Session Details

Educators will participate in department-specific vertical and horizontal curriculum planning designed to strengthen instructional alignment and improve student learning. Through vertical planning, teachers will examine curriculum, standards, skills, and assessments across grade levels and course sequences to identify gaps, redundancies, and opportunities to build upon previously learned skills. Horizontal planning will allow educators teaching similar courses or grade levels to collaborate on instructional priorities, pacing, assessments, and effective teaching strategies.

As a result of participation, educators will develop a stronger understanding of curriculum alignment, instructional sequencing, and student learning expectations across courses and grade levels. Teachers will gain skills in collaborative curriculum development, data-informed instructional planning, assessment alignment, and identifying learning gaps. This work will promote greater consistency across courses, strengthen transitions between grade levels, and ensure that students are provided with a coherent and progressively challenging learning experience.

This professional development activity will address the needs of all participants by providing department-specific planning opportunities directly aligned with each educator’s area of certification and current teaching assignment. Teachers will collaborate with colleagues within their content areas to examine curriculum standards, course expectations, instructional practices, and assessments relevant to the subjects and grade levels they teach.

Through vertical and horizontal planning, participants will identify content-specific learning gaps, align essential skills and concepts across courses, and develop strategies to support student growth within their disciplines. Because the work is conducted within individual departments, each educator will engage in meaningful professional learning that is directly applicable to his or her instructional responsibilities and the needs of the students they serve.