A Balanced Curriculum: Standards and Assessments for High Performance

The article of David Squires and Angelique Arrington entitled A fit Curriculum Standards and Assessments for High Performance, presented a conversation-style elaboration of the said subject enabling the readers to have a better judgment of the points from the different perspectives of the community relate in the performance.The article basically emphasized on how cardinal teachers and a principal discussed their course of study and the methods they utilize in educating the students through lectures and activities and what inescapably to be improved for the students better performance in national tests (Squires & Arrington, 1999). In analyzing this article, both its positive and negative implications are taken into consideration.The authors basically asseverate that after observing a development program introduced in a specific school, pursue the next step would be to examine the curriculum of the school. In doing so, the discussants will be subject to have an overview of how the school is equilibrate, adjust and assessing their programs to help prepare the students for state exams.Squires and Arrington asserted that pursuing a fit curriculum will help children develop their skills and meet their needs to recruit in the society.To be competent-bodied to achieve a balance curriculum, teachers and administrators cling a series of workshops wherein the said strategy is elaborated and simulated.Then, after the recognition of the importance of having a balanced curriculum, these people makes an thrust to align their plotted curriculum with national and state standards involving a series of modifications and compromises to their own standards (Squires & Arrington, 1999).The balancing process in addition involves the assessment of the curriculum in two ship canal the performance and the format assessments. These two methods were designed to see both the understanding and application of concepts by the students. It is through this last step that th e decision-makers examine if they were adequate to(p) to balance their curriculum or non and fix those programs that are not adequate to complement their expectations.As stated earlier, the article poses some strengths and weaknesses. For its strengths, in pursuing a balanced curriculum, the teachers and administrators will find it easier to teach their students while at the same time having an assurance that the students understand the lessons and will be able to integrate such learning in their following years.Moreover, the students will too find it easier to relate to the lessons with an application of the concepts and have a higher get hold of performing well in the national exams with the improved preparations made.On the contrary, applying a balanced curriculum requires a lot of work and policy-making skills especially since it involves the process of aligning and assessments. In addition to that, a great amount of effort is needed in aligning ones curriculum to the natio nal standards and framework.To be able to enhance the positive manifestations of a balanced curriculum and to be able to transform the weaknesses to something beneficial for the teachers, the decision-makers should really be consistent and eager in pursuing their desired curriculum especially since it requires a lot of studies and thinking. Moreover, the involved people especially the teachers should continue to have a drive in enhancing their curriculum for the welfare of their students.Lastly, looking back at the article of Squires and Arrington, it is perceptibly an essential and critical study in the development of the teaching methods of teachers and their standards. It is also very important as a basis for other researchers in developing the curriculum utilized by instructors and how the students will be able to cover everything they need for a specific grade level.ReferencesSquires, D.A. & Arrington, A. (1999). A Balanced Curriculum Standards and Assessments for High Perform ance. Teachers College Columbia University.