Indicator 4

The curriculum shall engage all students in inquiry, problem-solving, and higher order thinking as well as provide opportunities for the authentic application of knowledge and skills.
 

What to Look for:

• Is the curriculum intellectually challenging and does it provide opportunities for students to authentically apply knowledge and skills?
• all courses, regardless of level, provide students with rigorous and challenging learning experiences which require them to apply, analyze, synthesize, compare/contrast, and evaluate
• the course catalog clearly offers challenging coursework for all students (i.e., there are no courses that "water down" the curriculum for certain "less able" students)
• intellectual rigor is evident in the quality of student work reflecting higher order thinking and problem solving techniques
• students are regularly called upon to demonstrate their growing body of knowledge, skills, ideas, and concepts and to apply them to real life situations:
  • writing is done for audiences beyond the classroom (e.g., letters to editors, businessmen, Congress; proposals to government agencies; a literary piece prepared for publication or sent to a college professor for his/her criticism)
  • students prepare portfolios of their work to be shared periodically with parents and a panel of outside judges
  • project work replaces much teacher-directed learning and leads to formal public presentations to audiences of parents, community people, university-based educators, scientific organizations, etc.