Curriculum Mapping

Curriculum Mapping

By:  Melissa Hancock

           In the era of a whole new type of accountability for teachers, the last thing that many educators want to hear about is revising the curriculum.  However, if we, as educators, are going to have our status within a school district calculated based on the degree to which our students are showing growth in relation to curriculum standards, it is vital for us to have a curriculum that gives us the tools we need to help our students grow and change.  This is where the concept of curriculum mapping comes to the forefront.  In order to effectively teach the core curriculum standards that are being tested, we must have a well-crafted document to guide our actions.  Today’s guru of curriculum mapping is Heidi Hayes Jacobs, the director of the Center for Curriculum Mapping.  Jacobs (2004) suggests that if schools are successful in mapping the curriculum, there will be two positive results:  “measurable improvement in student performance in the targeted areas, and the institutionalization of mapping as a process for ongoing curriculum and assessment review.” (p. 2) 

The idea of getting staff to buy-in to the curriculum mapping process should not be overlooked because curriculum mapping should be a collaborative process.  Since curriculum mapping involves all teachers documenting their own curriculum and examining the curriculum of others for gaps, redundancies, and consistent alignment and articulation of standards, it is vital that schools be learning communities, not just for the students, but also for the staff (Udelhofen, 2005).  Therefore, as the curriculum mapping process gets underway, educational leaders need to be sure their staff members feel they are a valuable part of the process.  This can be done by providing proper professional development, exploring ideas together, discussing what needs to be changed, and updating the staff on the process (Jacobs, 2004).

         Once the initial pre-planning process of choosing a mapping template is complete, the true mapping process can get underway.  First, individual teachers should complete their individual maps using the agreed upon template.  This means that each and every teacher records their curriculum data independently, so that the document is based in reality.  The maps should include content, skills, and assessments on a month-by-month basis.  Materials that are used should be referenced in the map.   After the individual maps are complete, teachers meet to look at various maps across content areas and at varying grade levels.  They should look for clear connections between the content, skills, and assessments as well as gaps and redundancies.  The third step is sharing their reviews with other colleagues in a small group setting of about seven to eight teachers.  This is followed by small groups reporting their findings to the entire staff; and at this point individuals will be able to see the district’s true curriculum.  This means that teachers will be able to see what changes need to occur, without an administrator having to tell them.  The fifth step is to develop an action plan.  This may include deciding who will address what issues and the timetable to address them.  This is followed by implementing the action plan.  Teachers working on the action plan are most likely trying to:  align content, skills, and assessments to standards; develop essential questions; explore opportunities for curriculum integration; create benchmark assessments; and work to integrate literacy in other content areas (Udelhofen, 2005).

           Overall, the curriculum mapping process has many positive benefits for schools.  It encourages reflective practice and truly gets teachers thinking about the teaching and learning in their classrooms and other classrooms in their district.  Additionally, it allows gaps and redundancies to be identified and promotes better alignment to standards.  Finally, it allows an improved learning experience for students, one that includes better linkage of standards, learning activities, materials, and assessments.  Even though curriculum mapping may sound overwhelming, it is truly a needed step in helping teachers meet the demands of the new accountability system.

References:

Hayes Jacobs, H. (2004).  Getting results with curriculum mapping.  Alexandria, VA:  Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Udelhofen, S. (2005).  Keys to curriculum mapping:  Strategies and tools to make it work.  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Corwin Press