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A few months ago, my colleague Jill Barshay wrote about a survey that found that many high school math teachers cobble together curriculum from the internet and other sources.
Readers reacted, particularly teachers who were angry about how researchers characterized them as going “rogue” for pulling together their own resources.
After reading Jill’s article, I decided to dig a little deeper and speak to some of those teachers. I wanted to know why they would willingly spend hours of their time to create a curriculum when one was already provided by their district. I was also curious if this was more widespread than just math teachers,
What I found was that this is a very common practice. In my article, which published recently with our partners at Chalkbeat, teachers argued that off-the-shelf curriculum often doesn’t meet the needs of their students — because it doesn’t engage students in a meaningful way; it isn’t culturally relevant and inclusive; or it’s not designed to support students with disabilities or English language learners. For some subjects, like history, teachers say it’s hard to find comprehensive curricula that not only includes histories of marginalized communities but also includes a state’s local communities.
Is deviating too far from a scripted curriculum provided by a school district really so bad?
The researchers and curriculum experts I spoke with said that for the most part, teachers should use a high-quality curriculum that is grade-appropriate and aligned to a state’s standards. But, they also acknowledge that some modification of a curriculum is “healthy.” In some cases, a school district might actually expect teachers to create their own curriculum, using state standards — and those teachers say they like having the freedom and flexibility to do so.
What do you think about a do-it-yourself approach to curriculum resources? Does it potentially cause more harm than good?
Delving into the downward trend in math scores around the world: When the Program for International Student Assessment released its results from 2022, it showed that math scores had fallen steeply. But for many countries, including some of the largest and wealthiest in the world, the slide in mathematics scores has been going on for years. My colleague Christina A. Samuels explores possible causes, and how countries are responding. If you’re interested in more in-depth math reporting, sign up for our new limited-run newsletter that will be devoted to mathematics teaching and learning.
In other news: I was struck by a new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau showing how financial companies profit off of school lunches. Companies that contract with school districts to process lunch payments charge fees of $2.37, or 4.4 percent of the total transaction, on average, every time money is added to a student’s account. That’s costing families about $100 million collectively each year, the report found.
More on the Future of Learning
“As climate changes fuels hotter temperatures, kids are learning less,” The Hechinger Report
“How could Project 2025 change education?,” The Hechinger Report
“Billions of dollars for ed tech in schools are now in jeopardy. Here’s why,” Education Week
“American students are losing ground in reading and math as COVID relief dollars run dry,” USA Today
This story about curriculum change was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s newsletter.
