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EDU109 Chapter 10
Curriculum, Standards, and Testing/ Quiz#5 – October 30
This chapter is all about controversy. Curriculum is replete with controversy. Someone has to
decide what books to read, what those books should say, and which books schools should
purchase. At its heart, the curriculum is about power and politics, about people’s opinions as to
what students should learn, how we will test that learning, and whose opinions really count. So
in this chapter, our intent is to have readers understand the impact of curricular decisions
nationally, in their states, and, yes, in their classrooms.
The chapter also examines the null, formal, hidden, and extra curriculum. The power of the
curriculum to shape students and eventually society invites controversy, and the many groups
involved in curriculum formation are also described, along with standards-based education, high
stakes testing, and No Child Left Behind.
1. What is the formal curriculum taught in schools?
2. How does the invisible curriculum influence learning?
3. What is the place of the extra curriculum in school life?
4. What forces shape the school curriculum?
5. How has technology impacted the curriculum?
6. How do textbook publishers and state adoption committees “drive” the curriculum?
7. What is standards-based education?
8. What are the provisions and criticisms of No Child Left Behind?
9. What problems are created by high stakes testing, and what are the testing alternatives?
10. How are cultural and political conflicts reflected in the school curriculum?
11. How can we rethink tomorrow’s curriculum?
Key Terms and People
adequate yearly progress
authentic assessment
canon
content standards
core curriculum
core knowledge
creationism
critical pedagogy
critical thinking skills
evolution
extra curriculum
formal or explicit curriculum
implicit or hidden curriculum
intelligent design
Alfie Kohn
mentioning phenomenon
metacognition
multicultural education
No Child Left Behind
null curriculum
opportunity-to-learn standard
performance standards
spirituality
standards-based education
stealth or self-censorship
Texas and California effect
textbook adoption states
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Topical Chapter Outline
The Faculty Room
The Visible Curriculum
The Invisible Curriculum
The Extra curriculum
Who and What Shape the Curriculum?
Teachers
Parental and Community Groups
Students
Administrators
State Government
Local Government
Colleges and Universities
Standardized Tests
Education Commissions and Committees
Professional Organizations
Special Interest Groups
Publishers
Federal Government
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The Technology Revolution
The Reign of Textbooks
The Standards Movement
No Child Left Behind: Tests and Protests
Test Problems: Seven Reasons Why Standardized Tests Are Not Working
Alternates to High-Stakes Testing
Tension Points
Intelligent Design versus Evolution
Censorship and the Curriculum
Cultural Literacy or Cultural Imperialism
The Saber-Tooth Curriculum
New Directions for the Curriculum