There are different reasons why a school might select curriculum mapping as a tool.These different reasons guide a school toward where and how to start their journey.
All schools that begin mapping are starting for one
(or a combination of the following) four reasons:
“The key to success starts with clearly identifying the reasons why we are starting in the first place”
-- Kallick, Bena (2003), Assessment Strategies for Self-directed Learning, Corwin Press
The first question every school should ask is, Why am I mapping?
The resulting answers maybe any combination
of the four possibilities shown here.
1) Issue motivation – – Occurs when a school or district faces a challenge.Raising test scores, literacy, mathematics skills, motivation, these issues face us everyday and the only way a school can reach data driven decisions is through mapping.In other words, this school turns to mapping to address a specific problem or a series of problems. These types of things turn a school toward a mapping initiative. The school faculty are looking for quick results in a targeted area.
This school’s second question is, “How do we get started in this specific area quickly?”or “How do we get fast data for quick results?”
2) Top-down initiative – This school or district begins mapping because the leadership has decided that it is important. Initiatives can start with a school board, superintendent, state leadership, or is some cases a principal.These leaders often identify curriculum mapping as a long term goal reaching curricular decisions along the journey. They are interested in updating and energizing their old and stagnant curriculum with mapping.They also see a detachment between what is happening in the classroom and the written documents.In addition, they are concerned about school accountability, alignment issues or test scores.
This school’s second question is, “How do I get the faculty to buy into mapping?” or “How do we make sure we support the faculty in terms of time, funding, and training?”
3) Grassroots initiative – This school begins mapping because teachers, parents, or the principal understand mapping and believe their students and schools will benefit by participating. They may have relocated from a mapping district or attended a workshop.They see the planning, communication, and integration possibilities. Aligning their curriculum to state standards, obtaining data centered on what works and what does not work in their school along with discovering curriculum gaps and redundancies quickly.
This school’s second question is, “How do we get the leadership on board with funding, time, and support in the form of professional development?” or “How do we encourage the leadership to pursue mapping?”
4) Good to great motivation – A good to great motivation is seen in schools that are doing a fine job in most areas and need to stay competitive.This school is successful, however they may see a gap between the written curriculum document and what they feel they are accomplishing in the classroom.They recognize that there is always room for improvements and look to use data to stimulate reflection and a higher level of discussion and professional development.They are ready for and expect mapping to become the hub* for all future initiatives.
This school’s second question is, “How do we make this change smooth and seamless so as to disrupt as little as possible and maximize what we are already doing?” or “How do we make sure we take enough time to do this right and keep the process going?”
Using these questions to guide planning can help a school keep their process of change focused on the goals they have set.Mapping is a versatile tool and if we try to do it all at once we set ourselves up for disappointment.
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