Curriculum Transformation, K–12

Defining Curriculum

Any formal discussion of curriculum transformation requires an exploration of how we define the term curriculum itself. Historically, the actual word curriculum has its roots in the Latin word currere, which means a course-to-be-run. However, educational researchers, professionals, and lay people do not have an agreed-upon definition of curriculum. Many would simply define curriculum as the knowledge taught in schools. Textbooks are also regularly associated with definitions of curriculum because they often are used to determine the scope, sequence, and content of what is taught in school. State standards for instruction also enter into discussions of what constitutes the curriculum because teachers and schools are expected to comply with the content expectations outlined by the government. Curriculum is also defined by how it is enacted in the classroom between teachers and students, regardless of official textbooks or state mandates.

Ultimately, curriculum is what is communicated to the student through the presentation of subject matter knowledge content. The communication of such content may contain noticeable absences of information (the “null curriculum”), and the manner in which it is communicated may also teach students social norms and expectations (the “hidden curriculum”). The basic idea of curriculum-as-the-communication-of-content offers definitional unity.

Key Levers in K–12 Curriculum Transformation

To understand K–12 curriculum transformation, one must understand the key levers in K–12 curriculum development. In the United States, curriculum is often the product of an amalgam of competing interests, constituencies, and political perspectives that are formed at various levels of government and by nongovernmental influences. Together these varied and influential groups and bodies effect K–12 curriculum transformation.