Actualization of Core Curriculum: Policy Framework

The concept of actualization referred to in the policy statement reflects...the belief that an evergreen Core Curriculum is the best means to educate Saskatchewan students for the 21st century

We are striving to build and maintain a learner-centred school system that emphasizes higher order thinking skills, the desire to engage in change, and the social skills to participate in a diverse society.

Policy Framework

The following framework, which includes a policy statement and seven principles, represents a blueprint for Core Curriculum actualization. It is intended that the partners in education work from this framework to make their own plans, according to their mandates, in order that Saskatchewan's school programs result in all students attaining the Goals of Education.
The policy statement is based on the belief that Core Curriculum is multi-faceted and includes many components and initiatives (see Figure 1). The concept of actualization referred to in the policy statement reflects this broad understanding of Core Curriculum and the belief that an evergreen Core Curriculum is the best means to educate Saskatchewan students for the 21st century.

Policy Statement

The partners in the Saskatchewan Education system are committed to working together to realize the Goals of Education for all Saskatchewan learners through the actualization of Core Curriculum.

Principles

The partners agree that the following seven principles provide a guide for Core Curriculum actualization activity at all levels:

Core Curriculum actualization is a means of honouring our commitment to providing a high quality, appropriate, and relevant education for each Saskatchewan child.
The description of an educated person articulated in Directions still reflects what we expect will be the needs of citizens in the 21st century. We are striving to build and maintain a learner-centred school system that emphasizes higher order thinking skills, the desire to engage in change, and the social skills to participate in a diverse society. Our goal is to provide a school system where all children develop to their full potential, regardless of ethnic or racial origin, socio-economic class, gender, or intellectual or physical capacities. We are agreed, then, that we should maintain our commitment to Core Curriculum into this next phase, with a focus on full implementation and continuous renewal.

When educators share their knowledge with parents and the community, they pave the way for participation and for productive partnerships to develop.

Actualization can only be achieved through growth at all levels of the system, from the provincial level to the community and the classroom.
Although Core Curriculum actualization is a major concern at the organizational level, it is also true that school divisions and teachers have their concerns, as do parents and community members. Actualization activities must be inclusive, and concerted efforts must be made to encourage communication, learning, and participation by all.
In each community, schools and community representatives should establish means for parents and community members to become knowledgeable about Core Curriculum and school programs. When educators share their knowledge with parents and the community, they pave the way for participation and for productive partnerships to develop.
For teachers and administrators, professional development opportunities provide a vehicle for gaining and sharing knowledge about provincial and school division initiatives, and successful classroom practice. While professional development can be addressed in many ways and initiated at various levels of the system, the educational partners agree that formal opportunities throughout the school year should be planned in such ways that teachers, schools, and school divisions can move forward on a variety of issues, through co-ordination between local and provincial activities.

While the educational partners are in full agreement that consistency in the Core Curriculum throughout the province is one goal,it is best achieved with respect for individual differences and the realities of each school community.

The context of each school community should be respected in the delivery and renewal of a consistent Core Curriculum throughout the province.
Although we all operate within a certain contemporary context, the reality of that context can vary throughout the province.
Demographics shift. The effects of technology and globalization vary from community to community, as do social, cultural, and economic environments. Within local contexts, schools develop their own policies, procedures, and practices appropriate to their community. While the educational partners are in full agreement that consistency in the Core Curriculum throughout the province is one goal, it is best achieved with respect for individual differences and the realities of each school community.

Through successful implementation, a school program develops which is based on the foundational objectives of the curriculum, but which also meets the unique needs of each particular school and community.

The school is at the centre of curriculum actualization activity.
All the educational partners recognize and respect the diversity that exists in Saskatchewan schools. Thomas Guskey (n.d.) points to the powerful impact of context on results: "The uniqueness of the individual setting will always be a critical factor in education. What works in one situation may not work in another."
As Core Curriculum components and initiatives are implemented, they become the foundation for school programs. Through successful implementation, a school program develops which is based on the foundational objectives of the curriculum, but which also meets the unique needs of each school and community. It would be counter-productive for actualization activity to occur outside of each particular school's culture and environment. With the school at the centre of actualization activity, continuous renewal of programs can occur smoothly, within the daily operations of the school.

The focus of actualization activity is on classroom practice (teaching and learning).
Curriculum documents provide the starting point for classroom programs. What actually happens as a result of curriculum planning -- that is, classroom instruction and assessment -- is what makes a difference in students' lives. The concept of actualization of Core Curriculum should be viewed within the context of classroom activity and the student learning that results. Actualization, it must be remembered, takes into account all aspects of classroom practice that contribute to student learning.

All actualization activity should be based on the recognition that curriculum documents and initiatives become meaningful only when they become part of a school community.

People make the difference.
Actualization of Core Curriculum will happen only through the participation and involvement of many different people: students, teachers, parents and caregivers, Elders, administrators, trustees, and community members. These people make the difference in the success of an implementation undertaking. All actualization activity should be based on the recognition that curriculum documents and initiatives become meaningful only when they become part of a school community. While we recognize the value of strong provincial leadership, it is the people in each school community who are in the best position to plan and take responsibility for the continuous renewal of Core Curriculum in their jurisdiction.

If Core Curriculum is to be actualized in Saskatchewan schools, we will have to act on what we know: that support structures are necessary to enable teachers to fulfil their responsibilities.

Change is both an individual and an organizational process that requires a combination of pressure and support to be sustained.
The task of designing and developing the new Core Curriculum was immense and constitutes nothing less than a major reform of the education system. Despite the extent of the undertaking, the goal is clear: full implementation and continuous renewal are the expectation. To achieve this, we must communicate that goal and the expectation of excellence at both organizational and individual levels.
The pressures of continuously improving the education system with all its components and initiatives can be challenging, especially to those delivering programs at the school level. If we have high expectations, then we must support teachers and programs with a variety of resources, both human and material. If Core Curriculum is to be actualized in Saskatchewan schools, we will have to act on what we know: that support structures are necessary to enable teachers to fulfil their responsibilities.

The concept of actualization referred to in the policy statement reflects...the belief that an evergreen Core Curriculum is the best means to educate Saskatchewan students for the 21st century We are striving to build and maintain a learner-centred school system that emphasizes higher order thinking skills, the desire to engage in change, and the social skills to participate in a diverse society.	Policy Framework The following framework, which includes a policy statement and seven principles, represents a blueprint for Core Curriculum actualization. It is intended that the partners in education work from this framework to make their own plans, according to their mandates, in order that Saskatchewan's school programs result in all students attaining the Goals of Education. The policy statement is based on the belief that Core Curriculum is multi-faceted and includes many components and initiatives (see Figure 1). The concept of actualization referred to in the policy statement reflects this broad understanding of Core Curriculum and the belief that an evergreen Core Curriculum is the best means to educate Saskatchewan students for the 21st century. Policy Statement The partners in the Saskatchewan Education system are committed to working together to realize the Goals of Education for all Saskatchewan learners through the actualization of Core Curriculum. Principles The partners agree that the following seven principles provide a guide for Core Curriculum actualization activity at all levels: Core Curriculum actualization is a means of honouring our commitment to providing a high quality, appropriate, and relevant education for each Saskatchewan child. The description of an educated person articulated in Directions still reflects what we expect will be the needs of citizens in the 21st century. We are striving to build and maintain a learner-centred school system that emphasizes higher order thinking skills, the desire to engage in change, and the social skills to participate in a diverse society. Our goal is to provide a school system where all children develop to their full potential, regardless of ethnic or racial origin, socio-economic class, gender, or intellectual or physical capacities. We are agreed, then, that we should maintain our commitment to Core Curriculum into this next phase, with a focus on full implementation and continuous renewal.
When educators share their knowledge with parents and the community, they pave the way for participation and for productive partnerships to develop.	Actualization can only be achieved through growth at all levels of the system, from the provincial level to the community and the classroom. Although Core Curriculum actualization is a major concern at the organizational level, it is also true that school divisions and teachers have their concerns, as do parents and community members. Actualization activities must be inclusive, and concerted efforts must be made to encourage communication, learning, and participation by all. In each community, schools and community representatives should establish means for parents and community members to become knowledgeable about Core Curriculum and school programs. When educators share their knowledge with parents and the community, they pave the way for participation and for productive partnerships to develop. For teachers and administrators, professional development opportunities provide a vehicle for gaining and sharing knowledge about provincial and school division initiatives, and successful classroom practice. While professional development can be addressed in many ways and initiated at various levels of the system, the educational partners agree that formal opportunities throughout the school year should be planned in such ways that teachers, schools, and school divisions can move forward on a variety of issues, through co-ordination between local and provincial activities.
While the educational partners are in full agreement that consistency in the Core Curriculum throughout the province is one goal,it is best achieved with respect for individual differences and the realities of each school community.	The context of each school community should be respected in the delivery and renewal of a consistent Core Curriculum throughout the province. Although we all operate within a certain contemporary context, the reality of that context can vary throughout the province. Demographics shift. The effects of technology and globalization vary from community to community, as do social, cultural, and economic environments. Within local contexts, schools develop their own policies, procedures, and practices appropriate to their community. While the educational partners are in full agreement that consistency in the Core Curriculum throughout the province is one goal, it is best achieved with respect for individual differences and the realities of each school community.
Through successful implementation, a school program develops which is based on the foundational objectives of the curriculum, but which also meets the unique needs of each particular school and community.	The school is at the centre of curriculum actualization activity. All the educational partners recognize and respect the diversity that exists in Saskatchewan schools. Thomas Guskey (n.d.) points to the powerful impact of context on results: "The uniqueness of the individual setting will always be a critical factor in education. What works in one situation may not work in another." As Core Curriculum components and initiatives are implemented, they become the foundation for school programs. Through successful implementation, a school program develops which is based on the foundational objectives of the curriculum, but which also meets the unique needs of each school and community. It would be counter-productive for actualization activity to occur outside of each particular school's culture and environment. With the school at the centre of actualization activity, continuous renewal of programs can occur smoothly, within the daily operations of the school.
	The focus of actualization activity is on classroom practice (teaching and learning). Curriculum documents provide the starting point for classroom programs. What actually happens as a result of curriculum planning -- that is, classroom instruction and assessment -- is what makes a difference in students' lives. The concept of actualization of Core Curriculum should be viewed within the context of classroom activity and the student learning that results. Actualization, it must be remembered, takes into account all aspects of classroom practice that contribute to student learning.
All actualization activity should be based on the recognition that curriculum documents and initiatives become meaningful only when they become part of a school community.	People make the difference. Actualization of Core Curriculum will happen only through the participation and involvement of many different people: students, teachers, parents and caregivers, Elders, administrators, trustees, and community members. These people make the difference in the success of an implementation undertaking. All actualization activity should be based on the recognition that curriculum documents and initiatives become meaningful only when they become part of a school community. While we recognize the value of strong provincial leadership, it is the people in each school community who are in the best position to plan and take responsibility for the continuous renewal of Core Curriculum in their jurisdiction.
If Core Curriculum is to be actualized in Saskatchewan schools, we will have to act on what we know: that support structures are necessary to enable teachers to fulfil their responsibilities.	Change is both an individual and an organizational process that requires a combination of pressure and support to be sustained. The task of designing and developing the new Core Curriculum was immense and constitutes nothing less than a major reform of the education system. Despite the extent of the undertaking, the goal is clear: full implementation and continuous renewal are the expectation. To achieve this, we must communicate that goal and the expectation of excellence at both organizational and individual levels. The pressures of continuously improving the education system with all its components and initiatives can be challenging, especially to those delivering programs at the school level. If we have high expectations, then we must support teachers and programs with a variety of resources, both human and material. If Core Curriculum is to be actualized in Saskatchewan schools, we will have to act on what we know: that support structures are necessary to enable teachers to fulfil their responsibilities.