Curriculum development groundwork

Learn about the steps to gather input and develop guiding documents for the K-12 curriculum development process.

Overview

The Alberta government is renewing the Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) curriculum, also called programs of study. Before drafting new curriculum, we received input from an independent panel and Albertans. With this feedback, we established a new Ministerial Order on Student Learning and updated the Guiding Framework for Curriculum Design and Development. These documents are the foundation for drafting new provincial curriculum in this order: K-6, grades 7-10 and grades 11-12.

Find out more about the initial activities that laid the groundwork for the curriculum development process.

Curriculum advisory panel input

August 2019 to August 2020

An independent 12-member curriculum advisory panel provided:

  1. Recommendations on direction for curriculum
  2. Comité Consultatif sur le Curriculum : recommandations sur l’orientation relative au curriculum
  3. A draft ministerial order with updated vision for student learning that was central to public engagement
  4. Final advice on the draft ministerial order based on feedback from the public engagement

Engagement on the vision

January to February 2020

The Alberta government broadened consultations to hear a wider range of perspectives on the draft ministerial order from parents, teachers and subject matter experts. Learn more:

New ministerial order

August 2020

The Alberta government listened to the curriculum advisory panel and Albertans to establish a new Ministerial Order on Student Learning. It sets the vision to guide education, update curriculum, and strengthen the K-12 system:

All new curriculum must be aligned with this ministerial order.

Guiding framework update

December 2020

Curriculum is designed and developed based on a guiding framework that sets a common direction, purpose, principles and standards. With the new Ministerial Order on Student Learning in place, the framework was updated:

Next steps by grade

The K-12 curriculum renewal is happening over a few years as follows: