A curriculum is not known to improve academic achievements. This book offers case studies of three Connecticut districts of high, medium and low socio-economic status, three districts from a national sample that won the prestigious Booker prize mainly representing low SES districts, and 10 districts that have implemented a Balanced Curriculum with a sample of various SES districts from high to low. All of them have used their curriculum as the vehicle toward improved achievements. The districts studied have four common themes, represented by the acronym "ASIA", for Alignment, Structure and Stability, Implementation and Infrastructure, and Assessment. All districts aligned their curriculum to state standards and assessments. They had a structure for the curriculum and had stability at the superintendent's position. The districts applied a lot of effort and attained results from implementing the curriculum and developing the infrastructure to support implementation, and they finally incorporated frequent district-wide assessments into their design. The book documents the subsets of these four areas that were present in most districts that might help other districts to replicate the findings. Research in the four areas is also documented. This book demonstrates through the case studies that it is possible to use curriculum as a framework for raising test scores. This is not normally thought of as a path to improved achievements. The fact that districts from a wide range of socio-economic statuses have used their curriculum to improve achievements demonstrates that a wider application of this direction could yield positive results for other districts.

`A coherent approach to curriculum, instruction, and assessment in the age of standards-driven education.... It will be an excellent contribution' - H Lynn Erickson, Author, Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction (Corwin Press 2002) `The book builds a bridge of confidence that will convince readers both of the ideas and their own ability to succeed' - David W Champagne, Professor Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh `A wonderful and thorough explanation of the Balanced Curriculum' - Michelle Barnea, Educational Consultant, Milburn, New Jersey The book offers a comprehensive collection of curriculum mapping and assessment tools, including sample lessons, rubrics, planning guides, state-specific examples of implementation; and screen shots from the online database, all illustrating the balanced curriculum process in action.

With so many standards driving state assessment specifications, there is insufficient time in the day to ensure that all students will individually perform at expectation. Curriculum Alignment offers school administrators and curriculum specialists concrete, practical guidance in aligning curriculum and instruction to standards and assessments in order to improve test scores, instruction, and learner achievement.This book presents what research says about alignment, and then uses that research as a platform for offering strategies to develop district curriculum and to improve instruction and student achievement.

`A coherent approach to curriculum, instruction, and assessment in the age of standards-driven education.... It will be an excellent contribution' - H Lynn Erickson, Author, Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction (Corwin Press 2002) `The book builds a bridge of confidence that will convince readers both of the ideas and their own ability to succeed' - David W Champagne, Professor Emeritus, University of Pittsburgh `A wonderful and thorough explanation of the Balanced Curriculum' - Michelle Barnea, Educational Consultant, Milburn, New Jersey The book offers a comprehensive collection of curriculum mapping and assessment tools, including sample lessons, rubrics, planning guides, state-specific examples of implementation; and screen shots from the online database, all illustrating the balanced curriculum process in action.