Curriculum Maps
Canton Union
School District #66
For centuries, mankind has used maps to guide them. Maps have been used to lead the way, to confirm the way, or to show the way to others. A map is an important tool for keeping people on track. Likewise, school districts across the nation are beginning to use maps to track their way through the wealth of curriculums offered to them from a variety of sources. Here, at Canton Union School District #66, we are using the Illinois Early Childhood Standards and the Illinois Learning Standards as our guideposts as we map our curriculum for our students from Kindergarten through graduation from high school. These standards assist us in aligning appropriate content with the resources and assessments that will be used to assess student progress.
As we have analyzed and mapped out our curriculum, we have been able to remove the repetition found in some areas and to fill in the gaps at other levels. The maps we are developing will illustrate for you what will be taught in each subject area, at each grade level, at generally consistent times in each school year. One of the significant benefits that we have already seen from this process has been the opportunity to improve communication and consistency from one teacher to the next and from one building to the next, both within and between grade levels. Now as we analyze our data on student performance and achievement, the maps will assist us in identifying areas that need more skill emphasis or time.
It is important to realize that the maps are not Òset in stoneÓ documents. Just as you find better routes to take as you are attempting to reach your destination in your car, we will find adjustments that need to be made to better enable our students to reach their maximum potential in performance.
With the establishment of our curriculum maps in each subject area at each grade level, we have also created exit outcomes. These exit outcomes have several purposes. Our first goal was to identify clear expectations for student performance based on the Illinois Early Childhood or Illinois Learning Standards. Secondly, we wanted to clearly state what students need to have mastered in order to meet success at the next grade level. Since ÒnewÓ learning is usually built upon what we already know, we felt it was necessary for parents to also have a clear understanding of those skills.
Cooperation between school and home is essential to student success. By clearly defining for you the goals we have established for students, we can both work together to assist with the learning of the children of our community. Our teachers are willing to offer suggestions for activities to use at home to support the learning that is taking place at school. A strong supportive community can play a large role in impacting the student achievement that takes place in schools. This partnership is essential for all to succeed.
It is also important to realize that here, as in our curriculum maps, a first attempt at identifying and mastering exit outcomes is dependent on the curriculum and instruction that we have established. As students move through our schools, it may be necessary to adjust these outcomes as they become better understood and supported by all. Please return occasionally to these outcomes to check on their status. All our maps and outcomes will evolve over time, reflecting our continuous efforts to refine and improve the curriculum and instruction throughout the district.