Coherent Curriculum for Every Student

This book exhibits a collection of proposals for how school curriculum may be conceived, designed, and realized. These proposals are drawn from writers both past and present who have presented some particular vision of what curriculum could be like for Pre-K--12 schools and have sought to convince others to adopt their proposal for use in some actual school situation. The proposals differ from one another in a variety of ways, including in their purposes, their contents, and their perspectives, and thus pose a wealth of options for consideration by those who are planning to change their school curriculum to something new and more suitable for their particular clientele. Readers will need to weigh the appeal of various proposals presented here against criteria they have for locating an optimum model for their particular situation. The proposals selected for inclusion in this book address the whole of the curriculum–all levels, all subjects, all age-groups; they deal with entire program change rather than with incidental changes in content, program arrangements, teaching approaches, or other limited alterations. This book is intended to be a useful resource for those responsible for making decisions in a particular school or school district or at a broader policy-making level, about what the entire curriculum should be and should include. It draws attention to the work of many thoughtful persons who have dealt with the issue of what a coherent curriculum might be like and who, in some instances, have set up actual programs based on their ideas.

Edmund C. Short has compiled a comprehensive list of historical curriculum proposals for developers of curriculum to utilize as a reference guide–similar to an encyclopedia. His scholarship and detailed summaries will save practitioners and scholars many hours in identifying curriculum proposals for possible adoption. An added bonus is the guide on how to use this book., This book offers a pantheon of meticulously organized authors, writings, and approaches to guide those who want to revise an existing curriculum or design a more coherent one for today’s students. Those who plan curriculum for any school or other educational institution as well as those who teach courses on curriculum development should make use of this book., As more public school districts and system leaders focus much-needed attention on transforming teaching and learning, guidance for decision-making is essential. This review of a multitude of curriculum proposals will help guide system leaders and policy makers in their efforts to ensure that all students have access to high quality coherent curriculum. I found this book to be very useful.

Edmund C. Short is Professor Emeritus of Education, The Pennsylvania State University, and is currently Graduate Faculty Associate, University of Central Florida. His professional career has focused primarily on curriculum planning, design, theory, and research.