Course Descriptions

Prerequisite: Admission to the Curriculum and Instruction Master’s Program or consent of instructor. This course must be taken during the first or second semester in the Master’s Program. Introduction to graduate study in curriculum and instruction. Overview of curriculum and instruction as a field of inquiry. Reading critically and conducting educational research. Using reflective strategies to analyze and improve professional practice. Letter grade only (A-F).

• What is curriculum and instruction and why is it important as a field of inquiry?
• How does the research literature on curriculum, assessment and instruction inform the understanding of student learning and thereby affect current educational practice?
• What effect does the use of systematic observation tools have on the teacher’s ability to reflect on classroom instruction?
• What is the impact of current legislation, policy and practices on school and school district infrastructure, as well as classroom instruction?
• How can I implement and analyze effective teaching practice?

Prerequisites: Admission to an approved masters program or consent of the instructor. Must be taken during the first or second semester. Advanced exploration of the major historical and philosophical paradigms of elementary and secondary education in the United States from which contemporary educational reform movements, curricula, and instructional practices have emerged. Letter grading only (A-F).

• What are the purposes of public education in America?
• What is the relationship between American education and American culture?
• Who controls American education at various levels of government?
• How do political, economic, religious and demographic changes affect schools, curricula, and teacher practice?
• How have public schools served as primary venues for racial, ethnic, religious, and gender equality?
• In what ways is school reform a cyclical process?
• What are some of the major historical and philosophical perspectives that inform your own educational practice?

Prerequisite: Admission to an approved Master’s program or consent of the instructor. Critical analyses of issues of cultural diversity, educational equity, and global interdependence to enhance cross-cultural competence. Students will investigate research literature in the field, apply research-based knowledge to their educational practice, and infuse cross-cultural concepts, skills, and attitudes into the K-12 curriculum. Letter grade only (A-F).

• What is multicultural education and its varied role in US schools and society?
• What are the relationships among multicultural education, global education, and cross-cultural education?
• What is the relationship between the various standards and multicultural education, global education, and cross-cultural education?
• How does cross-cultural competence affect teaching and learning?
• How do you determine your cross-cultural relationships with your students? What are the curriculum implications of such relationships for you and your students?
• What are the major philosophical perspectives on multicultural education that inform your own education practice?
• How do you develop high-quality multicultural curricula?

Prerequisites: EDCI 500, EDCI 505, EDP 400; and one of the following EDP 520, EDP 595, or EDP 696 or EDCI 533; consent of the instructor. Advanced study of curriculum design, instructional processes, and student assessment through analysis of theory and research on teaching and learning. California K-12 Content Standards and the California Standards for the Teaching Profession are used to align curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Letter grade only (A-F).

• How do curriculum maps facilitate standards-based teaching?
• What does the usage of differentiated instruction and assessment-driven instruction do to honor student differences in the classroom?
• What effect do curriculum standards and standards-based, performance assessments have on student learning?
• How can I implement and analyze effective teaching practice?

Prerequisites: EDCI 500, EDCI 505, EDCI 625, and advancement to candidacy, or by permission of instructor. Studies of curriculum and instruction. Course content will be determined by the instructor offering each section. Letter grade only (A-F).