National Standards At Work

Montgomery’s Curriculum 2.0 expands to three grades

Now being used in all kindergarten and first-grade classes, and in some second-grade classes, Curriculum 2.0 is billed by the school system as a way to teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It stresses the mastery of material over the quantity studied, and integrates more subjects, like science and social studies, into lesson plans for math and English. “In some ways this is a big change in the way we think about instruction,” said Erick Lang, associate superintendent for curriculum and instructional programs. Curriculum 2.0 functions like an inverted pyramid, with the broadest concepts at the top and daily and weekly objectives and tasks on the bottom. At the top are the critical thinking, creative thinking, and academic skills the school system has adapted from the Common Core standards.