Curriculum management systems are a great tool to align curriculum across grade levels, as well as across subject areas. But without the proper curriculum development and management software education and training, your staff may not be utilizing this resource to its fullest potential. Most systems allow you to track your state’s core competencies, but you can also track any local objectives your school district mandates.

The teaching staff may be resistant to the idea of curriculum management software. Teachers have plenty to do without adding more work, so whatever curriculum manager software the school district chooses, must be user-friendly. The district must also provide ample opportunities for professional training on the academic software. Regardless of the delivery system you choose for curriculum development systems training, the training should include:

1. Methods for setting curriculum goals within the curriculum management software.

2. Ways to easily integrate the classroom software into existing courses of study.

3. Opportunities to evaluate the success or failure of the curriculum manager software.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Receive curriculum development software training from the software provider

Many curriculum management software companies offer staff training as part of their support programs. In some cases they offer on-site training, and in other instances they train teachers who then take the information back to their school for in-service training.

I recommend: Rubicon International provides curriculum development and management software education and training for its Atlas curriculum product. It can customize the training to meet your curriculum management software needs. CompassLearning offers professional training for its classroom management software.

Hire curriculum developer software consultants to provide training

These consultants are experts in the operation of curriculum management systems. They can provide invaluable advice to help you get the most out of your curriculum software.

I recommend: Instructional Performance Systems offers training in curriculum management systems. These consultants focus on secondary level curriculum assessment software and it’s implementation. Collaborative Learning offers professional development opportunities for your teachers to learn ways to better implement the curriculum developer software in your school district.

Get online curriculum development and management software education and training

This method allows teachers to learn the curriculum software system at their own pace and with their own objectives. It's important that you have a monitoring system in place if you want to know whether the teacher's have actually participated in the training.

I recommend: ProQuest offers a number of curriculum development and management software training options free of charge online. You can also attend a variety of workshops to improve your knowledge of curriculum development software throughout the year. You can also choose LeanForward for online curriculum software. It specializes in adult workforce professional curriculum development software for continuing adult education in the workforce.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Make sure your school's IT personnel has all the training they need to keep your curriculum development software operational on your servers.

Curriculum development and management software delivers the core curriculum established by school boards, Departments of Education or other administrative agencies. With curriculum developer software, you can manage lesson plans with predesigned graphic materials, track student improvement and stay connected to parents and students individually with pre-established databases, network construction and easy-to-use interfaces.

Curriculum assessment and classroom management software solutions offer features to manage student learning, from second-grade music class to college IT coursework. Use solutions that offer standards-based lesson plans, curriculum mapping, gradebooks, reporting options and parent/student access. Teachers and administrators will want classroom software options like working offsite, accessing files for staff collaboration, school-wide reporting and data queries. Programs should provide timely feedback so that classroom data encourages student performance.

When investing in curriculum management software for your classroom or school, consider available features and options:

1. Connect to parents and students with web-based curriculum development systems from any computer with an Internet connection.

2. Use professional curriculum development software to connect classrooms with school administration.

3. Look for curriculum management software companies offering training and support services.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get web-based curriculum management systems to stay connected to parents and students

Web-based curriculum programs can be implemented quickly because they are cheap and often require no installation or IT staff. Curriculum development systems that use an Internet connection offer teachers offsite access and data-pooling from the entire school, and help modify student behavior quickly with daily monitoring options.

I recommend: TeacherEase provides web-based software for teachers to manage K-12 classrooms with lesson plans, gradebooks, report cards and parent access. Atlas by Rubicon offers web-based curriculum mapping with no software to install. Atlas promises a comprehensive approach to curriculum development and classroom management, involving parent input as well.

Look for professional-grade curriculum development software with advanced administration options

Installed curriculum software offers robust querying options for administrative reporting and processes. Additionally, PC-based programs can be more secure since confidential data is stored on school property and is less visible. While installed software will require more IT support, district staff will likely handle network security systems integration. An additional advantage is that staff can still work when the network is down.

I recommend: Instructional Performance Systems uses the Vogler CPA model to provide scoring assistance, academic integration and progress monitoring. Ventura Educational Systems offers several technology products that are coordinated with print activities and a supplementary i-curriculum.

Ask for training and consulting services from your curriculum management software providers

Look for companies that build standards-based curriculum and assessment systems with input from education professionals as well as multimedia designers and engineers. Ask for custom plans and staff training to ensure program success. Consider programs that offer long-term service options.

I recommend: CompassLearning offers ongoing support and research-based professional development. PTA provides custom curriculum development, training and technical services and needs assessment.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Graphically intense curriculum development software programs may not be compatible with your current operating systems and school hardware.
• •  Survey teachers and administrators when comparing program features to be sure solution options will fit their current classroom management practices.
• •  Highlight the new academic software implementation for extra publicity for your education institution.

Choosing and implementing the right curriculum development and management software takes a little know-how, but there are many advantages. Curriculum development and management software can simplify the process of curriculum mapping. Web-based software can offer the convenience of access from anywhere. The right software can help your school develop a standards-based curriculum that uses both formative and summative assessments. It is also great for tracking professional development of administration and teachers. By knowing curriculum development and management software key terms, you'll be able to make the best choice for your needs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Curriculum mapping

Curriculum mapping involves collecting and recording information about your school's curriculum and how it is performing. Software can help teachers compile and review results by subject and grade level. Educators can use the results for projection mapping to make decisions about what they will cover in the future.

I recommend: Read more about curriculum mapping at Education World. Check out Atlas by Rubicon for more information on the benefits of curriculum mapping software.

Web-based software

Web-based software has the advantage of having information stored online rather than on a local system. This means information is accessible any time, even at remote locations, and cannot be easily lost.

I recommend: For a good example of what web-based curriculum software can do, check out TeacherEase by Common Goal Systems.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is an ongoing process that engages students in self-assessment as they learn. This can include goal setting, teacher observation and peer evaluations.

I recommend: Visit Exemplars for tips on successfully utilizing formative assessment techniques.

Summative assessments

Summative assessments occur after learning to determine student progress. This includes testing like state assessments, midterm exams and end-of-unit exams.

I recommend: For more information on the value of summative assessment and how it differs from formative assessment, visit the National Middle School Association.

Professional development

In the simplest of terms, professional development means continuing to learn. Teachers and administrators not only need professional development, but also a way to track it. Software often helps keep track of classes, seminars and other professional training activities undertaken by educators.

I recommend: Learn more about the benefits of professional development for teachers at American Federation of Teachers.

Standards-based curriculum

A standards-based curriculum uses statewide education standards to determine what students should be taught in each subject at each grade level.

I recommend: To learn more about the need for standards-based curriculum, visit the New York State Education Department.