Curriculum Mapping: Are You Ready?

by Michael J. Rush

Schools throughout the world are using curriculum mapping as a tool for identifying the operational curriculum to assist them in refining and aligning the curriculum. This is not only work worth doing, it is necessary in the era of No Child Left Behind. The year 2014 looms over us but even without this "year of perfection" it is our moral responsibility to continually and methodically improve our teaching. The question is: are we ready for curriculum mapping?

In a recent speech in Boston, Heidi Hayes Jacobs stated that "curriculum mapping is easily botched," and I agree. Mapping, like life long learning, is something to pursue over the long term. It is imperative that we see curriculum mapping as a process that involves all instructional staff, not just a select few, in documenting what has actually happened in their classrooms. Identifying the content taught, the skills addressed, the assessment tools used, and the standards addressed is only the beginning of the mapping process. The true beauty of mapping emerges when maps are used on a regular basis to study instruction and improve student learning. Moving toward a seamless curriculum takes time, think years not months, and requires thoughtful planning in order for a district to be ready to map. This is not to say that there must be an airtight plan in place before initiating a mapping endeavor. However, key issues need to be examined and important questions answered in order to get underway.

Three distinct areas must be addressed in order to build your readiness to map: administrative issues (who, when, how, why), procedural/process considerations (professional development, map configuration, subjects mapped), and software concerns (map construction, software training, map analysis, data triangulation). Before discussing these in more detail, let's look at some instances that have hindered district readiness.

Typically, there are several scenarios in which districts engage in that hamper curriculum mapping efforts. One is the sparkplug syndrome which is rampant and should be avoided at all costs. You know the story. Someone from the district attends a motivational curriculum mapping seminar, gets really excited, and before you know it you are off and running with little thought given to planning or long term sustainability. Unfortunately, sparkplugs burn incredibly bright but for a very brief period of time.

Another situation is what I call "Copy Cat Mapping." This scenario involves schools looking around and observing that other schools or districts are curriculum mapping and feel the pressure to map. They dive into mapping quickly to "catch up" with the other schools; their only driving force is the fear of being left behind.

In both instances, there is a lack of understanding for why they these schools should be mapping, how mapping will add value to their K - 12 curriculum improvement efforts, and what mechanisms need to be put in place to increase the likelihood for success. Basically, if you don't have all of your ducks in a row you will have difficulty in organizing, initiating, and maintaining a winning mapping effort.

To build readiness, it is necessary to have a high Truck Number. If only one person is heading the mapping effort, you have a Truck Number of one. If, God forbid, that person gets hit by a truck, then the mapping effort has a high likelihood of faltering or failing. Instituting a curriculum mapping council, representing administration, as well as various grade levels and subject areas, raises the Truck Number and disperses the leadership and decision making responsibilities. This shared leadership establishes a critical mass that is essential for sustainability as well as providing teachers with much needed local support and guidance. It is also imperative that this group, the disciples of curriculum mapping, prepare the faculty and staff in their building for mapping; curriculum mapping should not come as a surprise. To paraphrase from the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke, what we don't want here is a failure to communicate. If your district is going to be ready for curriculum mapping, your teachers must have a realistic understanding of its requirements and benefits.


Administrative Questions

1. Have you identified the specific purpose(s) for initiating a mapping effort in your school or district? What is curriculum mapping? Why should we map? Where will this take us?
2. Do all constituents have a deep understanding of curriculum mapping as far as its purpose, the ultimate goals, time obligations, and procedures, as well as the learning necessary to make it a successful effort?
3. Is there a high degree of knowledge and commitment by all administrators at all levels for the curriculum mapping effort? This should be a pro-active commitment not simply tacit approval for mapping.
4. Has a curriculum mapping council been established to guide and support the faculty in their mapping efforts?
5. How many other new or ongoing initiatives are in the school or district? Will other initiatives commence as teachers begin mapping that will compete for time and resources?
6. What professional development plan is in place to build the capacity of teachers to implement and sustain a successful mapping effort?
7. What is the budget to support the mapping effort for at least three years?
8. How will this align with your school improvement plan? Where does mapping "fit" in where your district is moving?
9. What are the identified benefits of mapping for the district, teachers, parents, and students? Have these benefits been communicated?
10. What is the plan for including special education and support services?

Procedural/Process Questions

1. What mechanisms will be put in place to ensure that mapping becomes a natural part of educational process?
2. What current requirements, processes, and/or procedures will be reduced or eliminated as a result of your mapping effort?
3. What type of mapping will be undertaken (diary, consensus, projected, etc.) and why?
4. Is there a process in place that will provide the time necessary for teachers to create quality maps?
5. Who will have direct responsibility for overseeing the process? Will this person hold all stakeholders accountable?
6. What is the plan for training new teachers, and enriching the professional development of veteran mappers?
7. How is data used currently to identify actual gaps and redundancies in the operational (implemented) curriculum?
8. How is data used to make informed decisions about the needs of all learners? (data: state assessments, local benchmark, grades, attendance, demographic information, etc.)?
9. How will the data in your maps be used to foster collaboration, create professional dialogue, and refine the curriculum?
10. How will your map data be used along with other student performance data to drive both curriculum refinement and instruction?

Software Questions

1. What map guidelines are in place (organization, format, etc), and who has the responsibility to ensure the guidelines will be followed?
2. Who, when, and how will teachers receive quality professional development in the process of mapping, including ongoing training on the software?
3. Who will be responsible for promptly answering the technical questions that will arise?
4. What level of standards will be attached? 
5. Where will standards be attached? Will more than one set of standards be attached? 
6. What terminology needs to be included in the maps to ensure a common vocabulary?
7. What individual and/or district resources should be attached to the maps?)
8. Who will map and what subjects will be mapped? Is there a timeline for including all subject areas and grade levels?
9. What is the plan for moving teachers forward in their knowledge and use of the mapping software so that they can take advantage of the more advanced data analysis features?
10. How receptive is our staff to the change process? 

Is this a definitive list? No. Must all questions be answered before you begin an mapping effort? Not necessarily. Hopefully, these questions will help provide some guidance as your district looks at curriculum mapping and how it can become a solid and successful effort, moving toward a seamless curriculum. All districts initiate a mapping effort with the best of intentions. Taking time, however, to plan, organize, and communicate the purpose, meaning and direction of curriculum mapping will greatly reduce confusion and anxiety. By getting ready to map, you will improve the process and maintain sustainability. The ultimate effect will be a more streamlined curriculum that will result in improved student learning. What more can we ask?

Michael J. Rush has been an educational consultant for the past twenty-five years and worked with over 1,000 schools in the areas of curriculum and instruction. He is the Vice President of Professional Development for Professional Learning Associates™ which is a part of Collaborative Learning Inc. PLA provides professional development to schools and school district in the areas of curriculum mapping and standards-based assessment and grading.