Curriculum Management Audit Will Help Move WCPSS from Good to Great
On Sept. 4, 2007, the Wake County Public School System learned the results of a comprehensive curriculum management audit conducted by an independent team of auditors. The purpose of the audit was to identify areas where the school system could improve its delivery of the curriculum in order to move the system and students to the next level academically.Over the course of six months, auditors looked at how WCPSS manages its curriculum from the boardroom all the way down to the classroom. The Curriculum Management Audit – a 400-page report – identified some of the district’s challenges in delivering the curriculum and outlined eight specific recommendations and 117 action steps for the board and administrative staff to consider.
The system has already started to respond to these recommendations by assigning each one to a team. These teams are headed by senior administrators who are responsible for developing plans of attack to implement the recommendations and making regular progress reports to the board.
The key to successfully implementing the eight recommendations included in the audit report will be patience! The process will be a lengthy one and will certainly involve the community. As the school system begins to move forward, you may notice some small changes taking place immediately, while other changes will be more prominent and gradual, perhaps taking several years to adopt. As staff tackles each of these action steps and recommendations, the overall goal is to bring more consistency, accountability, and support to the district, and above all, providing more opportunities for our students.
Overview of Recommendations:
Recommendation 1: Opportunity
Meet the students’ needs equitably, and eliminate the achievement gap.
Recommendation 2: Consistency
Unite strategic planning—from the school board to the administration to the school to the classroom.
Recommendation 3: Governance
Strengthen school board and administrative direction of the curriculum management.
Recommendation 4: Management
Actively direct and support the curriculum.
Recommendation 5: Evaluation
Increase the use of data in decision making.
Recommendation 6: Budgeting
Tie school system resources to the needs of the curriculum.
Recommendation 7: Instruction
Unify and enhance training and development.
Recommendation 8: Organization
Clarify roles and responsibilities and increase effectiveness.