There are several factors that influence curriculum.  Standards and objectives often dictate what is to be taught in the classroom or at least they serve as a guide.  In order to get a real view of this subject matter, I interviewed two fabulous teachers.  I interviewed Rochelle Moss, a former reading teacher at Renaissance Charter School in Irving, and Becky Dancer, a former special education teacher.  Both of these women had a similar view of how national, state, and local goals and objectives influence curriculum.
     First, I interviewed Rochelle Moss, a high school reading and English teacher.  She believes that there are so many goals and objectives to follow from the national, state and local governments that there is little room to add any material that might be viewed as important.  Mrs. Moss specifically stated, “State goals and objectives affect me the most because there is a great deal of accountability for their standards.” It is Rochelle Moss’s opinion that the state tends to hold her more accountable by using the TAAS test and therefore she is more influenced by the state’s goals and objectives.  Mrs. Moss uses the TEKS as a framework for developing her lesson plans and guiding the curriculum.  She believes that the national standards affect her the least because most of the objectives on the state and local level already include national goals and therefore she does not have to focus on them any more than recognizing that they exist.
     After speaking with Rochelle Moss, I had the privilege of stealing some time from the former special education teacher, Becky Dancer.  Mrs. Dancer had a very similar view as Mrs. Moss, except she believes that the local government has less influence than the state or national government.  I asked Becky Dancer to explain her view and her answer made a great deal of since.  She said, “The federal government grants me money for my instruction and tells me how to educate or special education students.  The state government regulates SDAA and the TAAS testing that must take place.  I too am affected by the TEKS and TAAS objectives.” Mrs. Dancer believes that anything the state and national government adopts as goals or objectives the local government is sure to follow.  She acknowledges the local standards, but uses the state and national standards to satisfy all of the requirements from all three of the parts (state, national, and local).
     The book appears to take a top down approach in regard to control of curricular influence.  Goals and objectives go from a more general standpoint to a more specific standpoint as the levels are approached from the national to state, and then from state to local standards.  The federal government gives a very brief set of objectives and goals, which are then made more specific by the states.  Each state adopts their own policy as to how they will handle meeting the standards presented by the federal government.  Usually the states control education and dictate to the local districts what is required, but in Texas the state gives the districts a great deal of control. The districts will take the state objectives and goals and make them even more specific based on the curriculum that they have adopted.  Each district adopts their own textbooks and their own curriculum in Texas, and few districts adopt the same material. As you can see, the local districts in any other state would have little influence on goals and objectives, but in Texas the district has a powerful impact on the goals and objectives of its schools.