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The backward-design approach to standards-based curriculum and instructional design process

This is an excerpt from National Health Education Standards-3rd Edition by SHAPE America - Society of Health and Physical Educators.

FIGURE 4.1 The link between standards, assessment, and instruction can be thought of as a continuous cycle.

Planning in a standards-based environment is often called backward design because it “begins with the end” in mind (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005). In a standards-based classroom, “the end” that teachers concentrate on involves providing evidence of student attainment of the standards and performance indicators (versus completion of a particular activity or project, chapters in a book, or a packaged curriculum). Authentic assessments, aligned with standards and performance indicators, are used to provide a clear picture of student learning and measures of instructional effectiveness. Therefore, health teachers are able to use their assessment data as feedback to continually improve the instructional process at every stage.

Backward design is a three-stage approach to designing curriculum by aligning standards, assessment, and instruction (see figure 4.2). The first stage in backward design is to use the standards and performance indicators to identify the health-related skills and concepts that students should know and be able to do. The second stage is to identify assessments that will provide evidence of students’ achievement of these skills and concepts. The third stage is to develop the instructional practices that will help students learn and master the identified health-related skills and concepts. Although these three stages outline an approach to the curriculum planning, it is important to understand that these stages are interconnected and that the process is not rigidly linear or step-by-step. Improvements will be made in the development and implementation at each stage in the process.

FIGURE 4.2 The backward-design approach to standards-based curriculum and instructional design process. Standards form the foundation for desired results; assessments provide evidence that students are meeting or not meeting the standards, which allows educators to shape curricula and instruction. Adapted by permission from G. Wiggins and J. McTighe, Understanding by Design, Expanded, 2nd ed. (Arlington, VA: ASCD. © 2005). All rights reserved.
FIGURE 4.2 The backward-design approach to standards-based curriculum and instructional design process. Standards form the foundation for desired results; assessments provide evidence that students are meeting or not meeting the standards, which allows educators to shape curricula and instruction.
Adapted by permission from G. Wiggins and J. McTighe, Understanding by Design, Expanded, 2nd ed. (Arlington, VA: ASCD. © 2005). All rights reserved.

More Excerpts From National Health Education Standards 3rd Edition