Next, we’ll work with you to gather the specific information needed to customize your Atlas system. Discuss the items below with your leadership team, and send all necessary information to your Implementation Specialist. Over the next few weeks, we'll work with you to customize your new Atlas system, and conduct a Site Review before your faculty begins working in the system.
Action Items:
Identify Curriculum Standards
Which standards will each subject align to?
Your state or national standards will be automatically included and regularly updated by our Standards Team. If your teachers require additional standards for curriculum development, please share a list with your Implementation Specialist. For examples, see .
For custom standards unique to your school—such as specific subject standards, character values, or a Profile of a Graduate—please provide these to your Implementation Specialist. We will evaluate how to integrate them into Atlas. Please note that our services may be necessary to add custom standards to Atlas.
Compile Users & Course Roster
There are two approaches to populating your Atlas system with users and courses:
Manual Rostering: For smaller schools, complete this spreadsheet of , and send the completed file to your Implementation Specialist. Each year, your system administrators will be able to easily make any necessary changes.
OneRoster Sync: Larger schools and districts may prefer to sync users and courses from their SIS into Atlas. This process requires a member of your IT team to use the our . Our technical team can collaborate with your IT team to facilitate the setup.
Design Unit Template(s)
If you have a specific unit template in mind, please share it with your Implementation Specialist. A common template is recommended, but you may opt to vary the template slightly for different school levels (Elementary, Middle, High) and special programs (PBL, IB, AP, etc.) if needed.
If you're unsure where to start, see , and meet with your leadership team to draft a unit guide that will help teachers document their curriculum in a meaningful way. Each category in the unit template may include a description to guide teachers during curriculum development. See this . Unit templates can always be adjusted as your faculty gains experience in curriculum writing.
If you are using our services, it is important to plan how your existing unit curriculum will align with the unit template you are designing in Atlas.
Select Assessment Methods & Types
Atlas provides a default list of assessment methods and types (seen below), but schools often achieve the best results by customizing this list to reflect the assessment practices used in their communities. See , and share with us the list that your school would like to use.
Optional: To encourage consistency, consider creating an Assessment Style Guide that provides detailed descriptions of the assessment methods and types available in Atlas for your curriculum writers. .
Optional: Design Lesson Template(s)
Not all subscriptions include the Atlas Lesson Planner. If yours does, please share any lesson templates you’d like added to your system. You can provide up to eight templates for teachers to choose from, and teachers can also create their own. See our resources on and for more information.
Optional: Gather Existing Curriculum for Importing
Site Review
Key Items to Review
Once we've had a chance to customize your system, please review the following items with your curriculum leadership team. If needed, schedule a Site Review Meeting with your Implementation Specialist to make any needed adjustments.
Course Roster: Located under All Curriculum > All Courses.
List of Users & System Administrators: Accessible via Admin > Manage Users.
Available Standards: Found under All Curriculum > Adopted Standards.
Unit Planner(s): Accessible by clicking into an active unit.
Academic Calendar: Found under Admin Dashboard > Academic Calendar (be sure to add End of Term/Semester dates under "Key Academic Dates").
Assessment List: Located under Admin Dashboard > Assessment Settings.
Optional: Lesson Planners: If applicable, consider whether you’d like to upload Lesson Planners for teacher access and use.
Optional: Curriculum Upload: If applicable, review some of the curriculum our services team has uploaded into your system.
In the next phase, you will receive training to effectively manage and maintain these items on your own during your System Administrator Training.
