Beyond Standards
The Fragmentation of Education Governance and the Promise of Curriculum Reform
Morgan Polikoff
paper, 192 Pages
Pub. Date: May 2021
ISBN-13: 978-1-68253-611-7
Price: $33.00
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cloth, 192 Pages
Pub. Date: May 2021
ISBN-13: 978-1-68253-612-4
Price: $60.00
Add to Cart
Beyond Standards highlights the structural conditions that have undermined the success of the standards movement and challenges us to confront them. The book offers an impassioned argument about the ways that our decentralized educational systems undermine the pursuit of educational equity and excellence.
Morgan Polikoff applies a wide array of quantitative and qualitative data to provide a pointed critique of the US educational system. He addresses why standards have failed, whether standards-based reform can be salvaged, and what we can do to improve teaching and learning at scale across America’s thirteen thousand school districts.
Polikoff argues that no amount of tinkering can fix standards. Rather, we need to tackle the big, structural issues, such as decentralization. The author identifies curriculum reform as a high-leverage strategy for making meaningful progress at scale and emphasizes that states need to play a greater role in evaluating and recommending high-quality curriculum materials.
Beyond Standards proposes a new, progressive vision that emphasizes the central role of states in challenging the antiquated, segregating structures that have thwarted educational improvement.
Praise
Sobering though it is, Beyond Standards is essential reading, especially for those of us who see the implementation of high-quality instructional materials as a promising lever for improving student outcomes. Not all readers will agree with Polikoff's proposed solutions, but his diagnosis of the problem is spot-on.
— Michael J. Petrilli, president, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
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About the Author
Morgan Polikoff is an associate professor of education at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education.