GODLEY ISD SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
The Godley Science Department, under the direction of Superintendent Paul Smithson, was given the task of mapping Godley ISD’s science curriculum. This type of curriculum mapping is also known as vertical alignment.
A team of teachers with representatives from each grade level collaboratively developed the comprehensive curriculum map with hopes of improving instruction and promoting student achievement.
Our curriculum team began working with each teacher to answer the following questions.
Our teachers then started to record the specific content taught in their classroom. The goal was to organize this information into an easily accessed visual that presents a timeline of instruction by teacher and course. Our team chose to follow Godley’s grading calendar and divided the curriculum map into six separate six-week periods. Our objective was to recognize strengths and proactively identify areas of need or gaps in alignment. The team realized that a correctly vertically aligned course allows the classroom teacher to quickly assess what students mastered in the preceding grade and to focus on building skills and knowledge maximizing the quality of instruction, as opposed to consuming valuable time with unnecessary reviewing and re-teaching
After mapping out our six weeks charts, each point of instruction was linked to a TEKS and/or TAKS objective. This assured the team that each of the TEKS/TAKS objectives had been covered. Our curriculum map is a viable tool for examining Godley ISD student TAKS results and will aid further identification of student areas of need on an individual basis.
Simply put, by breaking down TAKS data to identify student needs (areas where our students scored low), teachers can use their curriculum map to pinpoint where instruction needs to be focused to improve student achievement. This will greatly aid teachers by guiding instruction and maximize productive teaching
GODLEY ISD SCIENCE TEAM
GODLEY HIGH SCHOOL
(11th & 12th grade) Physics – Janet Trammell
(11th & 12th grade) Anatomy and Physiology – Steve Long
(11th grade) Chemistry – Steve Long
(10th grade) Biology – Lee Fowler
(9th grade) IPC (Integrated Physics and Chemistry) – Janet Trammell & Steve Long
GODLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL
7th & 8th grade science – Robert Meason
7th & 8th grade science – Kathleen Baker
6th grade science – Kathy Brister
GODLEY INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL
5th grade science – Greg Brister
4th grade science – Melissa Thomason
3rd grade science – Renea Morrow
GODLEY ELEMENTARY
2nd Grade science – Ben Causey
1st grade science – Becky Nelson