Curriculum monitoring involves periodically assessing curriculum implementation and making adjustments. It determines how well the curriculum is working and informs decisions about retaining, improving, or modifying aspects. The document outlines the definition, rationale, types, roles, process, and similarities and differences between monitoring and evaluation. An effective monitoring system is simple, provides timely feedback, is cost-effective, flexible, accurate, comprehensive, relevant, and leads to learning. It involves clarifying roles, identifying evidence, data collection tools, training monitors, preparing staff, conducting monitoring, analyzing and sharing results, and determining a plan of action.
2. SUBTITTLE
DEFINITION
RATIONALE / IMPORTANCE
TYPES OF MONITORING
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY
MONITORING PROCESS
SIMILARITIES BETWEEN MONITORING AND
EVALUATION
DIFFERENTIVE BETWEEN MONITORING AND
EVALUATION
3. INTRODUCTION OF
CURRICULUM MONITORING
Monitoring is a periodic assessment and adjustment during the try
– out period.
It is like formative evaluation.
It determines how the curriculum is working, such that the
monitoring report becomes the basis of a decision on what
aspects have to be retained, improved and modified.
Monitoring also provides decision that would even end or
terminate the programme.
Usually, monitoring is done by the module writers, curriculum
experts or outside agencies. It is important aspect of curriculum
4. DEFINITION
A process of gathering information for evaluating the
effectiveness of the curriculum and ensuring that the
intended, implemented and attained curricula are
aligned. This process typically focuses on such issues
as relevance, consistency, practicality, effectiveness,
scaling-up and sustainability, as well as whether
learners are achieving the expected learning
outcomes. It measures the extent to which the
curriculum is commensurate with the diverse needs of
all learners.
5. RATIONALE OF CURRICULUM
MONITORING
We undertake curriculum subject monitoring to:
• Inform future planning and development work
Ensure the subject co-ordinator has an overview of
the teaching of their subject throughout the school,
through which they can support staff, develop the
subject and ensure adequate resources are in place.
• Information for interested parties (e.g. parents and
governors) Meet the requirements set out within the
OFSTED framework that require that schools
monitor teaching and learning.
6. IMPORTANCE OF CURRICULUM
MONITORING
Provide constant feedback on the extent to which the curriculum are
achieving their goals.
Identify potential problems at an early stage and propose possible
solutions.
Monitor the accessibility of the curriculum to all sectors of the target
population.
Monitor the efficiency with which the different components of the
curriculum are being implemented and suggest improvements.
Evaluate the extent to which the curriculum is able to achieve its
general objectives.
7. Provide guidelines for the planning of future curriculum.
Influence sector assistance strategy. Relevant analysis from project and
policy evaluation can highlight the outcomes of previous interventions, and
the strengths and weaknesses of their implementation.
Improve curriculum design. Use of curriculum design tools such as the
logframe (logical framework) results in systematic selection of indicators for
monitoring project performance. The process of selecting indicators for
monitoring is a test of the soundness of project objectives and can lead to
improvements in project design.
Incorporate views of stakeholders. Awareness is growing that participation
by project beneficiaries in design and implementation brings greater
“ownership” of project objectives and encourages the sustainability of project
benefits. Ownership brings accountability. Objectives should be set and
indicators selected in consultation with stakeholders, so that objectives and
targets are jointly “owned”. The emergence of recorded benefits early on
helps reinforce ownership, and early warning of emerging problems allows
action to be taken before costs rise.
9. TYPES OF MONITORING
Throughout the monitoring process, the alignment curriculum should be
monitored to be sure it is working as planned and then evaluated to assesss its
overall effectiveness.
Two types of monitoring are required
A. Administrator should be responsible for monitoring curriculum
management.
B. Administrators’ focus on the teachers implementation of the curriculum at
the class room level
10.
11. “He who stops being better stops being good.”
-Oliver Cromwell
How does this quotation relate to monitoring?
When the implementation of practices is monitored and student progress toward mastery is monitored, we
continue to get better.
That’s what monitoring is all about – a means of getting better.
Roles and
responsibilities
12. ROLE OF MONITORING
In defining the term monitoring, one needs to be exposed to a number of
concepts associated therewith.
Monitoring is the continuous assessment of a programme or project in
relation to the agreed implementation schedule. It is also a good
management tool which should, if used properly, provide continuous
feedback on the project implementation as well assist in the identification
of potential successes and constraints to facilitate timely decisions.
Unfortunately, in many projects, the role of this is barely understood and
therefore negatively impacts on the projects.
13. Monitoring is not only concerned with the transformation of inputs into outputs, but can also
take the following forms:
Physical and financial monitoring
Measuring progress of project or programme activities against established schedules and
indicators of success.
Process monitoring
Identifying factors accounting for progress of activities or success of output production.
Impact monitoring
Measuring the initial responses and reactions to project activities and their immediate short-
term effects.
Projects are monitored so as to:
• assess the stakeholders’ understanding of the project;
• minimise the risk of project failure;
• promote systematic and professional management; and
• assess progress in implementation.
14. One needs to recognize the role played by the various
stakeholders in monitoring. These players include the
Education ministry, implementing agencies, project teams,
interested groups such as NGOs and etc. It should further be
recognized that, to be an effective management tool,
monitoring should be regular but should take into account the
risks inherent in the project/programme and its
implementation.
15. It is important for staff to monitor the effects on pupil progress and achievement of the
planning, teaching and assessment methods used, resources and the pace of lessons.
The following questions may be useful to staff in reviewing the effectiveness of their
teaching.
What were the purposes and the intended learning outcomes of the programmes provided? Were they met?
What and how were methods used to measure responses and results? Were there any learning outcomes which
were not intended?
Did the learning opportunities provided lead to progress?
Were there any differences between the achievements of boys and girls?
What were the pupils' thoughts and perceptions?
What range of teaching methods were used? How were they varied for individual pupils?
Did pupil groupings encourage interaction between members of the group?
Did the use of staff support pupils as planned and encourage independent learning?
Were resources suitable and helpful?
Did the physical environment help?
16. What are the characteristics of an excellent monitoring
system? Each programme is unique. It is therefore
suggested that prior to starting of a programme, a
discussion should ensure to try and identify these. Among
them could be: simple, quickly provides information for
corrective action, cost-effective, flexible, accurate,
comprehensive, relevant, accessible, leads to learning,
transparent, and shares information up and down.
17. Governors are responsible for ensuring that the
legal requirements of curriculum delivery exist
in the school. As they can’t be involved in day-
to day issues a level of monitoring need
establishing so that they can take a overall
view and monitor and evaluate the decisions
they have made which effect the curriculum
18. Governors should ensure that monitoring and evaluation
are carried out. The responsibilities of school managers
and staff for monitoring, evaluating and reviewing all
aspects of the curriculum should be clearly set out in
school policy documents. Other professionals should
contribute to the process. Pupils who have been involved
in setting their own targets, should also be encouraged to
be active in monitoring their own progress and evaluating
the curriculum.
19. To be successful as a school or system, there must be a “monitoring process’ that prevails throughout.
The purpose of a systemic monitoring process is to help improve and support system initiatives.
It improves and supports the school initiatives.
The approach to designing a monitoring process varies. However, it appears that there are ten common basic steps.
Consider these steps:
1. Clarify purpose and identify roles/responsibilities. (Why are we monitoring?)
2. Select a focus. (County initiative? Strategy? School initiative?)
3. Identify acceptable evidence of success. (What will we look for and ask about?)
4. Determine process/model for gathering data. (Classroom Walkthrough?)
5. Identify tools/instruments for data gathering and recording. (Checklists, rubrics, etc.?)
6. Train monitors. (Reflective questioning? Record data? Analyze data?)
7. Prepare staff. (How will the concept, ‘Fix the system, don’t blame the people” be
conveyed to staff? How will they know that monitoring is not evaluation?)
8. Conduct the monitoring. (Who will do it? Principal only? Central Office Team?
Teacher Teams? Self Assessment?)
9. Analyze data and share results. (How will results be analyzed and communicated? With
whom will the results be shared?)
10. Determine plan of action. (What is the expectation for action following the monitoring?)
Monitoring
for Success
10 Step Systemic Process
21. Classroom Walkthroughs
Data in a Day
Learning Walks
Instructional Walks
5 x 5’s
Walk Abouts
Management by Walking Around
22. The process of collecting datathrough monitoring, while differing in some ways, contains the following common elements:
•Consist of a short period of time (5-15 minutes)
•Use internal and/or external teams in addition to the principal
•Have some method of preparing or communicating with the staff, prior to the monitoring,
about the purpose of the monitoring
•Establish evidence that will be accepted to show implementation
•Include focused observations
•Determine how data will be gathered and recorded
•Decide how and with whom debriefing/feedback will be given
•Have a plan that will result in improved action
•Recognize that monitoring gives a schoolwide picture through many small snapshots
23. “Michael Fullen states that
the success of implementation is highly
dependent on the establishment of
effective ways of getting information
on how well or poorly change is going
in the school or classroom.”
Mike Schmoker, Results: the Key to Continuous School Improvement
25. The process of monitoring and evaluating in the curriculum has much in
common with the process of assessment for the students of the school:
the process should be open and shared
the purpose of monitoring and evaluating should be clear to all involved: and it should be
seen as a supportive and developmental process, aimed at improving standards throughout
the school
all those involved should be aware of the criteria for judging success (there are standard
pro formas for lesson observation, for instance)
the process should be manageable, rigorous and systematic in planning and targetsetting.
26. 10 step of systemic process
1. Clarify propose and identify roles /
responsibility.
2. Identify acceptable evidence of success
3. Determine process for gathering data
4. Identify instruments for data gathering and
recording
5. Train monitors
27. 6. Prepare staff
7. Conduct the monitoring
8. Analyze data and share results
9. Determine plan of action
29. Data in a Day
Learning Walks
Instructional Walks
5 x 5’s
Walk Abouts
Management by Walking Around
Classroom Walkthroughs
30. Short period of time (5-15 minutes)
Internal and/or external teams
Communication with staff
Acceptable evidence
Focused observations
Data gathering and recording
Debriefing/feedback
Action plan
Schoolwide picture through many small snapshots
Common Elements
31. Checklists
Rubrics
Look Fors and Ask Fors
Student Interviews (Ask about EQ)
Anecdotal Notes
Self Assessment Rubrics
Data Gathering Tools
