New York City relaxes early‑childhood curriculum rules

The New York City Department of Education has quietly eased a policy introduced under former Mayor Eric Adams that required all publicly funded early‑education sites to use the "Creative Curriculum" textbook. Under the new guidance, preschool and pre‑K programs can apply to switch to any of eight city‑approved curricula, such as HighScope, Tools of the Mind, Montessori or the previously used "Learning Units". Applications must be reviewed with input from parents and teachers. While the textbook mandate is lifted, the controversial GOLD student‑assessment system—requiring multiple annual evaluations of language, math and social‑emotional skills—remains mandatory for all early‑childhood classrooms. Education officials say the change responds to long‑standing criticism that a one‑size‑fits‑all approach added administrative burden and ignored community and cultural needs. The city’s K‑12 unified reading and math textbook policies, however, stay in place.