To what degree is a Dutch curriculum reform in classics incorporated into teaching practice? This study included two data sources: questionnaires that asked teachers about their beliefs concerning curricular innovations and an analysis of authentic assessment material, i.e. school examinations constructed by teachers. The findings suggest that the curricular innovations were represented in teachers' professional rhetoric, but not in the teacher-made school examinations. This case study sheds light on a more general educational problem: the correspondence between the intended and the implemented curriculum. (Contains 3 figures, 5 tables and 4 notes.)