A Successful Curriculum Mapping Initiative An Administrative Perspective Debra J. Sheard, Ed.D....
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Transcript of A Successful Curriculum Mapping Initiative An Administrative Perspective Debra J. Sheard, Ed.D....
A Successful Curriculum Mapping Initiative
An Administrative Perspective
Debra J. Sheard, [email protected]
What is Mapping?
Calendar based curriculum mapping is a procedure for collecting a data base of the operational curriculum in a school or district.
It provides the basis for authentic examination of that data base.
It replaces curriculum committees with a site based cabinet.
Essential Questions
How Can Curriculum Mapping Improve Student Performance?
What Are Initial Mapping Tasks?
Essential Components
Time Training Goals Monitoring Emphasize the professional development
aspect of mapping.
Time Teachers are already overworked Providing time sends the message that
mapping is a priority Allows teachers to collaborate Allows administrators to monitor and coach
Time
~45 min. every 3-4 weeks Encourage communication and
collaboration (“is this skill understandable?”)
Some teachers may leave….mapping may be done at home – if progress is monitored and teachers are held to deadlines.
Training
Teachers need to be trained in the “art” of mapping– How to build an effective curriculum map– Common language so that inter-school maps
are understandable by all– Working with skills
Training
Teachers need to understand how mapping improves– Teaching– Learning– Student PerformanceStudent Performance
Training
Teachers need a common method to incorporate state standards into the maps
Beginning with skills is fundamental Emphasize that data must be authentic Remember that maps are fluid and always
change to reflect the dynamic curriculum
Obstacles
The skeptic “My textbook is perfectly good.” The passive aggressors (“…all standards are
covered every month” The eager but clueless (e.g. maps are
verbose restatements of the lesson plan) “I don’t believe in this method”
Obstacles
“We don’t have time for this” “We’re already overworked” “We tried this in the past and it didn’t
work” “This is all very nice, but my weekly lesson
plan changes by Wednesday” “We already know what we’re doing”
Obstacles
“I don’t want anybody telling me what to teach”
The “independent contractor” mentality Fear of evaluation/punishment Union / contractual issues “We don’t have a problem with our
curriculum – we’re a good school”
Procedures
PHASE 1: collecting the data PHASE 2: first read-through PHASE 3: small mixed group review PHASE 4: large group comparisons PHASE 5: determine immediate revision points PHASE 6: determine points requiring some
research and planning PHASE 7: plan for next review cycle
PHASE 1: Collecting the Data Each teacher in the
building completes a map
The format is consistent for each teacher, but reflects the individual nature of each classroom
Technology simplifies data collection
Collecting Content Data
Types of focus:– Topics
– Issues
– Works
– Problems
– Themes
Configuration:– Discipline field based
– Interdisciplinary
– Student centered
Collecting Skill and Assessment
Enter the skills and assessments FOREGROUNDED for each unit of study or course.
Precision is the key.
Enter skills and assessments that are ongoing through the course of a year.
Portfolio checks Early Childhood
assessments.
PHASE 2: First Read-Through Each teacher reads the
entire school map as an editor and carries out the “tasks”.
Places where new information was gained are underlined.
Places requiring potential revision are circled. (repetitions, gaps, etc.)
PHASE 3: Mixed Small Group Groups of 5 to 8 faculty
members are formed. Groups should be from
diverse configurations (I.e. different grade levels and departments)
The goal is to simply share individual findings.
No revisions are suggested.
PHASE 4: Large Group Review
All faculty members come together and examine the compilation of findings from the smaller groups.
Session is facilitated by principal and/or teacher leader.
PHASE 5: Determine areas for immediate revision The faculty identifies
those areas that can be handled by the site with relative ease.
The specific faculty members involved in those revisions determine a timetable for action.
PHASE 6: Determining those areas requiring long term planning Faculty members
identify those areas that have implications beyond the site with other sites.
Faculty members identify those areas where research is needed.
PHASE 7: The Cycle Continues The district cabinet
meets 3 times annually for review.
Task forces report on their timetables.
The site based council continues its review of the maps through the course of the year and into the next.
Goals
Clear, with deadlines from the start Don’t overreach – plan on a 3-4 year startup
cycle
Goals
1. Create authentic, diary-based maps
2. Create/designate Master Maps as the “ideal” or consensus map for each course/grade/strand
3. Allow public access to master maps (optional)
4. Incorporate standards into the maps
5. Develop essential questions
6. Refine assessments to match skills
Goals – Year 1 Develop accurate, authentic, diary-based maps for
each teacher– Focus on clear, assessable skills– If teachers are ready, allow them to integrate standards
into their skills If master curriculum maps exist, these may be
entered as well. Focus on the professional development aspect of
mapping – change the paradigm Work with teachers to create effective maps
Goals – Year 2
Summertime….– Departments/grade levels/strands meet to
analyze existing maps– Compare with master maps (if applicable)– Look for gaps and redundancies– Create (or revise existing) master map to reflect
this data (i.e. a data-driven curriculum)
Goals – Year 2
Allow public access to master maps Teachers continue to build diary-based
maps (that can be compared to the master maps at the end of the school year)
A good time to focus on assessment– Are our assessments valid?– An “F” or a Zero– Grading policy– Diverse assessments (learning styles, etc.)
Goals – Year 3
Summertime– Compare diary maps with master maps. Revise
master map as needed.– In light of test results, search maps for coverage
of standards– Analyze maps for gaps, redundancies
Goals – Year 3
Focus on content Develop essential questions to guide
learning Teachers should routinely be viewing and
searching others’ maps to better plan their curriculum
Teachers continue to build diary-based maps.
Monitoring
Key to keeping mapping efforts on track– Work with individual teachers each month
whose maps obviously need work.– Watch not only for “slackers” but especially for
those who enter maps consistently that do not communicate effectively
– Show maps to students now and then and get feedback
– Remove names from some maps and use them as basis for discussion at a faculty meeting.
Monitoring
Teachers need to know that you are reading their maps.
One month, have teachers of different subjects/grades trade maps and read them simply for clarity. “Do I understand what this means?”
Activity and Simulation in Small Groups
What is possible with these data? What would you be able to do if you had
these data? How would your school be different if you
had these data available now? What are the implications for
administrators? What are the challenges for administrators?
A Successful Curriculum Mapping Initiative
An Administrative Perspective
Debra J. Sheard, [email protected]