Read the following scenario presented by Hoy and Hoy (2009) and address the questions that follow.
Your school's grade level/subject level department is highly regarded for its innovative approach to teaching. The program is oriented toward inquiry as a process, rather than the retention of historical facts. Typically, the department develops curriculum. The teachers are enthusiastic about their program, and it is well received by the students. You do not always agree with the direction of the curriculum, but there is little question that this is a highly skilled and professional group of teachers whom you respect.
Recent reform in the state has argued for back to basics and the use of curricular materials that stress recall of specific persons, places, and events in state and national history. A battery of state tests supports the reform. Although the state maintained that no invidious comparisons would be made, your community has made them. The superintendent has her feet to the fire on this issue, and now you, too, are feeling the heat. Recent test scores show that your students are not doing nearly as well in history as they are in science and mathematics. The superintendent has "requested" that you integrate the state curricular materials into your program to correct the current deficiencies. Your faculty, on the other hand, claim that this is exactly the wrong track to develop inquiring minds. They are not overly concerned with the students' performance on state tests because they claim the tests measure the wrong thing. Parents, however, cannot understand why their children are not doing as well as others in different schools. In fact, at the last board meeting the superintendent promised that the scores of your school would rise. (p.92).
Describe how you would react as the building level principal.
- What action would you take to bring about the necessary change?
- Describe your plan of action and include a timeline.
Things to consider when developing a response:
- What do students need to "know" regarding the curriculum?
- What is the role of rote memory in learning?
- What do behavioral, cognitive, and constructivist perspectives on learning have to offer?
- How does one achieve the right balance of teaching facts and teaching for discovery and understanding?
Support your statements with evidence from the required studies and your research.
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References
Hoy, A. W. & Hoy, W. K. (2009). Instructional leadership: A learning-centered guide for principals. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
It need to be at least 2 pages long sorry for the short notice.