Thousands of elementary and middle school classrooms began the second week of September without all the materials they need to teach the new Common Core curriculum, according to a survey of chapter leaders by the United Federation of Teachers.

More than 78 percent of chapter leaders responding to the survey said their schools still lacked all or part of the curriculum materials and supplies they needed for the reading portion of the Common Core, while 64 percent said they did not receive all the required materials in math. More than 360 chapter leaders whose schools ordered outside curriculum approved by the DOE have responded to the survey.

"Student test scores dropped last year in part because teachers were never provided with a curriculum that matched the new and more difficult Common Core Learning Standards. The DOE promised that these materials would be in teachers' hands by now, but teachers all over the system are telling us that they still don't have all the supplies they need to teach to the Common Core," said UFT President Michael Mulgrew.

In addition to textbooks that have yet to find their way to the classroom, teachers reported missing the supplementary materials needed to prepare lessons and help students master the new standards, including student workbooks, teaching guides, and sample quizzes. They also cited insufficient or low-quality professional development on the new curriculums and associated materials.

The survey asked which reading and math curriculum each school purchased, whether the curriculums and associated materials (teacher guides, etc.) had arrived, how much training teachers had received on the new materials and the quality of that training, among other questions. 

Chapter leaders from 469 elementary and middle schools responded to the survey.  Of these, 369 said their schools had ordered outside curriculum.  Exact responses by question are below.

Curriculum Materials Survey            

Surveys were emailed to chapter leaders of the city’s 1,166 elementary, middle and K-8 schools after the first day of school on Sept. 9. As of Sept. 16, there were 465 responses.

Overall

369 respondents, or 79%, said their school had purchased curriculum aligned to the CCLS. 96 did not.

The following percentages exclude people who did not answer that particular question.

Math Curriculum

Of the schools that purchased CCLS-aligned math curriculums, 64% (or 231 out of 360) of chapter leaders said their teachers have not received all of the resources they ordered and need. Missing items most frequently mentioned were the teacher guides and curriculum maps

Almost half, 49% (176 out of 361), of chapter leaders said their schools have not received professional development related to the math curriculum that was purchased.

More than half, 56% (202 out of 360), said their schools have not received all the student supplies, such as textbooks, workbooks and manipulatives, needed to teach the math curriculum.

ELA Curriculum

Of the schools that purchased CCLS-aligned ELA curriculums, 78% (280 out of 361) said they have not received all of the resources they ordered and need. Missing items cited included teacher guides, student workbooks and textbooks

More than half, 53% (191 out of 361), said they had not received professional development related to the ELA curriculum that was purchased.

A large majority, 81% (291 out of 360), said their schools were missing various kinds of student supplies needed to teach the ELA curriculum.