The Evolution of Curriculum: How State Policies Impact Biology Courses (2016)

Undergraduate: Alexander Thomas

Faculty Advisor: Patrick Akos
Department: Journalism & Mass Communication

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The last century has seen a massive increase in state governments' role in public education across the United States. This has limited local schools' control over curricula, and furthermore how flexible teachers can be with their lessons and programs. This project examines the shift in power away from local public school leaders, as well as the motivation to shift power to state education departments. This project will primarily be focused in the field of biology, which in the last 100 years has seen a tremendous growth in student enrollment. This project explores the impact of the growing influence of the North Carolina state government over local school systems, and why this plays a significant role in the materials and lessons biology teachers prepare for their students without improving their academic performance.