More qualitative goals are needed to reflect a student's progress.
English (2000) makes mention that reformers must be aware of the hidden functions of schools if they are to make meaningul changes. Meighan (1983) explains:
The hidden curriculum is taught by the school, not by any teacher...something is coming across to the pupuls which may never be spoken in the English lessor or prayed about in assembly. They are picking-up an approach to living and an attitude to learning." concrete example of the hidden curriculum manifests in girls that early on have lower scores on math and science tests than boys. Some believe that cultural differences between boys and girls have a negative impact on girls' acquisition of skills or values for achievement in math and sciences (Holladay, 2007). Girls are believed to become sensitive to the roles of men and women in the real-world at an early age and lose interest in math and science where men predominate. Others think that the psychology of stigma, how humans responds to negative stereotypes about their gender group, threaten female students in profound ways (Holladay, 2007). An example of a frequent stereotype threat is "girls can't do math." While our school has embraced diversity and contextualization, hidden curriculum problems illustrate the need for greater consideration of the
Currently, the guide is organized by department and includes course numbers, names, descriptions and prerequisites. Our future format will incorporate best practices such as (a guide to curriculum development: Purposes, practices, procedures):
communicating a clear philosophy and set of overarching goals that guide the entire program and the decisions that affect each aspect of the program;
establishing sequences both within and between levels and assures a coherent and articulated progression from grade to grade;
outlining a basic framework for what to do, how to do it, when to do it and how to know if it has been achieved;
allowing for flexibility and encourages experimentation and innovation within an overall structure;
promoting interdisciplinary approaches and the integration of curricula when appropriate;
suggesting methods of assessing the achievement of the program's goals and objectives; providing a means for its own ongoing revision and improvement.
Bibliography guide to curriculum development: Purposes, practices, procedures. http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/curriculum/currgde_generic/curguide_generic.pdf
English, F.W. (2000). Deciding what to teach and test: Developing, aligning and auditing the curriculum. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin Press.
Holladay, J. (2007, February). How stereotypes undermine test scores. http://www.tolerance.org/teach/activities/activity.jsp?cid=811
Meighan, R. (1983). A sociology of educating. British Educational Research Journal, Vol. 9, No 2, pp. 177-178.
