The maps also identify cross-disciplinary connections and potential areas for curriculum integration. At the end of each grading period and again at the end of the school year, teachers and administrators analyze the school's maps to identify gaps in standards alignment, repetitions of curricular content, and instructional modifications needed to help all students achieve. During the summer, a district committee representing all grades and content conducts further analysis, develops exit criteria for each grade or course, and provides guidelines for revising maps as needed. During the second year, teachers incorporate the revisions into their maps, design instructional units, implement the newly-aligned curriculum, and assess student achievement data. The result is a taught curriculum that matches the written and tested curriculum and that promotes equity and excellence.
Most school districts allow two years for full implementation.
Teachers also need to spend some time working on their maps individually. Additionally, most districts schedule a minimum of six in-service days each year for professional learning activities related to TLMS goals. First, a body of research indicates that when teachers focus on student learning, align what is taught with learning goals that will be assessed, and use instructional strategies that promote learning for all students, performance on standardized tests improves. Moreover, in two school districts that have used TLMS for one year, student scores on standardized tests have improved considerably. This district ranked in the top ten of gains in six other areas.