Curriculum Mapping

For the past several years, teachers at the high school and middle school have been engaged in a project known as "curriculum mapping." Mapping is a way in which we can articulate what we teach and why. The mapping process creates the opportunity for teachers to work together to design maps of courses they teach in common. The resulting products are ones that can be readily shared. We want information on our curriculum to be accessible to all constituents, and we want to be accountable for it.

All maps are works in progress; that is, they are documents continually subject to reviews and revisions. The goals of mapping are many:

• To present overviews of the students’ actual experiences
• To identify specific content, thinking processes (precise skills), and assessment practices
• To identify where curriculum aligns with state standards
• To build staff capacity for continuous improvement
• To provide specific, purposeful settings for staff communication
• To develop relationships and communications with all stakeholders in the school community (especially students, parents, and guardians)

Questions about curriculum and curriculum mapping can be addressed to Dr. Wendy Kohler, Executive Director of Program Development at 362-1828 or at kohlerw@arps.org.