Curriculum Compacting and Achievement Test Scores: What Does the Research Say?

Curriculum compacting is an instructional technique designed to make appropriate curricular adjustments for students in any curricular area and at any grade level. Several strategies can be used to differentiate curricula and instruction for high ability students including the use of advanced content, higher level questioning skills, curriculum compacting, independent study, tiered assignments, flexible grouping, and others. Research about curriculum compacting has indicated that high achieving students may already know between 40%-50% of their lessons before they are taught. The Classroom Practices Questionnaire and the Compactor form were used to assess classroom teachers’ practices related to the curriculum compacting procedure. The findings prompt questions related to the use of curriculum compacting over long periods of time and at the secondary level. Curriculum compacting provides documentation of students’ knowledge of the regular curriculum covered in class, and it enables teachers to provide many types of differentiated replacement learning opportunities.