School Curriculum Basics

School curriculum refers to a particular set of courses that a school or governing

body designates, but may also refer to a variety of activities designed to foster
education and meet the needs of a learning community. Whether you are a student
seeking to understand your curriculum options, or a teacher looking to create
curriculum standards, this section provides information and resources to help you
understand the legal perspective of setting a strong curriculum. Select from the list of
titles below to learn more.

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Learn About School Curriculum Basics

 Curriculum Decisionmaking

How and what an educator teaches students are important determinations.

Indeed, decisions about a school's curriculum must be based upon legitimate
pedagogical concerns. At times such concerns have included teaching
material and/or classroom expression. Click here to learn more.

 Curriculum and Ideology

Free speech and school curriculum don’t always align perfectly. In fact,
schools in different parts of the country may have quite different curriculum to
reflect each region's culture. But there is some oversight to prevent highly
opinionated content in public schools.

 Who Has Educational Authority?

The federal government does not determine what level of schooling students
must achieve. Instead, implementing standards for students' performance is
left to state and local authorities and to some extent with parents. Click here
to read more.

 Curriculum - General Background Information

From a legal perspective, curriculum issues focus on two areas: 1) the range
of courses or instructional programs available to students; and 2) the
aggregate of activities, materials, procedures, and instructional aids used in
the instructional program.

 National School Curriculum Standards

There has been a national trend toward establishing a set of national

curriculum standards for education. So far, there are voluntary national
standards for math, science, and history. There are standards being
developed for other subjects as well.
  National Education Curriculum Goals

The National Education Goals were established in 1989 and 1994. The goals
created a framework for improving student achievement and refocusing the
objectives of education. At the same time, the goals left specific tactics to
state and local governments and to schools.

School Curriculum Basics Articles

 Common Core and the Law
 Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design in Public Schools
 Curriculum - General Background Information
 Curriculum Decisionmaking
 Curriculum and Ideology
 English-Only Instruction in Public Schools
 National Education Curriculum Goals
 National School Curriculum Standards
 Sex Education in Public Schools
 Textbook Review in Public Schools
 The Roles of Parents and Local Governments in Education