Curriculum Structure

Curriculum is organised into three main sections:

• Programme Planning (general information)
• Curriculum Context (information for specific curriculum)
• Curriculum Expectations (what students learn) and Teacher Supports (how students might learn).
• Curriculum is written primarily for teachers and educators, so some of the language will be technical and include theoretical and education terms.

 

Programme Planning

Programme Planning information applies to the curriculum in all subjects and disciplines in Grades 1 to 12.  It provides the most up-to-date information on policy governing education in publicly funded schools across the province. For example, it includes information regarding the creation of safe, accepting and inclusive classrooms.

Educators are guided by Program Planning information as they:

• develop lessons and programmes based on the curriculum and;
• create the classroom and school environments in which the lessons and programmes are taught

 

Curriculum Expectations and Teacher Supports

The curriculum combines the curriculum expectations (what students learn) with teacher supports (how students might learn) while giving teachers the flexibility to choose appropriate resources and teaching strategies.

Curriculum Expectations

The curriculum for each subject or discipline is made up of a set of learning expectations that outline the knowledge and skills students are expected to learn and apply by the end of a grade or course.

For each subject, expectations are arranged into sections (or strands) to help with organisation. However, educators look at the learning goals across the entire grade or course as they plan for and develop lessons and learning activities.

Curriculum expectations are mandatory, and courses of study and classroom programs in each grade must be developed from them. There are two sets of curriculum expectations – overall expectations and specific expectations. Overall expectations describe in general terms the knowledge and skills that students are expected to demonstrate by the end of each grade. Specific expectations describe the expected knowledge and skills in greater detail. They are often organised under numbered subheadings, so that they can be identified within the overall expectation. While the expectations are arranged into sections to help with organisation, educators look at the learning goals across the entire grade or course as they plan for and develop lessons and learning activities.

 

Assessment and Evaluation

Assessment is the process of gathering evidence of how well a student is doing. The main purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. Teachers provide students with helpful feedback and coaching for improvement. They also help students learn independently, set individual goals, monitor their own progress, determine next steps, and reflect on their own thinking and learning.

Evaluation is the process of judging the quality of student learning against set criteria and assigning a value, mark or grade.

For Grade 1–12, all curriculum expectations must be taught and assessed, but evaluation focuses on students’ achievement of the overall expectations.

Teachers use their professional judgement to determine which specific expectations:

** should be used to evaluate achievement of the overall expectations

** will be accounted for in instruction and assessment but not necessarily evaluated.

Report cards reflect the student’s achievement of the overall expectations.

Each curriculum contains an achievement chart. It provides a standard province-wide guide for teachers to assess and evaluate student achievement of the expectations in the particular subject or discipline.