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<p>The <i>Creative Curriculum</i> (<i>CC</i>) and its assessment platform, <i>Teaching Strategies Gold</i> (<i>TSG</i>), have gained popularity amid a broader neoliberal push for accountability. Fueled by recent concerns over literacy achievement, New York City (NYC) mandated <i>CC</i> as the curriculum for the universal Pre-K (UPK) program, impacting approximately 90,000 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds and their educators. This study examined how implementing <i>CC</i> has influenced teachers’ autonomy, well-being, and responsiveness to children. Using Critical Policy Analysis and the lens of social construction and policy design theory, we analyzed interviews with 25 teachers from diverse pre-K and 3–K settings, including both public and nonpublic school centers. Participants described diminished autonomy, heightened fidelity pressure, and fewer opportunities for responsive teaching, with consequences for well-being and responsiveness to children. Notably, perceptions of the mandate varied by teaching experience and setting. Our findings contribute to the growing body of literature on the impact of neoliberal policies on early childhood education and care (ECCE), highlighting the need for policies that prioritize flexibility, equity, and educators’ professional judgment. Recommendations are offered for policymakers in the ECCE space.</p>

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Unveiling Curricular Mandates as Neoliberal Tools: The Creative Curriculum Implementation in NYC

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月30日

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  • Maria Mavrides Calderon,
  • Lacey E. Peters,
  • Emma Gordon

摘要

The Creative Curriculum (CC) and its assessment platform, Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG), have gained popularity amid a broader neoliberal push for accountability. Fueled by recent concerns over literacy achievement, New York City (NYC) mandated CC as the curriculum for the universal Pre-K (UPK) program, impacting approximately 90,000 2-, 3-, and 4-year-olds and their educators. This study examined how implementing CC has influenced teachers’ autonomy, well-being, and responsiveness to children. Using Critical Policy Analysis and the lens of social construction and policy design theory, we analyzed interviews with 25 teachers from diverse pre-K and 3–K settings, including both public and nonpublic school centers. Participants described diminished autonomy, heightened fidelity pressure, and fewer opportunities for responsive teaching, with consequences for well-being and responsiveness to children. Notably, perceptions of the mandate varied by teaching experience and setting. Our findings contribute to the growing body of literature on the impact of neoliberal policies on early childhood education and care (ECCE), highlighting the need for policies that prioritize flexibility, equity, and educators’ professional judgment. Recommendations are offered for policymakers in the ECCE space.