Curriculum Management

What is curriculum management?

Curriculum management is the process of reviewing, developing, and implementing curricula for an educational system. Used in both K-12 and higher education, curriculum management creates a unified roadmap for educators across an institution. 

Curriculum management involves planning new learning frameworks and improving on existing ones to create a comprehensive program. Typically, teams of educators and administrators collaborate to review data and execute next steps. The aim is to meet the institution’s goals and provide a smooth experience for educators and students.

Educational teams use curriculum management software to build a centralized repository of essential resources. Most platforms also offer built-in assessment suites for consistency in testing practices. 

Basic elements of curriculum management

Curriculum management lets educational systems create a cohesive plan for instruction to achieve the best learning outcomes. Some elements involved in curriculum management include:

• Curriculum design. Educators brainstorm ideas for curricula based on pedagogy and state standards or guidelines from professional organizations. They then lay out a learning sequence in a logical way, creating vertical alignment between grade levels or course levels. 
• Curriculum mapping. The staff creates a visual hierarchy or structure of the curriculum, labeling it by course, year, semester, or class period, and matching it with learning objectives. Instructors can quickly search the curriculum map and find the section they need.
• Curriculum analysis. Mapping makes it easier to review the existing curriculum’s relevance and alignment with educational goals. Teachers and administrators check to make sure the curriculum fits different learning styles and to check for any gaps or overlaps. For example, they may notice a missing standard or the same content in two grade levels.
• Assessment planning. The curriculum management team plans relevant formative assessments. These check intermittent progress toward standards, and summative ones, which evaluate progress at the end of an instructional unit. These tests, quizzes, and performance tasks provide feedback to learners and guide educators’ instruction.
• Continuous improvement. Schools and colleges collect data, like instructor and course evaluations and test scores, to monitor progress toward institutional goals. With this data, curriculum management teams can revisit the curriculum and make changes to optimize it. 

Benefits of curriculum management

Having a curriculum management system helps organizations attain their educational missions and create better student and teacher experiences. Some specific advantages are:

• Better learning outcomes. When schools manage their curricula well, they see improved student achievement. Curriculum management systems ensure that the instructional units are appropriately rigorous and aligned to standards. 
• Increased organization. Curriculum management systems let educational organizations maintain an easy-to-access curriculum map and set of resources. Teachers don’t have to spend time searching for what they need; instead, they can allocate more time to instructing students.
• Improved collaboration. With improved access to up-to-date curricula and assessments, instructors stay on the same wavelength. For example, because two molecular physics instructors teach the same curriculum, they can brainstorm activities together. 
• Smooth accreditation. A curriculum management system simplifies collecting required documentation to present to accreditation boards and committees. Assessments, content resources, and curriculum maps all live in one centralized location.

Curriculum management best practices

Educational organizations exist to provide a place for people to learn. To reach this goal, they need to maintain the highest quality standards for the curricula they develop and implement. The following best practices help facilitate curriculum management.

• Start with clear goals. An effective curriculum management process requires well-defined, measurable learning objectives. Teams should define what students ought to know by the end of a course. All activities and assessments outlined in the curriculum must support these goals.
• Create regular review intervals. Curriculum management is an ongoing process. Educational institutions should establish a cycle for reviewing the curriculum’s relevance and effectiveness. Industry discoveries can change what is taught, and pedagogical research can inform how it’s taught.
• Involve a variety of stakeholders. Different types of users need access to the curriculum management system. Educators create and regularly access the curriculum, and curriculum coordinators review and update it. Administrative evaluators may also need access when they conduct regular performance reviews on other administrators and teachers.
• Provide training. For curriculum implementation to be effective, faculty members need training on updates or changes to content, structure, or methods. They may also need learning opportunities when new curriculum management software is introduced.
• Collect feedback. Organizations should keep an open feedback loop, using surveys to allow teachers and students to weigh in on the curriculum. These insights help guide the curriculum design, review, and implementation process.

Most curriculum management software integrates with learning management systems (LMS). Discover new LMS options here.