Curriculum as a Possible Root Cause

The state assessment data for the school district showed that students in grades K-5 were achieving success and meeting their goals in Math. However, it was cause for concern that benchmark students from lower grades often fell back in grade 6. This resulted in lower proficiency and growth for that grade.

Grade 6 was the first year in middle school for that district. The schedule was different, and students attended math periods versus one homeroom classroom. The teachers in grade 6 complained and blamed grade 5 teachers for not preparing the students for middle school. Blaming often occurs when teachers are doing all that they know but can’t produce a solution. One teacher commented, “Students in lower grades take too much time teaching the math concept and we do not have that time in a middle school period.”

The grade 6 teachers first asked if the time on Math could be changed in grade 5 to better prepare them for middle school (MS). They followed a common pattern observed in many schools: they wanted to rush to solutions instead of thoroughly exploring the underlying causes.  We looked at the grade 5 schedule and discovered that the math period in grade 5 was only 5 minutes longer than their MS period. uncovering this fact, it was revealed that this was not a root cause.   Teachers also shared that their program was different from what students were used to in grade 5. It was time to dig deeper into that statement. 

The grade 6 teachers were teaching the standards in their curriculum which was appropriate for that grade. However, what was not looked at was the strategies and skills for the incoming grade 5 students. As we began to compare the two curricula, we noticed that the program in grades K-5 curriculum provides students with a strong foundation and background for math concepts. The K-5 curriculum also focused on the development of problem-solving and critical thinking skills. 

It wasn’t about giving them a lot of problems but developing math thinking and awareness to solve multiple problems. The conceptual understanding was developed with visuals, manipulatives, strategies, explaining the why, etc. It worked and grades K-5 would consistently achieve their goals.  The middle school team at this school did not know what was done in grade 5 and thought that there was a curriculum issue between grade 5 and grade 6. 

The district's decision to adopt the sixth-grade curriculum was based on the alignment with the K-5 curriculum. While the district thought the 2 curricula were aligned, the teachers in this school did not. Students received adequate support in understanding math standards during their K-5 years, however, they transitioned to middle school and those essential supports were no longer provided in grade 6. During the discussion, two sixth-grade teachers pointed out that K-5 educators tended to over-support students, revealing a mindset issue related to the curriculum rather than a flaw within it.

To address the mindset root cause, we focused on the transition from fifth to sixth grade curriculum. We started by highlighting the similarities between the two curricula. Sixth-grade teachers were also asked, "What do students need to achieve proficiency?"  We used the grade 5 performance data to show that students performed better with the math support in place. Additionally, sixth-grade teachers began analyzing data from incoming students, discovering that these students possessed a significant amount of prior knowledge. 

During their reflections, the teachers acknowledged the significance of using consistent strategies, visuals, and manipulatives from the curriculum from grade 5 to grade 6. They admitted that they haven’t fully embraced these resources within their own curriculum. They also came to realize that their practices had unintentionally held students back, which contributed to a lack of student growth over the past few years.  Grade 6 teachers learned to identify the essential support needed by their students, marking a pivotal step in shifting their mindset about the issues stemming from the fifth-grade curriculum and instruction. 

The curriculum shapes everything that happens in a school. It influences how teachers teach, how students learn, and even how the school measures success. When there’s a disconnect or weakness in the curriculum, it can ripple through every aspect of the school experience. 

Curriculum refers to the lessons and academic content taught in a school or program. It consists of the knowledge and skills students are expected to learn. This also includes learning standards and learning objectives. When these components are not clearly defined, it may be difficult to determine where the problems lie.

Most schools and districts have a pacing guide which sets up a timeframe to teach the standards. This pacing guide is a map or metric to evaluate your curriculum implementation. Do your teachers teach the school curriculum at the appropriate pace? This question must be asked because your root cause may not be a curriculum issue but an implementation issue. If implementation is good and results are still not occurring, then you would want to evaluate your curriculum.

An effective curriculum ensures equitable learning opportunities, including high expectations and enforces deep thinking. Practices and strategies should be evidence-based and address diverse learner needs. They should also include culturally relevant academic, behavioral, social, and emotional components.

When the curriculum isn’t aligned with students’ needs or the school’s goals, it creates gaps that affect everyone. To truly address these challenges, we need to examine the curriculum more closely and understand its role in shaping a school’s success or struggles. If you do not have a strong curriculum in place, the first step is to review and adopt a program that aligns with your community's expectations. 

Once you have a program in place with initial level implementation, the next level for Data Steps 2.0 is to review your data in relation to your curriculum. 

Note: If this is the first year of a new program, you may experience a decline in your data due to implementation challenges. This phenomenon, known as the implementation dip (Michael Fullan), is typical. Once you move beyond the implementation dip, you should start to notice improvements in your data.

When evaluating your data in relation to your curriculum, consider the following questions:

• If you have a school-wide curriculum, how can you determine whether your teachers are implementing it at the appropriate pace? What percentage of your teachers completed the curriculum or adhered to the pacing guide last year or last semester? How do you know this? Could pacing issues be affecting your data?
• Is the curriculum presented with a high degree of rigor and opportunities for deep thinking at each grade level? Does this rigor align with both community and state expectations?
• Which elements of your curriculum assess student learning outcomes? Can you utilize these outcomes to forecast performance in your state assessments? If not, this may indicate another potential root cause.
• Are there any curriculum mindset issues that need to be identified and addressed? (such as the school story above)

A school’s curriculum is more than just a collection of lessons and standards—it’s the framework that guides learning and growth for everyone involved. When thoughtfully designed and consistently reviewed, it can empower teachers, engage students, and drive meaningful outcomes.

If you are looking for support analyzing your curriculum in relationship to your data, and identifying your next leadership steps, request a FREE consultation call with me. Fill in the Contact Form Link: https://debradurma.com/contact-us 

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Are you unhappy with your results or feeling overwhelmed by data? If so, contact me for more information on STAR Leadership School-Student Data Solutions Training. This training will guide you through the 4 data steps and give you a blueprint for achieving results. This training is individualized and tailored to your data, your needs, your staff, your students, and your best route to achieve results.