"One of the few books that takes a holistic look at alignment and helps clarify the definition of alignment. Squires helped increase my knowledge as an instructional leader and showed me that alignment can be a valuable tool when used with real intent. The book engaged me in authentic reflection on my professional practice." —Margarete Couture, Principal South Seneca Central School District, NY Use the power of alignment to strengthen curriculum and raise student achievement! Aligning what is taught, written, and tested can be a powerful, systemic way of improving school performance. This guidebook, written by a long-time educator and proponent of curriculum alignment, demonstrates how to apply specific principles and recommendations to improve curriculum, instruction, and test scores. This resource offers school and district administrators and curriculum specialists concrete, practical guidance for aligning curriculum and instruction with state standards and assessments to improve teaching and learning. The author offers research-based strategies that reinforce the importance of curriculum alignment and shows how districts can: Use alignment as a major curriculum design element Translate research into usable strategies to achieve measurable results Expand options for raising test results and student outcomes Connect school policy with continuous school improvement Meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind Comprehensive, thoughtful, and realistic, Curriculum Alignment offers a wide range of approaches to appeal to educators at every level.

Table of Contents:
Preface List of Figures and Tables Acknowledgments About the Author Part I. Alignment and Instruction, Textbooks, and Standardized Tests 1. Introduction to Curriculum Alignment What is Alignment? Alignment Problems The Alignment Matrix 2. Alignment and Instruction Introduction The "Reform Up Close" Study and Alignment Dimensions Instructional Alignment and Professional Development Three Smaller Studies of Instructional Alignment What Districts Can Do 3. Alignment and Textbooks Introduction Textbook to Test Alignment Summary of Findings for Studies of Textbook to Test Alignment Quality of Textbook Instruction Modifying the Use of Textbooks to Improve Alignment Summary of Findings for Textbook Alignment What Districts Can Do 4. Alignment and Standardized Tests Introduction Marzano′s Standards Compilation The Webb Studies:Aligning State Standards, Assessments, and Policies Webb′s WAT Web Site The Browder Study: Alignment in Special Education Vertical Alignment Science Inquiry and Alignment to Three Large-Scale Assessments The Bowe and Kingsbury Study The National Center for Educational Statistics Study (2007): Cut Scores for State Tests and the NAEP Backloanding the Curriculum Summary of Findings for Studies of Alignment of State Tests What Districts Can Do Part II. Alignment and Mastery Learning, Project 2061, and TIMSS 5. Alignment, Reteaching, and Mastery Learning A Personal Ntoe Introduction Bloom′s Theory of School Learning Cohen: Instructional Alignment The Wishnick Study Summary of Findings for Studies of Mastery Learning What Districts Can Do 6. Ideas From Project 2061 of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Introduction Project 2061 Summary of Findings for Project 2061 What Districts Can Do 7. Alignment and the TIMSS Analysis Introduction The TIMSS Methodology Curriculum and Student Acheivement What Districts Can Do Part III. The Aligned Curriculum 8. Criteria for a Useful and Useable Curriculum Incorporating Alignment Introduction The Many Meaning of Curriculum The Common Definition of Curriculum Our Definition of Curriculum Criteria for a Useful and Useable Curriculum 9. Addressing Alignment Through a Curriculum Design: The Balanced Curriculum Model Introduction Results from School Districts The Balanced Curriculum Model Is the Balanced Curriculum Useful and Useable? What Districts Can Do- A Conclusion 10. How the Balanced Curriculum Meets This Book′s Recommendations for Districts 11. Summary of Alignment Research and Recommendations Introduction Summary of the Book Summary of the Book′s Chapters The Reasearch Posted on the Alignment Matrix Major Findings From the Alignment Research Resource A: 10 Criteria for Structuring a Useful and Useable Curriculum References Index