CURRICULUM MAPPING IN BLIND BROOK 2004-06

What is curriculum mapping?

     In September of 2004, the Blind Brook school district embarked on a two-year curriculum mapping initiative that culminated in the presentation of recommendations to the Board of Education on September 25, 2006.  The two-year initiative followed closely the Dr. Heidi Hayes model of mixed and whole-group review of curriculum maps district wide, and involved 100% of the teaching staff--a number of whom served as curriculum mapping group leaders and faciltators.  An outline of our process may be viewed through the following presentations:

District Presentations

• Superintendent's Conference Day August 31, 2005
• Superintendent's Conference Day March 17, 2006
• Board of Education Final Report September 25, 2006

Progress Report and Timeline

     In October of 2006, at the conclusion of the two-year curriculum mapping review process and before the implementation of the action plans, the Blind Brook Board of Education initiated a two-year Middle States Process that will culminate in the Spring of 2008 with a visit from the Middle States accreditation team.  Significantly, two of the district's three Middle States action plans that will inform the instructional focus of the district's goals for the next five years evolved from the same data gathered during the district's previous two-year curriculum mapping initiative, resulting in similiar action plan recommendations.  These action plans, which reflect the priority areas identified by the curriculum mapping process and incorporate the future use of curriculum mapping in their recommendations are:

• Middle States Instructional Action Plan:  Writing
• Middle States Instructional Action Plan:  Character Education

     In addition, the district has pursued other recomendations that surfaced in the final curriculum mapping report.  Specifically:

• the implementation of a fully articulated K-5 Spanish FLES curriculum;
• the completion of the AP course audits for the College Board;
• the coordination of English language arts and social studies curricula around themes of diversity and non-Western cultures;
• the completion of the MS/HS curriculum guides and the Math K-8 Standards-aligned curricula;
• the evaluation of the district's character education program by the professional development committee;
• the infusion of research and information literacy standards, with the support of the MS/HS Library Media specialist as a consultant teacher, through the middle and high school English language arts, science and social studies curricula;
• the development of the new interdisciplinary Grade 6 Literacy Lab and the Grade 9 Effective Communication courses; 
• the implementation of an articulated balanced literacy program at the elementary school;
• the hiring of a data consultant to analyze English language arts and math data in grades 3-8 to inform instruction;
• the electronic tracking of professional development;
• the development of academic benchmark writing prompts.

    Over the next five years, the Middle States action plans will pick up where the curriculum mapping initiatives leave off, permitting the district to continue its current course toward instructional improvements and innovations.  The goal of developing consensus maps--aligned scope and sequences in grades K-12 across disciplines-- is anticipated to take shape through the construction of the district's curriculum documents and in pursuit of the Middle States goals.

C. Burton

03-28-08