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Curriculum Readiness

Readiness is tracked in content/portal/readiness-matrix.json, which is the canonical source for semester status.

Use the readiness labels below before you treat a semester or module as complete curriculum.

For the higher-level promise, read Confidence Contract. For the practical route, use Path Levels.

Status Labels​

LabelMeaning
BlueprintStructural only. Scope and sequencing exist, but the content is not ready to act as the main learning path.
ScaffoldedPublicly visible with structure and some content, but not yet complete or reviewed enough to promise as coursework.
Learner-readyThe teaching path is written, the assessments are usable, and the page is free of placeholder residue.
ReviewedLearner-ready material has also passed editorial, technical, and assessment review.
Battle-testedReviewed material has been used by learners and revised based on observed friction.

Readiness and quality review are separate. Quality evidence is tracked in content/portal/quality-matrix.json across editorial, technical, assessment, accessibility, security, external-review, and learner-pilot dimensions.

  • Reviewed requires editorial, technical, assessment, accessibility, and security review to pass.
  • Battle-tested additionally requires external review, a learner pilot, recorded friction, and remediation evidence.
  • Page count, build success, or a complete sidebar cannot substitute for these gates.

Publication Bar​

No page should be marked Learner-ready unless it has:

  • clear scope and objectives
  • a real concept path
  • usable exercises or assessment
  • concrete artifact expectations
  • no template prompts, placeholder blocks, or raw generation residue

Current Curriculum Status​

SemesterStatusNotes
Pre-Semester LaunchpadLearner-readyComplete starting path for study systems, tooling, and Git workflow
Semester 0: Orientation & FoundationLearner-readyComplete orientation block with project, checkpoint, cumulative review, and exam
Semester 1: Mathematical & CS FoundationsLearner-readyLearner-facing mathematical foundations path is the current fundamentals exemplar
Semester 2: Algorithms & Data StructuresLearner-readyComplete algorithms path with clustered concepts, guided practice, source-backed reading, transfer assessments, project, checkpoint, and cumulative review
Semester 3: Software Design & PatternsLearner-readyComplete software-design path with source-backed concepts, refactoring labs, pattern application, code-review practice, transfer assessments, and portfolio evidence
Semester 4: Systems ProgrammingLearner-readyComplete systems-programming path with source-backed C, memory, architecture, debugging, systems-tool, and interpreter work plus transfer assessments
Semester 5: OS & NetworkingLearner-readyComplete OS and networking path with source-backed process, memory, concurrency, filesystem, protocol, socket, tracing, and transfer-assessment work
Semester 6: Databases & Distributed SystemsLearner-readyComplete data-systems path with source-backed concepts, concrete worked examples and labs, failure-driven exercises, transfer assessments, and production evidence
Semester 7: Software Architecture & Domain DesignLearner-readyComplete architecture path with source-backed concepts, concrete design/review labs, DDD and API evolution practice, transfer assessments, and portfolio evidence
Semester 8: System Design & Technical LeadershipLearner-readyComplete system-design and leadership path with concrete estimation, decomposition, eventing, reliability, strategy, review, and transfer-assessment work
Semester 9: Cloud Infrastructure & DevOpsLearner-readyComplete cost-aware cloud and delivery path with concrete IaC, Kubernetes, CI/CD, security, observability, failure, and teardown evidence
Semester 10: Capstone IntegrationLearner-readyComplete graduation path with concrete capstone delivery, operations, security, evidence, defense, external-review, and remediation gates

How To Use This​

  • Start with pages marked Learner-ready, Reviewed, or Battle-tested.
  • Follow learner-ready-or-better pages in prerequisite order; use scaffolded or blueprint pages only as planning context.
  • Do not skip directly to advanced semesters unless you already have the prerequisite background and artifacts.
  • Use Scaffolded pages only where the public sidebar points you to a specific module or artifact.
  • Treat Blueprint pages as planning documents, not finished coursework.
  • If a future semester, module, or track is not clearly marked Learner-ready, Reviewed, or Battle-tested, assume you should not rely on it as a full learner path yet.

Confidence Rule​

Do not judge the curriculum by total page count.

Judge it by whether the current path has:

  • clear objectives
  • guided concept pages
  • practice and assessment
  • visible artifacts
  • honest readiness labels

If those are present, use the page as coursework. If they are absent or the status is Blueprint, use the page only as a map.