Kentucky Department of Education

Beginning in the 2003-2004 school year, the Calloway County Preschool teachers began conducting a standards audit at the end of the first semester and again at the end of the school year to document the presentation of the Kentucky Early Childhood Standards (KECS). An extension of this initiative led to the development of curriculum maps to ensure that all of our students were systematically exposed to each of the KECS during the school year.  The curriculum maps were developed during a professional development training in January of 2005.

The progressive stages of developing the maps began with viewing examples of other preschool curriculum maps.  The preschool faculty next collaborated across the preschool teacher/assistant teams within Calloway County Preschool and expanded these collaborative efforts to include kindergarten faculties in the three elementary schools. The third stage included the preschool faculty instituting a process of review, revision, and implementation, which will be ongoing.

One of the most helpful aspects of the maps created is that the faculty has cross-referenced the goals of the curriculum program the preschool is currently using.  This will help the teachers in their preparation and planning for lessons. By listing content standards sequentially with the monthly schedule all teachers will have the opportunity to collaborate on lesson plans and activities that will assist in providing a more consistent instructional frame work for the foundation for all classes.  This will also allow teachers to meet the individual educational needs for all students.

It is also important to address assessment as part of the process of increasing student outcomes.  At the preschool level assessment must take many different forms.  For the purpose of the maps, teachers are required to maintain checklists, make observations, and use rubrics to assess the progress of each of their students.

 Calloway County Preschool is now prepared to implement the curriculum maps for the 2005/2006 school year. In order to successfully implement the maps, a goal has been included in our Comprehensive School Improvement Plan that will assist in this process.  Plans are in place to review and possibly revise the maps in January of 2006.