JHU Teacher Survey of Curriculum Use

Many schools and school systems either require or recommend specific curriculum in each academic subject. The question is, do teachers use it? To what extent? What else might they use, and why? Research from around the world indicates that a strong curriculum improves student learning. But adopting a high-quality curriculum is just the first step; teachers must be supported as they learn to wield it effectively. Consistent implementation matters.

The Institute’s Teacher Survey of Curriculum Use gathers data about the taught curriculum through a survey of the system’s K-12 teachers, developed from the RAND Corp.’s American Teacher Panel. The questions explore teachers’ use of system-approved materials, recourse to on-line and ancillary instructional materials, professional development on the curriculum, and division of time. Surveys are available for English language arts, math, social studies, and science.

The results serve as evidence of teachers’ habits in using materials and provide a benchmark analysis against which schools can measure instructional initiatives in the coming years.