[Jeff_Brown]

The closest I see the article coming to explaining the changes are in this passage:

"... considered whether content overlapped with similar content covered elsewhere, the difficulty of the content, and whether the content was irrelevant ... It also aims to provide opportunities for experiential learning and creativity."

i.e. to reduce redundancy, make room for something else in the curriculum, or to improve grade point averages.

Another possibility not mentioned would be to provide ideological cover. Delete some things unrelated to ideology, and you have some degree of plausible deniability re. accusations of dogma.

But I find the earlier rationales more plausible. Particularly if they come from people who do not themselves understand the importance of the concepts they are cutting.