USERS AND USES OF THE NCPQ STANDARDS

Educators and community members will find that the Instructional Material Quality Standards established by the NCPQ lend themselves to a wide range of uses, some of which are outlined below.

For curriculum development teams and instructors, the Standards can:

• provide a basis for curriculum design and development.
• assist in analyzing and evaluating current curriculum and other instructional resources.
• provide a component to curriculum planning that assesses student outcomes relative to teaching methodologies and student assessment techniques.

Administrators may use these Standards to:

• conduct curriculum reviews.
• adapt or adopt curriculum.
• evaluate instructional resources and support.
• establish local curriculum standards and policies.
• evaluate programs.

For local governing boards' education-business partnerships, the Standards can:

• form an information base to evaluate curriculum content and instructional design.
• provide an evaluative framework for curriculum adaptation or adoption.
• form a basis for curriculum planning issues by creating an awareness of national standards and goals.
• benchmark local curriculum to industry skill standards and education goals.

Teacher educators will find the Standards useful to:

• provide students with guidelines for analyzing and evaluating curriculum and other instructional resources.
• design courses and workshops on curriculum.
• provide students with essentials elements to plan programs, develop courses, and create awareness of national standards and goals.

For State Departments of Education personnel, the Standards can:

• provide a guide for curriculum development.
• act as a tool to appraise the status of curriculum and other instructional resources used within the state.
• assist in appraising instructional materials under consideration for state adaptation/adoption action.

Benefits for students include:

• readily available details of program outcomes and skills required.
• accurate information regarding instructional activities and assessment standards.