Community-District Teams are essential in advocating for the use of research-based and data-driven educational methods and materials shown to be effective in helping a diverse population of children, including those with special needs. Diversity is inclusive of linguistic, cultural, ethnic, physical, and cognitive characteristics. There is alignment of standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment from preschool through elementary grades and beyond. The goal is that all children achieve appropriate academic growth to reach essential standards.

Download Pathway Six: Effective Curricula, Instruction, and Child Assessment from the Ready Schools Toolkit, Part 2.

Download Appendix G, Resources for Effective Curricula, Instruction, and Child Assessment.

Selected Effective Curricula, Instruction, and Child Assessment Resources:

WEBSITES

Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS): http://www.brookespublishing.com/store/books/pianta-class/index.htm

An observation tool for educators to assess classroom quality in PreK through grade 3 based on teacher-student interactions in the classroom rather than evaluation of the physical environment or a specific curriculum.

Foundations: Early Learning Standards for North Carolina Preschoolers and Strategies for Guiding Their Success: http://www.earlylearning.nc.gov/Foundations/index.asp 

North Carolina Department of Public Instruction expectations for preschool success.

Learning Through the Eyes of a Child: A Guide to Best Teaching Practices in Early Education: http://www.earlylearning.nc.gov/Foundations/pdf/learning.through.the.eyes.pdf

A guide that describes, cleary and simply, how play-based center activities teach literacy, math, science, social studies, and the arts.  A practical tool to help teachers make the connection between what children are learning and how they can ehance that learning in line with the NC Standard Course of Study.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Position Statements on Curriculum, Assessment, and Program Evaluation: http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements/cape

NC Department of Public Instruction, NC Standard Course of Study K-12: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum/

What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) - Early Childhood: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/reports/topicarea.aspx?tid=13

The WWC (from the US Department of Education, Institute of Educational Sciences) publishes intervention reports that evaluate research on early childhood education curricula and instructional strategies for 3- to 5-year-old children.