Influencing the Instructional Core: Examining Changes in Alignment of Teachers' Instruction to College and Career Readiness Standards

• In Event: Comprehending Curriculum Implementation During the Common Core Era

Abstract

As schools across the country work towards implementing equitable, standards-based learning environments both in-person or online, the best means of ensuring and measuring quality instruction remains a difficult implementation problem. This study, using original surveys administered in both the 2015-2016 and the 2019-2020 school years, tracks the content of instruction in Texas and Ohio, as well as the professional development that teachers receive and the challenges they experience. We find significantly stronger policy environments as reported by teachers in 2019, and we find that more specific curricular materials and pacing guides positively predict standards-emphasized instruction. The results of our hierarchical linear modeling suggest that states and districts should continue to invest in these types of resources for teachers.

Authors

• Adam K. Edgerton, Learning Policy Institute

• Meghan Comstock, University of Pennsylvania

• Laura M. Desimone, University of Delaware