Implementing Advanced Independent Curriculum™ for Academic Leaders: Standards Without Standardization

Course Dates Announced Soon
DESCRIPTION
This course will offer support for leaders who are currently leading an initiative to offer advanced-level courses that align with the school’s own mission, values, strategic priorities, and academic philosophy. Participants will build their understanding of the principles and standards of Advanced Independent Curriculum™. They will review the validation process for courses and assess their school’s readiness to engage in the validation process in the coming months. The course participants will also be engaged in an interactive investigation of the standards in action that includes opportunities to examine and share exemplary models of practices that demonstrate fidelity to standards without being standardized. 

In this course, Academic Leaders will: 
  • Deep dive into the Advanced Independent Curriculum™ Principles and Standards
  • Develop a framework for implementing a campus plan to validate proposed courses through the Advanced Independent Curriculum™ process
  • Practice aligning a course to standards
COURSE FORMAT
Academic Leaders will be guided through a three-week online course, which will take about four hours to complete per unit. The weeks/units of this course are asynchronous, but class-paced. There is no fixed time for participation, but assignments are due each week. Throughout the course, participants will connect and collaborate with each other through interactive media, including short videos and discussion boards. Participants will have access to the course and materials for one additional week beyond the posted end date.
COURSE FACILITATORS
Peter Gow -- Peter Gow became Independent Curriculum Resource Director at One Schoolhouse after a forty-plus-year career as a teacher and administrator. Peter is a prolific writer and presenter and author of multiple books on independent schools and independent school teaching and leadership. Above all, he is passionate in his belief that connection and collaboration are essential if independent schools are to live up to the promises made in their statements of mission and values and fulfill their public purpose. 
Sarah Hanawald -- Sarah serves as One Schoolhouse’s Assistant Head of School for Professional Development and New Programs. She has been a classroom teacher, a technology director, and an academic dean at three North Carolina independent schools. Sarah’s work has focused on the intersection of technology, curriculum, and pedagogy in defining the future of education.
TUITION
​$445 for consortium schools; $595 for all other participants. Use the link above to register.

Q​uestions?
Peter Gow, Independent Curriculum Resource Director, reflects on how these principles and standards help educators design more mission-aligned courses.