For this assignment, prepare a research paper that integrates readings and/or citations from other professional literature and responds specifically to the need(s) you have identified within your school or district.

Attached is a previous assignment that includes the needs that I have identified within your school or district are discussed. Please use my paper as a reference, but do not copy it please complete assignment in your own words, citations and apa style no plagerism . Please include the following in the paper:

This paper must demonstrate comprehension, application, analysis, assessment, and integration of the research. Include references to the concepts studied in this course:

1. Current curriculum/instructional-related issues and trends
2. Strategies for fostering peer coaching
3. Tools for assisting in improving teacher instruction
4. Pros and cons of alternative curricula
5. Curriculum management plan
6. Technology trends and training from the role of instructional leaders

A suggested outline for the paper is provided below:

• Assignment Cover Sheet
• Table of Contents
• Introduction/Background Information
• Problem Statement
• Literature Review
• Conclusions/Recommendations
• References
• Appendices (if relevant)

Length: 14 pages, not including title and reference pages.

References: Minimum of seven scholarly resources.

Please label the cover page

LackeySIL7000-8

Week 8

North Central

Attached is a previous assignment that includes the needs that I have identified within your school or district are discussed.:

Balanced Curriculum for Alternative Education

Overview

The Washington Elementary School District constituted this Alternative Education Curriculum Committee to develop a comprehensive educational program for its alternative school system to cover all areas of the Arizona Standard Course of Study for this category of students. The goal is to focus on specific subjects that would make the school environment an atmosphere of learning fun and avenue to channel the negative energy and behavior of the students through subjects that not only interest them but help the meet the requirement to progress in the system. This curriculum would create an instructional balance by teaching art education, English language, computer and information technology, mathematics, science, and social studies to the students of the New Beginning Academy in the district. While the implementation of this proposed program would require the commitment of all stakeholders including teachers and administrators, it is important that the relevant resources are allocated and distributed to accomplish the objectives of its establishment and inherent benefits.

Area of Expertise

As an educational consultant with several years experience in the development of curriculum for elementary education, my inclusion in this committee is to serve as the coordinator member that would liaise with the relevant educational professionals that are required to contribute to the creation of the curriculum and the review committee. This project management role is important to the successful fulfillment of the committee’s mandate regarding the resolution of the challenges posed by the alternative elementary education system that is expected to improve the district’s ratings and profile according to the NCLB Act.

Demographic and Profile of Population

The demographics of the target population for this special balanced curriculum for alternative schools are students in grades six to eight of the eleven public educational institutions in the school district. These are students that were referred from their home school for violating the Washington Elementary School District Code of Conduct agreement and are to serve either long term suspension or expulsion depending on the category of violation. According to Squires (2012), the appropriateness of the balanced curriculum for this school setting is its capabilities to focus on subjects that impart important life and social skills that would help this demographic overcome the behavioral and psychological challenges that are preventing them from learning. Also, it is important for meeting the assessment standards that are required to progress in the system and have a meaningful future, which is the goal of all instructional systems. Therefore, the introduction and implementation of an alternative method of instructional delivery are critical to meeting their expectation of transforming from disruptive students to those that allow their teachers to help their moral and intellectual development.

Needs Assessment of Washington Elementary School District

Washington Elementary School District consists of thirty-two elementary schools that are established to meet the educational needs of the diverse population in the predominantly low-income communities of north central Phoenix and Glendale. It’s New Beginning Academy was established to provide alternative settings for students with the disruptive behaviors that are against the code of conduct agreement for grade 6 to 8 students in the traditional schools. Meanwhile, the board of the school district observed from the report of an assessment committee that the current models are ineffective in improving the academic performance of the students despite the behavioral improvements. This identified gap in performance measures is the reason why the curriculum development committee was constituted to recommend new instructional approaches that would address the problem and make the school district meet its state funding requirements for special education.

Vision for Alternative Education in the District

Aside from the vision to assist every child at the elementary level of the school system of the district to achieve excellence in their educational pursuit, Washington Elementary School District is committed to offering a new beginning to students with needs for guidance to reach their academic potential and participate in all areas of their education that is consistent with their future aspiration. This vision is enhanced by the mission to use the right curriculum to provide learning experiences that can be derived from the safe and positive environment. Also, the board of this school district envisions an alternative educational system that not intervenes in the correction of disruptive behavioral patterns but one that fulfills the academic performance benchmarks of the students and district.

Mission of the Balanced Curriculum for Alternative Education

Voogt and Roblin (2012) explained that the balanced curriculum is designed to define and reflect all the aspects of the course of study for each subject or skills requirements of an educational program. The mission of this curriculum model for the alternative education system is the accomplishment of the education of the whole child through the provision of a platform that would assist learners to utilize their experiences to define their participation in classroom activities. An additional aspect of the mission of this curriculum program for the special school in the district is the implementation of the philosophy of the Basic Education Plan of the State of Arizona. This mission entails the provision of the necessary support for the core knowledge and competencies that students must possess when they graduate from the system.

Goal and Objectives Balanced Curriculum for Alternative Education

The main goal of the balanced curriculum program is the establishment of a model for students in the alternative school that recognizes their differences as individuals and its impacts on learning with the aim of the delivering a challenging and common core curriculum. The following objectives are defined as means to the attainment of this goal and would be used to assess the progress made during the implementation of the program:

Implement an integrated curriculum that places emphasis on liberal arts education in the same manner as other core subjects.

Utilize evidence-based practices for instructional delivery.

Apply children development theories to understand the different methods used for learning.

Meet the needs of students regarding their learning of important academic and life skills that address their behavioral challenges.

Components of the Balanced Curriculum for Alternative Education

The balanced curriculum model for teaching the students of the alternative school in the Washington Elementary School District comprises of two components that are curriculum development and execution. In the first components, Wortham (2009) explained that school would teach courses using time-bound units that are designed to incorporate significant tasks and activities. Also, this component continues with the alignment of the significant tasks to the Standard Course of Study, which would provide the specifications for conducting the necessary assessments of the students’ progress. Once the curriculum design is complete, the other component of the balanced model includes the implementation of a management system for tracking the progress of each student in the classroom and a review of the comments of the instructors with the goals of identifying aspects of the curriculum that requires modification and improvements.

Resource Requirement for the Implementation of the Balanced Curriculum for Alternative Education

Pressley and Allington (2014) stated that an additional requirement to the existing instructional and human resources that are needed for the delivery of the traditional model, the major resource need of the school is the right schedule for the significant tasks that are consistent with the standard course of study for each of the subjects in the curriculum. This resource is the most challenging to provide because of its complicated nature and the difficulty of its integration into the structure and control of the system. Meanwhile, the school can utilize tiered assignments, learning contracts, acceleration, individual projects, and off-grade level educational materials for the implementation of the balanced curriculum for alternative education.

Assessment Plan

The plan for the evaluation of the efficacy of the school district\s balanced curriculum for alternative education would be conducted through the measurement of the alignment of the significant tasks with the standards. Teachers would be encouraged to utilize the standardized task for assessment for the purpose of creating a uniform system that would allow the district use the information for modifications of the program. Secondly, the format assessment would be included in the curriculum for students’ practices and contribute to their performance in the high-stake state examination since the format used in the classroom is similar. The advantage of the inclusion of the format assessment model is its quiz component that would eliminate the need for extensive preparation for the test and reputed for discouraging students from learning.

Staffing and In-Service Programs Requirements

Furthermore, the challenging nature of the balanced curriculum for alternative education in the grade 6 to 8 students in Washington Elementary School District would require a staffing structure that includes certified teachers with the skills and competencies to empower the students and committed to the overall advancement of the program, especially the attainment of academic excellence. Also, the workforce of the alternative school would consist of administrators and support staffs that are qualified to use the state-of-the-art educational resources that would be used in the implementation of the program. Regarding the staffing ratio for the classroom, the requirement would be there would three full-time instructors and two non-teaching staffs in each classroom of the school where the balanced curriculum is taught (Squires, 2013).

Benefits/Rationale of the Balanced Curriculum for Alternative Education

In conclusion, one of the benefits of the balanced curriculum for alternative education is the acquisition of skills and knowledge that is detailed and covers several disciplines that enhance the students’ capacity to succeed in aspects of learning including the tested and non-tested subjects. Secondly, it has the potential to promote the cognitive development of the elementary students through the establishment of an enriched environment that focuses on their interest. Therefore, the availability of emotional support would teach them the dangers of the anti-social and disruptive behavior, as well its irrelevance to the future goals. Finally, the balanced curriculum provides a platform for the student to define his or her activities and invest efforts in ensuring their successful completion.

References

Pressley, M., & Allington, R. L. (2014). Reading instruction that works: The case for balanced teaching. City: Guilford Publications.

Squires, D. (2012). Curriculum alignment research suggests that alignment can improve student achievement. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 85(4), 129-135.

Squires, D. A. (2013). The balanced curriculum model: Description and results. SAGE Open, 3(1), 2158244013478012.

Voogt, J., & Roblin, N. P. (2012). A comparative analysis of international frameworks for 21st century competences: Implications for national curriculum policies. Journal of curriculum studies, 44(3), 299-321.

Wortham, S. C. (2009). Early childhood curriculum: Developmental bases for learning and teaching. City: Pearson College Division.