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Challenges Met Lessons Learned

Challenges Met Lessons Learned. Shaler Area School District Shannon Howard, Assistant High School Principal Anne Frazier, Department Co-Chair Kate Elder , Department Co-Chair Heather Tomko, Teacher. Shaler Area High School. Background information. Shaler Area School District.

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Challenges Met Lessons Learned

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  1. Challenges MetLessons Learned Shaler Area School District Shannon Howard, Assistant High School Principal Anne Frazier, Department Co-Chair Kate Elder , Department Co-Chair Heather Tomko, Teacher

  2. Shaler Area High School Background information

  3. Shaler Area School District • Shaler Area School District is a suburban public school district serving students from Etna, Millvale, Reserve, and Shaler • 5 Primary Buildings (K-3) • 1 Elementary School (4-6) • 1 Middle School (7-8) • 1 High School (9-12) • 5027 students in district

  4. Challenges • Horizontal and Vertical Alignment, especially between buildings • Merging the curriculum document (as it was) with the format used with the Curriculum Mapper • The “blank page” • Time

  5. Shaler Area High School Our Solution

  6. Unit Template

  7. Why a Template? • Wanted a graphic organizer to help with information gathering (visual learner, linear process spiral thinker) • Only certain members of the department were working on the mapping process • Everyone’s input needed for building units in courses • We needed a way to have all information for input in hand for each meeting

  8. Design • Includes major components of each course unit in EdInsight:

  9. How We Used It • Gave a copy of the template to each member of the department • Each individual teacher outlined major units taught in each course • Grade level teams collaborated on changes to common units • Input team used completed templates to map courses

  10. Benefits of Using the Template • Forced conversation about course structure • Common units = horizontal alignment • Essential skills to be taught v. unessential = helped grade level teams see where we were focusing instruction and time • Complete revision of CP 10 World Literature • Assessments  formative v. summative • Helped input team work more efficiently

  11. Our Experience with Curriculum Mapping • Used already established baseline curriculum, so it was an easier process for our group and a logical starting point for the high school. • Common mid-term & Final • Common novel units • Forced us to standardize grammar concepts which we weren’t previously doing • Subject/Verb agreement • Apostrophes • Used the template to guide us through the process.

  12. Lessons Learned • Establish a common departmental vocabulary for mapping process (i.e., EdInsight input categories). • Establish common goals for department and grade levels (i.e., horizontal and vertical alignment). • Spend more time in the early stages making department-wide decisions and gathering information • input doesn’t take as long if process and goals are clear. • Realize this may not be a quick process, but it is extremely valuable!

  13. Shaler Area High School Next Steps

  14. Questions?

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