This paper provides an introduction to the Alberta Education Developmental Framework, and describes the provincial department's position on curriculum and the cognitive domain. Intended for use in designing and implementing instruction, the developmental framework delineates the developmental stages and processes through which students progress, and includes material concerning the kinds of support students need in order to learn more effectively at various stages of growth. Appendices provide outlines of cognitive growth in general, and of affective and physical growth in early adolescence and middle adolescence. (RH)