The Textbook is Not the Curriculum

When discussing educational materials, it is easy to fall into the trap of confusing a particular resource with the curriculum for a course or content area. However, it’s important to make a clear distinction between the guaranteed and viable curriculum and any resources or materials used to prepare the daily lessons used to teach a particular set of content standards for a course. Having a clear curricular structure allows district leadership to monitor the quality of curriculum at a higher level, while educators can make necessary changes at the classroom level that fit within the desired district framework.

Resource vs. Curriculum

There are some primary differences between the curriculum for a course and a resource. Here are a few:

  • Curriculum can be unique to districts; textbooks aren’t always.
  • Textbooks are typically written for larger states and may not cover all the standards that another state requires.
  • A resource may only cover a few of the standards in a particular course or content area; therefore, several resources are needed for a course or content area.
  • A resource may focus on one skillset while eschewing others, requiring additional resources to cover added skillsets.
  • The curriculum encompasses all standards, skills, and performance indicators as noted by the state/national requirements.

Curriculum Design Using Quality Resources

Designing a guaranteed, viable curriculum can be a daunting task – however; here are a few tips that can make it easier.

Use backward design.

This strategy encourages you to start with the end in mind and create an overall structure before filling in the details of a curricular framework. This strategy can be harnessed and useful for K-12 vertical alignment, courses, units and even lessons.

Align resources to standards.

Knowing what standards are covered in your resources is invaluable when determining where and how your resources will best serve your students in specific courses and content areas. Without this information, it’s a little like throwing darts at a board regarding whether standards are being covered in courses.

Plug in quality resources.

Once you have determined which resources are truly high quality in terms of standard coverage and usefulness (instructional strategies, etc.), you’ll be able to plug these resources in where they fit best and will be most valuable to student learning.

Common Questions

The questions below are commonly asked and will provoke thoughtful conversations with your district leaders and curriculum teams regarding resources vs. curriculum:

  • What happens when you change your textbook?
  • How do you know what standards your textbook covers?
  • How do you fill the gaps in your main resource?
  • What do you do when a course/content area does not have a textbook or main resource? Where to start?
  • What happens when students don’t understand a concept/chapter in the textbook?
  • Do you have time to cover an entire textbook in a school year?

Conclusion

Unfortunately, there is a lot of confusion between resources and the curriculum. However, with some clear delineation between the two, districts will be able to create a more district-specific curriculum that is standards-centered. Moreover, with regular review and communication, the resources used within that curriculum will remain high-quality and effective for student learning. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter what is in the textbook/main curricular resource – it matters what your students know and need to know in relation to the standards. The art of teaching is such that it brings out individualized learning. Textbooks and resources are prescribed and do not adapt to individual student needs or timelines.

Do you have an online curriculum management tool like Embarc? With Embarc, you can track your standards coverage, regardless of what resources you are using. This empowers districts to create and implement a guaranteed and viable curriculum in a collaborative environment.

Stay In The Know

Subscribe to our newsletter today!

Sign Up
Lisa Tunnell, M.Ed.