Map Expectations for Student LearningDescription
Schools should review their program of studies and course syllabi to ensure that the content knowledge, grade span expectations (GSEs), and applied learning skills necessary for the successful completion of an exhibition or graduation portfolio are being addressed in multiple courses, over multiple years, to provide students with sufficient opportunities to learn and be assessed on their growth.
Things to Consider
This curriculum mapping should not be limited to high schools. Elementary and middle schools should also provide multiple opportunities for students to build toward the knowledge and skills that will eventually be required for graduation from a Rhode Island high school.
Mapping expectations should be done on a regular basis; as standards and requirements change you need to be sure that your district/school's expectations are still appropriate.
Tools
Curriculum Mapping Mini-Clinic
This PowerPoint slide show provides information from a mini-mapping clinic provided during a RIDE technical assistance workshop. This may be a useful tool to lead off a professional development session on curriculum mapping. It should be used in conjunction with the Nippentucket Bay High School case study, which is included in this section.
Nippentucket Bay High School Case Study
This case study was developed to present one possible approach to implementing the Rhode Island Diploma System. The Nippentucket Bay High School case study describes a hypothetical school attempting to implement a school-wide diploma assessment. This case study may be used for a text-based discussion; it also includes a mapping exercise that can help faculty think and talk about the many steps involved in designing and implementing a portfolio system.
GSE ELA Mapping Tool
This tool was designed to help schools align ELA courses with the ELA GSEs; it includes a sample matrix that is filled in with hypothetical courses. A blank matrix is also provided for you to fill in your own ELA courses and map the appropriate GSEs (listed to the left) to each course. This exercise will provide schools with evidence of gaps in their ELA curriculum and enable them to see whether students have ample opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills indicated by the GSE. Remember, every school should review course-taking patterns after they do the alignment to ensure that all students have opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to graduate.
The matrix also allows you to include information about the course other than whether it aligns to standards. You can review courses for quality of instruction, rigor, and type of assessment using the symbols and key described in the matrix.
GSE Mathematics Mapping Tool
This tool was designed to help schools align math courses with the math GSEs. A blank matrix is provided for you to fill in your own math courses and map the appropriate GSEs (listed to the left) to each course. This exercise will provide schools with evidence of gaps in their math curriculum and enable them to see whether students have ample opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills indicated by the GSE. Remember, every school should review course-taking patterns after they do the alignment to ensure that all students have opportunities to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to graduate.
The matrix also allows you to include information about the course other than whether it aligns to standards. You can review courses for quality of instruction, rigor, and type of assessment using the symbols and key described in the matrix.
Aligning High School Learner Outcomes with the Rhode Island Applied Learning Proficiencies
The left-hand column in the table below shows the applied learning proficiencies described in the current High School Diploma System. Since your school's learner outcomes are intended to define your curriculum and directly influence what your students learn, it is a good idea to make sure that your learner outcomes cover all the applied learning proficiencies. In order to see what kind of coverage you have, write the learner outcome(s) that match the applied learning proficiencies in the appropriate box on the right. If you have learner outcomes that do not match the applied learning proficiencies, write them outcome in one of the boxes that is empty in the right hand column.
