Evaluating Your Physical Education Curriculumand Program

Step 8

Evaluating and updating a curriculum and physical education program is a necessary but often overlooked step

Why evaluate:Keep curriculum/program current and dynamicEnsure that teachers are accountable to

providing students the best education possible Many others

Common Mistakes in Curriculum Design Most curriculums are dust collectors:

May use needless specificity which is not practical to implement on a daily basis or be too general such as a curriculum map only which does not define what students should be learning. The key is to strike a balance.

Huge disconnect between “theoretical curriculum” and the “implemented curriculum”

Micromanage and nobody pays attention (time in minutes, detailed schedule, little flexibility)

The curriculums you constructed have are useable on a daily basis in that the objectives relate to individual content areas, levels of game forms are specified, and a curriculum map provides a general overview.

Emphasis on curriculum planning but not lesson execution or assessment of learning

Does not address review of previously learned material Promotes thinking of activities as discrete skills followed by full games, no

intermediate steps

Curriculum Evaluation

Curriculum Evaluation

CDC Physical Education Curriculum Analysis Tool

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/physicalactivity/ Based on NASPE standards, developed by CDC in partnership with

experts

CT Curriculum Guide CT Teacher Inventory (non-discipline specific)

Your ThoughtsWhat are some ways of evaluating a PE

program and its teachers?

Program & Teacher Evaluation

Program & Teacher EvaluationProgram Evaluation NASPE materials

Parents – Rate Your PE Program Appropriate Practices

Elementary School Middle School High School

Components of a Quality PE Program - Developed in class

Program & Teacher Evaluation Teacher Observations

More formal measures than can be undertaken by colleagues or supervisory individuals:

Interaction analysis ALTPE Observation form

Informal measures: Answers to a series of open-ended responses given to a

teacher

PE Teacher Evaluation Tool

Program and Teacher Evaluation- Indirect Measures Attendance, dress, and participation

If more than a couple students are continually sitting out or several just “hate PE,” the program is not meeting student needs. It’s often not an enjoyable place to teach either

After school program participation Non-school physical activity

Difficult to measure Remember, physical activity declines markedly from middle school

until the end of high school

Enrollment in elective classes

Program and Teacher Evaluation- Student Fitness Levels

Many schools choose to focus on Cognitive: Students create personal fitness plans Fitness scores: Based upon improvement or raw score

Some teachers object to assessing fitness scores due to innate differences between students. However, there are innate differences between students in math, writing, and other subjects, yet those teachers assess as a way to motivate and gauge student learning and program effectiveness.

Caution about Expecting all students to achieve a certain level Setting unrealistic criteria for particular tests (e.g., a 6-minute

mile)

Program and Teacher Evaluation- NASPE STARS

Time Teacher

Qualifications Professional development Professional involvement Student ratio

Student health and safety Facilities and equipment

Program mission Curriculum Instructional practices Student assessment Inclusion Communication Program evaluation

http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/stars/index.html

Program and Teacher Evaluation- Student Feedback

Create a survey asking students about the effectiveness of the PE programExample

Program and Teacher Evaluation- Professional Development

Meet as a physical education department to address: Achievement of standards Improvements to the curriculum New upcoming projects/initiatives

This is a large problem. Elementary teachers often feel isolated. Middle school and high school teachers find it difficult to meet professionally due to scheduling, coaching, and non-PE faculty development. Teachers must MAKE the time, not look for a convenient time.

Otherwise, such vital meetings often do not take place.

Evaluation Summary

Utilize tools such as effective practices, PECAT, CT inventory, NASPE PE teacher evaluation and others to determine program quality

Good evaluation Informs programmatic change Occurs on a regular basis Is planned Is based on multiple data sources

Data should inform decision

Who Leads Program & Curriculum Evaluation? This is a problem area in physical education.

Very few school districts have physical education coordinators/ supervisors. Instead, there is typically one of the following HS department chair – has limited if any power to

evaluate teachers, programs, and curriculums. Administrator – has the authority but is not

knowledgeable about PE No supervisory structure – each teacher does “there

own thing”

Candid Conversation

Who among you is intent on being a bad teacher?You’ve been taught right at this institution –

use it. You owe that to the thousands of students you will educate

If I walk into your gym some day, can you look me in the eye?

Beware the dark side, consumes many

Candid Conversation

Warning signApathy

RecommendationsSincere interest in bettering students and the

profession If you think the answer is yes, then ask

Candid Conversation

Courage! Some of you will be told how things are done around

here. Have the courage to follow your convictions and do what is right.

Candid Conversation

Physical education is not the Titanic – it can sinkRoll out the ballers are killing usYou might as well “pick up your paycheck with a

mask and a gun b/c you’re stealing it” Be a lion and not a lamb

John Helion (WCU)

Candid Conversation

The choice is yours