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Mathematics curriculum: a vehicle for school improvement

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Abstract

Different forms of curriculum determine what is taught and learned in US classrooms and have been used to stimulate school improvement and to hold school systems accountable for progress. For example, the intended curriculum reflected in standards or learning expectations increasingly influences how instructional time is spent in classrooms. Curriculum materials such as textbooks, instructional units, and computer software constitute the textbook curriculum, which continues to play a dominant role in teachers’ instructional decisions. These decisions influence the actual implemented curriculum in classrooms. Various curriculum policies, including mandated end-of-course assessments (the assessed curriculum) and requirements for all students to complete particular courses (e.g., year-long courses in algebra, geometry, and advanced algebra or equivalent integrated mathematics courses) are also being implemented in increasing numbers of states. The wide variation across states in their intended curriculum documents and requirements has led to a historic and precedent-setting effort by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association Council for Best Practices to assist states in the development and adoption of common College and Career Readiness Standards for Mathematics. Also under development by this coalition is a set of common core state mathematics standards for grades K-12. These sets of standards, together with advances in information technologies, may have a significant influence on the textbook curriculum, the implemented curriculum, and the assessed curriculum in US classrooms in the near future.

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Acknowledgments

Support for this paper was provided by the Center for the Study of Mathematics Curriculum (CSMC) funded by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. ESI-033879). However, the ideas and opinions expressed are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the views of the foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008-5248, USA

    Christian R. Hirsch

  2. University of Missouri, 303 Townsend Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Barbara J. Reys

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  1. Christian R. Hirsch
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Correspondence to Christian R. Hirsch.

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Table 3 States and their abbreviations
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Hirsch, C.R., Reys, B.J. Mathematics curriculum: a vehicle for school improvement. ZDM Mathematics Education 41, 749–761 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-009-0218-0

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