Curriculum Writer

The purpose of this position is to work with the Applied Prevention Science International (APSI) team to develop a classroom curriculum for high school students that addresses wellness and well-being as they encounter increasing risks of substance use and other problem behaviors.  The curriculum design is based on prevention science and the theoretical frameworks addressing the development of knowledge, skills, and competencies needed by adolescents as they progress through high school and afterwards.

​The curriculum writer will be responsible for writing the modules, lessons, and exercises that provide students the opportunity to not only learn the content, but to practice important skills including positive communication and other social interactions with peers and their teachers, critical thinking and decision-making in regard to their health and wellness, setting goals and planning for their immediate and more long-term futures, and exploring and managing their emotions as they face stress and other challenges in their school and community. 

​The curriculum will also incorporate special programming in 9th grade which will address the unique risks of transitioning into high school; and then prepare students in 11th and 12th grade for the important skills needed to transition out of high school into post-secondary life.

​There will be a science-oriented module available to grades 9-12 focusing on the pharmacology of psychoactive substances and their impact on the brain and the consequences of use.  The content will be based on material derived from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and APSI resources.

​Position Summary

​The job is a remote full-time position for 12 months, with possible options to continue.   The writer will be expected to produce about 24 lessons and related materials for 45-minute classroom sessions for 12 modules.  These are listed below.

• Success in School & Health

• Managing Stress 

• Your Healthy Brain

• Emotions and Resolving Conflict

• Psychoactive Substance Use 

• Service Learning

• Communications

• Time and Money Management

• Decision-Making

• Developing Plans/Seeking Work

• Setting goals

• Planning for Post High School

The writer will perform the following tasks:

1. Work with the APSI team on refining plans for the curriculum, including the coverage of the modules; consideration of how they fit into school district programming and individual school schedules; how they will best be designed for the teachers, health educators, school counselors and/or prevention staff who will deliver them; and other approaches to facilitate the design, development, and delivery of the curriculum. 

2. Participate remotely in monthly planning meetings with the team and consultants during the 9-month development period.  

3. Develop the desired order and group the delivery of modules in 3-4 packages in concert with the team so these can be reviewed while others are being written.

4. Overall, there will be about 9 months to complete the 12 modules with lessons and support materials for the initial pretesting with the target audience of high school students; 

5. Then, finally modify the material for production into the demonstration field version at the end of the year.

Qualifications/Experience

• At least 5 years of teaching high school plus an advanced degree in curriculum development and/or assessment

• Familiarity with teaching or assessing science-based curricula at the secondary level

• Completed curricula at the middle and high school level

• Advisory experience in regard to district-level work with adherence to secondary school standards

Communications and Creativity in Written and Digital Form

• Excellent writing skills in a variety of digital mass and social media 

• Developed and wrote lesson plans for a high school program

• Created researched based lesson plans, unit plans, and curriculum including gender specific and culturally specific programming.

• Examples of comprehensive, standards-based curriculum developed for high schools  

• Authorship of curricula and elective courses digitally and in print.

• Examples of creative ability to develop imaginative exercises that deliver skills and practice opportunities for students

If selected for an interview, please have the following material available to assess your experience: 

• Examples of original curricula, assessment items, and standards alignment.

• Written rigorous and age-appropriate assessment items.

• Standards-based practice and assessment items for a variety of subject-specific skills.

• Experience working as part of an evaluation process.

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