The FUSD Scope and Sequence
2014-1015
The Fresno Unified scope and sequence documents create a coherent district context
for teaching and learning that strives to ensure all students receive a quality education,
one that enables them to become successful career ready graduates. These documents
articulate a scope and sequence in which all content area teachers in grades K-12
engage in common practices as well as have choice in the process of delivering
instruction.
The aim of the scope and sequence documents is to establish a strong Aligned
Instructional System as articulated in our board policies and administrative resolutions.
Each feature of the curriculum map connects what is taught to what is tested by aligning
focus standards to common assignments, products, and district assessments each
quarter. These features are consistent for each of the core subjects and grade levels.
As a result, the maps build a coherent context for immersing students in learning
experiences aligned to the skills and content in the Common Core State Standards for
ELA/Literacy, Mathematics and state content standards. The connections within the
maps also allow for more targeted instruction as students take on challenging content
and skills. As well, the common features embedded in the maps ensure that all students
engage in reading complex texts, writing academic compositions, participating in
discussions, engaging in rigorous mathematical tasks, and applying critical thinking in a
variety of ways in the core subjects.
The Scope and Sequence Documents
The scope and sequence contains two types of maps: an Anchor Map and a quarterly
content map. The Anchor Map provides a one-page overview of the CC Anchor
Standards that apply to all three subjects for grades K-11. The quarter content maps
(e.g.Q1) provide grade-specific versions of the Anchor Standards and more detail about
content and products.
FUSD, Curriculum and Instruction
June 2014
The common features for the Anchor and quarter maps are:
Focus Standards: Each core subject shares a common set of CC standards in reading,
writing, speaking and listening, and language. Each quarter designates a new set of
focus standards so that students receive instruction in all of the CC domains over the
year. The reading and writing focus standards inform the common assignment prompt
and district pre- and post-assessments in each quarter for each core subject and grade.
These standards-in-common create a shared experience for teaching literacy practices
and set the stage for the alignment between what is taught and what is tested as
articulated in our Administrative Policy on the Aligned Instructional System. They also
create opportunities for teachers to share practices up and down the grades and across
subject areas, therefore enhancing regional collaboration.
Please note that the focus standards are not intended to be taught in isolation of the
other standards. They are meant to provide a focus for instructional planning that should
also include other focus and recursive standards in the unit or module of study.
Recursive Standards: This set of standards supports the focus standards and are
addressed in classroom-based tasks, including assignments and assessments.
Recursive standards may also be assessed through district common assessments.
Common Assignments: All students engage in one common assignment aligned to
the focus standards in each subject each quarter. Although the prompt is “common” for
each subject and grade, teachers construct lesson plans for the common assignments
using a variety of resources or design their own. This flexibility allows teachers to
accommodate student instructional needs and pacing.
Text Types: Each quarter also includes a short list of text types to ensure that all
students read and explore ideas and information within a variety of genres and text
types.
District Assessments: The district provides quarterly assessments based on the focus
standards. These assessments provide formative feedback about student progress and
the effectiveness of instruction. As well, this feedback helps teachers and the district
FUSD, Curriculum and Instruction
June 2014
make more strategic decisions about what students need next and in the long term. The
feedback from these common assessments also helps the district be more efficient
about resources and supports to schools and teachers.
Content: The maps provide general subject area topics or themes that fit well with the
focus standards and content standards. Teachers organize specific content per quarter
within their teams, department, school, or grade.
Units: Although the maps describe instructional contexts by quarter, departments,
teachers can organize the quarters into one or more units if they desire.
Flexible Features
Common Features
Standards – CCSS and content
Focus Standards
Topics
Some products (to be added in 15/16)
Texts and other textual resources
Some text types
Instructional strategies
One common assignment prompt
Tasks and products– assignments,
District quarterly assessments
activities, classroom assessments
Number of units
Pacing
Scoring and grading
FUSD, Curriculum and Instruction
June 2014