Curriculum materials are a critical component of improving science and mathematics education, yet many materials fail to teach the most important concepts in an effective way. Consequently, Project 2061 is working to improve materials and help educators, curriculum developers, and publishers identify and create instructional materials that can help all students achieve literacy in science and mathematics.
In this section, you can access a variety of curriculum-related resources, including information on Project 2061's research efforts, a list of relevant articles, and Project 2061's evaluations of some of the most widely used middle- and high-school science and mathematics textbooks. You can also learn how a Project 2061 partnership with three universities as part of The Center for Curriculum Materials in Science will guide curriculum material research and development and improve science instruction.
Projects & Activities
Center for Curriculum Materials in
Science
The Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (CCMS) is a partnership of AAAS,
Michigan State University, Northwestern University, and the University of Michigan. It
is focused on the analysis, design, and use of science curriculum materials.
Improving Learning in Middle Grade Mathematics
Through a jointly funded program, and in partnership with two universities,
Project 2061 is investigating how best to coordinate teaching practices, curriculum
materials, and professional development to improve student learning in Middle Grades
mathematics.
Textbooks Evaluations
Project 2061 has published a series of evaluations of mathematics
and science textbooks for the middle and high school grades. Most books reviewed in
these studies were rated as unsatisfactory, covering too many topics without developing
any of them well.
Articles, Findings, Reports
Analysis of Students' Assessments
in Middle School Curriculum Materials: Aiming Precisely at Benchmarks and Standards
Project 2061 has developed and field-tested a procedure for analyzing
curriculum materials, including their assessments, in terms of how well they are likely
to contribute to the attainment of benchmarks and standards. With respect to assessment
in curriculum materials, this procedure evaluates whether this assessment has the potential
to reveal whether students have attained specific ideas in benchmarks and standards and
whether information gained from students' responses can be used to inform subsequent
instruction.
Final Reports from the textbooks evaluations
- High School Biology Textbooks: A Benchmarks-Based Evaluation
- Middle Grades Science Textbooks: A Benchmarks-Based Evaluation
- Algebra Textbooks: A Standards-Based Evaluation
- Middle Grades Mathematics Textbooks: A Benchmarks-Based Evaluation
Key Documents
Criteria Used in Evaluating
the Textbooks’ Quality of Instructional Support
In evaluating the instructional effectiveness of each high school
biology textbook analyzed, the review, or evaluation, teams have applied a set of research-based
criteria developed by Project 2061 and presented below. The criteria are organized in
seven categories, each of which focuses on a specific aspect of instructional support.
(From the evaluation of high school biology textbooks.)