The Politics of Curriculum

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Chapter 4 The Politics of Curriculum

• How has the curriculum-influence process taken
  shape?
• end of 1907s-states gaining more influence
• federal level-struggle for power behind the
  scenes
• lobbying important at federal and state levels
• local level-conflicting and coalescing influences
• district level-board policies
• school level-school administration
• classroom level-teachers

2

• What has been the role of the federal government
  in curriculum development?
• 1957-1967-Scholarly Structualism
• --catching up with the Russians
• --intensive federal intervention
• --education dominated by technological
  perspective
• --essential skills of teaching-step-by-step
  approach
• --federal intervention-generic
  curriculum/alphabet-soup curriculum

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• --concern with course content determined by
  scholars in the disciplines
• --resistance to federal efforts at end of period
• 1968-1974-Romantic Radicalism
• --rights not responsibilities slogan (Vietnam
  War)
• --specific federal mandates (bilingual education
  rights of handicapped)
• 1975-1989-Privatistic Conservatism
• --dominated by President Reagan
• --curriculum development by Wiliam Bennetts
  agenda of choice, content, character, and
  citizenship

4

• 1990-1999-Technological Constructionism
• --issues of teacher certification,
  standards-based curriculum, technological
  reform
• --Kozols Savage Inequalities-gross disparities
  between districts exposed
• --President Clintons Goals 2006
• --Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration
  program
• --legislation restructured IDEA
• --school and community partnerships

5

• 2000-Present-New Privatistic Conservatism
• --focus on students performing alike
• --competency testing and standardized curriculum
• --education industry-major financial entity
• --educational reform became privatistic and
  conservative
• --movement toward charter schools, vouchers and
  tax credits
• --NCLB 2001-standards, assessment,
  accountability
• --revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act

6

• What has been the role of state government in
  curriculum development?
• states have adopted policies related to
• --time requirements
• --mandating specific subjects
• --graduation requirements
• --programs for special groups
• --adoption of textbooks and instructional
  materials
• --specifying scope and sequence of topics
• --mandating testing programs

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• What has been the role of other groups in
  curriculum development?
• professional organizations influence at national,
  state and local levels
• --lobbying
• --publications
• --institutes and workshops
• federal and state courts
• --requirements of programs (secular, English the
  chief language, minimally adequate for all
  students)

8

• local educational leaders-central office and
  building administration
• --influence varies by district
• classroom teachers
• --responding to internal and external pressures
• --internal pressures-personal needs
  (affiliation, independence, usefulness and
  achievement)
• --other strong internal factors (past
  experiences, attitudes and interests)

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--external pressures (textbooks, district
curriculum objectives, test results, values
and priorities of colleagues, administrative
requirements, interests of students, parent
expectations, government legislation)
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Future of Education