Thank you for your request to our REL Reference Desk regarding curriculum alignment
in elementary education. The information below represents the most rigorous research
available. Researchers consider the type of methodology used and give priority to
research reports that employ well-described and thorough methods. The resources are
also selected based on the date of the publication with a preference for research from the
last ten years. We are unable to find publicly available research studies on curriculum
alignment of multiple schools. The related sources below examine curriculum alignment
in general.
Question: Is there research on curriculum alignment between two elementary (k-6)
schools?
1. Vertical Alignment: Ensuring Opportunity to Learn in a Standards-Based
System. 2009; Issue Brief; Center for Comprehensive School Reform and
Improvement; 8 pages; ERIC Document# ED507587.
Source: ERIC
http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED507587.pdf
From the abstract: “In response to requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLB), state policymakers have made concerted efforts to align state standards
with state accountability assessments. When strongly aligned and articulated, state
standards and assessments can provide a clear and coherent set of expectations for
students and educators. How do districts ensure that what is taught and tested in
classrooms aligns with the state standards and assessment? One approach is
through vertical alignment of the district's written curriculum with state standards
and assessments. Vertical alignment articulates the logical, consistent order for
teaching the standards-based content in a subject area from one grade level or
course to the next. There are different approaches to undertaking vertical
curriculum alignment in a district. Regardless of the approach taken, districts will
most likely face similar implementation issues. This brief explores some of the
issues that districts may face when implementing vertical alignment of the written
curriculum across grade levels. It is organized as follows: (1) Brief overview of
vertical curriculum alignment; (2) Common issues that successful districts have
addressed when implementing vertical alignment as part of district wide
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curriculum development; and (3) Vignettes that highlight selected aspects of
vertical alignment activities.”
2. Is Alignment Enough? Investigating the Effects of State Policies and
Professional Development on Science Curriculum Implementation. 2009;
Penuel, W., Fishman, B. J., Gallagher, L. P., Korbak, C., & Lopez-Prado, B.;
Science Education; Vol. 93, No.4; 21 pages.
Source: General Internet Search by Google
http://life-slc.org/docs/Penuel_etal-Isalignmentenough.pdf
From the abstract: “Implementation of science curriculum materials has been a
fundamental challenge in science education for decades. Policy researchers have
argued that alignment of standards, curriculum, and assessment are the key to
supporting implementation. This paper focuses on teachers' perceptions of
curricular alignment and on curriculum implementation using empirical data from
a statewide systemic inquiry science reform effort targeting students from
kindergarten to eighth grade. We find that the success of alignment policies
depends on teachers' construal of the relationship between standards and
curriculum materials and on allocation of time for planning at the school level.”
3. District Leadership for Science Education: Using K-12 Departments to
Support Elementary Science Education under NCLB. 2010; Miller, C. L.;
Science Educator, Vol. 19, No. 2; 8 pages; ERIC Document# EJ906187.
Source: ERIC
http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ906187.pdf
From the abstract: “By contrasting two case studies of school districts, this paper
illustrates the effectiveness of K-12 science departments in supporting elementary
science education, especially in response to NCLB's push towards the articulation
of curriculum across all grades and as a response to the erosion of instructional
time on science in elementary schools under NCLB.”
Search Process:
Key words and search strings used in the search:
Curriculum Alignment, Schools, Districts, School Alignment, Align Curriculum,
Elementary School, K-12
Search databases and websites:
Institute of Education Sciences Resources (IES): Regional Educational Laboratory
Program (REL); IES Practice Guides; What Works Clearinghouse (WWC); Doing What
Works (DWW); Institute of Education Sciences (IES); National Center for Education
Research (NCER); National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance
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(NCEE); National Center for Special Education (NCSER); National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES);
Other Federally Funded Resources: The Assessment and Accountability
Comprehensive Center; The Center on Innovation and Improvement; The Center on
Instruction; The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality; National Center for
Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing; National Center for
Performance Incentives; National Research and Development Center on School Choice,
Competition and Achievement; National Research Center for Career and Technical
Education; National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented
Search Engines and Databases: EBSCO Databases; ERIC; Google, Google Scholar;
General Internet Search
Additional Resources: Education Development Center; WestEd; American Institutes of
Research; The Campbell Collaboration; Center on Education Policy (CEP); Council of
Chief State School Officers (CCSSO); Data Quality Campaign; The Education Trust;
GreatSchools; Just for Kids; Kids Count; National Association of State Boards of
Education (NASBE); National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL);
Disclaimer:
This Ask A REL response was developed by REL-NEI under Contract ED-IES-12-C-0009
from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. The content does
not necessarily reflect the views or policies of IES or the U.S. Department of Education,
nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply
endorsement by the U.S. government.
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