The k-12 Curriculum in the Era of NCLB
December 2008
Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, Medford, MA: Despite public belief to the co
ntrary, schools are not shifting away from teaching social studies, liberal arts, and sciences directly because of the pressures of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), according to a new study released by Tisch College’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at Tufts University. In fact, at the middle and high school levels, curricula have remained constant and in some cases expanded since the federal law was passed in 2001.
CIRCLE analyzed five major federal datasets looking at the how curricula and relevant extracurricular activities have changed at the elementary, middle and high school levels from 1987 to 2005. Funded by the Ford Foundation, the full report is entitled Narrower at the Base: The American Curriculum After NCLB. Click to read the full study in PDF format.
In grades one through five, the curriculum has narrowed over the last ten years, with more time devoted to reading and math and less to science, arts, and social studies. These declines, however, began in the 1990s before the passage of NCLB. The trends are the same in private and public schools and in schools with majorities of white and minority students.
It would also be expected that new teachers would be influenced by current expectations and pressures to emphasize English and math, whereas veteran teachers would more likely maintain teaching priorities from their early days in education. The study found the reverse is true, with newer teachers providing a broader curriculum.
Even though the k-12 curriculum has not narrowed consistently, and even though NCLB is not mainly responsible for the narrowing that has occurred, the curricula may still be too narrow to prepare young people for citizenship. Extracurricular activities such as music, drama, student journalism, and student government, are also too rare.
Suggested citation: Levine, P., Lopez, M.H., and Marcelo, K.B. 2008. Getting Narrower at the Base: The American Curriculum after NCLB. CIRCLE (The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement) , via http://archive.civicyouth.org/?p=325
Download the press release.
June 15th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Truly, we know it will work from the beginning. They have made good preparation ahead everything else.
June 16th, 2010 at 12:45 am
If your articles is a true story, I will change that child’s condition. Because with a good skill in him, he proper to get a chance to develop his skill.
June 17th, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Extraciricular activites are the backbone to impoving our society. Keep up the good work for the children.
June 18th, 2010 at 3:06 am
I think it’s not too bad. Just need to modify a little more and it will be perfect.
June 18th, 2010 at 6:26 am
For being an artist, we must start our career from becoming a helper first. And of course the fee is also cheap.
June 18th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Like this.I read The American Curriculum After NCLB.I think it will make our children more active.
June 19th, 2010 at 5:54 am
hello admin, I found your blog from yahoo and read a few of your other posts.They are awesome. Please keep it up!!
June 21st, 2010 at 2:00 am
Really i am impressed from this post….the person who create this post he is a great human..
thanks for shared this with us.i found this informative and interesting blog so
i think so its very useful and knowledge.
June 21st, 2010 at 2:06 am
I want to thank you for this superb read!! I certainly enjoyed every little bit of it.
June 21st, 2010 at 4:18 am
As a webmaster , I’m very glad to see that someone thought to post this topic.
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:47 am
I like it, it’s very different but not too outlandish.
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:52 pm
It’s a bitter truth that students are not much interested in learning social studies,but we mustn’t forget the importance of it because it relates us to our surroundings as well as it reminds us about our past. I did read this blog and it was very interesting. I liked the second part the most.
June 23rd, 2010 at 4:20 am
You clearly know so much about the subject, you’ve covered so many bases.
Great stuff from this part of the internet. Again, thank you for this blog.
June 23rd, 2010 at 4:22 am
Thank you for another great article. Where else could anyone get that kind of information
in such a perfect way of writing?
June 29th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
I never experienced anything like that when I’m at school. And until I graduated, I also never heard about anything like that. I think that’s really fatal.
June 30th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
Totally agree with you that in the middle and high school levels, curricula have remained constant and in some cases expanded since the federal law was passed.And is a shame that schools are moving from teaching social studies, humanities and sciences.
July 1st, 2010 at 5:57 am
I never experienced anything like that when I’m at school. And until I graduated, I also never heard about anything like that. I think that’s really fatal.Thanks for share!
July 2nd, 2010 at 1:20 pm
Although the K-12 curriculum has not been reduced steadily, and although the NCLB law is not primarily responsible for the declines that have occurred, the curriculum may still be too narrow to prepare young people for citizenship . Extracurricular activities such as music, theater, journalism student and student government are also rare.
September 11th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
It seems like everyone in my family is a teacher. I think that reading and math serve much more of a real life purpose, instead of social studies. Especially in the younger kids. Having a better understanding of it will help much more in life, than “wasting” their time learning the less important classes.
October 29th, 2010 at 10:52 am
I agree with Speed Reading. Maths and English are essential. So many lessons we were taught in education were pointless and to be honest, not needed.
November 30th, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Maybe the most influential paper that I have read this month?!
-Yours Truly,
Kevin
February 15th, 2011 at 11:42 am
[…] of time devoted to social studies has remained pretty constant in grades K-8. In high school, the number of credits earned in social studies is substantially up. The mix of courses has changed, however, with “civics” and problem-oriented or […]
February 24th, 2011 at 9:11 am
Today the kids have to much to learn in a too short time.
More focus on the basics would be really better.