Episode 171: Quick Q&A: What is a Curriculum Evaluation Tool?

A curriculum evaluation tool that helps teachers, leaders, and parents, determine if a curriculum meets high quality standards or not. 

There are two tools we recommend for curriculum review. These tools feel complementary to each other, so we recommend using both, starting with The Reading League’s Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines, then digging deeper into the knowledge component of a curriculum with the Knowledge Matters Review Tool. 

Resources

• The Reading League Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines 
• Knowledge Matters Review Tool 

We answer your questions about teaching reading in The Literacy 50-A Q&A Handbook for Teachers: Real-World Answers to Questions About Reading That Keep You Up at Night.

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Episode Transcript

Lori (00:00):
Hi teacher friends.
This is Lori from Melissa andLori Love Literacy.
This is the time of year thatschools and districts start
thinking about curriculumadoptions and might be looking
for tools to evaluateprospective curriculum.
Or maybe you've recentlyimplemented new curriculum and
are wondering if it's highquality.
You might even wonder whatexactly high quality means.

(00:22):
If any of these sound familiar,this quick Q&A is for you.
Today I'm going to share abouttwo curriculum evaluation tools
that can help to tell ifcurricula is high quality or not
.
So what is a curriculumevaluation tool?
A curriculum evaluation tool isa tool that helps teachers,

(00:44):
leaders and parents determine ifa curriculum meets high quality
standards or not.
There are two tools werecommend for curriculum review.
These tools feel complementaryto each other, so we recommend
using both.
Starting with the ReadingLeague's curriculum evaluation
guidelines, then digging deeperinto the knowledge component of

(01:05):
a curriculum with the KnowledgeMatters Review tool.
The Reading League's curriculumevaluation guidelines
comprehensively evaluatephonological and phoneme
awareness, phonics and decoding,fluency, background knowledge,
vocabulary, knowledge oflanguage structures like syntax,

(01:25):
grammar, parts of speech,verbal reasoning, literacy
knowledge, reading,comprehension, writing through
subcategories of handwriting,spelling, composition and
assessment.
One super helpful and supercool component of this tool are
red flag indicators in eachsection that denote misalignment

(01:49):
to science of reading research.
The Knowledge Matters Reviewtool helps us dig deeper into
the knowledge buildingcomponents of a curriculum.
The components this toolreviews are a focus on what
matters most for literacy.
Communal close reading ofcontent.
Rich, challenging texts.

(02:09):
Systematic development ofvocabulary, a coherently
organized volume of reading,regular discussions grounded in
texts and topics, a volume ofwriting, targeted supports to
ensure all students have accessto challenging grade level
content.

(02:29):
Ease of teaching the curriculumor usability.
In episode 78, fourth gradeteacher Corey Jensen discusses
the importance of knowledgebuilding, which is one big
component of a high qualitycurriculum.
We hope this helped you learn abit more about two awesome
curriculum evaluation tools.
We can't wait to keep learningwith you.

(02:51):
Thanks for listening.
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com.
Just a quick reminder that theviews and opinions expressed by
the hosts and guests of theMelissa and Lori Love Literacy
Podcast are not necessarily theopinions of Great Minds PBC or

(03:13):
its employees.
We appreciate you so much andwe're so glad you're here to
learn with us.
Thank you.