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Learn about the essential responsibilities and strategic planning involved in curriculum mapping for effective education with a focus on leadership development.
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Curriculum MappingLeadership Team Planning Based on the work of Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Ph.D. and Susan Udelhofen, Ph.D.
What Responsibilities Does the Leadership Team Have? • Oversee the process • Team members become the “Go To Person” for their school buildings • Must know • why Curriculum Mapping is important • where it is going • how they are going to get there • Create a 3-Year Plan • Administration MUST be actively involved
Administrator Support Is Crucial! Administrators must: • Have a good understanding of the process • Celebrate and recognize the value of the process with teachers and communicate this at every opportunity • Communicate the process to school board and parents • Stay abreast of the process and provide the needed leadership, support and time • Be flexible and forgiving in order to learn what is taught and not taught • Assure teachers during the mapping process-maps are not use for evaluation
Research-Based Principles of An Effective Learning Environment • Collaboration • Reflection • Shared Vision for Professional Growth • Student Learning The process of curriculum mapping incorporates all four principles and brings educators together to learn from their practice as they share their insights to create a positive, effective learning environment for students.
Paradigm Shift on Two Fronts • Curriculum is no longer an individual choice or action - individual curriculum maps are • made public • shared • changed • modified • Curriculum is never “finished” - rather it is the beginning of a dynamic process
Curriculum Mapping Is The Decision-Making Hub of the District Strategic Planning Standards Professional learning communities NCLB Teacher mentoring Literacy Critical thinking District Data Staff Development Accountability Technology Curriculum Mapping
What Is Mapping? • Calendar based • Process for collecting data representative of the operational (real) curriculum in a school and/or district
Why Create Curriculum Maps? • Locates gaps, repetitions, areas for integration,assessments • Authentic alignment to standards • Accountability • Communication and Reflection • We rarely have these conversations! • Identify what occurs throughout the entire school year • A picture of students’ experience from grade to grade • Teacher expectations to parents and students
Mapping Process Can Improve School Culture • Shared sense of purpose • Opportunity to share • Provides time to reflect • Builds Professional Learning Communities within the school • Analyze and debate to improve • Increases test scores
Meaningful Assessments:Mapping Can Provide the Help • Assessments clearly connected to content and skills • Balanced assessments • Assessment preparation for high-stakes assessments • Not teaching to the test but rather teaching to the standards that will be assessed on the tests • Does my curriculum reflect what is being tested and the vocabulary content that is presented? • “Real World” applications Analyzing curriculum maps can help you find the answers and build a more meaningful and connected curriculum
What Information is collected on the Map? • Content • Skills • Assessments • Standards • Essential Questions*
Identify Curriculum Repetitions and Gaps • Recognize the difference between repetitions and redundancies • Examine maps for gaps in • Content • Skills • Standards • Assessments • Spiraling is the goal
Standards analysis • Identifies the standards that are or are not being taught and assessed • Identifies standards and curriculum alignment • Defines what alignment really means • Provides forum for discussion of crucial standards
The Curriculum Mapping Process • Step 1: Collecting the data: each teacher creates a map individually • Step 2: First read-through: teachers read each other’s maps also done individually • Step 3: Small mixed group reviews: sharing findings from editing • Step 4: Large group comparisons: sharing findings from small group review • Step 5: Determine immediate revision points • Step 6: Determine points requiring some research and planning • Step 7: Plan for next review cycle
Approximate Time • MINIMUM of half day per prep • K-2 Language Arts will take longer • First time through will take longer • First year teachers may need help
How to Continue the Work • The leadership team meets three times annually for map reviews and updates
Challenges, Questions, & Issues • Haven’t we done this before? • Is there a right or wrong? • I don’t want to do this alone. • How do I know this is going to be used? • This is a lot of work. • How do I know what I’ll be doing in November? • How can I edit fifth grade math when I am a 10th grade English teacher? What do I know about math? • What if some teachers refuse?
The Best Part:The Evolution!! • Collaboration • Learning and talking with one another • Working together to improve practice • Supporting each other • Reflection • Identifying and focusing on key issues • Analyzing and talking about “real” teacher-generated data • Sharing A Vision • Setting the direction for meaningful reform • Student Achievement • As we become better and more informed student achievement will improve • “You mean I don’t HAVE to teach dinosaurs?!?”
Tailoring the Process to Your District: Dealing With Reality • Teacher input • School and district culture • Strategic plan • Deliberate timetable • Available time • Support and leadership at every site • How to begin (one step at a time) • May start small • Every subject area? • One site?
Sustaining the Momentum • Commitment and responsibility from all teacher and administrators • Student involvement • Parent involvement • School board support • Share results • Continually (at least 3 times per year) revise and update the maps • Focusing on key issues • Maps are basis for discussions regarding all teaching matters • Use a software program • Establish site-based councils
Ways to Continue the Process • Hire floating substitutes • In-service days • Supt./Principal take class while teacher works • Early release/late starts • ½ day subs When teachers have time to work there must be a clear purpose and an end product that is required!!!
Making A Plan For Implementation • Communicating with teachers at the onset • Year one plan • Year two plan • Year three plan See planning template
Contact Information • Region 3 Education Service Agency • Platte office • 337-2636 • Susan Udelhofen Contact Information: • 608-274 -1864 • Sku26@charter.net • Su-consulting.com