Mathematics Curriculum Workshop
	Setting This example of professional development takes place in the Clark County, Nevada School District. Teachers on Special Assignment Heidi Torres and Keith Cochran lead a series of five workshops for fellow elementary school teachers on the use of the district's mathematics curriculum, Investigations.
Professional Development Strategy Curriculum Implementation In this example teachers and leaders facilitate a workshop to introduce new elementary mathematics curriculum. Goals of this Example of Professional Development Instruct teachers to use the district's mathematics curriculum Enhance teacher's understanding of the mathematics in their curriculum to support student learning	What You Can Gain from Using this Video See how teacher workshops can support curriculum implementation Understand how professional development goals influence the professional development design Develop awareness of roles teacher leaders play in professional development

 

 

 

 

Curriculum Implementation

Curriculum is the way content is designed and delivered. It includes the structure, organization, balance, and presentation of the content in the classroom (National Research Council, 1996). As defined here, curriculum is a set of materials that includes both content and instructional guidelines. The "set" of materials may be from one publisher or developer or may have been selected from a variety of materials organized by the school or district.
Putting new curricula into practice in the classroom can serve as a powerful professional development opportunity for teachers. Through using a particular curriculum with their students, reporting on what happens, and reflecting with others on different ideas and activities, teachers learn about their own teaching and their students' learning (Ball, 1996).

Note that this strategy focuses teachers on learning about the new curriculum and how to use it -- not on researching, designing, testing, and/or revising curriculum, as will be described in Strategy 5, Curriculum Development and Adaptation.

The Strategy in Action

This strategy relies on teachers having access to high quality curriculum materials, developed by people with expertise in content and pedagogy, as well as sufficient resources and time to design, test, and refine the materials for use in classrooms with diverse students.
Teachers and professional developers need to work together to decide how the curriculum will be used with students and the milestones that will be met at different points in the implementation process. Over time, teachers need to be given different kinds of support, tailored to their changing needs. Teachers share insights with one another as they implement the new curriculum. They also coach one another, conducting classroom visits to support the learning of both teachers and students.

It is crucial that school officials acknowledge that implementing curriculum takes time, resources, and a commitment to reform. In addition, the district must institutionalize the change by ensuring the continued use of the curriculum after the initial phases. Plans must be established for ongoing professional development for all teachers and support of new teachers or teachers who change grade levels.

Finally, mechanisms for evaluation must be developed. While data may include information about student learning outcomes, evaluation of the implementation strategies are essential, especially in the early stages. Teachers and professional developers can then use this information to adjust what they are doing.

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