Data/Research: Curriculum & Instruction

As federal and state standards continue to evolve, many governmental and independent sources have reviewed whether the curriculum programs are serving the best interests of students, teachers, administrators and parents.

General

Learning By the Book, the first multi-state effort to measure textbook efficacy since the implementation of Common Core, was published by the Center for Education Research at Harvard University.

A 2020 RAND study on whether U.S. teachers are using high-quality instructional materials.

The National Council on Teacher Quality published a data analysis in 2020 which found that teacher preparation programs are making progress on incorporating the science of reading instruction.

EdReports.org, a nonprofit that reviews instructional materials, provides a wide variety of reports evaluating different curricula.

TNTP’s The Opportunity Myth, a report sharing what students believe isn’t working in the classroom, along with information on how to fix it.

The Limits of Curriculum Choice, a 2019 report from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, found that textbook choice alone did not improve students’ outcomes in math.

Reading

A survey of K-2 teachers published in 2020 found neither a widespread absence nor a widespread embrace of systematic phonics instruction.

A 2020 report released by Student Achievement Partners found that a popular reading program known as Units of Study was unlikely to lead to success in literacy.

The National Reading Panel’s Teaching Children to Read document provides a thorough overview of its recommendations and best practices for teaching reading.

STEM

The U.S. Department of Education maintains a thorough primer on the progress for improving education in science, technology, engineering and math, collectively referred to as STEM.

A 2018 report from the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education (CADRE) summed up recommended ways to boost student interest in STEM.

The International Journal of STEM Education published a report in 2019 sharing insights on how teachers’ perceptions of STEM influenced student outcomes.

STEM 2026 is the Department of Education’s vision for STEM education innovations through 2026.

Civics and History

Citizen Z, an EdWeek series that draws on classroom visits, surveys and guidance from experts in civic education, provides a background into how students view different civics topics.

From EWA: The State of Civics Ed in 2019;  With Civics, Do Schools Practice What They Teach?; and Two States, Two Takes on Teaching U.S. History.

A report from the Center for American Progress on The State of Civics Education, including charts and state-specific information, found that teacher innovation has had a significant impact on how students learn civics.

A New York Times report on Texas and California history textbooks found that regional differences can affect the material taught in history classes nationwide.

Educational resources from the National Constitution Center that provide middle school and high school students with ways to connect virtually with Constitutional scholars.

The First Amendment Center at the Freedom Forum Institute provides a thorough primer student on the First Amendment.

The Civic Literacy Curriculum is a free, comprehensive resource from the Center for Political Thought and Leadership for high school educators to boost civics knowledge.

Updated March 2021.