Curriculum Cluster of the Quality Indicator Map

The goals expressed in DoDEA’s Community Strategic Plan (CSP) and educational research provide the basis for the Quality Indicator Map (QI Map) which is divided into four main areas called clusters.  The Curriculum, Instruction, Assessment, and Environment clusters were selected based on the relevance these areas have in implementing standards-based programs.

The Curriculum cluster emphasis that standards determine the curriculum.  The components of the Curriculum cluster of the are:

  • C-1.  Standards provide the foundation for the design, content, and delivery of instruction.
  • C-2.  The teacher possesses content knowledge, an understanding of its relation to standards, and a facility in adapting content to allow all students access to standards.
  • C-3.  The teacher promotes diversity as an integral part of the curriculum.
  • C-4.  Approved and appropriate materials correlated to standards are used for instruction.

Each component (best practice) of the QI Map identifies several dimensions of the best practice which are outlined in the QI Map so you can see the layout of the elements and the continuum. Moving from left to right the quality indicators increase in complexity and rigor. Implementation is the standard level of performance that we wish to obtain for all programs and classroom. Innovation will evolve from committed and talented teachers given the resources to achieve.

The terms used to identify each level of the continuum are:  

  • Initiation  -  The beginning stages of using a practice.
  • Involvement - Limited use and or partial implementation.
  • Implementation - Fully functioning and meeting expectations.
  • Innovation - Exemplary level of use with additional creative enhancement of the practice.
Curriculum Cluster Continuum
  Initiation Involvement Implementation Inovation
C-1. Standards provide the foundation for the design, content, and delivery of instruction.
  • The teacher selects an instructional focus without using the standards.
  • Content is often based on the teacher’s interests or the availability of material.
  • Instructional strategies and student activities are selected to cover textbook content rather than standards.
  • Students can tell what tasks they are to accomplish but are unaware of the standards.
  • The teacher selects an instructional focus with limited alignment to standards.
  • The teacher uses standards as a guide in selecting what will be taught.
  • Teaching strategies and learning activities are selected without direct connections to standards.
  • Students can explain the activity but are unsure of the standards.
  • The teacher develops an instructional focus using the standards.
  • The teacher clearly defines the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be addressed.
  • Teaching strategies and learning activities are congruent with the standards and promote student construction of knowledge.
  • Students can describe their understanding of the standards.
  • The teacher purposefully identifies the standards and corresponding assessments and then designs an instructional focus directly related to standards.
  • The teacher determines specific concepts, generalizations, and principles to be developed, and connects learning across disciplines.
  • Teaching strategies and learning activities are purposefully selected to promote student construction of knowledge related to the specific standards being addressed.
  • Students can explain and demonstrate their understanding of the standards.
C-2. The teacher possesses content knowledge, an understanding of its relation to standards, and a facility in adapting content to allow all students access to standards.
  • The teacher has limited content knowledge.
  • The teacher uses assigned texts to select what is to be taught.
  • All students are exposed to the same level of content in the same way.
  • The teacher has basic content knowledge.
  • The teacher uses knowledge of the grade level to select overall concepts and skills to be taught.
  • The teacher adjusts the levels of difficulty in the content area during the lesson implementation, having made no prior plans for addressing differing needs.
  • The teacher demonstrates competence in the knowledge in the content.
  • The teacher uses overall knowledge of student similarities and differences to select concepts, generalizations, and skills matched to the standards.
  • The teacher plans general adjustments in content to address differing degrees of student readiness, providing a range from simple to complex, concrete to abstract, essential to extended.
  • The teacher pursues advanced content knowledge, expertise, and current research in the content field.
  • The teacher uses knowledge of each student’s readiness levels to select concepts, generalizations, and skills matched to the standards and plans specific adjustments in recognition of individual student differences.
  • The teacher matches learning content, materials, and ways to access knowledge related to standards to the needs of students.
C-3. The teacher promotes diversity as an integral part of the curriculum.
  • The teacher uses pre-planned lessons in the curriculum that provides examples of diversity, often planning around holidays.
  • The teacher uses texts that do not provide examples of diversity among people.
  • Resources used promote stereotypes of groups of people.
  • The teacher follows the format of the pre-planned lessons on diversity.
  • Students participate in cultural and holiday celebrations as they are scheduled.
  • The teacher recognizes and provides examples of diversity in the curriculum and learning activities.
  • The teacher uses texts and resources that address diversity and provides opportunities to discuss differences among groups of people.
  • The teacher highlights contributions of minorities during cultural heritage celebrations and provides students with information on minorities and individuals with special needs.
  • The teacher works at promoting a climate that respects diversity and provides opportunities to highlight diversity in the content and learning activities.
  • The teacher uses texts and materials that are culturally diverse that provide opportunities for students to discuss similarities and differences among groups of people.
  • The teacher initiates discussions and examinations of cultural heritage throughout the curriculum and demonstrates respect for the contributions of minorities and individuals with special needs.
  • The teacher and students work together to establish a climate in which respect for diversity is integrated into the content and its activities.
  • The teacher deliberately selects and uses multi-cultural resources that will lead to respect for diversity and consistently provides opportunities to identify the types and extent of similarities and differences among and between groups of people.
  • The teacher and students understand, respect, discuss, and examine cultural heritage and the contribution of minorities and individuals with special needs as a seamless part of their daily curriculum.
C-4. Approved and appropriate materials correlated to standards are used and adapted for instruction.
  • The teacher provides materials not aligned to the standards to all students to be used in the same way.
  • The teacher provides different materials when required as part of a student’s IEP or when provided by a resource specialist for use by particular students.
  • The teacher uses currently adopted materials and other materials not directly aligned with standards.
  • The teacher provides student access to a variety of materials, based on a general understanding that students have different needs for depth and complexity in learning materials.
  • The teacher uses currently adopted materials and supplemental materials related to standards.
  • The teacher knows the differing needs of individual students and identifies or adapts specific materials to provide each student access to standards-based learning.
  • The teacher uses currently adopted materials and purposefully seeks and selects additional materials to address standards.
  • The teacher plans standards-based lessons with specific attention to modifications of materials for differing learners as it applies to each lesson.

Instruction Cluster   |  Assessment Cluster   |  Environment Cluster   |  Return to QI Map overview

Curriculum, instruction, environment, and assessments help students achieve academic standards

Accessibility | Privacy Policy | No Fear Act | EEO | Freedom of Information Act | Site Map | Contact Us | Site Tools: Plug-ins and Viewers