Giving Compass' Take:

· Although creating a more flexible curriculum is progressing education, Education Dive explains that it is crucial to find a balance between local adaptation and the necessary material.

· Who should be involved in creating the new flexible curriculum? 

· Here's more on creating and adopting a new curriculum. 

Out-of-the-box curriculum models rarely work as written. Schools, after all, are hardly homogenized — they differ depending on the region they’re located, the students attending them, and the communities they serve. Curriculum instructors often play the role of tinkerers, finding what works for their schools and what needs to be changed for students to get the best outcomes.

At the same time, they need to cover necessary materials. As the Brookings Institution’s 2016 report, “Millions Learning: Scaling Up Quality Education in Developing Countries,” noted, “The challenge is striking the right balance between local adaptation and fidelity to the original model.” This is true no matter where a curriculum is being adopted.

Administrators should consider starting with teachers, engaging them for their input to find what materials work — or don’t work — with students as they begin to adjust already adopted curriculum. They can be the X factors, so to speak, in making personalized learning — curriculum that address the needs of all students — work.

Read the full article about crafting flexible curriculum by Lauren Barack at Education Dive.