CURRICULUM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Distinguish between goals and objectives
2. Distinguish between aims of education and curriculum and curriculum goals and
objectives
3. Distinguish between curriculum goals and objectives and instructional goals and
objectives
4. Specify and write curriculum goals
5. Specify and write curriculum objectives
Hierarchy of outcomes
Following the model for curriculum improvement suggested in Chapter 5, lets see how we
have come. We have:
Analyzed needs of students in general in society
Analyzed needs of American society
Reviewed aoms of education and affirmed those with which we are in agreement
Written a philosophy of education
Initiated a needs assessment by surveying needs of students in the community and school
and by surveying needs of the community
Conducted a needs assessment and identified unmet needs
All of these steps are a prelude to the next phase. They provide a framework; they set the stage.
They furnish data that are vital to making curricular decisions. The planning of the curriculum is
now about to begin.
I chapter 6 you ancounteres the terms aims of education, curriculum goals, :curriculum
objectives; :instructional goals; and instructional objectives as used in this text. We
discussed a hierarchy of purposes of education from the broadest to the narrowest. Lets review
that hierarchy; it is essential both to this chapter on curriculu goals and objectives and to chapter
10 on instructional goals and objectives. We might chart this hierarchy as shows in figure 8-1.
It sometimes seems that the educational literature is surfeited with discussions of goals and
objectives. In spite of these many commentaries, I have included three chapters in this text
(Chapters 6, 8, and 10) on aims, goals, and objectives for the following reasons:
1. They are essential components in a comprehensive model for curriculum improvement.
2. These various terms for purpose are used loosely and interchangeably in some of the
literature, leading to possible confusion.
3. Some of the recommendations in the literature on the writing of goals and objectives are
helpful; other recommendations seem less helpful.
Aims, Goals, and Objectives
Several problems can be found if we research the literature on aims, goals, and objectives.
First, aims of education are often equated with goals, and in a lexical sense, of course, they are
the same. John W. Gardner in Goals for Americans was describing aims of education when he
wrote:
Our deepest convictions impel us to foster individual fulfillment. We wish each one to achieve the promise that is
in him. We wish each one to be worthy of a free society, and capable of strengthening a free society. . . .
Ultimately, education serves all of our purposesliberty, justice, and all our other aims-- but the one it serves
most directly is equality of opportunity.
[The] . . . tasks of producing certain specially needed kinds of educated talent . . . should not crowd out the
great basic goals of our educational system: to foster individual fulfillment and to nurture the free, rational and
responsible men and women without whom our kind of society cannot endure. Our schools must prepare all young
people, whatever their talents, for the serious business of being free men and women.
2
In this case the problem of equating aims of education with goals is minor because Gardner
communicates to the reader that he is consistently discussing broad goals or aims. The problem
arises when discussions of aims, curriculum goals and objectives, and instructional goals and
objectives are intermingled. There is little difficulty when a single meaning for a term is used in a
single context or when an author clearly defines how he or she uses a term. That, however, does
not always happen.
Second, the terms "educational goals" and "educational objectives" are used in the
profession with varying meanings. Some use these terms in the same way other people speak of
aims of education or educational aims. Some perceive educational goals as curriculum goals and
educational objectives as curriculum objectives. Some substitute educational goals for instructional
goals and educational objectives for instructional objectives.
Third, as we shall see in examples of school statements of goals and objectives, goals are
equated with objectives, and the terms are used synonymously. However, if we believe what we
read, there are two entitiesone called goals and another, objectivesfor numerous schools
have prepared statements of both goals and objectives.
Some writers, have used the ternis "goals" and "objectives" interchangeably. W. James Popham
and Eva L. Baker, for example, wrote: "We have given considerable attention to the topic of
instructional objectives because they represent one of the most important tools available to the
teacher. . . . There is undoubtedly a positive relationship between a teacher's clarity of instructional
goals and the quality of his teaching."
3
Robert E Mager in his popular work on instructional
objectives commented:
An instructor . . . must then select procedures, content, and methods that . . . measure or evaluate the
student's performance according to the objectives or goals originally selected. . . . Another important reason for
stating objectives sharply relates to the evaluation of the degree to which the learner is able to perform in the
manner desired. . . . Unless goals are clearly and firmly fixed in the minds of both parties, tests are at best
misleading.'
Two widely followed taxonomies of educational objectives bear the subtitle The Classification
of Educational Goals.
5
In some of the literature goals are objectives and vice versa.
Fourth, some curriculum specialists do not distinguish curriculum goals and objectives from
instructional goals and objectives, or they use these two sets of terms synonymously. If
curriculum and instruction are two different entitiesthe position taken in this textthen
curriculum goals and objectives are different from instructional goals and objectives. Only if we
choose a curriculum-instruction model in which the two are mirror images can curriculum goals
and objectives be identical to instructional goals and objectives. This text, however, presents the
view that the two are separate but related entities.
These observations are not meant to criticize the positions, definitions, or approaches of other
curriculum specialists nor to hold that the definitions given in this text are the "right" or only ones.
As Decker F. Walker aptly stated in an enlightened discussion of writings on curriculum:
Curriculum is clearly an iffy subject. It belongs to Aristotle's "region of the many and variable" where
certain knowledge is not possible, only opinionmultiple and various, more or less considered, more or less ade-
quate, but never clearly true or false.
6
Mary M. McCaslin spoke in a similar vein when she said:
We all live in glass houses. None of us can afford glib dismissal of alternative conceptions any more than we can
afford to be noncritical or nonreflective about our own work.?
My remarks about the differences in use of curriculum terms convey, as mentioned in Chapter 1,
that the language of curriculum is somewhat imprecise and can lead to confusion. Curriculum
specialists, unfortunately, do not agree among themselves on terminology. As a result, the
practitioner who seeks to carry out curriculum development following principles established by the
experts must first understand these terms and the contexts within which they appear.
In this text I have made distinctions between curriculum goals and objectives and instructional
goals and objectives in order to help practitioners facilitate the natural flow of curriculum
development from general aims of education to precise instructional objectives. Specifying
curriculum goals and objectives, then, is viewed as an intermediate planning step between these two
poles. I will first define the terms curriculum goals and objectives, present some examples, and
then develop some guidelines for writing them.
DEFININGGOALS ANDOBJECTIVESCURRICULUMGOALS
A curriculum goal is a purpose or end stated in general terms without criteria of achievement.
Curriculum planners wish students to accomplish it as a result of exposure to segments or all of a
program of a particular school or school system. For example, the following statement meets
this definition of a curriculum goal: "Students will demonstrate responsible behavior as citizens
of our school, community, state, nation, and world."
We have already seen examples of curriculum goals in Chapter 3. The Seven Cardinal
Principleshealth, command of fundamental processes, worthy home membership, vocation,
citizenship, worthy use of leisure, and ethical characterare examples of curriculum goals, albeit
in a form of shorthand.
8
The Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary Education could
have expanded these principles into forms like the following: '
The school will promote the physical and mental health of the students.
Students will achieve a command of the fundamental processes.
A goal of the school is to foster worthy home membership.
The Ten Imperative Needs of Youth, listed by the Educational Policies Commission, is a set of
curriculum goals that, as noted earlier, included such statements as these:
All youth need to develop salable skills.
All youth need to develop and maintain good health, physical fitness, and mental health.
All youth need to grow in their ability to think rationally, to express their thoughts clearly, and to
read and listen with understanding.
The Educational Policies Commission pointed to four purposes or aims of education in American
democracy. It identified these aims as self-realization, human relationships, economic efficiency,
and civic responsibility.These purposes might be modified by a particular school or school
system and turned into curricular goals, stated in a variety of ways, as follows:
o The school's program provides experiences leading to self-realization.
o Our school seeks to promote human relationships.
o A goal of the school is development of skills of learners that will lead to their country's
and their own economic efficiency.
o Students will develop a sense of civic responsibility.
Many variations are used for exptessing these four purposes. This chapter will later present a
preferred form for writing goals and objectives. For now, these four goals are shown only as
examples of substance, not of form.
Aims of education can become curriculum goals when applied to a particularichoot or school
system.
,
The distinction drawn between aims of education and curriculum goals is one of
generality (or looking at it from the other end of the telescope, specificity). "To transmit the
cultural heritage" and "to overcome ignorance" are aims of all school programs. No single
program or school can accomplish these extremely broad purposes. A school can, of course,
contribute to transmitting the cultural heritage and to overcoming ignorance; stated with
qualifications, educational aims can become curriculum goals. The epression to contribute to
the physical development of the individual can be both an educational aim of society and a
curriculum goal of a particular school system.
CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES
Curriculum goals are derived from a statement of philosophy, defined aims of education,
anitiiSeisrnent of needs. goal's, we de
-
rive curricu lunAectives.
-
"W:e may define a curriculum
objective in the folloWing
A curriculum objective is a purpoSe or end stated in specific, measurable term' s. Curriculum planners wish
students to accomplish it as a result of exposure to segments or all of a program of the particular
school or school system.
The following example of a curriculum goal has already been presented: "Students will
demonstrate responsible behavior as citizens of our school, community, state, nation, and world."
From that curriculum goal the following curriculum objectives are among those which could be
derived:
During the election of student government officers, 90 percent of the student body will cast
ballots.
100 percent of the students will make some kind of positive contribution to the community's
clean-up, fix-up campaign.
90 percent of the students will be able to name .the candidates running for the state senate
and the state assembly from their district. They will be able to identify the candidates for the
principal state executive offices. They will also identify the political parties of the candidates.
90 percent of the students will be able to identify their current U.S. senators and their
representative to the U.S. House of Representatives. They will also identify the political parties
of these officeholders.
90 percent of the students will participate in some project that can increase international
understanding, such as contributing coins to UNICEF, donating food or clothing to victims of
some natural disaster abroad, writing to pen pals overseas, or taking part in other school or
community projects of an international nature.
Note how the curriculum objectives refine the curriculum goal. Many curriculum objectives
can emanate from the same curriculum goal.
LOCUS OF CURRICULUM GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
As the statements of the Seven Cardinal Principles and the Ten Imperative Needs of Youth
demonstrated, curriculum goals are infrequently written on a national basis by individuals and
groups as proposals for consideration by schools throughout the country. However, curriculum
objectives, as just defined, are too specific to emanate from national sources.
Curriculum goals and objectives are regularly written at the state, school-district, and
individual school level with the expectation that they will be followed within the jurisdiction of
each level. State pronouncements apply to all public schools in the state; school-district
statements apply district-wide; and individual school specifications, school-wide.
For the most part, curriculum goals and objectives developed at any level cut across
disciplines. A school's statement, for example, applies generally throughout the school. It is
possible, however, for grades and departments to develop curriculum goals and objectives that do
not apply generally throughout the school but to a particular group of studentsthat is, those
within a particular grade or subject area.
Let us suppose, by way of example, that the following statement is a curriculum goal of the
school: "All children need to develop skill in working with numbers." The fourth-grade
teachers could create a grade level goal by simply reiterating the school goal as `Fourth-graders
need to develop skill in working with numbers." On the other hand, the fourth-grade teachers
might choose to interpret the school's curriculum goal and create a grade level curriculum
objective, as follows: "This year's fourth-graders will excel last year's by an average of five
percentile points on the same standardized test of arithmetic."
Another example of a school-wide curriculum goal is "Students will improve their scores on
state assessment tests." One of the school's curriculum objectives derived from this goal might be
"At least 85 percent of the students will achieve passing scores on the statewide assessment
tests." The eleventh-grade faculty might set as its objective: "90 percent of the juniors will pass
the state assessment test this year."
We encounter a similar case with a twelfth-grade faculty when the school seeks to accomplish
the following curriculum goal: "Students will develop self-discipline and self-reliance." A twelfth-
grade faculty might spell out the following curriculum goal: "Seniors will demonstrate skills of
independent study." The twelfth-grade teachers might be more specific by following up this
curriculum goal with a curriculum objective, as follows: "At least 70 percent of the seniors will
seek to improve their self-discipline, self-reliance, and self-study techniques by engaging in
independent research projects at least one hour of the school day three hours a week."
Teachers of foreign language may furnish us with an example of curriculum goals and
objectives found within a discipline. They might, for example, consider the school's
curriculum goal: "Students will develop the ability to relate to ethnic and national groups
different from their own." The foreign language teachers might also note one of the school's
curriculum objectives, in this case applying to all the students in general but aimed at a
particular field: "75 percent of the student body will elect a foreign language."
The foreign language teachers might decide on the following curriculum goal: "Students will
initiate a number of requests for advanced courses in a foreign language." They might identify
as a curriculum objective: "50 percent of the students who are taking or who have taken a foreign
language will enroll in a second foreign language."
In all cases, the grade or departmental level's and the school's curriculum goals and objectives
must relate to one another. In the same manner, a school's curriculum goals and objectives must be
compatible with the district's, and both an individual school's and the district's curriculum goals
and objectives must be coordinated with those of the state.
STATECURRICULUMGOALS ANDOBJECTIVES
The state, through either its board or department of education, may exert curriculum leadership
by promulgating a statement of curriculum goals and in some cases, curriculum objectives for all
its schools. The state of Florida, for example, has identified seven goals of education and one major
curriculum objective, as shown in Box 8-1. Goal 1 is a curriculum goal primarily for the public
schools. Goals 2 through 5 are curriculum goals for both the public school and postsecondary
levels. Goal 6 is more of an administrative goal, although it has curricular implications. Goal 7 is
both an administrative and curricular goal. Florida's aim to raise educational attainment of its
students in the public schools to the upper quartile of states within five years can be termed a
curriculum objective for the entire state.
In an earlier document the state of Florida offered some useful advice on how to
conceptualize educational. goals:
The goals of education can be conceived in terms of the life activities of human
adults in modern society. These activities may generally be placed in three categories:
occupational, citizenship, and self-fulfillment. By constructing such a framework, it
becomes possible to state the kinds of performance which should equip adults to
function effectively in societythe objectives of education.
0
The foregoing quotation recalls the method described in Chapter 7 of analyzing society's needs by
spelling out social processes, functions, or life activities.
This same document helped curriculum planners by summarizing the characteristics of goals as
follows:
1. Goals are statements of ultimate desired outcomes; they specify conditions desired for the
population in general.
2. Goals are timeless, in the sense that no time is specified by which the goals must be
reached.
3. Goals do not specify criteria for achievement, but provide a direction for system
improvement.
4. Goals are not permanent. Feedback from the entire evaluation/decisionmaking process
is used to assess progress in the direction specified by the goals, and goals may be
modified wherever necessary or desirable.
5. Goals are of equal importatice.
6. Goals are stated broadly enough to be accepted at any level of the educational
enterprise: state, district, or local school. They thus represent the conceptual framework
upon which the education enterprise depends.
13
Box 8-1 FLORIDA'S GOALS OF EDUCATION
1. Basic Skills. All Floridians must have every opportunity, including remedial education, to
master the basic skills for communication and computation (listening, speaking, reading,
writing, and arithmetic). Basic skills are fundamental to success and mastery shall be
developed through basic programs in the following areas of learning: language arts,
mathematics, problem solving, art, music, physical education, science, and social
studies.
2. General Education. All Floridians shall have the opportunity to acquire the general education
fundamental to career and personal development and necessary for participation in a
democratic society, including an emphasis on the arts. This includes skills, attitudes and
knowledge for general problem solving and survival, human relations and citizenship,
moral and ethical conduct, mental and physical health, aesthetic, scientific and cultural
appreciation, and environmental and economic understanding.
3. Vocational Competencies. All Floridians shall have the opportunity to master vocational
competencies necessary for entry level employment by the time they leave full-time
education. For persons who continue formal education through advanced or professional
programs, vocational competencies will be in areas of professional employment, including
the arts. Vocational education shall be continuously reviewed to assure that Florida's
needs for workers are met and that individuals can secure further training needed for
career advancement.
4. Professional Competencies. Floridians with demonstrated interest, academic background,
and aptitude shall have the opportunity to acquire professional competencies necessary
for employment in a profession and to update their competencies periodically. Programs
of professional studies, including the arts, shall be organized to assure that Florida's and
society's needs for professionals are met.
5. Advanced Knowledge and Skills. Floridians with demonstrated interest, academic background,
and aptitude shall have the opportunity to acquire advanced knowledge and skills in the
academic disciplines or other specialized fields of study and to update their knowledge
and skills periodically. Programs of advanced academic training shall be organized to
meet Florida's and society's needs for highly trained specialists.
6. Research and Development. The public education network shall seek solutions to local,
regional, state, and national problems through organized research and development. Research
and development shall be organized to solve pressing problems and to expand the store of
knowledge in all areas of hum6 endeavor, including education.
7. Recreation and Leisure Skills. Floridians shall have the opportunity to pursue recreation
and leisure skills which satisfy the recreational and cultural needs of individuals in areas
outside of general education.
On a statewide average, educational achievement in the State of Florida will equal that of
the upper quartile of states within five years, as indicated by commonly accepted criteria
of attainment. (S B E 1/20/81)
The Florida document on educational goals commented: "While it is necessary to know current
status in order to specify educational needs and to assign priorities for satisfaction of these needs, the
statements of desired outcomes are logically a prerequisite to establishing needs.
14
In Chapter 7, I
made the following comment on timing of needs assessment and goal specification: "A needs
assessment is a continuing activity that takes place (a) before specification of curricular goals and
objectives, (b) after identification of curricular goals and objectives, (c) after evaluation of
instruction, and (d) after evaluation of the curriculum."
15
To clarify the sequence of goal writing
and needs assessment, we may refer to Figure 8-2.
Once curriculum goals and objectives have been spelled out, the needs assessment process
proceeds to determine unmet needs. Once identified, these needs will result in the creation of more
curriculum goals and objectives or a modification of those already specified.
In summary, a state may formulate both broad aims and curriculum goals (and also in some
cases curriculum objectives, instructional goals, and instructional objectives as well) for all
schools and all students in that state.
Diagram figure 8-2 belum dibuat
SCHOOL-DISTRICT CURRICULUM GOALS ANDOBJECTIVES
in practice, school districts and individual schools may accept the state's formulation of
goals and objectives verbatim or if the state permits, may independently develop their own
statements. In either case, however, the statements of the school districts and individual schools
must be in harmony with the state's. Let's examine the statement of goals of the Dade County
Public Schools, a large urban school district with a multiethnic population. Borrowed from an
earlier pronouncement of the state of Florida and amended slightly by the school district, this
statement, "Goals for Student Development," is shown in Box 8-2.
16
The statement, which
appeared in an earlier edition of Dade County's District Comprehensive Educational Plan, is still
retained in the district's board policies.
In a more recent comprehensive plan, the Dade County public schools focused on a
particular curriculum goal with four subgoals, as follows:
Prepare students for their life's work by providing germane curricula; methods by
which students can address the basic issues of their own lives and interpersonal
relationships; by rewarding creativity; and by instilling motivation for excellence.
o Provide all students with the opportunity and encouragement to become bilingual,
including special help for those students whose native language is not English.
o Improve students' thinking skills including, but not limited to, analysis, reasoning,
and logic.
o Provide students those computer experiences and skills needed to function in a
technical age.
o Provide a free and appropriate education to each handicapped student, directly
utilizing school system programs and personnel when possible.
INDIVIDUALSCHOOLCURRICULUMGOALS ANDOBJECTIVES
Not only do the states and school districts establish curriculum goals and objectives, but the
individual schools also enter into the process by specifying their own goals and objectives. Box
8-3 (Philosophy and Goals of Lafayette Middle School) furnishes an example of a middle
school's statement of both its philosophy and goals.
In order to show the relationships between the state's, the school district's, and the
individual school's statements of goals and objectives, I have reproduced in Box 8-4 the statement
of philosophy and objectives (which in the context of this chapter would be called goals) of Miami
Palmetto Senior High School, which is in the same school district cited earlier in this chapter
(Dade County).
The School Improvement Plan of the Hephzibah Middle School (Georgia) demonstrates how
a school takes a curriculum goal of the school district and from it specifies its own curriculum
objectives. One of the district's goals and the school's objectives derived from it are as follows:
System Goal: To increase student mastery of academic skills as evidenced by
improved test scores.
Objectives:
o To exceed the state scores on the Criterion-Referenced Test for all objectives for
both reading and mathematics and to have 80% of all students at grade level for
the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.
o To implement the new reading series throughout the school.
o To increase the number of students participating in the curriculum fair, science
fair, literary fairs.
o To increase student use of the media center and to improve students' media and
research skills (as outlined by the state's Quality Basic Education Act).
18
Although the illustrations of curriculum goals and objectives cited in this chapter follow
different formats, they serve as examples of the step in the planning process that calls for
specification of curriculum goals and objectives.
Box 8-2GOALSFORSTUDENTDEVELOPMENT
Goal Area I:
Communication and Learning Skills. Students shall acquire, to the extent of their individual
physical, mental, and emotional capacities, a mastery of the basic skills required in
obtaining and expressing ideas through the effective use of words, numerals, and other
symbols.
a) Students shall achieve a working knowledge of reading, writing, speaking, and
arithmetic during the elementary school years, accompanied by gradual progress into
the broader fields of mathematics, natural science, language arts, and the humanities.
b) Students shall develop and use skills in the logical processes of search, analysis,
evaluation and problem-solving, in critical thinking, and in the use of symbolism.
c) Students shall develop competence and motivation for continuing self-evaluation, self-
instruction, and adaptation to a changing environment.
d) Students shall have the opportunity during the elementary school years to develop and
use the skills of speaking and understanding a foreign language in order to communicate
effectively in the language for future personal or vocational achievements.
Goal Area II:
Citizenship Education. Students shall acquire and continually improve the habits and
attitudes necessary for responsible citizenship.
a) Students shall acquire knowledge of various political systems with emphasis on
democratic institutions, the heritage of the United States, the contributions of our
diverse cultural backgrounds, and the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.
b) Students shall develop the skills required for participation in the political processes of
our country and for influencing decisions made by political organizations.
c) Students shall develop the competence and desire to become informed and critical
participants in the electoral process of this county.
d) Students shall acquire those attributes necessary for functioning, on a daily basis, as
good citizens in their own school and community settings.
Goal Area III:
Career and Occupational Education. Students shall acquire a knowledge and understanding of
the opportunities open to them for preparing for a productive life, and shall develop those
skills and abilities which will enable them to take full advantage of those opportunities
including a positive attitude toward work and respect for the dignity of all honorable
occupations.
a) Students shall acquire knowledge of and develop an understanding of the fundamental
structure and processes of America's economic system, together with an understanding
of the opportunities and requirements for individual participation and success in this
changing system.
b) Students shall develop occupational competencies, consistent with their interests, aptitudes, and
abilities, which are necessary for entry and advancement in the economic system; they shall
develop those academic competencies necessary for the acquisition of technical or
professional skills through posthigh school training.
c) Students shall develop competence in the application of economic knowledge to practical
economic functions: such as, planning and budgeting for the investment of personal income,
calculating tax obligations, financing major purchases, and obtaining desirable employment.
d) Students shall develop an awareness of the relevance of the curriculumto the world of work
and our social existence.
Goal Area IV:
Mental and Physical Health. Students shall acquire good health habits and an understanding of
the conditions necessary for the maintenance of physical, emotional, and social well-being.
a) Students shall develop an understanding of the requirements of personal hygiene, adequate
nutrition and leisure time activities essential to the maintenance of physical health, and a
knowledge of the dangers to mental and physical health from addiction and other aversive
practices.
b) Students shall develop skills in sports and other forms of recreation which will provide
for life-long enjoyment of participation according to their own preferences and abilities.
c) Students shall develop competence in recognizing and preventing environmental health
problems.
d) Students shall acquire a knowledge of basic psychological and sociological factors affecting
human behavior and mental health, and shall develop competence for adjusting to changes in
personal status and social patterns.
Goal Area V:
Home and Family Relationships. Students shall develop an appreciation of the family as a
social institution.
a) Students shall develop an understanding of their roles and the roles of others as members of a
family, together with a knowledge of the requirements for successful participation in family
living.
b) Students shall develop an understanding of the role of the family as a basic unit in the
society.
c) Students shall develop an awareness of the diversity of family patterns and the value of
the contributions of the individuals to family and community living.
Goal Area VI:
Aesthetic and Cultural Appreciations. Students shall develop understanding and appreciation
of human achievement in the natural sciences, the humanities and the arts.
a) Students shall acquire a knowledge of and an appreciation for major arts, music, literary,
and drama forms, and their place in the cultural heritage.
b) Students shall acquire a knowledge of the natural, physical and social sciences and their
relationships to human and social development.
c) Students shall develop skills for creative use of leisure time and shall develop an interest
in becoming active in one or more areas of creative endeavor.
d) Students shall develop discrimination skills in the critical evaluation of cultural
offerings and opportunities.
Goal Area VII:
Human Relations. Students shall develop a concern for moral, ethical, and spiritual values
and for the application of such values to life situations.
a) Students shall acquire the greatest possible understanding and appreciation of themselves
as well as of persons belonging to social, cultural, and ethnic groups different from their
own, and of the worthiness of all persons as members of society.
b) Students shall develop those skills and attitudes necessary for positive interpersonal and
group relationship and shall recognize the importance of and need for ethical and moral
standards of behavior.
c) Students shall recognize the value of that level of group discipline and self-discipline
that promotes a sense of worth of the individual while contributing to the collective
benefit of all involved.
CONSTRUCTING STATEMENTS OF CURRICULUM GOALS
The examples of curriculum goals suggest a variety of forms of expression. Some schools phrase
their goals in a way that stresses the role of the curriculum or of the school, like the following
examples:
To teach students to express themselves clearly and correctly in written and oral English.
To develop the students' abilities to purchase goods and services wisely.
To expose students to cultures other than their own.
Although an expression that stresses the role of the school is common, an alternate form that
focuses on the student seems preferable for a number of reasons:
1. Philosophically, this formis more in keeping with progressive doctrine that places the pupil at
the center of learninga sound principle.
2. It is in keeping with modem instructional design that focuses on the achievements of the
learner rather than the performance of the teacher or school.
3. It parallels common practice, as we shall see in Chapter 10, in writing instructional goals and
objectives. Thus curriculum goals may be better understood and the process of curriculum
development better integrated.
4. It is easier to design evaluation processes when we knowwhat is expected of students as
opposed to what is expected of the teacher or school.
Writing curriculumgoals in a formthat starts with the students, we might revise the previous
illustrations in the following manner:
Students will express themselves clearly and correctly in written and oral English.
Students will demonstrate the ability to purchase goods and services wisely.
Students will showinterest in and understanding of cultures other than their own.
Characteristics of CurriculumGoals
The characteristics of curriculum goals as conceptualized in this text may be summarized as
follows:
1. They relate to the educational aims and philosophy.
2. They are programmatic. Although they speak to one or more areas of the curriculum,
they do not delineate specific courses or specific items of content.
3. They refer to the accomplishment of groups (all students, students in general, most
students) rather than the achievement of individual students.
4. They are stated in general terms that provide directions for curriculumdevelopment.
5. They are broad enough to lead to specific curriculum objectives.
CONSTRUCTING STATEMENTS OF CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES
Like curriculum goals, curriculum objectives relate to the educational aims and philosophy, are
programmatic in nature, and refer to accomplishments of groups. Unlike curriculum goals, curriculum
objectives are stated in specific and measurable terms.
Box 8-3 PHILOSOPHYANDGOALS OF LAFAYETTE MIDDLE SCHOOL
The middle school is an organization designed to answer the needs of boys and girls in their
pre- and early adolescent years, who through common physiological changes and through
common interests typical to these years form a homogeneous unit in the community. By the
grouping together of students of common age and with common interests, the middle school
provides better opportunities for meeting the needs of this age group.
The school must provide an appropriate balance among opportunities for emotional, intellectual,
and social aspects of growth of the students. This aim should be achieved by emphasis upon
the following goals:
1. Provide opportunities for intellectual growth toward eventual mastery of skills and abilities.
Skill in the application of such fundamental tools of knowledge as reading, writing, and
arithmetic is necessary to enable each pupil to go beyond his knowledge and to meet the
needs of life situations. Because of the extremely uneven development in these skill
areas, pupils must be allowed to progress at their own optimal rates.
2. Help all students to gain the fundamental background, concepts, and understanding of the
various subject matter areas.
An emphasis on unique modes of inquiry and teaching of basic structural elements,
rather than on the fragmented learning of facts, can help bring order and depth of
understanding to the learner.
3. Give as many opportunities as possible for the exploration of interests and abilities.
Exploration as a concept derives from the purposes of initiative of the individual pupil
rather than from the purposes of society. As such, it is crucial among the educational
purpose of the middle school.
4. Provide through these investigations of unique needs, desires, and purposes a basis upon which
students, with their parents, will be enabled to make wiser choices in the educational and
vocational offerings of their later educational experiences.
5. Provide opportunities for healthful living, both mental and physical.
The possession of mental resources for the use of leisure, the appreciation of beauty, the
skillful maintenance of a healthful home and community, and the ability to function both
as a participant and a spectator in many sports and pastimes are valid goals for all
courses.
6. Provide opportunities for development, understanding, and appreciation of the democratic
way of living.
Educational practices that show a concern for the orderly structure of society, as well as
for the individual, can strengthen loyalty to democratic ideals. Furthermore, giving
students experience in management of their own school activities and helping them to
strengthen their study skills will enable them to adjust more readily to the independence
required by the high school program.
7. Throughout this program, continue to make available an effective counseling service which
will aid pupils in their educational, social, and occupational problems.
SOURCE: Lafayette Middle School, Lafayette, Louisiana. Reprinted with permission.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CURRICULUM OBJECTIVES
Curriculum objectives are refinements of the curriculum goals. They specify the performance
standards for the students for whom the curriculum is designed. We can turn a curriculum goal
into a curriculum objective by adding the following three elements, which we will see again when
discussing instructional objectives:
performance or behavioral termsthat is, those skills and knowledge that students are
expected to be able to demonstrate
the degree of mastery desired by the curriculum planners
conditions under which the performance will take place, if not readily understood
Let's analyze the following curriculum objective for these three elements: "On completion
of the first testing, 75 percent of the eleventh graders will have successfully passed the state's
minimal competencies test; by corn- pletion of the second testing, 90 percent will have passed."
Are all three elements present in this two-part objective? Yes, they area The performance
expected is successfully passing the state's minimal competencies test. The degrees of mastery
desired are 75 and 90 percent. Completion of the first and second testings is the condition.
To accomplish the transition from curriculum goal to curriculum objective, you may find it
helpful to jot down several indicators of student performance that will serve as guides for writing
the objectives. Let's take another look at the illustrative curriculum goal mentioned earlier:
"Students shall demonstrate responsible behavior as citizens of our school, community, state,
nation, and world." What are some indicators of learner performance that would reveal evidence
of students' accomplishment of this goal? We might look for such behaviors as the following:
care of school building and grounds
less fighting among students
orderliness in school assemblies
participation in community youth organizations such as church groups, scout groups,
and the like
contribution of labor or money to some worthy cause
keeping informed on current events
refraining from littering the school and community
serving on commities of the school
observing highway speed limits
taking an interest in local, state and national elections
engaging in discussions on ways to reduce international tensions
box 8-4 PHILOSOPHY ANDOBJECTIVES OF THE
MIAMI PALMETTOSENIORHIGHSCHOOL
Miami Palmetto Senior High School provides opportunities for all students to become
mature, thinking, skilled young people, well equipped for education, career, personal, and
life-long growth. The staff seeks to create an atmosphere conducive to the learning process
and one which enables students to develop a positive self-image. These factors combine to
enable students to develop as responsible citizens.
As educators, we are committed to the following philosophical principles:
1. To foster a knowledge of self and of the world in which the individual lives.
2. To encourage understanding and respect for the rights of others.
3. To stimulate critical, constructive, and creative thinking.
4. To assist in the development of a set of values meaningful to the individual and
worthwhile to society.
5. To assist in the development of functional skills necessary for an individual to be a
contributing member of society.
6. To provide experiences which will enrich career education and career choices.
7. To provide a positive and challenging experience for all students.
In order to fulfill the previous statements, the faculty seeks to meet the objectives stated
below:
1. To offer a flexible curriculum ranging from instruction in basic through college-level
courses.
2. To instruct students in learning processes which will provide them with methods of
inquiry applicable to the future, as well as present, learning situations.
3. To encourage students to practice courtesy, friendliness, and cooperation as a way of
life.
4. To motivate students in the development and maintenance of sound mental, emotional,
and physical health.
5. To provide experiences which will enable students to develop an appreciation and an
understanding of their own culture as well as the culture of others.
6. To provide students with instruction and materials which are appropriate to their ability
and maturity level.
7. To guide students to think logically and creatively, to express ideas clearly in speaking
and writing, and to listen and view critically.
8. To help students learn to discuss and to see the relationship between cause and effect.
9. To enable students to distinguish facts from unstated opinions, conclusions, and
inferences.
10. To strengthen pupils' computational skills and to provide for those who operate at the
concept level in mathematics.
11. To provide all students instruction in reading skills.
12. To encourage students to read widely both for their own intellectual growth and for
their own enjoyment.
13. To assist students in the discovery of scientific principles through the study of factual
and experimental evidence.
14. To help students acquire an understanding of the principles and processes of the American
free-enterpriie system.
15. To involve students in school and community resources.
16. To promote in students an appreciation and understanding of those factors conducive to
successful family living.
17. To orient students in the effective use of print and nonprint materials in the Media Center.
18. To provide opportunities for interested students to develop manual skills.
19. To provide students with vocational information and the opportunity to develop
occupational skills.
20. To provide students with co-curricular activities which will develop interest, co-
operativeness, pride, and satisfaction.
21. To foster a positive educational experience for the potential dropout.
22. To encourage female students to enroll in high level math and science courses.
23. To encourage minority students with potential to enroll in courses which will challenge
their abilities.
24. To encourage students to maximize their potential by enrolling in courses which will
challenge them.
SOURCE: Miami Palmetto Senior High School, Miami, Florida. Reprinted with
permission.
We could turn the first performance indicatorcare of school building and groundsinto a
curriculum objective in the following manner: "By the end of April students will have
demonstrated care of the building to the extent that there will be a 95 percent reduction in the
number of graffiti on the walls." From this one curriculum goal on good citizenship we can
generate many curriculum objectives, and from the first performance indicator alone we can
create a number of objectives.
The generation of curriculum goals and objectives is a highly creative exercise. The curriculum
goals and objectives set the direction for the subsequent organization and development of the
curriculum. The curriculum goals and objectives determine the activities that will take place in
the many classrooms of the school.
VALIDATINGANDDETERMININGPRIORITYOF GOALS ANDOBJECTIVES
As stated earlier, the assessment of curriculum needs is a continuing process that starts after a
school formulates its philosophy and clarifies its aims of education. The needs of society, of
students in general, and of the particular students, community, and subject matter give rise to
initial statements of curriculum goals and objectives. After these goals and objectives have
been identified, the needs assessment process is continued to determine if any needs have not
been met. When unmet needs are exposed, a revised list of curriculum goals and objectives is
prepared. These goals and objectives require validation and placing in order of priority.
Validation is the process of determining whether the goals and objectives are accepted as
appropriate or "right" for the school system proposing them. Determining priority is the placing
of the goals and objectives in order of relative importance in the school system. Groups
concerned with the progress of the school should be enlisted to help identify suitable goals and
objectives and to set priorities.
Some school systems seek to validate both goals and objectives; others limit the process to
validating goals on the presumption that once the goals are identified, a representative committee can
handle the task of making the goals specificthat is, turning them into objectives.
Function of CurriculumCommittee
The validation process, whether carried out by the state, district, or school, assumes the
formation of a curriculum committee or council charged with the task. The curriculum committee
will submit the goals by means of a questionnaire or opinionnaire to groups who are concerned with
the progress of the school(s).
Submitting curriculum goals and any already identified curriculum objectives to a broad
sampling of groupslay persons (including parents), stu- dents, teachers, administrators, and
curriculum experts (on the staffs of public school systems or on the faculties of teacher education
institutions)is good practice. The effort should be made to learn whether there is widespread
acceptance of the goals formulated by the curriculum planners and what the groups' priorities will be.
Curriculum objectives that are developed after a broad sampling of opinion has been gathered can
be submitted to either a more limited sampling of the same groups or to the curriculum committee for
validation and ranking.
Data should be gathered and interpreted, preferably by a curriculum committee representative
of the various groups polled. Such a committee will be called on to make judgments that will tax
its collective wisdom. It cannot treat the data in a simplistic fashion, tallying responses from all
groups, and simply following the majority's opinions. It needs to analyze discrepancies of opinion,
if any, among the various groups surveyed and discuss the discrepancies among themselves and with
members of the various groups.
Weighting Opinions. As a general rule, the wishes of students, for example, should not hold the
same priority as the beliefs of parents and other lay people. The opinions of groups small in number,
like curriculum specialists or college professors, cannot be treated in the same light as the attitudes
of large numbers of residents of the community. For that matter, the opinions of a few school
administrators should not be given, simply because of their status, as great a weight as those of
large numbers of teachers and parents.
Since the committee interpreting the data may not find consensus on goals and objectives
among the various groups, it has the heavy responsibility of reconciling differing positions and
reaching consensus among its own members. Drawing on the opinions of the groups that have
been polled, the curriculum committee must decide which goals are valid and which should
be assigned priority. To set priorities is to say that some goals are more important than others
and deserve more time, attention, and emphasis in the curriculum.
It is clear that the goals of a state, district, or school should be submitted for validation and
ranking by sizable numbers of educators and noneducators. It is debatable, however, whether
curriculum goals and objectives of grades or departments need or should be submitted to
persons beyond the school or school-district personnel. It would be somewhat impractical,
redundant, expensive, and time-consuming for curriculum goals and objectives of the grades and
departments to be submitted to significant numbers of the school system's constituents. The
faculties of the grade and departmental levels may satisfy their responsibilities for validation and
ranking of goals and objectives by submitting their statements to the curriculum committee and
to experts in the field for review and endorsement.
The process of validation and determining priorities may be repeated as often as the
curriculum committee finds necessary, with modifications and repeated ranking made as a result
of each survey and prior to a subsequent survey. After the curriculum goals and objectives
have been validated and placed in rank order, the curriculum planners turn to the next phase in
the curriculum development processputting the goals and objectives into operation.
SUMMARY
State school systems, school districts, and individual schools engage in the task of specifying
curriculum goals and objectives. Curriculum goals and objectives are derived from the
developers' philosophy and educational aims.
Curriculum goals are programmatic statements of expected outcomes without criteria of
achievement. They apply to students as a group and are often interdisciplinary or
multidisciplinary.
Curriculum objectives are specific, measurable, programmatic statements of outcomes to
be achieved by students as a group in the school or school system.
Curriculum goals and objectives are essential for
1. conducting a complete needs assessment to identify unmet needs
2. carrying out subsequent phases of the suggested model for curriculum improvement
3. generating instructional goals and objectives
4. providing a basis for evaluating the curriculum
5. giving direction to the program
It is recommended that curriculum goals and objectives be phrased in terms of anticipated
accomplishments of students. Curriculum objectives, which are more specific than curriculum
goals, should stipulate expected degrees of mastery and the conditions under which students can
master the desired behaviors. Curriculum goals and objectives should be validated and put in
order of priority by the school's curriculum committee after review by representatives of the
various constituencies that the school serves.