K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and statutes in Massachusetts

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See also: K-12 education content standards in the states

This page features information about K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and related statutes in Massachusetts.

Background: What is curriculum development?

See also: K-12 education content standards in the states

State or local education officials develop K-12 curriculum for classroom instruction that generally includes lessons and materials used in a particular course of study. Depending on the state, K-12 curriculum may reflect or incorporate state content standards—educational learning and achievement goals that state education officials either require or recommend that local schools satisfy in K-12 instruction.

K-12 curriculum development in public schools varies across the 50 states. State-level entities (such as state boards of education and state education agency leaders) or local entities (such as school districts and local schools) may play a role in the development and approval of K-12 curriculum.

If a state-level entity is tasked with developing a K-12 curriculum, state statutes or regulations may either require or recommend that local schools or districts use the state-developed curriculum in the classroom. Other states allow local schools or districts to develop their own K-12 curriculum.

K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and related statutes in Massachusetts

The following table provides information about K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and related statutes in Massachusetts as of December 2023. The statutes provided may not be comprehensive. The statutory text is provided below the table.

Massachusetts K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and statutes
State	Entity	If state-developed, is curriculum recommended or required for local schools?	Statute or regulation
Massachusetts	Local districts/schools	Recommended	Mass. Gen L ch 69 § 1e (2022)

Mass. Gen L ch 69 § 1e (2022):

“

Curriculum Frameworks Section 1E. The board shall direct the commissioner to institute a process for drawing up curriculum frameworks for the core subjects covered by the academic standards provided in section one D. The curriculum frameworks shall present broad pedagogical approaches and strategies for assisting students in the development of the skills, competencies and knowledge called for by these standards. The process for drawing up and revising the frameworks shall be open and consultative, and may include but need not be limited to classroom teachers, parents, faculty of schools of education, and leading college and university figures in both subject matter disciplines and pedagogy. In drawing up curriculum frameworks, those involved shall look to curriculum frameworks, model curricula, content standards, attainment targets, courses of study and instruction materials in existence or in the process of being developed in the United States and throughout the world, and shall actively explore collaborative development efforts with other projects, including but not limited to the national New Standards Project. The curriculum frameworks shall provide sufficient detail to guide and inform processes for the education, professional development, certification and evaluation of both active and aspiring teachers. They shall provide sufficient detail to guide the promulgation of student assessment instruments. They shall be constructed to guide and assist teachers, administrators, publishers, software developers and other interested parties in the development and selection of curricula, textbooks, technology and other instructional materials, and in the design of pedagogical approaches and techniques for elementary, secondary and vocational-technical schools. The board may review and recommend instructional materials which it judges to be compatible with the curriculum frameworks. Frameworks shall be designed to avoid perpetuating gender, cultural, ethnic or racial stereotypes. The frameworks shall reflect sensitivity to different learning styles and impediments to learning. The board shall develop procedures for updating, improving or refining said curriculum frameworks. A copy of said frameworks shall be submitted to the joint committee on education, arts and humanities at least sixty days prior to taking effect.

”

See also

• K-12 areas of instruction required by statute in the states
• K-12 curriculum authority, requirements, and statutes in the states
• K-12 education content standards in the states
• Overview of trends in K-12 curricula development
• Use of the term critical race theory (CRT)

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