Support Vertical Alignment
When teams are ready for cross-grade collaboration, bring together a few representative teachers from each grade, or, depending on department size, the whole team. Cross-grade discussions can take several paths, from focusing on scaffolding early-grade skills to extending or developing activities or magnet theme connections, and then creating overarching questions that encompass the focus of an entire grade level, content area, or magnet site.
Through these cross-grade conversations, teams will recognize gaps as well as good examples of curriculum alignment and scaffolding between successive grade levels. Participating teams will collaborate to identify ways to improve theme integration and generate new ideas for one another. As teachers work through vertical alignment, it’s possible that they will identify a need to develop an entirely new course or curriculum.
LEADERSHIP TIP
Analyzing the curriculum across grade levels or content areas can quickly become overwhelming. Suggest that teams start with looking closely at one category of the curriculum map, such as Skills or Theme Connections.
