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The Curriculum Commission develops the curriculum frameworks submitted for SBE
approval. EC Section 33538 gives the Curriculum Commission the authority to provide
instructional guidelines: “The (Curriculum) commission shall study problems of courses
of study in the schools of the state and shall, upon request of the State Board of
Education, recommend to the State Board of Education the adoption of minimum
standards for courses of study in preschool, kindergarten, elementary, and secondary
schools.”
The Curriculum Commission makes recommendations to the SBE about the
development of a curriculum framework and appointments to the Curriculum Framework
and Criteria Committee (CFCC). Curriculum frameworks are developed in a public
manner; all Curriculum Commission and CFCC meetings are open to the public and
include the opportunity to comment. The CFCC develops a draft document, and the
Curriculum Commission prepares the draft framework for field review and holds public
hearings on the document. The Curriculum Commission is responsible for the draft
framework that is recommended to the SBE. The SBE also holds a public hearing prior
to considering the framework for adoption. After adoption, the frameworks are available
for purchase through the California Department of Education (CDE) and are available
on the Curriculum Frameworks Web site at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/index.asp.
Curriculum frameworks have drawn state and national recognition for focusing directly
on the curriculum and for contributing substantively to the improvement of teaching and
learning. The content standards describe what educators and professionals in the field
expect K-12 students to know. Based on current research in education and the specific
content area, the frameworks provide a firm foundation for curriculum and instruction by
describing the scope and sequence of knowledge and the skills that all students are
expected to master. The frameworks’ overarching dedication is to the balance of factual
knowledge, fundamental skills, and the application of knowledge and skills.
In addition, the frameworks establish criteria to evaluate instructional materials. These
criteria are used to select, through the state adoption process mandated in EC sections
60200—60206, instructional materials for kindergarten through grade eight.
Frameworks also guide district selection of instructional resources for grades nine
through twelve. Although curriculum frameworks cover the K–12 educational program,
their effect can be seen in preschool programs, child care centers, adult education
programs, higher education instruction, and university entrance requirements.
For more information regarding the curriculum frameworks adoption process, contact
the Curriculum Frameworks and Instructional Resources Division, at (916) 319-0881.
Additional information is also available on the Curriculum Frameworks Web site at
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/cf/index.asp.
Instructional Materials Evaluation and Adoption Process
The State Board of Education (SBE) has constitutional authority to adopt textbooks for
grades one through eight (Article IX, Section 7.5 of the California Constitution).
California Education Code (EC) sections 60200—60204 describe the process for the
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