The Surveys of Enacted Curriculum in Mathematics and Science were developed 1998-2000 by a collaborative of state education specialists and researchers led by Rolf Blank, director of education indicators at CCSSO. The survey instruments and data reporting designs are based on research conducted by Andrew Porter, University of Pennsylvania (former director of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research), and John Smithson, senior associate at WCER. Porter developed and field-tested a two-dimensional framework for collecting data on curriculum content taught in classrooms and analyzing alignment with standards and assessments. Smithson developed a graphic approach to reporting instructional data and adapted content mapping software to display data on subject content.
The English Language Arts and Reading Survey was developed in 2002-2003 by a collaborative of state specialists, content experts, and education researchers, led by CCSSO, Learning Point Associates, and WCER. These tools now provide a highly accessible method of collecting, displaying, and using in-depth data on classroom instruction and alignment, which have proven useful for teachers, education leaders, and policymakers. Development support was received from member states, National Science Foundation, Learning Point Associates, and U.S. Department of Education.
The major concepts underlying the designs for the Surveys were drawn from state and national content standards, state initiatives in science and mathematics education, and prior research studies on classroom instructional practices and curriculum content. Each of the following topics can be addressed with the results of the Enacted Curriculum Surveys. The response data on each topic can be used to analyze instruction by the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum: Tools and Services to Assist Educators: amount of time spent teaching, differences among schools and classrooms, or by characteristics of students or differences in preparation of teachers.
- Problem Solving in Mathematics
- Instructional Activities in classrooms, e.g.,small groups, manipulatives, investigations
- Mathematics and Science Content in Classrooms
- Multiple Assessment Strategies in Math and Science
- Use of Education Technology and Equipment
- Teacher Preparation in Subject
- Quality of Professional Development
- Influences of Policies and Standards on Practice
- Alignment of Content and Standards/Assessments
The states and districts that partnered with CCSSO in the development of the SEC survey and reporting designs for math and science were Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, West Virginia, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Chicago, Miami-Dade, Philadelphia, and Winston-Salem.
For English Language Arts and Reading, the partners were Arizona, Kansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Cleveland.
