is an assessment which requires students to verbalized their knowledge,
select and present samples of finished work and organize thoughts, in order
to present a summary of learning about topic.

6) REFLECTIVE STRATEGY

SELF ASSESSMENT
- Is the process of gathering information and reflecting on one’s own learning;
- Is the student’s own assessment of personal progress in knowledge, skills,
processes, or attitudes;
- Leads a student to a greater awareness and understanding of himself or
herself as a learner.

THE RESPONSE JOURNAL

- Provides frequent written reflective responses to a material that a student is
  Is a list of skills, concepts, behaviors, processes, and/or attitudes that might,
or should occur in a given situation

3. THE RATING SCALE

 Is a simple tool for assessing performance on a several-point scale ranging
from low to high. It may have as few as 3 points, or as many as 10 points.
 Assess the extent to which specific facts, skills, attitudes, and/or behaviors
are observed in a student’s work or performance.
 Is based on a set of criteria which allows the teacher to judge performance,
product, attitude, and/or behavior along a continuum.
 Is used to judge the quality of a performance.

4. THE RUBRICS
 Is a series of statements describing a range of levels of achievement of a
process, product or a performance
 Contains a brief, written descriptions of the different levels of student
performance.
 Defines desired expectations with specific performances outlined for each
level.
 Uses criteria and associated descriptions to assess the actual performance.

5. THE LEARNING LOG

 Is an ongoing record by the student of what he/she does while working on
a particular task or assignment.
 Makes visible what a student is thinking and/or doing through frequent
recordings over time.
RECORDING DEVICES/ TOOLS
Recording devices provide various means of organizing the recordings of NON- TEST MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
information about student achievement. Teachers can choose or develop recording Strategies: Bubble Quotes and Structured Overview
devices which suit the teacher’s style, the students and the activity or learning being
assessed. These are:

1. THE ANECDOTAL RECORD

 Is a short narrative describing both a behavior and the context in which the
behavior occurred;
 Should objectively report specific and observed behaviors;
 Describes student’s performance in detail and in writing.

2. THE CHECKLIST
 Is a list of actions or descriptions that a rater (teacher) checks off as the
particular behavior or expectation is observed
 Is a written list of performance criteria which is used to assess student
performance through observation, or may be used to assess written work
Non- Test Monitoring and Assessment
Many of the following suggestions are similar to the suggested teaching strategies.
Those who advocate increased use of non-test monitoring and assessment argue
that instruction and assessment at their best are intertwined. Good instruction
involves observing and analyzing student performance and the most valuable
assessment activities should be learning experiences as well.
1. Oral and Written Reports - Students research a topic and then present either
orally or in written form.
2. Teacher Observation - The teacher observes student while they work to make
certain the students understand the assignment and are on task. Example:
Cooperative Learning.
3. Journal - Student write daily on assignment or personal topics. Example: What
is the thing you remember about yesterday’s lesson.
4. Portfolio of Student’s Work - Teacher collects samples of student’s work and
saves for determined amount of time. Example: Dated sample of student’s
writing, test, etc.
5. Slates or Hand Signals - Student’s use slates or hand signals as a means of
signaling answers to the teacher. Example: Review questions – write answers
and hold up slate.
6. Games -Teachers utilize fun activities to have the students practice and review
concepts. Example: Science Trivia.
7. Projects -The students research on a topic and research on a topic and present
it in a creative way.
8. Debates - The students take opposing position on a topic and defend their
position. Examples: The pros and cons of an environment legislation.
9. Checklist - The teacher will make a list of objectives that students need to
master and then check off the skill as the student’s masters it.
10. Cartooning - Students will use drawings to depict situation and ideas. Example:
Environmental Issues.
11. Models -The student produce a miniature replica of a given topic. Example:
Molecules.
12. Notes -Students write a summary of a lesson.
13. Daily Assignments -The students complete work assigned on a daily basis to
complete at the school or home. Example: Worksheets issues.
14. Anecdotal Record - The teachers record a student’s behavior. Example: A
daily log of student’s success.
15. Panel - A group of student’s verbally present information. Example: A discussion
presenting both the pros and cons of the environmental issues.
16. Learning Centers - Students use teacher provided activities for hands- on
learning. Example: An activity folder on frog dissection.
17. Demonstration - Students present a visual enactment of a particular skill or
activity. Examples: Proving that air has a weight.
18. Problem Solving - Student follow a step by step solution of a problem.
19. Discussions - Students in a group verbally interact on a given topic. Example:
Environmental issues.
20. Organize Note Sheets and Study Guides - Students collect information to help
pass a test. Example: one 3x5 note card with information to be used during a PLANNING
test. • Planning is an initial process in curriculum development. It includes determining
the needs through an assessment. Needs would include those of the learners,
PLANNING, IMPLEMENTING AND EVALUATING – UNDERSTANDING THE the teachers, the community and the society as these relate to curriculum. After
CONNECTIONS the needs have been identified the intended outcomes should be SMART.
Strategies: Flow Chart, Chain of Event and Placemat Intended outcomes should be double, achievable and desired.
• After establishing these, then a curricularist should find out in planning the ways
of achieving the desired outcomes. These are ways and means and the
strategies to achieve outcomes .Together with the methods and strategies are
the identification the support materials. All of these should be written, and should
to include the means of evaluation.

IMPLEMENTING
• What should be implemented? The planned curriculum which was written should
be implemented. It has to be put into action or used by a curriculum implementer
who is the teacher, curriculum plans should not remain as a written document.
• A curriculum planner can also be a curriculum implementor. In fact a, curriculum
planner who implements the curriculum must have a full grasp of what is to be
done.
• With the well written curriculum plan a teacher can execute this with the help of
instructional materials, equipment, resources materials and enough time. The
curriculum implementor must also see to it that the plan which serves as guide
is extended correctly. The skill and the ability of the teacher to impart guide
learning are necessary in the curriculum implementation

EVALUATING
• Curriculum evaluation as a big idea may follow evaluation models which can be
used for programs and projects. These models discussed in the previous lesson
guide the process and the corresponding tools that will be used to measure
outcomes.
• However when used for assessment of learning, which is also evaluation more
attention is given to levels of assessment for the levels of learning outcomes.
• As defined by the Department of Education, the use of the description for the
proficiency the learner described by the qualified values of the weighted test
scores in an interval scale.
• That broader perspective mentioned above requires a less constricting view of
both the Purposes and foci of curriculum evaluation.
• In reviewing the literature and acquiring a Broader understanding of purpose,
two concepts delineated by Guba and Lincoln (1981)
• Seem especially useful: merit and worth. Merit, as they use the term, refers to
the intrinsic
• Value of an entity—value that is implicit, inherent, and independent of any
applications.
• Merit is established without reference to a context. Worth, on the other hand, is • Implementing the Evaluation Design
the value of an entity in reference to a particular context or a specific application. With the design developed, the evaluation team can move expeditiously to
• It is the “pay off” Value for a given institution or group of people. implement the design and report the results. Two matters should be stressed
• The same course, however may have relatively little worth for a teacher here: First, the implementation process should be flexible. If new issues develop
instructing unmotivated working- class or if additional data sources become apparent, they should be built into a revised
• Youth in an urban school: It may require teaching skills that the teacher has not design and incorporated into the implementation process. Second, the results
mastered and learning materials that the students cannot read. should be reported in ways that will accommodate the special needs of the
• In this sense, then, curriculum evaluation should be concerned with assessing several audiences
both merit and worth.
• Thus, several reports might be envisioned: a summary written in plain language
EVALUATION STRATEGIES for the public, an action plan presented to the board and school administrators,
and a detailed technical report for the broader educational community. Once
The following are strategies that successful administrators use in developing people know, firsthand, and are able to measure the benefits of effective
assessment and evaluation programs. curriculum planning and evaluation, the public support for funding will become
viable. Indicators of success used to measure the impact of student
• Setting Goals and Indicators achievement in schools will be a determining factor.
The evaluation and assessment process must be linked back to the original
mission statement and objectives of the district. Indicators of successful • It is hoped that future research will be based on these indicators to give
curriculum integration for the purposes of evaluation should be established educational planners a more complete picture as to the impact of technology on
during the early planning stages of the program. teaching and learning in our nation’s classrooms. A key to the success of any
curricular program in the future is the ability of school leaders to develop
• Identifying Target Populations awareness and understanding through the implementation of an effective
Successful evaluation and assessment procedures should focus on targeting evaluation program. Throughout the entire evaluation process, the focus for
specific external and internal population groups. Parents and community administrators should be on combination appropriate strategies with
represent external groups. Trustees, administrators, teachers, and students measurable results indicating positive correlations with teaching and learning.
represent internal target groups. Data collection needs to focus specifically on
these target areas and how they relate to school and curriculum.

• Evaluation Centers
Provides a wealth of information on technology evaluation and assessment.

• Regional Technology Training Centers

They also provide conferences and workshops on evaluation strategies.
Regardless of the process used to evaluate a program, planners need to be
willing to utilize data and make changes and adjustments where necessary.
They must understand that curriculum improvement and instructional
improvement are interconnected and that a change in one area will probably
elicit a change in another area

 Problems and concerns

Can cloud issues at hand, making evaluation an important tools. With higher-
quality and more detailed information at our disposal, curriculum leaders will be
able to focus more on how technology can help teachers with student
achievement in the future.