The alarming trends in Czech pupils’ achievement in reading, mathematics and science as measured by TIMSS or PISA raised the question of quality of the Czech primary and lower secondary school curricula. The curricular theory, however, does now univocal and clear guidance on curriculum quality evaluation.

The main stream of curricular theory, influenced by the critical theory and post-modern thought, has stressed the political and social aspects of curriculum. The politicians, on the other hand, found the panacea in content and evaluation standards. This split between curriculum theory and practice has negative effects both on the academic field of curriculum and the curricular reforms. Only recently, the traditional questions of curriculum project quality or the optimal scope and sequence of subject matter has caught the interest of more academics again (e. g. Thijs & van den Akker, 2009; Luke, Weir, & Woods, 2008).

The main goal of this paper is telling a persuasive story, rooted in data, that links the results of Czech students and the scope and sequence of subject matter in the Czech curriculum.

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