A CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT AUDIT

STANDARD 4: A School System Uses the Results from System-Designed and/or -Adopted Assessments to Adjust, Improve, or Terminate Ineffective Practices or Programs. A school system meeting this audit standard has designed a comprehensive system of assessment/testing and uses valid measurement tools that indicate how well its students are achieving designated priority learning goals and objectives. Common indicators are: • A formative and summative assessment system linked to a clear rationale in board policy; • Knowledge, local validation, and use of current curricular and program assessment best practices; • Use of a student and program assessment plan which provides for diverse assessment strategies for varied purposes at all levels -- district, school, and classroom; • A way to provide feedback to the teaching and administrative staffs regarding how classroom instruction may be evaluated and subsequently improved; • A timely and relevant data base upon which to analyze important trends in student achievement; • A vehicle to examine how well specific programs are actually producing desired learner outcomes or results; • A data base to compare the strengths and weaknesses of various programs and program alternatives, as well as to engage in equity analysis; • A data base to modify or terminate ineffective educational programs; • A method/means to relate to a programmatic budget and enable the school system to engage in cost-benefit analysis; and • ...