curriculum-crosswalk

name	curriculum-crosswalk
description	Compares two or more band-tagged frameworks and produces a framework-neutral topic matrix showing coverage and gaps across all inputs, plus an optional reference-centric PLC crosswalk document when a reference framework is supplied.
disable-model-invocation	false
user-invocable	true
effort	high
skill_id	curriculum-crosswalk
skill_name	Curriculum Crosswalk
domain	curriculum-alignment
version	2.0
evidence_strength	moderate
evidence_sources	["Webb, N. L. (1997) — Criteria for Alignment of Expectations and Assessments in Mathematics and Science Education, CCSSO Research Monograph No. 6: the canonical four-dimension alignment framework (categorical concurrence, depth-of-knowledge consistency, range-of-knowledge correspondence, balance of representation); this skill operationalises categorical concurrence and range at the school-band level.","Porter, A. C. (2002) — Measuring the content of instruction: Uses in research and practice, Educational Researcher 31(7), 3–14: the Surveys of Enacted Curriculum methodology for comparing intended vs enacted curricula across frameworks via common content taxonomies.","Porter, A. C., Smithson, J., Blank, R. & Zeidner, T. (2007) — Alignment as a teacher variable, Applied Measurement in Education 20(1), 27–51: alignment indices and content-matrix methodology applied across standards documents.","Case, B. J., Jorgensen, M. A. & Zucker, S. (2004) — Alignment in Educational Assessment, Pearson Assessment Report: practical alignment procedures that surface rather than hide framework differences — the rationale for the divergence and unique-content tables in this skill's output.","Martone, A. & Sireci, S. G. (2009) — Evaluating alignment between curriculum, assessment, and instruction, Review of Educational Research 79(4), 1332–1361: literature review establishing that alignment studies should preserve framework distinctiveness rather than collapse to a lowest-common-denominator schema — the design principle behind this skill's refusal to produce a merged mega-framework."]
input_schema	{"required":[{"field":"comparison_frameworks_band_tagged","type":"string","description":"Array of two or more frameworks, each produced by the Developmental Band Translator. Each entry must include source_metadata, band_tagged_kud (or equivalent content-bearing items), and band_tagged_lts. All frameworks are treated as equals in the primary matrix output."}],"optional":[{"field":"reference_framework_band_tagged","type":"string","description":"An optional designated reference framework, already band-tagged using the Developmental Band Translator. If supplied, the skill produces both the framework-neutral matrix AND the secondary reference-centric crosswalk document. If omitted, only the framework-neutral matrix outputs are produced."},{"field":"reference_framework_name","type":"string","description":"Human-readable name of the reference framework for output labelling. Defaults to source_name from reference_framework_band_tagged metadata if omitted."},{"field":"theme_taxonomy","type":"string","description":"An optional pre-defined list of theme labels. If supplied, the skill maps all framework content to these themes rather than deriving themes from the input. Overrides model-derived theme grouping. Use when running the skill repeatedly on changing inputs and needing consistent row labels across runs."},{"field":"focus_bands","type":"string","description":"Restrict the crosswalk to a subset of school bands (e.g. \"D,E\" for secondary-focused PLC). If omitted, all bands are covered."},{"field":"focus_themes","type":"string","description":"Restrict to specific thematic areas (e.g. \"consent, relationships\"). If omitted, all content is compared."},{"field":"plc_context","type":"string","description":"A short description of the PLC context (e.g. \"Band D/E wellbeing team preparing for September 2026 planning\"). Used to tune the Questions for PLC section in the secondary crosswalk_document when a reference framework is supplied."}]}
output_schema	{"type":"object","fields":[{"field":"framework_neutral_matrix","type":"string","description":"Primary output. A Markdown matrix with one row per theme × band. Rows are derived by scanning ALL input frameworks — no theme is excluded because one framework lacks it. Columns are one per framework (all on equal footing). Empty cells are marked \"—\" explicitly; an empty cell for any framework is a visible gap, not an omission."},{"field":"framework_neutral_matrix_csv","type":"string","description":"Primary CSV at band level. Columns — theme, band, then for each framework one content column and one band_confidence column, plus gap_count (number of frameworks with empty cell for that theme × band), notes. One row per theme × band combination."},{"field":"framework_neutral_summary_matrix","type":"string","description":"Summary-grain CSV. One row per theme (not per band), showing which frameworks cover it and at which band range. Designed for a scannable overview of cross-framework coverage."},{"field":"theme_grouping_flags","type":"array","description":"Array of ambiguous theme groupings flagged for human review. Each entry includes — theme label, source topics grouped under it, rationale for the grouping decision. Surfaces interpretive uncertainty rather than hiding it in Known Limitations."},{"field":"crosswalk_document","type":"string","description":"Secondary output — only produced if reference_framework_band_tagged was supplied. A Markdown document for direct use by a teacher or PLC facilitator. Contains the five required sections (Convergence, Divergence, Unique Content, Sequencing Differences, Questions for PLC) plus a short preamble identifying the frameworks and scope."},{"field":"crosswalk_convergence_csv","type":"string","description":"Secondary output — only produced if reference_framework_band_tagged was supplied. Flat CSV with one row per LT × band × comparison framework pairing. Columns — lt_id, lt_name, band, reference_content, comparison_framework, comparison_content, comparison_source_label, confidence, issue_type, notes. Empty comparison_content means no equivalent found."},{"field":"skill_flags","type":"array","description":"Skill-level warnings (insufficient overlap to produce meaningful convergence, framework with >50% ambiguity upstream, focus_bands exclude all content in one framework, too many frameworks for readable output, etc.)."},{"field":"internal_trace","type":"object","description":"Non-prose metadata retained for debugging and for skill chaining — framework ids compared, item counts per section, band-coverage matrix, theme derivation log. Not included in primary or secondary output documents."}]}
chains_well_with	["developmental-band-translator","learning-progression-builder","scope-and-sequence-designer","curriculum-knowledge-architecture-designer","gap-analysis-from-student-work"]
teacher_time	30 minutes
tags	["curriculum-alignment","crosswalk","framework-comparison","Webb-alignment","Porter-content-analysis","PLC","source-voice-preservation"]

What This Skill Does

This skill compares two or more band-tagged frameworks and produces a framework-neutral topic matrix as its primary output. Its input is the output of the Developmental Band Translator skill — one output per framework. Every framework is treated as an equal participant: topics present in any framework appear as rows in the matrix, and a framework's absence at a given theme × band is shown as an explicit "—" gap, not an omission. This makes the primary output useful for identifying what any framework lacks, not just where frameworks agree.

If a reference framework is also supplied, the skill additionally produces a secondary reference-centric crosswalk document — a Markdown document that a teacher or PLC facilitator can open and use directly for a professional discussion, organised under five required sections: Convergence, Divergence, Unique Content, Sequencing Differences, and Questions for PLC. The secondary document and its associated CSV are only produced when a reference framework is supplied.

The skill is deliberately additive, not reductive. It does not merge the frameworks into a single synthesised schema. It does not rewrite statements into a common voice. Each framework's content appears in the output in the original words the framework used, attributed by name. This is a design decision grounded in Martone & Sireci (2009): alignment work that hides framework distinctiveness loses the very information a PLC needs to make a planning decision.

The skill is opinionated about the distinction between "cross-framework agreement" and "cross-framework coincidence". Two frameworks addressing the same topic at the same band is convergence only if they also treat the topic at comparable depth and intent. Where that is unclear, the skill flags the pairing as apparent convergence, teacher confirmation needed rather than silently counting it as agreement.

Evidence Foundation

Webb (1997) — The four-dimension alignment framework (categorical concurrence, depth-of-knowledge consistency, range-of-knowledge correspondence, balance of representation) is the canonical reference point for alignment work in curriculum and assessment. This skill operationalises categorical concurrence (do the frameworks address the same topics?) and range (do the ages match?) at the school-band level. Depth-of-knowledge and balance are deliberately not assessed automatically; the Questions for PLC section surfaces them for human discussion.

Porter (2002) and Porter et al. (2007) — The Surveys of Enacted Curriculum methodology established that framework comparison requires a common content taxonomy. The theme taxonomy — whether supplied via theme_taxonomy or derived from all input frameworks — serves this role. The skill inherits the Porter methodology's commitment to making the comparison visible and defensible: every cell in every table traces back to specific items in specific frameworks.

— Practical alignment procedures in assessment explicitly recommend that alignment studies preserve framework differences rather than suppress them. The framework-neutral matrix exists for exactly this reason: a theme row where the reference framework cell is "—" is as informative as a row where it matches others. A crosswalk that showed only overlap would erase the most important planning signal.