Eric.ed.gov – To Adapt or Subscribe: Teachers’ Informal Collaboration and View of Mandated Curricula

California public schools serve a highly diverse student population, including: 65% minorities, 24.9% English Language Learners, 10.6% disabled, and 19% in poverty. In the face of this diversity, all teachers are expected to use the Curriculum Frameworks of the California State Board of Education as a “blueprint for implementing the content standards adopted by the California State Board of Education and are developed by the Curriculum Development and Supplemental Materials Commission.” The Curriculum Standards for California Public Schools and “No Child Left Behind” (NCLB) appear to have a goal of equal access to education for all students. “Education: The Promise of America” states that the goal of the NCLB legislation is to ensure that “all children are proficient in reading and math by the 2013-2014 school year” and to “to close the achievement gap that exists between students of different socio-economic backgrounds.” A 2004 American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher Opinion Poll illustrates the disparity in teachers’ beliefs regarding NCLB. Sixty-two percent of responding teachers say that they do not think NCLB has enhanced or will enhance the education of American children, and 37 percent respond positively regarding NCLB. In regards to district, state, and federal mandates, it appears that teachers may make the final decision as to how they interpret and implement curricular standards, including NCLB, into their practice. The initial objective of this study was to determine what factors govern elementary school teachers’ informal collaboration (i.e., voluntary conversations) regarding technology use (computers, software and the Internet). The scope of the study, however, quickly extended beyond technology and informal collaboration, into teachers’ practical theories. It became readily apparent that teachers’ beliefs concerning implementation of mandated curriculum, and their academic expectations for students, seem to strongly influence with whom, and under what circumstances they may informally collaborate. (Contains 1 figure.)