Transcript Prioritizing and Mapping the Curriculum

West Virginia Achieves
Professional Development Series
Volume III
Curriculum Prioritization and
Mapping
West Virginia Department of
Education Mission
The West Virginia Department of Education, in conjunction
with the Regional Education Service Agencies and the Office
of Performance Audits, will create systemic conditions,
processes and structures within the West Virginia public
school system that result in (1) all students achieving
mastery and beyond and (2) closing the achievement gap
among sub-groups of the student population.
Robert Hutchins
The Conflict in Education in a Democratic Society
“Perhaps the greatest idea that America has given the
world is education for all. The world is entitled to
know whether this idea means that everybody can be
educated or simply that everyone must go to school.”
What We Know…
An emerging body of research identifies characteristics of
high performing school systems.
These school systems have made significant progress in
bringing all students to mastery and in closing the
achievement gap.
These systems share characteristics described in The West
Virginia Framework for High Performing Schools.
HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL SYSTEM
SYSTEMIC CONTINUOUS
STUDENT/PARENT SUPPORT
SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS
INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES
CURRICULLUM MANAGEMENT
IMPROVEMENT PROCESS
CULTURE OF COMMON BELIEFS & VALUES
Dedicated to “Learning for ALL…Whatever It Takes”
Curriculum
High Yield Strategies
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Implementation of a rigorous standards-based
curriculum for all students that aligns with the WV
Content Standards and Objectives
Prioritization and mapping of curriculum objectives
K-12 to assure articulation and alignment
Development of system-wide grade level
performance benchmarks for student achievement
Development of formative assessments that align
with district benchmarks and curriculum maps
Definition: WV Curriculum
The written scope and sequence of what
students should know and be able to do
as the result of the instructional process
as defined by the WV Content Standards
and Objectives
West Virginia Achieves Framework for High Performing School
Systems for High Achieving Schools, 2004.
“Curriculum is like . . .”
Activity 1
Curriculum Alignment
The on-going process of bringing congruence to the
written curriculum, taught curriculum and assessed
curriculum so (1) all that is assessed has been
taught, and (2) what is taught encompasses the
written curriculum
“West Virginia Achieves Framework for High Performing School Systems,” 2004.
Curriculum Paradigm Shift

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TRADITIONAL
Anything and/or everything
Teacher selections
Assessment content
determined by testing
company
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NEW
The content standards
Prioritized selections
Assessment content
based on student learning
Curriculum Prioritization
The local consensus process of assigning
relative value to curriculum objectives in
order to make informed instructional
decisions about the amount of time allocated
to an objective and the degree to which it is
an instructional focus
(It is recommended that no objective be
completely eliminated during the prioritization
process.)
“West Virginia Achieves Framework for High Performing School
Systems,” 2004.
Why do we need to prioritize?

Research tells us that it would take between 22 and 26
years for teachers to teach all the standards and
objectives in the state curriculum. (Marzano and Kendall)

Since research tells us this, teachers have two choices:
– Teach everything equally
– Teach prioritized standards for a deeper level of
understanding

Prioritizing does not mean eliminating any standards. It
means focusing on some standards more than others.
Prioritization Criteria
The basis for assigning relative value to curriculum
objectives is
(a) the overall importance for a student’s enduring
understanding of the content;
(b) the importance of the objective as a prerequisite
to the next level of learning;
(c) the results of prior assessments of student
proficiency; and
(d) the value of the objective on high stakes testing.
“West Virginia Achieves Framework for High Performing School Systems,” 2004.
Levels of Priority

Essential--The larger concepts, principles, or
processes that you want your students to understand
at a greater depth.

Important--The key knowledge and skills that lead to
student understanding of essential knowledge.

Nice to Know--The lower priority material that
students need to encounter but not understand to a
greater depth.
Priority vs. Instructional Time
Prioritized
Content
Instructional
Time

Essential
50%
70%

Important
30%
25%

Nice to Know
20%
5%
Curriculum Mapping Survey
Activity 2
Curriculum Map
A graphic representation of the recommended
instructional sequence for curriculum objectives
during the instructional year and across the grades
Pre K to 12, which is used as a management tool for
enhancing curriculum continuity, communication and
coordination
“West Virginia Achieves Framework for High Performing School
Systems,” 2004.
What does a curriculum map do?
A curriculum map:
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Addresses the total education of the students in a
building/district
Creates a “word snapshot” of the educational activities of
every classroom within a building/district
Captures the content and skills to be learned and the
assessments to be administered
Provides a visual representation of a timeline for instruction
www.glencoe.com
Why map?
Mapping . . .
 leads educators to ask and answer thought provoking
questions to improve instruction and promote
achievement.
 serves as an impetus to align courses horizontally and
vertically.
 identifies gaps, repetitions and potential areas for
integration.
 provides a database of the operational curriculum of a
school/district.
Compare and Contrast
Curriculum Map Formats
Activity 3
General Preparation for Mapping
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Determine format and content of map
Identify participants in mapping process
Develop timeline and assignments for completing the
entire mapping process
Determine use of technology
Gather necessary data and materials
Ensure that all teachers and administrators understand
the concept of mapping
Constructing a Map
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Identify the content (units/themes/topics) based on
prioritized CSOs
Determine sequence of the content
Identify objectives to be learned
Add skill and assessment information for objectives on
the map
Include other information depending on the format
used (vocabulary, enduring understandings, essential
questions, benchmarks, lessons, etc.)
Critically Examine Maps
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Align content, skills and assessments
Determine adequacy of Content Standards
and Objectives coverage:
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Gaps/Omissions
Repetitions
Needs based on assessment data
Look for potential areas of integration
across subject areas
Critical Examination of Maps (cont.)
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Examine individually or in small/large groups
Look for areas that can be revised
immediately
Establish procedures to work on areas that
require long-term research and development
The Cycle Continues
“A curriculum map is a work in progress and
schools that view it as such create and recreate
review teams for it, always looking for ways to build
bridges among curricula. Schools with established
review teams are keenly aware of the changes within
the building that impact instruction and assure that
such changes are reflected on the curriculum map in
use.”
www.glencoe.com
Prioritizing and Mapping the
Curriculum Action Plan
Activity 4
Final Thought
Our guidelines are our intention.
Our maps are the reality.
Heidi Hayes Jacobs