The purpose of this guide, the first of 12 volumes, is to help Connecticut's school districts comply with state legislative mandates for instruction in 11 required subject areas. The first volume assists districts in developing local curriculum guides. Each subsequent volume will cover one of the subject areas. After explaining the purpose of the guide, the authors discuss the management of districtwide curriculum planning, the roles of curriculum coordinators and councils and of other school officials, the creation of the district's master schedule for curriculum development, and the articulation of the district's goals and philosophy. Covered next is the framework for curriculum development in the 11 subject areas; the topics include curriculum committees, needs assessments, instructional strategies and materials, implementation, and evaluation. The following section examines curriculum development for special populations, including preschool, adult, handicapped, disadvantaged, and gifted students. The last section suggests time allotments for the subject areas from grades one through twelve. Sixteen appendices list selected resources and state education service centers and provide materials on state educational goals and legislation, testing, curriculum development processes and materials, and formats for curriculum guides. (RW)