Because teaching skills are dealt with in a different standard, the focus of this standard will be on the choice, order and content of materials chosen for instruction. Instructional materials, such as textbooks, typically provide a rather detailed and prescribed scope and sequence for the content, a model and suggestions for instruction, and assessment procedures. However, a successful curriculum requires more than following a textbook or curriculum guide. Published instructional materials may not be aligned with contemporary standards and frameworks. Some materials, such as textbooks, may be primarily concerned with one dimension of science, such as content.
Many instructional packages omit key concepts, or include too much superfluous information.
Most important, due to publication requirements, they may be out of date almost before they are on the market. It is the role of teachers, in collaboration with colleagues, parents, and the community, construct a coherent, appropriate and effective curriculum from contemporary standards, frameworks, and instructional materials. Teachers plan, implement, and evaluate the curriculum for their classroom and may collaborate with administrators and peers to create curriculum for their school, district or state. In doing so, they must review and adopt instructional materials, augment their use, adapt materials to specific situations, adjust sequencing and duration of learning activities, assess student learning, and use feedback to make mid-course adjustments. The analysis of the science achievement results for the middle years found that the United States falls below the median in comparison with other countries.