 Sir Ken… Sir Ken…

 Response to task for today  The Principal’s Role in Mapping  Computerized mapping software  Brief sharing about New/Redesigned Course/Unit  Remaining time – in-class work on New/Redesigned course/Unit

Do you think it is important for a school’s staff to feel secure about the principal’s focus with regard to curriculum and instruction?

 Much research indicates that designing, planning and preparation (i.e. the mapping process) is the most powerful tool in raising student achievement  Why do you think this is so?  Take a minute and share your thoughts with a partner  Share….

 Research is clear!  The principal’s ability/knowledge of instruction and planning for instruction is the primary instructional leadership function in the building.  Continuous improvement and growth is the mantra  If teaching & learning is not the primary focus of the school’s principal, staff will know it and be more likely to work in their own “one room school houses”  Principal: easy to find other things that take time away from teaching and learning  Focus must ALWAYS be on what children need

 Curriculum mapping is like any other initiative  Goal: 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 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 might be the sole means of leading teachers out of the darkness of how to properly design curriculum approaches based on best practice  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

 Must make short (first year) and long-term goals (up to 3 years) for implementation of mapping process  Be sensitive to needs of staff as implementing  Continue to assure staff: mapping is not a flavor of the year  Have staff begin with a “doable” amount when they begin mapping  Provide key research behind why mapping is crucial  Principal and leadership team must map PD in such a way so staff see an articulated approach to preparing them

 If using computerized mapping system, 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 meetdepartments/teams can meet  Principal: insist that they map it correctly; otherwise, it is a waste of time

 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

 H.H. Jacobs recommends use of technology to efficiently map  Choices are not many out there, but districts may also choose to use their own database (Access, Filemaker Pro)  Teachers must enter their own individual data so they learn what to do (do not use clerical staff for this process…)  Sharing of maps occurs after this step  Must make decision to enter only key items into each map; content, skills, assessment  Other tabs can be entered later (lesson plans, etc…)

 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  Teachers must use the maps over the course of year, and edit maps as they go

 Using data to improve student performance is also a function of re-visiting maps  Principal must lead staff in how to interpret data presented to staff and how it should inform their instruction  Ultimately, a data warehouse is essential so teachers can view key student data and integrate it with computerized mapping system – efficient, powerful, less confusing  Performance Tracker Performance Tracker

 Think/pair/share…  Why is it in the best interest of building principals to check maps of teachers over time on a regular basis?check maps of teachers  Example 1 Example 1  Example 2 Example 2

 Once maps become integrated, the principal must develop a method to inspect what he/she has put into motion  If staff suspect maps are not being inspected, individual teachers will put less into process  Mapping takes the place of lesson planning  Lesson planning is a part of mapping  When it is expected that teachers share with others (content, skills, and assessments), teacher isolation is gone  This is essence of collaboration: they key tool we also need to be teaching kids

 Constantly able to be edited and updated  Can be shared all the time with others  Can search nationally for common maps that you can use and adapt  If a teacher moves to another grade level, discipline, or leaves district, replacement for that person can literally step into their maps  Begin with a hard copy outline process and move to a shared database  Graphic organizers should be used to guide this process

 Can view maps from whatever computer  Various administrative tools can be used to analyze data that is inputted  Scope and sequence become that much more easy to comprehend  Hence, discussions that ought to be occurring at department meetings is about how to affect teaching and learning  Once content, skills and assessments are begun, the real fun begins with designing lessons and differentiating for all learners

 Brief Sharing of New/Redesigned Course/Unit  In-Class Work on Course/Unit

 Individual sharing of New/Re-defined Course Presentations (brief)