November 1 & 8 Curriculum implementation and curriculum alignment Curriculum mapping introduction Developing core maps Sharing of maps within teams and across grade levels  Principal’s role as curriculum leader Using technology to chart progress, view lesson plans, etc.  

Curricular Change Influences Leadership – Superintendent and leadership team’s vision and mission of teaching & learning District policies Available resources and revenue to run programs School board politics Climate of community – what’s important to them is often pushed in a school to happen

Curricular Leadership & Curriculum Councils Requires planning and organization REVIEW: Programming and curriculum driven by leadership (Instructional Leadership) Using feedback looping to determine needs and aspirations each year Remaining future-focused on new initiatives, trends, and innovations Laying out proposed solutions to identified problems

Curriculum Implementation Must provide appropriate PD to all staff involved Report/communicate to parents, school board, faculty about progress of initiative Include weekly or bi-monthly PD to staff, who can then share with others where necessary (train the trainer). EX: PLN, LFS, etc. Inspect what you expect Provide summative feedback after first year

Curriculum Alignment Purpose: to ensure that the planned (written), taught, and assessed curricula are as parallel as possible. Begins with standards to be assessed as a baseline (PA’s former standards & now the Common Core). Want to eliminate gaps and any overlaps in curriculum Want to align horizontally & vertically in a spiral format

Curriculum Alignment A backwards-design approach is crucial Design curriculum based assessments (CBAs) that will summative assess content and skills (final exams, unit exams, quarterly assessments, etc.) Determine content and skills to be learned Determine big ideas and essential questions for each unit Design experiences and activities to approach the content and skills (lessons)

Curriculum Alignment Assessment drives everything Pre-assessments (that help determine correct placements), formative, and summative are keys to making major decisions about effectiveness of teacher instruction Use of best practice and research crucial to alignment process

Curriculum Alignment Assessment drives everything Pre-assessments (that help determine correct placements), formative, and summative are keys to making major decisions about effectiveness of teacher instruction Use of best practice and research crucial to alignment process

Implementing Curriculum Mapping Ideally, a common template should be used by all in order to sustain cohesiveness and coherence so that… Any two or more teachers, teaching the same course, have the same maps that are horizontally articulated A teacher also knows for a fact what is being taught before and after the given grade level / content of a given course (vertical articulation)

Implementing Curriculum Mapping Some software has built in mapping already (Story town) Because software is web-based, using it can occur from anywhere Having carefully planned professional development to implement mapping is key Stipulation: mapping is NOT a glorified lesson plan It is a holistic method for designing content, skills, learning plan, and assessment

Mapping & the Principal Curriculum mapping is like any other initiative REMEMBER: Goal is to design it as an evolutionary process that is never over Course sequencing, resources, programs, and a pulse on best practice, state mandates, etc. is important Mapping (and doing it well) requires the necessary time, support and resources Must be viewed as something that will ALWAYS be around, regardless if it is mapped electronically or otherwise It cannot be viewed as another fad

Mapping & the Principal Teachers will look to principal for guidance, to lead discussion and training on it… Principal must encourage staff to look for gaps and overlaps and make necessary changes Principal must also be the lead cheerleader for staff Principal and core group of teachers need to be well trained in mapping process before training staff

Planning & Implementation of Mapping If using computerized mapping system, principal should give folks plenty of time to feel comfortable with the technology itself Reinforce why technology is more efficient than traditional ways of sharing curriculum Be creative with time during each day/week in which PD time could be used to map… Use subs on various days so departments/teams can meet Principal: insist that they map it correctly; otherwise, it is a waste of time

Planning & Implementation of Mapping Principal and key group of staff who are training others must... Ensure trust in the process Ensure that no person’s ideas are invalid Not allow key staff to monopolize time of others using sarcasm, irrational dissent, or flat out ancient reasoning Encourage a positive attitude where SHARING is key component to the horizontal and vertical process necessary in mapping

Planning & Implementation of Mapping All maps must be made available to all staff (this is still quite different from what some veteran teachers are accustomed to…) Staff must discover for themselves through entering information and then discussing it where potential gaps and overlaps exist Teachers within a department/grade level must come to consensus (hopefully aligned to standards and big ideas…) on content, skills, and assessments

For next time… Task: Talk with a principal about what he/she believes is his/her role in curriculum mapping OR in supervising the instructional design and experiences of teachers.  Respond to this: As a principal, what would you use to review prior to entering a teacher's classroom to observe or complete a walkthrough on? Consider researching the types of tools available to do so, and/or inquiring with an administrator in your district.