Curriculum Innovation Leader

Top Ten Curriculum Innovation Leader

Participated in the Leadership Academy, part 1 and 2; have 9 hours of Masters Credit for participating in part 2; STAR, Distance Education, Learning to Achieve, and ANI.

1. Performance Accountability to achieve continuous improvement through performance, instructor evaluations and student evaluations and student success.

2. Innovation must be ties to the curriculum and student SEP, keeping in mind the ultimate goal is student success in achieving their education goals (level completions, passing the GED, transition to post-secondary) and career goals (get a job, retain a job).

3. Allow flexibility in using the curriculum guide to implement innovative teaching strategies.

4. The flexibility should be based on local program needs, learning success and as a way to accommodate the variety of student learning styles.

5. As a program administrator you must be involved in the training and the implementation. You must play the same role as your instructors.

6. Student feedback is critical to what you are trying to implement. You should use their evaluations and suggestions as a way to judge whether to continue and/or make changes in the way you implement.

7. Use your instructors and students evaluations and suggestion as a way to have them buy into what you are trying to do.

8. Something I remember from the Leadership Academy is to start small when you are making changes, you do not always have to implement new ideas into the service area as a whole. Let others see the success as a way of securing buy-in.

9. Teacher strengths should be the determining factor in who is selected to participate in curriculum innovation projects.

10. You must be able to support the project with fiscal resources; profession development, technology needs, books, printed material, software.