Moving ‘Forward’

EdTech Digest

January 31, 2013

Getting an inside perspective on a major U.S. school system’s collaboration with the world’s largest learning company is interesting to say the least. As Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and Pearson collaborated, it became clear that Pearson would be working with the experiences and expertise of the district curriculum, but also needed to make revisions to meet the needs of a national audience. To ensure that the philosophy and content of the MCPS curriculum would transfer successfully into other districts, the curriculum being marketed as ‘Forward’ has some differences from the one being implemented in Montgomery County.

For example, the MCPS curriculum includes nine subjects, incorporating Health, Informational Literacy, Music and Art, while Forward focuses on the five core subjects of Reading, Writing, Math, Science, and Social Studies. In some cases, the MCPS curriculum is written in alignment with Maryland state science and social studies standards, calling for the national product to be revised to meet the needs of states nationwide. In addition, the national program includes some features and assets that are not part of the MCPS implementation. These changes were based on Pearson’s research-based knowledge of the needs and expectations of districts nationwide. However, the program indeed reflects what one could certainly call a partnership between Pearson and MCPS. As part of the collaboration, the national curriculum was reviewed by staff in MCPS to ensure that the national program aligns with the essence and philosophy of MCPS’s vision.

In this in-depth interview, Dr. Erick Lang, Associate Superintendent for Curriculum and Instructional Programs, Montgomery County Public Schools, offers his thoughts and insights into what it takes to integrate curriculum into a school system, why the right partnership is essential, the role of technology, advice to others in similar shoes, and some interesting thoughts on the future of education.

http://edtechdigest.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/integratedcurriculum/