Learning List Blog

Savvas' Texas Experience Science is a comprehensive science curriculum for grades K-8, which focuses on bringing science concepts to life through collaborative, hands-on activities. The material is available in English and in Spanish and in print and digital formats. Experience Science organizes learning around seven topics in each grade level. Each topic includes a launch, which introduces the topic, an anchoring phenomenon, and multiple "Experiences" (lessons).

Looking for an activity-based science curriculum? Don’t miss our reviews of HMH’s Into Science. Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt’s Into Science(Into Science) is a comprehensive science program for grades K-8. The program focuses on providing student-centered activities intended to “bring out every student’s inner scientist.” Learning List has reviewed the version of the material submitted for state adoption under Texas Proclamation 2024. While the Texas version includes content spe

As the materials adoption season begins, curriculum reviews can save you hours of work. If you are looking at science materials, learn about a science curriculum we have reviewed for middle school. OpenSciEd Science powered by Kiddom is a comprehensive science program for grades 6-8 and high school Biology. This review is based on the version of the material submitted for state adoption under Texas Proclamation 2024. While the publisher may have developed some content in thi

McGraw Hill’s Texas Science is a comprehensive science program for grades K-12. The materials are available in English and Spanish in grades K-6 and some content is translated from English to Spanish within the English version of the material for middle and high school. The materials are available in print and digital format and are accessible to students and teachers from McGraw-Hill’s interactive digital platform. Texas Science is designed around the 5E instructional model

Looking for a new comprehensive science curriculum for grade K-12?Consider Accelerate Learning’s STEMscopes Texas (STEMscopes).  STEMscopes supports student learning with phenomena, hands-on experiences, and virtual simulations. The curriculum uses the 5E instructional model, with intervention and acceleration added, to support inquiry-based instruction. Scopes (lessons) are based on TEKS-aligned topicsand span multiple days of instruction. Each Scope seamlessly integrates

On May 22, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a proposed settlement order in a first-of-its-kind case against an education technology (ed tech) company for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) Rule. The settlement order contains valuable guidance for ed tech companies and school districts that work with them. Congress enacted COPPA in 1998 with the goal of protecting the safety and privacy of children online by prohibiting the unauthor

The end of the school year and the impending ESSER cliff are two forces compelling districts to review their K-12 curriculum materials to determine which instructional resources to keep and which to discard. If you are involved in making those decisions in your district, the first question you are likely asking is, "Which materials are teachers using?" Several companies, including Canvas, Day 180, and Lightspeed Systems, can help you track the usage of digital materials. A s

Does your district need practice material for mathematics? Take a look at Learning List’s review of DeltaMathINTEGRAL. DeltaMathINTEGRALis a fully digital, supplemental mathematics program for grades 6-12. Learning List recently reviewed the content for grades 6-8 and Algebra I. The program intends to supplement core mathematics instruction by providing practice problems and opportunities for students to develop content and skills in mathematics.

Are you looking for new ELA materials for K-5? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Amplify Texas Elementary Literacy Program. Amplify’s Texas Elementary Literacy Program is a comprehensive program that supports English language arts instruction for Pre-kindergarten-grade 8. Learning List recently reviewed the materials for K-5 which the Texas Education Agency has made available to Texas school districts and charter schools at no charge. Amplify intends to provide stude

If you care about instructional materials, you need to know about legislation that is sailing through the Texas legislature: House Bill 1605 (Buckley) and its identical companion Senate Bill 2565 (Creighton). The legislation would implement significant changes in how instructional materials are selected and used in Texas classrooms. Why should you care? California, Texas, New York, and Florida have long been bellwether states in the K-12 publishing market. Additionally, Te

A recent EdWeek article titled, Why Printed Books Are Better Than Screens for Learning to Readaddresses the debate over print vs digital materials for young learners in an interview with Maryann Wolf, the director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Wolf begins by saying that the answer is not binary. "There are advantages and disadvantages for each type of medium , depending on the pu

Are you looking for supplemental reading material for your students? Take a look at Learning List’s review of McGraw Hill’s Actively Learn. McGraw Hill’s Actively Learnis a fully digital, supplemental program for grades 3-12 that supports English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science. Learning List recently reviewed the content for English Language Arts. The program is designed to help students improve reading comprehension by providing engaging reading materials, quest

While states and districts have engaged in numerous strategies to address Covid-related learning losses, the strategy getting the most attention and investment is high-dose tutoring. According to a February 2023 report published by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), states have spent $700 million of ESSER reserve funds to expand tutoring opportunities, including $470 million on large-scale, high-dose tutoring programs. This blog endeavors to provide tips, bas

This two-part blog series contains stepped-out guidance and important tips to help you map your resources to the district's curriculum.  The first blog provides tips to help you prepare for an efficient process. We discuss: developing a common definition of alignment, becoming familiar with your materials, and selecting citations (lessons, activities quizzes) in your materials to map to the district curriculum. The second blog discusses: how to cite the aligned content in yo

Purchasing instructional materials is the single largest annual purchase a school district typically makes. To put it in context: school districts spend more on instructional materials annually than you paid for your house. A purchase that large certainly merits careful due diligence. Before we purchase a house, we engage a realtor and spend weeks even months visiting multiple houses on the market. We compare the features of each house against our mental list of "must haves"

Would your students benefit from a digital program with cross-curricular content to support literacy development? Take a look at Learning List’s review of McGraw Hill’s Achieve3000 Literacy. Achieve3000 Literacy is a fully digital, supplemental literacy program for grades 2-12. Students work through language arts, science, and social studies content to develop reading skills and comprehension. The program is adaptive and intends to provide reading content and practice of lit

Are you searching for instructional materials to support foundational skills instruction? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Sadlier’s From Phonics to Reading. Sadlier’s From Phonics to Reading is a comprehensive phonics program, intended to supplement literacy instruction in Grades K-3. The core instructional material consists of teacher and student books, available in print or eBook format, and additional digital materials provided on the program platform.

If you have perceived an increase in state control over the adoption of instructional materials, you are not alone. This blog explains the reason for the shift away from districts' control over the selection and use of instructional materials. In a recent EdWeek article, education leaders who shaped the standards movement argue “that states should be doing more ‘quality control’ when it comes to instructional materials—signaling which are high-quality and incentivizing and

Over the last three years, yours, like most districts, likely scrambled to meet students’ needs in lots of new ways. The district may have purchased new materials to support at-home learning. Teachers may have subscribed to online resources individually.  And, since students returned to school, intervention, and tutoring resources have likely been purchased. When you analyze the current list of materials in your district, do you have an abundance of instructional materials?

When purchasing supplemental materials, how much weight should you give to the alignment percentage? In this blog, we explore the differences between comprehensive and supplemental materials when it comes to assessing alignment. Educators in every district are working hard this year to close students' Covid-19-related learning gaps. Consequently, many campuses and districts are selecting supplemental materials. This blog discusses important differences between supplemental a