Our teachers' participation in discussions regarding effective instructional practices, assessment, and enduring understanding has increased dramatically. Teachers talking about what should be taught, and how best to teach it, has led to more meaningful and engaging instruction and improved student achievement.
                                                                                           -- Julie Szymaszek, Assistant Superintendent
                                                                                               Southern York County School District, PA

Almost 6 years ago, a district team from Southern York County School District investigated how to establish instructional consistency and address state standards throughout the K-12 curriculum. The curriculum mapping process was the clear choice to meet these goals. Since that time, Southern has used the mapping process as an ongoing tool to improve teacher communication and articulate the district-wide curriculum.

We asked Ray Lingenfelter, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Southern York, for insight into the district's success.

Collaborative Learning, Inc.: What made you decide to start curriculum mapping?
Ray Lingenfelter: After reviewing information on curriculum mapping, I attended a two-day Curriculum Mapping workshop presented by Heidi Hayes Jacobs. After discussing the mapping process with the district administrative team, it appeared to be what we needed to establish instructional consistency and address state standards. The concept was shared with staff and gained the support of key teacher leaders who were willing to be involve in mapping.

CLI: When did you start?
RL: Southern began mapping its K-12 social studies curriculum in January of 2002. The process was extremely cumbersome. Maps were either handwritten or submitted on computer disks. The clerical staff typed, cut and pasted the information on to a template to provide some consistency. It became evident during this process that some curriculum management system would be needed. After an extensive selection process, Curriculum Mapper was adopted and implemented during the 2003-2004 school year.

CLI: Who led the charge?
RL: Although I first promoted the concept of curriculum mapping, many share the success of the district's mapping efforts. The Board of Education, Superintendent Dr. Thomas R. Hensley, and administrative staff understand and support the district's curriculum development framework and process. Site-based support is provided by the district's subject facilitators and other teacher leaders. One individual who has been instrumental in the mapping process from the start is Matt Amberman , our secondary social studies subject facilitator. Matt has worked closely with the administration, K-12 social studies committee, and other teaching staff as a leader and trainer since the district began mapping in 2002. His experience mapping the K-12 curriculum opened his eyes to massive overlap and focus on trivial information that permeated our curriculum prior to mapping. Another key member of the team is Linda Miller, Secretary to the Assistant Superintendent, who also supports the Director of Curriculum. She has become the district's local expert on the operation of the Curriculum Mapper and has assumed the responsibility of formatting all master maps to ensure for consistency and a highly professional appearance. Her efforts are applauded by the Board of Education, District Administrators, and teaching staff for making us look so good.

CLI: How has mapping most benefited the district?
RL: Our process has greatly increased staff communication. All teachers have a much better understanding of their grade level curriculum as well as the content taught in other grades. The importance of this communication was reinforced by Julie Szymaszek, the district Assistant Superintendent, in her recent statement, "Our teachers' participation in discussions regarding effective instructional practices, assessment, and enduring understanding has increased dramatically. Teachers are now talking about what should be taught, and how best to teach it – this has led to more meaningful and engaging instruction and improved student achievement." The district no longer has a curriculum development cycle. It is expected that all curriculum is reviewed and updated yearly based on Pennsylvania standards, new content, and student achievement data.

CLI: Looking back, what was your biggest obstacle?
RL: Our biggest obstacle was providing teachers with the time to develop master maps. Also, we had to establish a mindset that curriculum work is ongoing and never done. We initiated a number of strategies to overcome these challenges. Teachers were paid to develop instructional units during the summer. The units were taught and revised during the school year. Teachers could also elect to prepare master maps as part of the district's Differentiated Staff Supervision evaluation process. Teachers also have the option of participating in district run Instructional Design courses to obtain continuing educational credits. Also, funds were placed in the curriculum-writing budget to provide substitutes for staff who needed time to consult with the Director of Curriculum.

CLI: What was your biggest surprise?
RL: The process of mapping is a fairly simple process. However, Southern's charge is to develop master maps, using the Understanding by Design framework. The process is extremely time consuming, but extremely worthwhile. The mapping process has enhanced staff communication at a much higher level than we expected. The "best" surprise has been the substantive instructional discussions that Southern teachers engage in with fellow colleagues. This kind of behavior is teacher improvement at its best.

CLI: What are your plans for the future?
RL: Curriculum development is an ongoing job. Once we feel our desired results (understandings, essential questions, skills) are clear, we will switch our focus to assessment and lesson development. Much of our curriculum work will be done by teacher teams using a strategy similar to "Lesson Study". Currently, we see some departments and grade levels working on inter-curriculum activities. This is another area that we anticipate will be a natural result of improved teacher communication.

CLI: What advice would you give to other schools that want to begin mapping?
RL: We recommend that a framework be established for curriculum work. We selected Understanding by Design and feel it is an excellent match for the mapping process. Once the big picture has been established, the curriculum teams develop instructional units using the UBD planning format. Our curriculum is actually what is being taught in the classroom. Finally, if you are looking for a quick way to get curriculum written don't map. However, if you want to improve staff communication, empower your teachers, and develop outstanding curriculum, MAP!

Southern York County School District is comprised of Codorus Township, Glen Rock Borough, New Freedom Borough, Railroad Borough, Shrewsbury Borough, and Shrewsbury Township. It is situated in the south-central portion of York County along the Maryland border, covering an area of approximately 66.2 square miles. The district has a total population of approximately 19,500 and a student population of about 1,600 elementary, 580 middle school, and 1,130 high school students.