Standards, instructional objectives, and curriculum design: A complex relationship

Since the beginning of U.S. public school systems, educators and policy makers have debated what kinds of knowledge and skills that all schoolchildren should acquire. And those debates touch every aspect of a curriculum, its assessment, and its instructional materials. David A. Gamson, Sarah Anne Eckert, and Jeremy Anderson trace the history of standards and objectives in U.S. education, noting areas of controversy and debate related to the uses and possible abuses of curricular standards. Their survey raises questions and cautions for today’s reformers to consider when rethinking curricula.