ABSTRACT
In Chapter 5, the first of a series of empirical chapters, the role of local authorities in curriculum and teaching reform is examined. A cornerstone of standards-based reform is that the flow of information, data and standards needs an educational ‘infrastructure’ of systemic elements. The local authority is a key coordinating actor in mediating transnational curriculum standards, including particular models of teaching, to professional actors within schools. The present research study of the Curriculum Standards for Compulsory School (CSCS) reform shows that broader, national reform has not been decoupled from the reforms at the local level. On the contrary, the evaluation shows that certain parts of the reform, such as the emphasis on equivalence in grades and assessment in relation to the curriculum knowledge requirements, have established a tight coupling between the different levels and sub-systems of the school system.
