Curriculum Blog

Curriculum Matters

This blog covered news on the common core, literacy, math, STEM, social studies, the arts, and other curriculum and instruction topics. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: common core, reading & literacy, mathematics, STEM, social studies, and curriculum.

Social Studies Meet the Youth Climate Activists Who Are Leading School Strikes
Here's what you need to know about this Friday's Youth Climate Strike, and how it fits into the larger context of student activism.
Stephen Sawchuk, March 12, 2019
9 min read
Social Studies Civics Education Bills Are on Legislative Agendas in Seven States
The number of states requiring students to take civics classes or pass citizenship exams is set to grow, as existing requirements kick in and new proposals are put on the table.
Sasha Jones, March 5, 2019
3 min read
School & District Management An Experiment in Arts Education That Paid Off
A study of Houston schools finds that an influx of arts lessons led to reductions in disciplinary infractions, increased writing achievement, and strengthened student compassion.
Sasha Jones, February 28, 2019
3 min read
Standards Science Curriculum Reviews Are Out, and Results Aren't Great
Of the six series reviewed for their quality and how well they aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards, EdReports gave just one top marks.
Stephen Sawchuk, February 28, 2019
10 min read
Student Achievement How Five District Leaders Reshaped Their Schools' Curricula
Five of the nine district-level educators named as Leaders to Learn From this year were singled out for their work in rethinking what's taught in schools.
Sasha Jones, February 26, 2019
3 min read
Assessment An Educators' Glossary for Performance Assessment
Share our new video, which succinctly explains what these complex terms mean.
Stephen Sawchuk, February 26, 2019
1 min read
Social Studies Mounting Evidence Points to Surge in Young Voters
New data from a Tufts University center show increases in youth voter turnout rates in 17 states.
Stephen Sawchuk, February 21, 2019
2 min read
Kindergarten teacher Kimberly Calhoun and her students write scripts, in which students discuss the “best part” about themselves.
Kindergarten teacher Kimberly Calhoun and her students write scripts, in which students discuss the “best part” about themselves.
Eman Mohammed for Education Week
Reading & Literacy For Valentine's Day, Enjoy Student Podcasts About Love
Teachers asked students to create podcasts about love and what they loved about themselves. Here's what they created.
Sasha Jones, February 13, 2019
1 min read
Standards Is Homework Valuable or Not? Try Looking at Quality Instead
Although homework does tend to align to standards, a lot of it is busywork, rather than requiring students to use higher-order thinking skills.
Stephen Sawchuk, February 13, 2019
4 min read
College & Workforce Readiness 3 Takeaways From the 2018 AP Results and a Heads Up: Register Early Next Year
AP test-taking hit another all-time high this year, with 1.24 million students taking at least one exam. And the College Board is moving up next year's registration deadline.
Stephen Sawchuk, February 6, 2019
6 min read
Curriculum Common Core Scrapped Under Florida Gov.'s Executive Order
The end of the standards raises a whole host of questions about what will replace them.
Stephen Sawchuk, February 1, 2019
4 min read
Social Studies Election Results Are In for 3 States and Youth Voting Boomed
Youth voter participation surged in Florida, Oklahoma, and Nevada, according to new analyses.
Stephen Sawchuk, January 30, 2019
6 min read
Social Studies Monday is MLK Jr. Day. In Mississippi and Alabama, It's Also Robert E. Lee Day
It's an extraordinary contrast at a moment when civic institutions, including schools, are rethinking how the Confederacy and slavery are portrayed in history.
Stephen Sawchuk, January 17, 2019
5 min read
Assessment Big Things You Need to Know Now About the PARCC and Smarter Balanced Tests
A lot has changed with the PARCC and Smarter Balanced tests since they were first launched in 2015. Here's what you need to know to stay current.
Catherine Gewertz, January 17, 2019
4 min read