Washington – October 13, 2026 -- Two state-specific versions of Teaching Strategies' flagship curriculum, The Creative Curriculum for Preschool and The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K, have received a "Tier 1" designation, the highest rating available from the Louisiana Department of Education.
Both versions are approved and available for use in Louisiana early childhood classrooms. The designation recognizes strong alignment with Louisiana's Birth to Five Early Learning and Development Standards. Teaching Strategies says The Creative Curriculum is the only curriculum designed to work with its GOLD assessment.
Louisiana customer reports a decade of use across Livingston Parish schools
Livingston Parish Public Schools has used the preschool and pre-K curricula for more than a decade, according to Stacey Milton, the district's early childhood supervisor. The district also recently invested in Kickstart Literacy. Milton said teachers, including special education pre-K teachers, have reported significant growth in student achievement and literacy development.
CEO Mike Derezin said the rating reflects Louisiana's high bar for early childhood quality and the company's focus on research-based, practical resources for educators.
Latest editions add inclusive-classroom support and embedded professional learning
The Creative Curriculum has been in use for more than 45 years. The latest editions add updated guidance, enhanced support for inclusive classrooms, stronger connections between assessment and instruction, and embedded professional learning.
The curriculum sits within an integrated ecosystem that combines curriculum, ongoing formative assessment through GOLD, professional learning and family engagement tools.
Independent research links aligned professional development to higher teacher retention
Recent independent research found that preschool teachers who took part in professional development aligned to Teaching Strategies' curriculum and assessment showed significantly higher retention than their peers. Children in their classrooms showed stronger growth across multiple learning and development domains, as measured by GOLD.
Infants, toddlers and twos versions now under state review
Teaching Strategies has submitted Louisiana-specific versions of The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos to the Louisiana Department of Education for review.