Assessing Curricula

A Curriculum Reviewer(s) will be identified for the CAE team. 

High-quality early learning experiences are intentionally and developmentally appropriate and meet children where they are. The 2019–2020 review of the Texas Rising Star program significantly streamlined measures associated with lesson planning, reducing the paperwork required to demonstrate that curricula are appropriate and contribute to high-quality early learning experiences.  

Assessing Third Party or Proprietary Curricula  

The following checklists are designed as simple tools for Texas Rising Star staff to evaluate whether an early learning program’s proprietary or purchased third-party curriculum meets widely accepted standards. Texas Rising Star Staff should use these checklists to complete the scoring of P-PM-03 Curriculum. Curriculum Checklists can be found here: Curriculum Checklist-Templates 

 Each of the curriculum checklists are pdf fillable.  

•  Infant Toddler Curriculum Checklist 

• Preschool Curriculum Checklist  

• School-Age Curriculum Checklist  

• Family Home Curriculum Checklist 

  A staff person or team will be designated as the curriculum reviewer to evaluate third-party and proprietary curricula.  

The curriculum reviewer will use the appropriate curriculum checklist once for a curriculum and add the information to the Curriculum Tracker- Excel Spreadsheet to be used by the Assessor to score measure P-PM-03. 

For the Assessor to score P-PM-03 Curriculum, it must be determined if the curriculum used by an early learning program is developmentally appropriate and aligns with early learning guidelines or standards. To determine this, the curriculum reviewer team will use the age-appropriate checklist for each curriculum used for each school being assessed. The staff person assigned to review the curriculum will refer to the assessment calendar (for future scheduling of assessments) and the Texas Rising Star class page to retrieve curriculum information for each class.  

The curriculum reviewer team will review the event log created by the assigned Mentor in CLI Engage.  

Mentors will add the curriculum information on the Texas Rising Star Class page for each of the programs due for an assessment.  

The curriculum reviewer will complete the curriculum review two weeks prior to the assessment.  

To track the reviewed curricula, the curriculum reviewer will add the curriculum name, specified age group, and approval status to the Curriculum Tracker - Excel Spreadsheet. (Add link to spreadsheet) 

Assessors will review the curriculum tracker completed by the curriculum reviewer when scoring the measure P-PM-03 Curriculum.  

The review and approval of curricula must be completed no later than 2 weeks before the scheduled assessment.  

Once a curriculum has been previously approved by the curriculum reviewer, and another early learning program is implementing the same curriculum, it will not be necessary to complete a new curriculum checklist.  

 Note: At the time of the Texas Rising Star assessment, the Assessor will confirm the use of the curriculum by reviewing lesson plans, classroom schedules, activities, and access to materials when planning. For an age group’s curricula to be considered compliant with P-PM-03 Curriculum all classrooms of that age group must use an approved curriculum.  

TEA-Approved Preschool Curricula   

 The Texas Education Agency (TEA) conducts a Texas Resource Review (TRR) for prekindergarten curricula every 10 years. The most recent TRR was completed in 2021 and provides school districts and early learning programs with free, evidence-based quality reviews of various curricula to determine which ones provide high-quality instructional materials. Therefore, preschool curricula listed on TEA list of recognized prekindergarten curricula are considered appropriate as meeting early learning guidelines or standards.  

Emergent Curricula  

 Many early learning programs follow specific philosophies such as Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and faith-based approaches. Other programs may combine multiple early learning approaches to create their own curriculum. Texas Rising Star certification criteria support the participation of such programs.  

 Reminder: The checklists are not intended for programs that have created informal curricula or curricula that are emergent or project- or theme-based. Programs that use such curricula will need to show evidence that activities align with early learning guidelines or standards, including linked learning objectives. This information will be noted on Engage, under the Texas Rising Star classroom page. Texas Rising Star Assessors will determine if the emergent or theme-based curriculum aligns with early learning guidelines or standards and utilize that information to score measure P-PM-03 Curriculum.  

Considerations for Programs Adhering to Specific Early Learning Philosophies   

 Programs may ensure that their curriculum aligns with developmentally appropriate standards by completing the applicable curriculum checklists (based on age range). These checklists are designed to recognize curricula that follow a scope and sequence of learning and development and are responsive to individual children’s needs. More information about the scope and sequence of early learning and development, are available in Little Texans: Big Futures, Texas’ early learning guidelines for infants and toddlers, and in the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines for three- and four-year-old children.  

 Additionally, programs that follow certain philosophies will find that they will earn high scores in certain categories for their emphasis on diversity, warm and responsive caregiving, and children’s access to real items. Faith-based, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and Montessori programs should work with their assigned mentor to understand the scoring methodology and how their philosophy aligns with Texas Rising Star.  

Special Note: Texas Rising Star Mentors and Texas Rising Star Assessors will follow the guidance listed in this protocol. In addition, they will refer to the specific Mentor or Assessor protocols for additional guidance. The Mentor and Assessor protocols can be found in the Texas Rising Star Curriculum Reviewer folder in Microsoft Teams. Curriculum Review Protocols