Curriculum-Development Group Urges Focus Shift to Whole Child

The definition of a successful student has to change from one whose achievement is measured solely on the basis of test scores to one who is healthy, emotionally and physically inspired, engaged in the arts, and prepared for employment in a global economy, a report says.

Prepared by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development’s Commission on the Whole Child, the report, released this month, says educational practice and policy today are concentrated overwhelmingly on testing gains. But academic achievement cannot happen without significant emphasis on other factors, including student engagement, personalized learning, and skilled and caring teachers, it adds.

The report is part of the ASCD’s new public-engagement campaign that encourages schools and communities to work together to ensure each student has access to a challenging curriculum in a...