This glossary defines key terms used throughout CurryCMS and its documentation. Terms are organized alphabetically for easy reference.
A
Account
An organization or team workspace in CurryCMS. Each account has its own structures, curricula, team members, and settings. Users can belong to multiple accounts with different roles in each.
Example: "Acme Education" is an account. Maya (admin), James (author), and Sofia (editor) are members of this account.
Account Owner
The person who created the account or received ownership through transfer. The owner has all admin permissions plus the ability to delete the account, manage billing, and transfer ownership. Every account has exactly one owner.
See also: Admin Role, Account
Admin Role
A team role with full platform access. Admins can manage structures, node types, attribute bundles, team members, and account settings. Multiple people can have the Admin role.
See also: Designer Role, Editor Role, Author Role, Account Owner
Alignment Category
The type of relationship between content and a standard. Categories include Addressing (direct instruction), Building On (builds on prior knowledge), Building Toward (prepares for future learning), and Practicing (reinforcement).
See also: Standards Alignment, Standard
Can Contain
Hierarchy rules that define which block types can be nested inside another block type. For example, a Unit might allow Lesson and Assessment as children.
Example: If Course can contain Unit, authors can add Units inside Courses. If Course cannot contain Lesson, authors cannot add Lessons directly to Courses.
See also: Block Type, Hierarchy, Content Model
Alt Text
Alternative text that describes an image for screen readers and accessibility tools. Required for WCAG compliance. Should describe the image's content and purpose concisely.
Example: "Water cycle diagram showing evaporation, condensation, and precipitation" (good), "diagram" (bad)
See also: Asset Compliance, WCAG
Field
A single data field associated with a content block. Fields have types (text, number, boolean, etc.) and can be required or optional.
Examples: title (string, required), description (text, optional), duration (integer, minutes)
See also: Field Set, Block Type, Content Node
Field Set
A reusable collection of fields that can be applied to multiple block types. Field sets ensure consistency across your content model and make updates easier—change a field set and all types using it update automatically.
Example: "Basic Info" field set contains Title, Description, and Thumbnail. Applied to Course, Unit, and Lesson block types.
See also: Field, Block Type, System Field Set
Attribution
Source and licensing information for an asset. Documents where an asset came from and how it can be used. Required for license compliance and proper crediting.
Example: "Photo by Jane Smith, CC BY 4.0, https://example.com/source"
See also: Asset Compliance, License Type
Author Role
A team role focused on content creation. Authors can create and edit their own curricula, create variants, and align content to standards. Authors cannot edit others' content or manage structures.
See also: Editor Role, Admin Role, Viewer Role
B
Bottleneck
In the PM Dashboard, content items blocking progress. Includes items stuck in review (>3 days) and sections with low completion (<25%).
See also: Dashboard, PM Dashboard, Review Queue
Block Type
A definition of a kind of content in your content model. Each block type has a display name, system name, fields, and rules for what it can contain.
Examples: Course, Unit, Lesson, Activity, Assessment
See also: Content Model, Field Set, Can Contain
Bundle
See Field Set.
C
Child Node
In the hierarchy, a node nested inside another node. A Lesson is a child of its parent Unit.
See also: Parent Node, Content Node, Hierarchy
Clone
Creating an independent copy of a structure or curriculum. Clones have no connection to the original—changes in one do not affect the other.
Compare with: Structure Variant, Curriculum Variant
See also: Structure, Curriculum
Content Node
A piece of content within a curriculum. Each node has a type (determined by the structure) and contains attribute values. Nodes are organized hierarchically.
Example: "Lesson 1.1: Adding Two-Digit Numbers" is a content node of type Lesson.
See also: Node Type, Curriculum, Hierarchy
Cross-Reference
A directional link between content nodes within the same curriculum. Used to indicate relationships like prerequisites, support materials, or follow-up content.
Types: Support, Prerequisite, Reviewing, Summary, Referenced Content, Use After, Responding to Student Thinking, Unlock
See also: Content Node, Reference Type
Crosswalk
A mapping between two different standards frameworks showing equivalent or related standards. Used when creating curriculum variants with different standards frameworks to automatically convert alignments.
Example: CCSS.MATH.3.OA.A.1 (Common Core) maps to TEKS.3.4.E (Texas Standards) via crosswalk.
See also: Standards Alignment, Standard Set, Curriculum Variant
Curriculum
An instance of a structure filled with actual educational content. A curriculum is based on exactly one structure and can be aligned to one standards framework.
Example: "Grade 5 Math - 2024 Edition" is a curriculum based on the "K-12 Mathematics Structure."
See also: Structure, Content Node, Curriculum Variant
Curriculum Comparison
A feature for viewing differences between a variant curriculum and its parent. Shows which content is inherited, overridden, or added.
See also: Curriculum Variant, Inheritance, Override
Curriculum Variant
A curriculum derived from a parent curriculum. Variants inherit content from the parent but can override specific nodes or add new content. Used for localization, adaptation, or differentiation.
Example: "AP Biology - Texas Edition" is a variant of "AP Biology - National Edition."
See also: Variant, Inheritance, Override, Parent Curriculum
D
Dashboard
The home screen showing personalized views based on user role. Provides quick access to curricula, review queues, and progress metrics.
Types: Author Dashboard (content creation focus), Editor Dashboard (review focus), PM Dashboard (project management focus)
See also: Author Dashboard, Editor Dashboard, PM Dashboard
Designer Role
A team role focused on structure design. Designers can create and modify structures, node types, and attribute bundles but cannot manage team members or account settings. Ideal for instructional designers.
See also: Admin Role, Structure, Node Type
Direct Attribute
An attribute added directly to a single node type rather than via an attribute bundle. Used for type-specific fields that aren't reused.
Compare with: Bundle Attribute
See also: Attribute, Attribute Bundle
E
Snapshot
An immutable point-in-time capture of a curriculum for distribution. Snapshots capture all content, translations, alignments, and metadata at creation time. Changes to the live curriculum don't affect existing snapshots.
Example: "2024-2025 Release" snapshot freezes curriculum content for school year distribution.
See also: Curriculum, Immutable
Edition
See Snapshot.
Editor Dashboard
Dashboard view for users with the Editor role. Shows review queue summary and recently reviewed items.
See also: Dashboard, Editor Role, Review Queue
Editor Role
A team role focused on content quality. Editors can create and edit any curriculum (not just their own) but cannot manage structures or team members. Used for content review and quality assurance.
See also: Author Role, Admin Role
ETag
HTTP caching mechanism used by the API. Allows efficient polling by returning 304 Not Modified when content hasn't changed.
See also: API, Caching
G
Glossary Term
A vocabulary word with a definition that can be associated with curriculum content. Glossary terms are curriculum-level and can have grade-band variants and translations.
Components: Term (word), Definition (explanation), Grade Band (K-5, 6-8, 9-12), Translations
See also: Grade Band, Translation
Grade Band
An age/grade range category for glossary terms. Allows different definitions for different student levels. Values: K-5, 6-8, 9-12.
Example: "Fraction" might have simpler definition for K-5 and more technical definition for 6-8.
See also: Glossary Term
H
Hierarchy
The parent-child relationships between content nodes in a curriculum. A curriculum's hierarchy is determined by its structure's allowed children rules.
Example:
Course (root)
└── Unit (child of Course)
└── Lesson (child of Unit)
└── Activity (child of Lesson)
See also: Allowed Children, Content Node, Structure
Hierarchy Rules
See Allowed Children.
I
Immutable
Cannot be changed after creation. Editions are immutable—once created, their content cannot be modified, only deleted entirely.
See also: Edition
Inheritance (Variants)
The mechanism by which variant curricula receive content from their parent. Inherited content updates automatically when the parent changes unless overridden.
Example: Texas variant inherits all lessons from national curriculum. When national updates Lesson 1, Texas variant automatically receives the update.
See also: Curriculum Variant, Override, Revert
Inherited Content
In a variant, content that comes from the parent curriculum. Inherited content shows a blue badge and cannot be directly edited—it must be overridden first.
See also: Overridden Content, Added Content, Curriculum Variant
Instructional Routine
A recognized teaching strategy or method that can be tagged on content nodes. System-level routines are shared across all accounts.
Examples: Notice and Wonder, Number Talk, Card Sort, 5 Practices, 3 Reads
See also: Content Node, Tagging
L
Lazy Loading
A performance pattern where content loads on demand rather than all at once. The API returns has_children flags so clients know when to fetch more content.
See also: API, Tree
Leaf Node
A content node that cannot have children. Typically the deepest level of your hierarchy.
Examples: Activity, Assessment (in most structures)
See also: Root Node, Content Node, Allowed Children
License Type
The usage rights for an asset. Ranges from Public Domain (no restrictions) to All Rights Reserved (full copyright).
Types: Public Domain, CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-SA, CC BY-ND, CC BY-NC-ND, All Rights Reserved, Custom, Unknown
See also: Attribution, Asset Compliance
Local Content
See Added Content.
Locale
A language and region code for translations (e.g., "en" for English, "es" for Spanish). Each account configures which locales are enabled.
See also: Translation, Primary Locale
N
Needs Attention
Dashboard section showing content returned for revision. Items appear here when an editor requests changes during review.
See also: Dashboard, Review Queue, Workflow State
Node
Short for Content Node.
Node Type
See Block Type.
O
Override
In a variant, the act of creating a local copy of inherited content so it can be edited. Once overridden, content no longer updates from the parent and shows an amber badge.
Process: Click "Create Override" on inherited content → Edit the local copy → Changes apply only to this variant
See also: Inherited Content, Revert, Curriculum Variant
Overridden Content
In a variant, content that was inherited from the parent but has been customized. Shows an amber badge. Changes to the parent version no longer affect this content.
See also: Override, Inherited Content, Revert
P
Parent Curriculum
In the variant system, the curriculum from which a variant inherits content. The parent is the source of inherited content.
Example: "AP Biology - National" is the parent of "AP Biology - California" variant.
See also: Curriculum Variant, Inheritance
Parent Node
In the hierarchy, the node that contains another node. A Unit is the parent of its Lessons.
See also: Child Node, Content Node, Hierarchy
PM Dashboard
Project Manager Dashboard. Shows overall progress, status aggregation across all content, and bottlenecks. Available to Admin users.
Sections: Overall Progress, Status Aggregation, Bottlenecks (stuck in review, low completion)
See also: Dashboard, Bottleneck, Status Aggregation
Primary Locale
The source language for a curriculum, typically "en" (English). Primary locale content doesn't need translation—it's the source for other translations.
See also: Locale, Translation
Prospective Coverage
An estimate of how well your curriculum might cover a standards framework you're not directly aligned to, calculated using crosswalk data.
See also: Standards Coverage, Crosswalk
R
Reference Type
The kind of relationship a cross-reference represents between content nodes.
Types: Support (supplementary), Prerequisite (must come first), Reviewing (review material), Summary (consolidation), Referenced Content (general), Use After (follow-up), Responding to Student Thinking (intervention), Unlock (gating)
See also: Cross-Reference
Required Attribute
An attribute that must have a value before content can be submitted for review or published. Required attributes are marked with an asterisk (*) in forms.
See also: Attribute, Optional Attribute
Revert
In a variant, the act of restoring overridden content back to the inherited version from the parent. Removes local customizations and resumes receiving parent updates.
Process: Click "Revert to Inherited" on overridden content → Confirm → Content reverts to parent version
See also: Override, Inherited Content, Curriculum Variant
Review Queue
A list of content nodes awaiting editor review. Shows items in "In Review" workflow status with filtering options.
See also: Editor Dashboard, Workflow State
Root Node
A content node at the top level of a curriculum with no parent. Some structures allow multiple roots; others allow only one.
Example: A "Course" node at the curriculum's top level is a root node.
See also: Leaf Node, Node Type, Is Root Type
S
Snapshot
A frozen copy of data at a specific point in time. Editions are snapshots of curricula—changes to live content don't affect the snapshot.
See also: Edition, Immutable
Standard
An individual educational standard with a code and description. Standards are organized hierarchically within standard sets.
Example: "CCSS.MATH.3.OA.A.1 - Interpret products of whole numbers"
See also: Standard Set, Standards Alignment
Standard Set
A collection of educational standards from a single framework. Standard sets contain hierarchically organized standards (domains, clusters, individual standards).
Examples: Common Core State Standards (CCSS), Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
See also: Standard, Standards Alignment
Standards Alignment
The association between curriculum content and educational standards. Indicates which standards a piece of content addresses, builds on, builds toward, or practices.
See also: Standard, Alignment Category, Crosswalk
Standards Coverage
Metrics showing how well a curriculum addresses a standard set. Shows which standards are covered by aligned content and identifies gaps.
Metrics: Total standards, Covered standards, Coverage percentage, Gap analysis
See also: Standards Alignment, Gap Analysis
Status Aggregation
Visual breakdown of all content by workflow status. Shows percentage and counts for Draft, In Review, Approved, and Published content.
See also: PM Dashboard, Workflow State
Content Model
A template that defines the architecture of curricula—what block types exist, their fields, and how they can be organized. Content models are reusable and created by administrators.
Example: "K-12 Mathematics Content Model" defines Course → Unit → Lesson → Activity hierarchy.
See also: Curriculum, Block Type, Field Set
Content Model Variant
A content model that inherits from a parent content model but can add specialized block types or fields. Used for subject-specific or regional extensions while maintaining compatibility.
Example: "K-12 Science Content Model" variant adds "Lab Activity" block type to base "K-12 Academic Content Model."
See also: Content Model, Block Type, Inheritance
Structure
See Content Model.
System Field Set
A field set provided by CurryCMS or installed modules. System field sets are read-only (cannot be edited or deleted) and integrate with platform features.
Example: "Standards Alignment" field set enables content-to-standards linking.
See also: Field Set, Custom Field Set
System Name
An immutable API identifier in snake_case used for node types and attributes. Cannot be changed after creation to ensure API stability.
Examples: course, learning_activity, duration_minutes
See also: Display Name, Node Type, Attribute
T
Translation
Content in a language other than the primary locale. Translations track their status (needs_translation, in_progress, translated, needs_review) and can be marked stale when source content changes.
See also: Locale, Primary Locale, Translation Status
Translation Status
The state of a translation indicating its completeness and accuracy.
States: Needs Translation (not yet translated), In Progress (being translated), Translated (complete), Needs Review (source changed, may be stale)
See also: Translation, Locale
V
Variant
Short for Curriculum Variant. Also refers to Structure Variant when context is structure design.
Viewer Role
A team role with read-only access. Viewers can view all curricula and structures but cannot create or edit content. Ideal for stakeholders and observers.
See also: Author Role, Editor Role, Admin Role
W
WCAG
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. International standards for web accessibility. CurryCMS supports WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance through alt text requirements and other accessibility features.
See also: Alt Text, Asset Compliance
Workflow State
The publication status of a content node tracking its progress through creation, review, and publishing.
States: Draft (work in progress), In Review (awaiting approval), Approved (ready to publish), Published (live and final)
See also: Content Node, Curriculum, Review Queue
Additional Terms
A
Added Content
In a variant, content that exists only in that variant with no connection to the parent. Shows a green badge.
See also: Inherited Content, Overridden Content
API
Application Programming Interface. CurryCMS provides an API for accessing data programmatically. System names are used in API calls.
Asset Compliance
Tracking system for ensuring assets meet accessibility (alt text) and licensing (attribution) requirements.
See also: Alt Text, Attribution, WCAG
Autosave
Automatic saving of changes after a brief delay (typically 1 second). Used in structure builder for node type details and hierarchy configuration.
Author Dashboard
Dashboard view for content authors. Shows curricula list, needs attention items, and recently edited content.
See also: Dashboard, Author Role
B
Badge
Visual indicator showing content state in variants (blue = inherited, amber = overridden, green = added) or other status information.
See also: Inherited Content, Overridden Content, Added Content
C
Caching
HTTP caching using ETags to reduce bandwidth and improve performance. The API supports If-None-Match headers for conditional requests.
See also: ETag, API
Custom Bundle
An attribute bundle created by account administrators (as opposed to system bundles). Custom bundles are fully editable and can be deleted.
See also: Attribute Bundle, System Bundle
D
Display Name
The human-readable name shown to users (e.g., "Course", "Learning Activity"). Can be changed after creation.
See also: System Name, Node Type
G
Gap Analysis
Identifying which standards in a set are not covered by any curriculum content. Part of standards coverage tracking.
See also: Standards Coverage, Standards Alignment
I
Icon
Visual identifier for a node type. Can be an emoji or icon name from the available set.
See also: Node Type
Is Root Type
A boolean property on node types determining whether the type can be created at the curriculum's top level without a parent.
See also: Root Node, Node Type
M
Multi-level Inheritance
Variant chains with more than two levels (e.g., National → California → San Francisco). Each level can override or inherit content from its immediate parent.
See also: Curriculum Variant, Inheritance
O
Optional Attribute
An attribute that can be left blank. Authors can save content with optional attributes empty.
See also: Attribute, Required Attribute
P
Propagation
The automatic updating of all node types when an attribute bundle is modified. Change a bundle attribute → all types using that bundle update immediately.
See also: Attribute Bundle, Node Type
S
Sibling Nodes
Content nodes with the same parent at the same level in the hierarchy.
Example: "Unit 1" and "Unit 2" inside "Course" are siblings.
See also: Content Node, Hierarchy
Source Type
For attribute bundles: indicates whether a bundle is system (read-only) or custom (editable).
For standard alignments: indicates how the alignment was created (manual, crosswalk, or inherited unmapped).
See also: Attribute Bundle, Standards Alignment
Stale Reference
A cross-reference pointing to a content node that has been deleted. Stale references show a warning and should be cleared.
See also: Cross-Reference
Stale Translation
A translation that may be outdated because the source content changed after translation was completed. Shows "Needs Review" status.
See also: Translation, Translation Status
T
Tagging
Associating metadata (like instructional routines) with content nodes without affecting hierarchy.
See also: Instructional Routine
Template
See Structure.
Tree
The hierarchical structure of content nodes in a curriculum. The API uses lazy loading for efficient tree traversal.
See also: Hierarchy, Lazy Loading
Need More Help?
If you encounter a term not listed here:
- Check the related documentation pages
- Ask your administrator
- Contact CurryCMS support
Suggest an addition: If a term should be in the glossary, please let us know.
Related Documentation:
- Getting Started - Platform introduction
- Admin Overview - Administrator concepts
- Author Overview - Content creator concepts