Learning List Blog

Alignment percentages can vary greatly from grade level to grade level.

Learning List has reviewed Sirius Education Solutions’ Grade 8 Science: STAAR Review and Preparation WorkText. This supplemental, consumable print resource prepares eighth grade students for the STAAR science exam.

First, why is alignment so important? Teachers rely on their instructional materials for 80% of their curriculum and expect that the materials the district purchases will be aligned to 100% of the standards. Yet the actual alignment percentage of materials does not always match a publisher's submitted alignment percentage.

Join Learning List at the TASBO Conference in Houston (Feb. 17-19) at the: Don't Make a Million $ Mistake: Join Learning List at TASBO 2015 -> Session on Thurs., Feb. 19th at 12:00 – 12:30PM, Room 352C of the George Brown Convention Center and Exhibit Hall booth # 1616.

In today’s EdWeek, Catherine Gewertz discusses how some states have relaxed their control over instructional materials and are providing districts with more freedom in choosing their classroom resources. The increased freedom in selecting instructional materials has been a reason to celebrate in many districts. But administrators are quick to acknowledge that the new freedom comes with some challenges...

Purchasing instructional materials is the single largest annual purchase a school district typically makes. Districts often rush to complete their instructional materials selections process by early February or even early March. Solution: To be an informed consumer, you should wait until products are fully developed and physically review the entire complete products before making your purchasing decisions. Waiting until spring (March – May)...

The New York State Education Department provides a comprehensive set of free open-educational resources (OERs) to support the transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The downloadable materials, known as EngageNY, provide lesson plans in mathematics for students in grades PK-12.

Teacher Created Materials’ Exploring Social Studies: Texas Edition is a supplemental social studies resource for students in grades K-5 available in print and digital formats. Learning List has recently completed and published reviews for this social studies series.

Recently, Texas Commissioner of Education, Michael Williams advised districts: Texas school districts are no longer required to set aside 20 percent of their Title I federal dollars to provide Supplemental Educational Services (SES) for students at low-performing campuses. A district is now free to use those funds on academic intervention programs it deems most effective for its students. Learning List’s detailed alignment reports help districts easily identify supplemental p

Teachers’ Curriculum Institute’s (TCI) provides comprehensive and supplemental resources to support social studies instruction in grades K-6 and 8-10. Learning List has recently completed reviews of this social studies series.

Have you ever purchased instructional materials that your teachers ultimately don’t use? You’re not alone. Join Learning List at TASA Midwinter Conf.: (1) Don't Make a Million Dollar Mistake! [Session on Tues., Jan. 27, 2:15-3:15PM in Convention Center Level C, Room 10C] & (2) Exhibit Booth #209 (see floor plan below)

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Think Through Math (TTM) is a supplemental, online mathematics program for grades 3-8 and Algebra I. Resources support self-paced instruction in remediation and intervention programs. Learning List reviews for these materials are now published through our service.

WorldView Software provides a set of comprehensive, online social studies courses for use with middle school and high school students.

Triumph Learning’s Common Core Performance Coach provides supplemental instructional materials for mathematics and English language arts and reading instruction in grades 3-8. Performance Coach materials are available in print format and are aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

A Texas school district administrator recently stated that his district subscribed to Learning List in order to be good stewards of taxpayer funds. In an NPR interview, a curriculum director of an Ohio school district offered the same explanation for her district’s decision....

Cengage Learning provides comprehensive high school mathematics courses in print and eBook formats. Courses include Mathematical Models with Applications, PreCalculus with Limits, and PreCalculus with Limits: A Graphing Approach.

Following the recent release of the State Board of Education’s adoption list, three of the five largest school districts in Texas have subscribed to Learning List for independent reviews of instructional materials (Austin ISD, Dallas ISD and Northside ISD). Learning List, the industry-leading instructional materials review service for schools and districts, has reviewed the state-adopted materials, as well as many other products not submitted for state adoption in all four co

Cengage Learning’s Economics with Emphasis on the Free Enterprise System is a comprehensive, semester-long high school economics course in print and eBook formats. Each unit begins with an overview of chapter content and a set of projects that incorporate 21st century skills (e.g., communication and collaboration).

Lone Star Learning’s TEKSas Target Practice™ Digital Edition is a supplemental, online mathematics program to help K-6 students master the TEKS and prepare for STAAR exams. The program is designed for use with interactive whiteboards (IWBs) and provides a daily framework for teacher-led review of the TEKS.