This paper presents interview-based findings on curriculum development and renewal processes, with a particular focus on parental involvement in minority communities within U.S. public schools. Drawing on interviews with a curriculum and assessment specialist, the paper examines the foundational role of needs analysis in curriculum design, outlines a four-stage model of district curriculum development, and describes the cyclical stages of curriculum renewal. Throughout, the paper highlights how minority parents remain underrepresented in school curriculum processes due to structural and perceptual barriers, while underscoring the importance of inclusive, evidence-based approaches to building effective educational programs.
Curriculum refers to a structured document that outlines the goals, philosophy, objectives, instructional materials, learning experiences, and evaluations that make up an educational program (Wentzell, 2006). It is a tool that helps in the administration of an excellent instructional program. The curriculum development process takes place over a relatively long period and involves students, teachers, and public and expert curriculum developers.
On Monday, March 29th, I interviewed John L. Brown, a curriculum and assessment specialist working with Connections Education, to obtain his expert opinion on curriculum development and the curriculum renewal process. The purpose of the first phase of the interview was to establish what comes first — needs or goals — in the curriculum development process, and to capture the interviewee's reflections. The interview also sought to identify the implications of this sequence for the curriculum development process.
I asked John to give his expert opinion on what comes first in the curriculum development process when considering needs and goals. He said that a needs analysis is always the starting point of any curriculum design, followed by goals and objectives (Albilehi, Han, & Desmidt, 2013). One of the core assumptions of curriculum development is that an excellent educational program should begin by analyzing learners' needs. He views needs analysis as a critical phase in planning educational programs, one that can be carried out through methods such as interviews and questionnaires.
By analyzing interviews or questionnaires, curriculum developers can obtain essential and relevant information to use as guiding principles — even before setting curriculum goals and objectives. This information can provide insight into who the students are, what their goals are, and what learning-style preferences they have. He added that curriculum developers can use such information in decision-making throughout the development process. Needs assessment is also essential because it gives learners an opportunity to verify their current skill and knowledge levels. According to John, a needs analysis helps curriculum developers identify and describe existing competency gaps, and then generate the best possible strategies to bridge them (Albilehi, Han, & Desmidt, 2013).
When asked about the implications of needs analysis for the curriculum development process, John explained that a needs analysis functions like a bridge — it seeks to address existing gaps between the training syllabus and what learners actually require. With this in mind, curriculum developers must perform a carefully considered, detailed, and well-organized needs analysis on a regular basis. An evaluation should then be carried out to determine the effectiveness of the running program, asking questions such as: Is the current program still addressing students' needs, or has there been a deviation from learners' expectations? Needs analysis, therefore, both identifies learners' needs and structures those needs according to priority. The relevant information can be gathered through tests, questionnaires, observations, and interviews (Albilehi, Han, & Desmidt, 2013).
John also noted that needs analysis can be evaluated in terms of reliability, practicality, and validity. A reliable needs analysis should employ a well-developed and systematic application of tools rather than rely on simple observations; reliability also increases when a larger number of learners are studied. A valid needs analysis addresses what is relevant and meaningful, making the type of information collected critically important. A practical needs analysis produces results that are easy to understand and incorporate into the curriculum development process. However, tensions exist among these three dimensions, and John recommended that validity be given priority.
In his concluding remarks on this section, John stated that needs analysis is a critical process because it supports every stage of curriculum development — from initial planning through implementation and assessment. He added that needs assessment provides accurate and meaningful information across pedagogical, institutional, evaluative, and ethical dimensions. With these dimensions in place, curriculum developers can ensure that learners' experiences align with stated objectives and that outcomes match the intentions of the initial planning (Albilehi, Han, & Desmidt, 2013). He also noted, however, that learners may not always be aware of their own needs, making it the responsibility of facilitators and analysts — including parents — to uncover those needs through well-structured procedures.
Needs analysis ultimately benefits everyone: a relevant curriculum with appropriately identified needs generates satisfaction for both teacher and learner. It is therefore a vital necessity and should be conducted with care, as any negligence risks the development of an inappropriate curriculum.
This portion of the interview sought an overview of the steps involved in designing or developing a district curriculum, as well as an understanding of the role minority community parents play in that process. John identified four key stages of curriculum development.
The first stage is analysis and planning. This initial stage involves convening a curriculum development committee, identifying key issues and trends in the relevant content area, and assessing needs. At this stage, a comprehensive analysis of state requirements and school requests is conducted. A curriculum development committee typically comprises teachers, administrators, parents, members of the public, and students. Key issues and trends are identified through both needs and situational analysis, and committee members identify the issues the new curriculum will need to address (Wentzell, 2006).
The second stage is articulation and development, which includes articulating a program philosophy, defining program and grade-level goals, and developing and sequencing grade-level and course objectives. If the curriculum's philosophy and goals represent its guiding direction, then grade-level objectives represent its core. These include clear expectations for what every learner should know and be able to do, and how that will be measured. Resource materials to support implementation and assessment instruments to measure student progress are also identified at this stage.
The third stage is implementation, which involves putting the new program into practice. John emphasized that any innovation introduced into a system — including a new curriculum — requires both support and time to be implemented effectively (Wentzell, 2006). Facilitators need time to become familiar with the new curriculum and to understand how it differs from what came before. The entire implementation process therefore unfolds over a relatively long period, and the development committee, teachers, and principals must be prepared to provide ongoing support throughout (Wentzell, 2006).
The fourth stage is evaluation, which entails assessing the success of the new program and making updates as needed. A standard method of periodically updating a curriculum is through grade-level meetings involving teachers, learners, and parents. These meetings are designed to share activities, materials, assessments, and student work that support the curriculum's goals. The cycle of curriculum development thus ends — and begins again — with evaluating the program's impact and effectiveness (Wentzell, 2006).
John then addressed the specific involvement of parents from minority communities in district curriculum development. He noted that minority parent involvement in U.S. public schools is minimal, largely due to barriers that limit their participation in their children's schooling (Stacer & Perrucci, 2013). He identified contributing factors such as teachers' perceptions of minority parents' effectiveness, differing beliefs about parental roles and developmental philosophy, restrictive school policies, and school leadership attitudes. He added that a better understanding of the nature of minority parent involvement would foster more cooperative school-home partnerships. Some of the roles minority parents can play include providing resources, monitoring students' progress, and keeping schools informed about homework, child development, and curriculum concerns (Leddy, 2018).
"Six-stage cyclical curriculum renewal explained"
The first step is preparation for renewal. Before any changes are made to a program's curriculum, it is essential to consider what information and stakeholders should be consulted to determine which changes will improve the curriculum (Richards & Ashbourne, 2017). This includes asking: What information do we need to make evidence-based decisions about this curriculum?
The second step is program visioning. Articulating the program's vision is essential because it establishes the program's identity. This process supports the creation of outcomes and defines the overall emphasis of the curriculum (Richards & Ashbourne, 2017).
The third step is defining program outcomes. Articulating specific program outcomes expresses what a particular unit expects students to achieve. These outcomes transform broader goals and objectives into concrete expectations, answering the question: What should learners know and be able to do by the time they graduate?
The fourth step is curriculum mapping and analysis, which provides a logical basis for understanding how various curriculum components relate to program outcomes. It also identifies what the curriculum is doing well and which areas need improvement.
The fifth step is planning and implementation. The previous stage will have revealed areas requiring improvement, which should drive curricular change. Before planning changes to specific units, however, the overall pedagogical approach must be considered, and decisions must be made about what changes will make the curriculum more effective.
The sixth and final step is program assessment. This refers to the process of gathering, analyzing, and evaluating material and information from a variety of sources to develop a deeper understanding of student progress across a course, program, or series of courses. This step answers the key question: How do we know whether the curriculum is doing what it is designed to do? (Richards & Ashbourne, 2017). Curriculum mapping and program assessment together form the evaluative backbone of any robust renewal process.
As much as program assessment marks the end of the renewal process, curriculum renewal is inherently cyclical and continuous. It is therefore essential to design a plan for ongoing improvement to ensure that the curriculum remains practical and relevant despite the evolution of both internal and external factors. This ensures that the curriculum continuously meets its intended outcomes and serves the diverse communities — including minority families — that depend on high-quality public education.
Albilehi, R., Han, J. Y., & Desmidt, H. (2013). Curriculum development 101: Lessons learned from a curriculum-design project. CATESOL Journal, 24(1), 187–197.
Leddy, H. G. (2018). Involved minority parents enhance the quality of elementary school programs in a diverse community. Multicultural Education, 25, 37–40.
Richards, J., & Ashbourne, D. (2017). A guide to curriculum renewal at the University of Toronto. Office of the Vice-Provost, Innovations in Undergraduate Education (VPIUE), University of Toronto, Canada.
Stacer, M. J., & Perrucci, R. (2013). Parental involvement with children at school, home, and community. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 34(3), 340–354.
Wentzell, D. (2006). Guide to curriculum development: Purposes, practices, procedures.
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