ASD Curriculum Glossary
Adoption of Books/Materials : A formal review and recommendation process during which the Anchorage School Board approves curriculum and/or instructional materials for purchase and use in the classroom.
Assessment : Method(s) to determine the extent to which curricular goals are being or have already been achieved.
Backward Design : Identification of the desired results, goals or standards, and then the curriculum (assessments, lessons and resources) needed to equip students to be successful. The three sequential stages of backward curriculum design are 1) identify desired results; 2) determine acceptable evidence and 3) plan learning experiences/instruction.
Benchmarks : Reachable learning targets to measure students' achievement at various grade levels.
Content Standard: The content that all students should know and be able to do.
Concept: A mental construct that frames a set of examples sharing common attributes. Concepts may be very broad such as “change,” system,” or interdependence.” They may also be more topic specific, such as “organism,” habitat,” or “government.”
Curriculum: A specific blueprint (framework) for learning that shows what is taught. It is a specific plan derived from content and performance standards, that is multidimensional and includes identified assessments, lessons, assignments and resources.
Curriculum Alignment: A match between the written, taught and tested curriculum.
Curriculum Articulation: The extent to which curriculum builds and is vertically aligned through the grades for complex learning to take place.
Curriculum Guide: A document that provides clear learning goals and objectives, pacing recommendations, and expected student learning achievements that are tied to state and local performance standards. Assessments, model lessons and a listing of approved instructional support materials are included to provide comprehensive curriculum.
Curriculum Renewal Cycle: An ongoing process to review the existing curriculum which may include, but is not limited to needs assessment and data collection, curriculum and materials review, adoption and implementation of changes to the existing curriculum for a specific curricular area.
Curriculum Change Proposal : are changes that are initiated outside the review year of a Curriculum Renewal Cycle. Examples of such changes are: addition, deletion, or modification of courses or instructional programs. Proposals may or may not include instructional materials.
Data-driven Instruction: The use of student achievement data and other learning data to guide instruction, set goals, monitor programs and develop curriculum.
Enduring or Essential Understandings: The “big ideas” related to the critical concepts and topics of a study. Essential understandings stretch beyond discrete facts or skills and focus on larger concepts, principles or processes.
Field Test : A field test is the trial use of supplementary, instructional materials in a classroom (school, division or district-wide). As new materials become available, the field test provides an opportunity for teachers to critique and recommend new materials which address a need or gap in the currently adopted curriculum.
Framework: A blueprint of curriculum content and student learning objectives for a specific course of study.
Grade Level Expectations : Specific indicators of achievement at each grade level which are aligned to performance and content standards for a given subject area.
Implementation: A period of time during which training and field- testing occur following the acquisition of materials and/or curriculum change.
Pacing Guide: Recommendations for the rate at which content is addressed and instruction is delivered.
Performance Assessment: The measure of a student's progress related to what the student knows, understands, and can do. Performance assessment includes the measure of both content understanding and complex process performance.
Performance Standard: Specific expectations of what students should know and be able to do at key benchmark levels. Performance standards are aligned with the more general content standards which represent what Alaskans want students to know and be able to do as a result of their entire public school experience.
Pilot : A pilot is a proposed curriculum change that may extend to two years in a limited setting. Anchorage School Board Policy stipulates that pilot programs shall be reported to the Board. Pilot programs that involve the expenditure of $20,000 or more require Board approval prior to implementation. Following curriculum committee recommendations, pilots may be removed from pilot status and replicated or terminated.
Rubrics: Scoring guides that include descriptors for defined, succeeding levels of performance.
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