Teaching & Learning

Why does curriculum alignment matter?

• Supports all arches in the Strategic Plan

• Communication for students, families, staff, and community, PK-12+

• Supports the needs of students

• Identifies strengths and challenges to improve systemic equity, diversity, inclusion, culture, and climate

• Creates clear, rigorous, and consistent academic expectations for student success that align to MA State Frameworks

• Ensures students transfer knowledge to future problems using innovative, hands on, collaborative practices for students to demonstrate knowledge and skills including voice and choice, creativity, and reflection

• Defines expectations for student learning

• Ensures currency, equity, and vertical and horizontal alignment of curricula

• Supports staff in their professional growth to enhance teaching and learning practices

• Builds capacity and supports educators and administrators to improve student outcomes through a safe, inclusive environment that empowers all learners, through innovative teaching and learning, to be lifelong, active global citizens.

• District Curriculum Review Process

• DESE Curriculum Support Guide

Mapping Curriculum Utilizing Understanding by Design (UbD)

Developed by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins in 1998. Its innovation was to set the Learning Goal FIRST -

What will students be able to independently DO with the learning? (Transfer)

…and then chunking the learning process back to the introduction of the unit, making sure all the elements are taught.

• 2013 - there was training and a substantial amount of work was done

• This year we are using the 2.0 Version of UbD - providing additional training

• Curriculum is always being revised

• DESE requires Holliston district-wide format that is accessible and consistent

Three Stages:

• This year: STAGE ONE - Standards, Transfer, Enduring Understandings, Essential Questions, Knowledge and Skills - Major courses - in progress.

• STAGE TWO - identifies the formative and summative assessments that teachers will use to check for learning

• STAGE THREE - describes how the lesson unfolds, including resources, links, videos, and identifies ways the lessons are differentiated.

Please Note - Some class curriculum maps are still in progress. Also, the monthly timelines are approximate.

• Kindergarten

• Grade 1

• Grade 2

• Grade 3

• Grade 4

• Grade 5

• Grade 6

• Grade 7

• Grade 8

• Holliston High School (Grades 9-12)