How do you identify a competent curriculum leader?

In my own experience an academic leader in charge of curricular improvement has to have more than just curricular knowledge and skills, but also, and this in my opinion is the most important, they need to be a change agent who understands change management. They have to assess a specific organization’s culture and create an action plan that takes into consideration the effect of the change on the culture. Many teachers experience initiative fatigue because those bringing about change don’t understand or haven’t planned ahead. Change management skills are super important.

A competent curriculum leader is able to clearly articulate their philosophy on "how students learn best." They and their team need to lead with a common belief. Only when this is accomplished can they guide the district, rooted in the integrity of that philosophy. Without a truly identified philosophy, the work becomes a task of convincing teachers and stakeholders to "trust the curriculum," instead of trusting that we are making decisions on a solid foundation that is openly shared and believed in as a whole.

As a Founder Principal, I worked closely on Vision and Mission statement along with the motto. Why these are essential features for any organization or institution? Everyday decisions can be aligned with vision and mission. All the stakeholders exactly know what the school stands for. As the rocket launches, it roars up haphazardly. Once it balances, its only focus is on reaching the destination it had set for. Likewise, any change in the curriculum, may bring challenges at the initial stages. Once everyone aligns to the vision and mission of the curriculum, it seems quite interesting and meaningful. Curriculum is dynamic. As a curriculum leader, it is vital to be abreast with the innovation happening around at professional level.

A competent curriculum leader is aware of learners, their needs and also has an in-depth understanding of the changing environment in the real world. Making connections, ideas, collaborating with stakeholders helps in bringing in relevant structure, skills and rigour to the curriculum. Having this connection with the real world helps leader and learner to be relevant, and integrate learning with components like critical thinking skills. This vision helps all stakeholders stay connected, rooted to the demands of learning. A competent curriculum leader is also aware of learning needs, standards for assessment and development.

I personally prefer curriculum leaders who understand the school culture and the practices that the teachers have developed that made the school successful. Often curriculum leaders enter a school with the sole purpose of making changes. This creates unnecessary tension with the staff who take pride in their work. The best curriculum leader interview all teachers to determine what they know already, their successful practices, and offer help in areas the staff request. Change can happen once a strong rapport is establish and the teachers feel respected.

I agree with sentiment of the statement. The effective Curriculum lead must not only have the enthusiasm to keep abreast of current thinking but the passion to work collaboratively with other stakeholders to ensure it is made purposeful and engaging for all. They need to take colleagues with them and empower them to invest in the driving vision and underpinning principles. The more practical the outcomes the better!

Agree with all contributions, a curriculum leader definitely needs a strong background of education, understand deeply images of students and how they learn in the current social context. He/she is also a lifelong learner.

Collaboration and communication is about allowing teams to voice their ideas and/or concerns, acknowledging their ideas, crediting /empowering those who contribute ideas that are essentially being implemented. Stick to the agenda, follow up with all stakeholders who have been assigned to a specific task all at the same time; no personal agendas, nor changes made to original plan unless communicated with all stakeholders.

A competent curriculum leader can be identified through several key qualities. S/he should possess a deep understanding of educational principles and practices, keeping up with the latest research and developments in curriculum design. Also possess strong leadership skills, including effective communication, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities as well as a track record of successful outcomes. Demonstrate a commitment to collaboration and teamwork, empowering teachers and involving stakeholders in the curriculum improvement process. competent curriculum leader should have experience in curriculum development and implementation.

A competent curriculum leader fully understands the instructional core and is adept at identifying when it is happening - and when it is not. This leader is able to provide feedback around patterns of instructional behaviors that increase, or inhibit learning, in a way that facilitates growth in both teacher effectiveness and student growth outcomes. Without this, curriculum itself is wholly ineffective.

A competent curriculum leader understands the culture of the school and can seek, source and tailor ideas to suit the needs of the children within that community, for example, if the children live in a community where access to museums, art galleries and events takes place - the curriculum will be different to that of a community where this does not take place as readily in the family home due to lack of access to transport, finance or events.

In addition to embracing innovation and improvement, a competent curriculum leader is willing to use feedback from stakeholders (teachers, school leaders, parents, students, etc.) to analyze the selected learning resources to determine if it's the right fit for their community. It's also important to understand that most curriculum resources will need some modification to make them relevant to students' backgrounds, skills, interests, etc. Therefore, the curriculum leader must be able to support teachers in creating learning experiences applicable to students in their classroom.

In my experience, novelty (innovation) wears thin after a while. Constantly seeking to innovate has lead to missing the obvious. Simple basics often lead to the learners' motivation to implement innovative method, technology, etc., in a way to meet their own educational goals. Providing a solid foundation allows for all involved in the learning environment (families, colleagues, employers, etc.) to contribute to innovation from their disparate perspectives.

Identifying a competent curriculum leader requires a deep dive into their proficiency as both a futurist and a strategist. A leader who possesses these attributes would have harnessed the foresight to equip themselves with a multitude of skills integral to their role. A competent curriculum leader excels in identifying emerging trends and implications, ensuring students are prepared for both technological shifts and future challenges. This leader must strategically navigate the complexities of today's volatile landscape. Amid conflicting political ideologies and potential activist biases, they are tasked with upholding the curriculum's integrity, ensuring an educational legacy for future generations.

I agree, but you must also create a curriculum that aligns with the vision and culture of the school. This stage requires uniqueness and creativity.

Another aspect is to support colleagues in finding ways to make workload manageable to help retention of staff. A stable staff body helps to build a department that pupils/students respect and the leadership have confidence in.

Competent Curriculum Leaders must help / support:Top management to demonstrate leadership & commitment with respect to the EOMS by: a) being accountable for the effectiveness of the EOMS; b) ensuring that the educational organization policy and educational organization objectives are established and are compatible with the context and strategic direction of the organization; c) ensuring the integration of the EOMS requirements into the organization’s business processes; d) promoting the use of the process approach and risk-based thinking; e) ensuring that the resources needed for the EOMS are available; f) communicating the importance of effective educational organization management.

A competent curriculum leader has deep knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy, strong communication and collaboration skills, leadership and change management skills, and the ability to reflect and learn. Look for evidence of these qualities in their work experience and professional development activities, and observe how they lead and communicate their curriculum vision.

A great curriculum development calls for attention to details. A curriculum leader asks these questions while building from the scratch. What works in this geography? What community are my audience for the curriculum I am building? What goals do they have? Is my curriculum addressing that? How can utilize the available resources at the optimum level?

"deep dive into their proficiency as both a futurist and a strategist” Which means what, exactly? I did not get a PhD in futurism nor strategy. But you did. Where?

A competent curriculum leader is first and foremost, a learner. The learning process is intricately connected to high quality curriculum decision making. Leaders need to actively and intentionally listen and learn from diverse teams who bring perspective and respectfully respond to important deeper conversations about culture and community. Leaders need to listen to what is said and not said "at the table". Curriculum leaders and the teams they lead engage in processes that carry great responsibility and power for current and future generations, so well shared ethical principles and policies must envelop this work.

An effective Curriculum Leader needs to be the helicopter above the traffic jam of ideas and content. You can not resolve a traffic jam from a taxi; you must be above it so you can see the whole picture and calmly provide those on the ground with guidance to unscramble the problem. Networking with other industries also makes the learning more relevant and applicable to real life problems.

In my experience, a curriculum leader must have a vision for education. The person must understand that students need to be engaged and encouraged with well planned lessons geared to various learning needs. This leader must also be able to support teachers and help them understand the need for growth. Change is difficult. The leader must insure that faculty respects that growth and are committed to participating in it.

In my experience, a curricular leader dives deeper into the needs of the student population that they serve. Being intentional about incorporating diverse learning styles is one major part. Also ensuring that the content reflects the diverse world that we live in is equally essential. The latter is often overlooked by educators who design and implement curriculum. The impact that cultural diversity has on our the social emotional wellbeing of students when its reflected in curricula is astounding.

Thank you, Jania. In addition to being intentional about incorporating diverse learning styles, a competent curriculum leader can show others how to do exactly that. She can advocate for teachers as they adapt curriculum to meet the needs of their students. I understand that's a risk, and it can put a curriculum leader in an uncomfortable position--administrators expect fidelity of implementation, and teachers need flexibility to adapt. Choose to do what's best for children!

Designing and implementing a curriculum that prepares learners for adulthood is key. In order to be inclusive, it is essential to remember that future pathways may look very different for different children and young people, so having this as a central thread will ensure relevance, appropriate sequencing and aspirational content and design.

Any curriculum fit for the 21st Century must be created around the key dispositions that contribute to the three key intelligences: emotional (EQ), spiritual (SQ) and cognitive skills and abilities (IQ).

A competent curriculum leader will always focus on students, teaching, and everyone’s learning. With implementation of any curricula, curriculum leaders should design and develop instruction that best meets the needs of students while aligning with the grade-level standards. Regardless of where a student attends school within a district or even which classroom they are in within a school, they are entitled to a year’s worth of growth (at a minimum). For example, by the end of 6th grade, all 6th graders need to know and be able to do (fill in the blank) no matter where they attend school or which teacher is instructing them. Professional learning for staff needs to follow suit—we are not just teaching content, we are teaching students.

Visionary Curriculum Leadership— A competent curriculum leader for teacher education is aware of the knowledge and skills that will be needed in 21st century classrooms. They must anticipate those teacher competencies that will help their candidates prepare for the rapidly changing demands of PK-12 education. The competent curriculum leader models these skill sets for teaching faculty and teacher candidates alike, and stays attuned to issues and challenges facing new teachers today.

Everything an authentic Curriculum Leader thinks, states, and acts on will be in the form of high expectations, student advocacy, and with a strong desire to consistently be student centered in their approach.

I also think that a Curriculum Leader needs to have an eye on the future needs of students as the educational landscape changes and evolves to fit the needs of the 21st century.

A competent curriculum leader needs to keep the mission and vision of the school at the forefront and seek to ensure that the curriculum is in support of these. Furthermore, the curriculum must be examined holistically to ensure that it meets the diverse academic, cultural, and social-emotional needs of the students.