Curriculum Reform in the United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the American curriculum today, noting that it can be viewed as having remained substantially the same in form within, while undergoing enormous pressures to change from without. From such experimental programs as the Dalton Plan, the Winnetka Plan, and the Gary Plan, and from the pioneering work of Francis W. Parker and, notably, John Dewey, which ushered in the "progressive education" of the 1920s and 1930s, American schools, curricula, and teacher training have changed in favor of more flexible and cooperative methods. These new approaches have been pursued within a school that is seen as an overall learning community. The attempt to place the nature and experience of the child and the present life of the society at the center of school activity has been a primary focus of this approach.

From the Paper:

"According to several studies in the last 10 years, the use of newer forms of assessment have provided an increasing alignment between what is being taught and what is being assessed. Anderson et al. point out that if assessment continues to advance, teachers should no longer feel compelled to "teach to tests" because tests will be more in harmony with good teaching practices. In the past, there was clear evidence that teachers frequently narrowed their curriculum just to improve test scores. Therefore, students who are engaged in programs of instruction using quality literature as a basis for reading, comparing, reflecting, and writing will clearly have an advantage on new forms of reading assessment."

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