I need a reply to the following to post
post 1
Sarah Dry
In the United States, core curriculum decisions are largely decentralized, with each state having its own set of standards and educational goals. Horizontal alignment, ensuring that subjects complement each other across grade levels, is often a challenge due to this decentralized nature. While there are efforts to align standards through initiatives like the Common Core State Standards, implementation varies widely among states. Despite the implementation of Common Core standards in certain states, further research is required to determine its effectiveness (Polikoff, 2017). Vertical alignment, ensuring that skills progress logically from one grade level to the next, also faces challenges due to differences in pacing and content.
In contrast, Finland has a highly centralized education system with a national core curriculum that provides clear guidelines for all schools. Horizontal alignment is achieved through a uniform set of standards and goals, ensuring consistency across the country. Vertical alignment is also emphasized, with a focus on building upon foundational skills as students progress through the education system (Pietarinen et al., 2017). From a biblical perspective, both approaches have merits. The decentralization of education in the United States allows for greater autonomy and responsiveness to local needs, fostering a sense of stewardship and accountability at the community level following Romans 12:4-5 principles which states, “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” (NIV, 2011). However, the centralized approach in Finland promotes unity and consistency, reflecting the biblical call to pursue peace and harmony within society which follows Philippians 2:2-3 principles stating, “Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves.” (NIV, 2011) Personally, I prefer the approach taken by Finland. The centralized nature of their core curriculum allows for greater consistency and coherence in education. It ensures that all students, regardless of location, have access to the same high-quality education. Additionally, the emphasis on vertical alignment helps students build a strong foundation of skills, leading to better overall academic outcomes.
New International Version. (2011). BibleGateway.com. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+2%3A2-3+&version=NIV
Pietarinen, J., Pyhältö, K., & Soini, T. (2017). Large‐scale curriculum reform in Finland – exploring the interrelation between implementation strategy, the function of the reform, and curriculum coherence. The Curriculum Journal, 28(1), 22–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585176.2016.1179205
Polikoff, M. S. (2017). Is common core “working”? and where does common core research go from here? AERA Open, 3(1), 233285841769174. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858417691749
post 2
Regina Brown
I chose to compare the United States to Italy for core curriculum decisions.
According to Button (2021), a core curriculum is the areas of education that are required to be completed by all students. Examples of these are sections such as reading, social studies, math, etc. Most states in the United States follow the CCSS for planning and implementing instruction. There are two options when teaching core curriculum, especially in the lower grades where classes are self-contained: Students do not switch teachers for each subject. One option is teaching each subject in isolation from the others, and the other option is to integrate or “fuse” two or more subjects (Button, 2021). In the United States, over 50% of “adults” have completed post-secondary education to further their career in their chosen field, but they can only enter this at the bachelors level, unlike many other countries (OECD, 2023). One thing that was interesting was that the amount of time for the total duration of instruction was lower in Italy than many places. The OECD (2023) article stated that with lower direct instruction time on the core curriculum, the workload may be heavier for students to compensate. Both countries have education standards that meet with vertical and horizontal alignment, as a large percentage of both countries have students in the post-secondary level. One benefit of education in Italy is that there are many tertiary vocational opportunities (OECD, 2023). I believe that this plays a role in the core curriculum being taught, because if the standards are being addressed in a vertical format, then students will have the educational skills to apply to hands on learning in vocational programs. A major difference between the US and Italy is that in Italy, compulsory education ends at 16 rather than 18, which may have an impact on the high amount of citizens enrolled in secondary programs.
After reading about core curriculum decisions and formats in Italy compared to the United States, I liked things about both. I believe that vocational skills are important, 1 John 3:18 states “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (BibleStudyTools, n.d.). By placing an emphasis on learning and serving, Italy has a huge population of people that have the ability to be helpful and responsible citizens. There are also much smaller class sizes in Italy, with OECD (2023) stating that there are “11 students per staff member in general upper secondary programmes” (p. 8). 11 Students would be a dream for most teachers in the United States. However, I do think that there are pros to teaching in the United States as well, such as higher salaries.
References:
BibleStudyTools. (n.d.). 1 John 3:18. King James Version.
Button, L. J. (2021). Curriculum design, development, and models: Planning for student learning. Curriculum Essentials: A Journey. Pressbooks. https://oer.pressbooks.pub/curriculumessentials/chapter/curriculum-design-development-and-models-planning-for-student-learning-there-is-always-a-need-for-newly-formulated-curriculum-models-that-address-contemporary-circumstance-an/Links to an external site.
OECD. (2023). OECD (2023), Education at a Glance 2023: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/e13bef63-enLinks to an external site..
