Curriculum analysis lies at the heart of any systematic look at the opportunities offered students to learn academic content. There are several approaches to doing this, ranging from ad-hoc departmental meetings focused on curriculum issues, to more systematic looks at the curriculum which might include pacing guides, curriculum mapping and considerations of alignment to state academic content standards. The approach to curriculum analysis employed in curriculytics is based on a versatile and highly descriptive framework for describing academic content developed initially by researchers at the Michigan State University, and further expanded and deployed as an internet application by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
For a detailed explanation of the descriptive framework look here. Using a taxonomy or ‘content language’ based on the framework structure, it becomes possible to provide very detailed descriptions of academic content. These descriptions in turn form the basis for conducting additional analyses using the curriculytics model.
Content descriptions are collected in two forms depending upon the nature of the ‘content’ to be described. Content based on curriculum-related documents are examined using a methodology referred to as content analysis, instructional content are collected through teacher self-reports, using either an annual or unit-based audit of instructional content. Web-based versions of both tools are available through the Center for Curriculum Analysis.