Curricular Change in Dade County 1982-83 to 1986-87: A Replication of the PACE Study

This study investigates curricular change, coinciding with the implementation of a number of educational reforms aimed at raising Florida's academic standards, in Dade County secondary schools between 1982-83 and 1986-87. To ascertain the degree and type of change experienced, curriculum information on class section quantities and enrollments was collected from 16 secondary schools and compiled for the periods 1982-83 and 1986-87. Large increases were observed in offerings and enrollments in science, foreign languages, computer education, and health, while large declines occurred in vocational and physical education, and study hall. With the exception of observed curricular stability in mathematics, social studies, and language arts, these departmental trends mirror trends (observed nationally) of a shift toward a more academically oriented high school curriculum. A number of differences were noted between schools, determined by the percent of students receiving free or reduced lunches, classified as high socioeconomic (SES) and low SES. Enrollments in mathematics and safety and driver education increased in high-SES schools while declining in low-SES schools; foreign language enrollment showed greater increase in low-SES schools due to lower enrollment levels in 1982-83. Greater variation in curricular change by school SES was exhibited within departments. (11 references) (KM)