Importance of Curriculum in the community

1. Reporter: JOHN MARK A. DACUBA
Subject: CAS 103 Curriculum Development
Topic: Collecting and Assessing Community-Related Data
Name of Professor: DR. CELIA CARIÑO
Semester: 1st Semester
Academic Year: 2017-2018
__________________________________________________________
I- OBJECTIVES
1. Explain the Labor Demand and Supply
2. Enumerate the projected sources of employment in our
country
3. Identify the cost and other resources in planning a
curriculum.
4. Correlate the importance of collecting and assessing
community related data in planning a curriculum.

2. II – INTRODUCTION
Community is part of the curriculum change. The
linkages between the school and community help address the
needs of both to improve the education system in order to
improve quality life. There is increased understanding
within the community about curriculum needs, why it needs
to be developed, and why it is important for the needs of
the people involved be addressed. Community members have
the opportunity to share how the needs impact the quality
of life for the larger community. Community engagement is
increased because members from different parts of the
community are included in discussions about needs, assets,
and the community’s response. The community’s strengths
and weaknesses are identified. Curriculum planners have an
increased awareness of how they can contribute to their
community’s assets as part of the curriculum to be taught.
There is data in the community needed by these curriculum
implementers for making decisions about the actions that
can be taken to address community needs and how to use the
available assets. Data can be used to inform strategic

3. planning, priority setting, program outcomes, and program
improvements.
III – CONTENT
3.5.3 Labor Supply and Demand
The supply and demand for labor is much like the supply
and demand for any other service. Consistent with the law
of supply and demand (as price rises, quantity demanded
falls and quantity supplied rises), the demand curve has a
negative slope and the supply curve has a positive slope.
The supply of labor, like the supply for other services,
merely indicates how much labor workers are willing to
offer at various prices. The supply curve for each worker
will be different as each worker has different opportunity
costs and preferences. Markets for labor have demand and
supply curves, just like markets for goods. The law of
demand applies in labor markets this way: A
higher salary or wage—that is, a higher price in the labor
market—leads to a decrease in the quantity of labor
demanded by employers, while a lower salary or wage leads
to an increase in the quantity of labor demanded. The law

4. of supply functions in labor markets, too: A higher price
for labor leads to a higher quantity of labor supplied; a
lower price leads to a lower quantity supplied.
The demand for labor indicates how much labor a
firm desires at different prices. The demand curve for
each firm will differ as each firm faces different labor
substitutes (differing rates of potential capital
substitution, for instance), preferences, demand curves
for the products they produce, and alternative employments
for their resources.
Wage rates are simply the price of labor and as
such, are determined like all other prices on the
market. The intersection of the supply and demand curves
for labor indicates the equilibrium, or market clearing,
wage rate for certain types of labor. (In a free
economy, unhampered by government regulation, wage rates
for the same type of labor tend to equalize across
markets).
3.5.3 Projecting Program Cost
A. Determining Program Cost to Estimate

5. There are two basic types that will need to be
examined; (1) Vocational Curriculum not available in the
school (2) Cost to incorporate or expand a course offering
within a vocational service area that is already part of
the curricular offerings within the school.
1. Cost for New Programs
a. Instructional and Support Staff
Curricula planners contemplating the development of
new vocational programs should have little trouble in
projecting the cost needed to obtain staff associated for
the program under consideration.
b. Instructional Materials and Supplies.
Estimated cost for materials and supplies cannot be
accurately accomplished unless the curriculum content has
been determined. It then becomes easier to assess what the
cost will be once the content has been determined.
c. Equipment.
The cost to equip a new facility will vary widely
and is largely dependent upon the vocational service area

6. and type of equipment needed. Curriculum planners must
rely upon equipment list available for each vocational
service area from state departments of education or
teacher educational institutions.
d. Travel.
Expenses for the travel of teachers and field trips
for students should be provided. Teachers must be provided
ample travel expenses in order to survive and established
educational occupational experience project for each
student.
e. Facilities.
Projecting the cost of new facilities is similar to
the equipment costs. Construction cost vary widely
throughout the country, thus for each locality one will
need to check closely with local contractors as to costs.
2. Cost for Expanding Current Vocational Programs
Estimating costs for expanding or adding programs
or courses to a vocational service area already in
existence would be similar to the process followed for a
new program. The major difference is that provision is

7. made for indicating current support available and an
estimate support needed if the expansion of a vocational
service area is to take place.
B. Obtaining Assistance in the Projecting Costs
The tasks of identifying and projecting cost, is
not an easy one and must usually be carried out over a
long period of time. The curriculum planner must seek the
assistance and cooperation of others who can provide
pertinent information. Individuals who might be contacted
would include vocational teachers aligned with the program
or course currently under vocational directors, specialist
in vocational service areas, or other individuals who have
directed knowledge of the service area.
C. Inflation Considerations
Since the time from which a program is first
conceived to the actual building construction maybe three
to five years, the need to consider inflation rate must be
considered. Failing to account for rising cost due to
inflation may place a school in a situation of having to

8. cut back on some of the facilities, equipment, supplies,
or staff when the expense occurs.
D. Special Considerations in Projecting Costs.
As society and technology advance, those
individuals responsible for developing vocational
curricula must be alert to elements of our environment
that have a n influence on vocational education programs.
Energy and its conservation appear to be a major concern
to all. The construction of buildings and the conservation
of needed utilities are areas the planners must consider
as new buildings are constructed or older buildings
renovated. Safety and the passage of the Occupational
Safety and Health Act will have an impact on planning
vocational curricula. Facilities and equipment designed
for safety of students, teachers and others will become a
greater concern in the future. Handicapped individuals are
now being recognized as one group of students overlooked
in the past. Many older buildings did not take into
account the handicapped individual. The construction of
new facilities and renovation of older facilities will
need to accommodate the handicapped. Flexibility is the

9. key to vocational programs in the future. Construction of
new facilities must incorporate flexibility so that as
programs and courses become obsolete, changes for emerging
courses and programs needed for job entry skills can be
initiated with a minimum of expenses.
3.5.4 Identifying/Assessing available Resources
Four basic areas of resources to be examined
include funds, facilities and equipment, human resources,
and cooperative training stations.
A. Funds
The monetary resources for vocational programs may
originate from national, regional, provincial and
municipal sources. While the percentage of funds for each
source may vary from place to place or locality, those
individuals planning vocational programs must determine
just how much is available and from what source. Funds are
one of the most critical factors in achieving program
quality. Furthermore, as funds are identified for
educational programs, curriculum planners must determine

10. just how much of those funds will be used for vocational
education programs.
B. Facilities and Equipment
Assessment of community facilities is being
conducted to determine labor demand.
C. Human Resources
Effective and quality vocational programs do not
rely on adequate equipment, funds and materials, but also
on competent teachers to conduct the programs. Human
resources include support as well as administrators. Thus
a standard must be established regarding the specification
of human resources needed for quality program and data
need to be collected to measure whether this standard can
be met.
D. Cooperative Training Stations
The value of cooperative training stations to
student development is frequently supported in the
literature. Schools may well desire to establish a
standard in this area. Information collected via this form
might also useful for developing a list of those employers

11. who need more information about cooperative programs, and
this may lead to further contact and cooperation between
the school and community.
IV – EVALUATION
Discuss the following:
1. How does Labor Supply and Demand affect the change in
curriculum?
2. In implementing a vocational program what are to be
determined to estimate the cost?
3. Discuss the importance of the four basic areas of
resources; 1. Funds; 2. Facilities and equipment; 3. Human
resources; 4. Cooperating training stations.
V – REFERENCES
LaFaive, M. D. (2001) Supply and Demand and the Labor
Market. Ask the Economist. https://www.mackinac.org/3818

12. Finch, Charles R. and Crunkkilton, John R., (1984)
Curriculum Vocational and Technical Planning, Content and
Implementation, Third Edition, Allyn and Bacon, Inc.
Boston