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Last week, President Obama and the U.S. Department of Education recognized just over 100 exemplary superintendents for their leadership in transitioning their districts to digital learning . Interestingly, 18 of the superintendents haled from California, nine from Texas, eight from Indiana and from Pennsylvania , seven from New Jersey, six from Virginia, and four from New York. The remaining attendees came from many other states. To be selected from a peer group of thousands is a most praiseworthy accomplishment. These visionary superintendents have every reason to be proud of themselves and the teams within their districts who are successfully implementing their vision. The “ ConnectED  to the Future” venue set the stage for the President’s announcement of the expansion of the ConnectedED initiative to bring high-speed broadband and wireless access to 99 percent of America’s schools by 2017. But the real import of this event was that it focused attention on the fact that having the technology infrastructure in place will not by itself help students learn. After the first laptop initiative was rolled out in Maine, the teachers (and students) were left asking, “Now what?” This meeting highlighted steps district leaders should take to meaningfully integrate technology into the teaching and learning process. The attending superintendents and several others who participated virtually signed the “ Future Ready Pledge ” and committed to engage in the following activities to foster a culture within their districts where teachers use high-quality digital content to personalize instruction and promote inquiry and creativity: Fostering and leading a culture of collaboration and digital citizenship; Transitioning schools and families to high-speed connectivity; Empowering educators with professional learning opportunities; Accelerating progress toward universal access to quality devices; Providing access to quality digital content; Creating access, equity, and excellence – particularly in rural, remote, and low-income districts; Offering digital tools to students and families to help them prepare for success in college; Sharing best practices and mentoring other districts in the transition to digital learning. While the ConnectedED initiative was a necessary first step, the Future Ready initiative emphasizes that transitioning our public schools to become centers of 21 st century learning requires building capacity in our teachers and students to use high-quality online instructional materials to personalize and thus propel learning. Learning List  helps district leaders fulfill the promise of the Future Ready pledge. Our detailed alignment reports and editorial reviews of instructional materials help educators select high-quality digital content that will engage and equip their students with the knowledge and skills they will need to succeed in college or the workforce. You can read more about the Future Ready initiative here . Or click here to commit to the Future Ready District Pledge.

The start of a new school year is full of excitement, new routines, and possibilities. One of the most important steps teachers can take to set the tone for success is ensuring their daily instruction is aligned with both standards and curriculum resources. Alignment creates a roadmap for teaching and learning, providing clarity for teachers and students alike. Below are five practical strategies to help you begin the year with confidence and ensure every lesson builds toward meaningful outcomes. 1. Start with the Standards Standards are the backbone of alignment. Before planning daily lessons, revisit your state standards and ask: What are students expected to know and be able to do by the end of this unit?  Unpack the standards to ensure that you and your team know the content, the context, and the cognitive rigor of each standard in the unit. By using standards as the anchor, you ensure that every activity, discussion, and assignment connects to the larger learning goals. Research from the RAND Corporation underscores this, noting that teachers who ground instruction in clear standards and high-quality instructional materials report stronger outcomes for students (Kaufman, Doan, & Diliberti, Teachers’ Use of High-Quality Instructional Materials , RAND Corporation, 2020). 2. Use HQIM Curriculum Resources to Anchor Lessons High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) are designed to provide a coherent progression of learning. Instead of starting your lesson planning from scratch, use HQIM as the foundation. Pacing guides, lesson sequences, and embedded activities help ensure that daily instruction supports grade-level expectations. Confirm that every activity aligns with the standards—or save time by using Learning List’s alignment reports. As instructional expert Doug Lemov explains, “When curriculum, instruction, and assessment are tightly aligned, students get a coherent learning experience that builds mastery step by step” ( Teach Like a Champion 2.0 , Jossey-Bass, 2015).  3. Plan with Assessments in Mind Backward planning is essential for alignment. Start with the end in mind: What should students know or be able to demonstrate on the unit or state assessment?  Once you’ve identified success criteria, design lessons that intentionally build toward that outcome. The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching emphasizes that alignment between instruction and assessment ensures that instructional time is maximized and that all students have access to grade-level content. 4. Adapt, Don’t Abandon Alignment doesn’t mean teaching curriculum resources exactly as written. Instead, it’s about making thoughtful adaptations to meet your students’ diverse needs while maintaining the integrity of the lesson. For example, you might adjust pacing, add scaffolds for English learners, or provide enrichment for advanced students. As Carol Ann Tomlinson, a leading voice in differentiation reminds us, “Differentiation is not the opposite of alignment—it is how we ensure aligned resources meet the diverse needs of learners” ( How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms , ASCD, 2017). 5. Collaborate with Colleagues Alignment is strengthened when teams work together to use HQIM. When teachers plan together sharing pacing calendars, assessments, strategies, and resources, they create consistency across classrooms. This ensures that all students access the same high-quality, standards-aligned instruction. Collaboration also reduces the burden on individual teachers. By pooling ideas and resources, teachers can focus more energy on engaging students and personalizing instruction. Bringing It All Together Alignment is about clarity and coherence. By starting with standards, grounding instruction in HQIM, planning backward from assessments, adapting for diverse learners, and collaborating with colleagues, you can ensure your instruction remains focused and purposeful throughout the year. Remember: alignment is not about rigidity. It is about providing a consistent, high-quality experience that helps all students thrive. When your instruction is aligned to the standards and your curriculum, both you and your students begin the year with clarity—and clarity leads to success.

Is your district looking for new elementary math materials to support the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Great Minds’ Eureka Math TEKS Edition. Great Minds’ Eureka Math TEKS Edition  is a comprehensive mathematics program designed to support K-5 TEKS-based mathematics instruction.  The materials are available in print and digital formats.  The program’s intent is to spark curiosity and build confidence about mathematics. The materials focus student learning on the story of math and the connections across key concepts. Lessons are consistently designed to support conceptual and procedural understanding. Students complete their work in one of three student editions, each intended for a different purpose: Learn, Practice, Succeed.  The teacher materials include explicit lessons designed to provide the teacher with step-by-step, scripted teacher language and expected student responses. In addition to the teacher editions, the program also provides a variety of resources to support the development of teacher content knowledge and pedagogy, such as instructional videos and slides.  Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn more about how the assessments are used to inform instruction, as well as the resources provided for differentiation. Learning List has also conducted a standard-by-standard alignment analysis of this material’s alignment to the TEKS, as well as a review of its technology compatibility and support for remote learning. These reviews not only inform selection decisions, they facilitate instructional alignment and curriculum mapping, too. To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List  for subscription information.  About Great Minds * Great Minds is a nonprofit organization that works with “teachers and scholars to create exemplary instructional materials.”  Great Minds mission is to “make the world a more knowledge-rich place.” The company strives to provide a best-in-class curriculum and brings “joyful rigor to learning.” *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Great Minds .

Carnegie Learning’s ClearMath (K-5) is a comprehensive math program available in print and digital formats. ClearMath focuses on making math meaningful and helping students build skills, confidence, and excitement. Carnegie Learning’s ClearMath combines engaging activities with tools for personalized practice and support for diverse learners. Learning List’s reviewers highlighted several features that distinguish ClearMath, including: Hands-on and game-based learning : Students learn new math concepts through teacher-facilitated discussions and interactive activities. ClearMath integrates MATHia® Adventure, an adaptive digital tutor that provides personalized, game-based instruction and practice. Assignments in MATHia® correlate directly to the skills taught in the student edition. Data-driven instruction : The program is designed to support the use of formative assessment and data to guide teaching. Each Content lesson includes built-in opportunities for teachers to check for understanding. An exit ticket informs grouping and reteaching during Re-Engagement lessons. Supports for All Learners : MATHia® Adventure is an adaptive program that provides problems and support for students at all ability levels. Mathia also includes text-to speech functionality and closed-captioned videos. Both the student and teacher resources are provided in English and Spanish and include specific resources for multilingual learners. The teacher implementation guide consistently includes differentiation guidance. Focus on mathematical thinking and reasoning : ClearMath associates Costa’s Habits of Mind with the Standards for Mathematical Practice throughout the material. The materials support the intention of the Math Practice Standards by emphasizing reasoning, defending and justifying responses, and critiquing the reasoning others throughout the lessons.  Subscribe to Learning List for access an alignment report, editorial (quality) review, and technology compatibility review for each grade level of Carnegie’s ClearMath. The detailed alignment report identifies specific pages in the material that have been verified to align to each standard. Learn about the various types of resources the program provides to support student practice in the editorial review. About Carnegie Learning * Carnegie Learning is celebrating 25 years as a leader in AI-driven technology, curriculum, and professional learning solutions for K-12 education. Our award-winning math, literacy, world languages, professional learning, and high-dosage tutoring products deliver real and lasting results. Born from cognitive science research at Carnegie Mellon University, we are known for harnessing the power of data to improve student performance. Our range of products allows us to support more than 2 million students and educators in all 50 states and Canada. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Carnegie Learning.

Do your teachers need new middle school math resources? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Maneuvering the Middle. Maneuvering the Middle is a set of print-based math resources for students in grades 6-8 and Algebra I. The resources are organized on the Maneuvering the Middle website. The organization and structure of the material make it easy to use and implement. Materials include unit overviews, pacing calendars, guided notes, handouts, and a variety of activities and tests, organized by topic into eleven units. Most of the material is provided as printable PDF documents. Unit overviews provide guidance and tips for teachers, but a comprehensive teacher edition is not provided. Students work through numerous practice problems and participate in activities that allow them to develop their skills while working in collaborative groups. The material also includes three performance tasks. Learning List has conducted a standard-by-standard alignment analysis and a review of the quality of instruction delivered by this material. Read Learning List’s alignment review to understand the extent to which the material is aligned to the 6th - 8th grade math and Algebra I TEKS and our editorial review to learn whether the material adequately supports the specific learning needs of all students. To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Maneuvering the Middle* Maneuvering the Middle is an education blog with valuable tips for lesson planning, classroom technology, and math concepts in the middle school classroom. The Maneuvering the Middle curriculum was designed by teachers who struggled to find resources that engaged their students and met the standards. So they designed their own and changed the culture of their classrooms. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Maneuvering the Middle .

In our high-stakes testing and accountability environment, academic success is rooted in students’ mastery of the state standards. State standards dictate what students must know and be able to do by the end of each grade level. Preparing all students with the content knowledge and skills contained in the standards requires campus and district leaders to be focused on aligning instruction with the state standards. Have you built a culture of standards alignment in your district/on your campus? Consider your answers to these questions: Does the district have a written curriculum to guide the implementation of the standards? Does the district curriculum communicate the level of student performance that demonstrates mastery of the standards? Do central office curriculum staff provide training and support to help educators understand the standards deeply? Do professional learning communities' (PLCs) discussions focus on teaching and assessing mastery of the standards? Do teachers use the standards to guide what they want students to accomplish in each of their lessons? Do campus and district administrators focus on standards alignment during classroom observations? Do campus support staff (i.e., instructional coaches, resource/pull-out-teachers) provide guidance and/or assistance to classroom teachers to support differentiation and intervention? Before providing remedial support for struggling students, do campus support staff have planning time with the student’s teacher to support the continuity of instruction?  Is assessment data analyzed to inform instruction, professional development, and curriculum updates? For some students, standards mastery will come easily and keeping them engaged will require more rigorous instruction and activities.  For others, meeting the requirements of the standards will require daily struggle and additional support. The goal of preparing all students to progress to the next grade level may sound routine but in reality, it requires herculean effort by teachers and campus and district leaders. Building a culture of standards alignment will ensure that everyone is rowing in the same direction for the next school year.

In 5 Tips for Planning an Effective K-12 Curriculum Review and Adoption Process , we discussed the decisions you need to make when planning an instructional materials adoption process. For an adoption to be successful, the selection committee must have sufficient guidance and time to review materials effectively. With so many materials on the market, narrowing the list of materials for the selection committee to review is a critical next step in any adoption process. This blog will outline three strategies for identifying which materials the selection committee will review. Develop a List of Available Materials To begin this process, put together a list of the materials available for the content area(s) and grade levels for courses covered by the adoption. This can be an arduous process. The Learning List , a free, publicly available directory of more than 15,000 titles of PreK-12 instructional materials can save you hours of work. Some states require districts to select from a certain list of materials. District policy may also restrict the materials a district can consider. Use the Non-Negotiables to Eliminate Materials from Consideration Once you have aggregated a list of materials for the district's consideration, use the list of the non-negotiables discussed in the prior blog post to eliminate materials that do not meet the district's basic requirements for the adoption (i.e., the maximum price, the minimum standards-alignment percentage, the necessary supports for students or resources for teachers, etc...). The non-negotiables list can help eliminate many materials from consideration. Distribute a Needs Assessment Another critical strategy in identifying the materials most likely to meet the district's needs is distributing a needs assessment to the relevant stakeholders. What is a Needs Assessment? A needs assessment is a survey for gathering feedback about the features stakeholders believe are necessary (i.e., "must haves") in the new materials(s). Typically, a needs assessment contains a list of features likely to be found in materials for the grade level(s) and subject(s)/course(s) covered by the adoption. Respondents are asked to rank or rate the importance of having each feature in the new materials. This distinguishes the must-have features from the nice-to-have features. What is the Purpose of a Needs Assessment? Distributing a needs assessment gives stakeholders beyond the selection committee an opportunity to participate in the adoption process. Giving all stakeholders a voice in the process helps build support for and mitigate opposition to the materials that are ultimately adopted. For the adoption of core materials, consider distributing the needs assessment to All teachers who will be using the newly adopted material, including teachers who provide support services All staff who will be supporting its implementation, such as instructional coaches and instructional technology staff Parents The community* A supplemental material will be used by fewer teachers and will impact fewer students than a core material. Therefore, when adopting supplemental materials, distributing the needs assessment to the teachers who will be using the materials and to the staff who will be supporting its implementation should suffice. Once the respondents have submitted their completed needs assessment, the person running the adoption should aggregate the needs assessment responses to identify a single list of features stakeholders believe the new materials must have. This list should be used to eliminate more materials from the list under consideration so that only between three and five materials remain on the list of materials the selection committee will review. Having helped hundreds of districts with their adoptions over the last decade, we have observed that giving a selection committee more than five materials to review typically results in lower-quality reviews and/or the submission of fewer completed rubrics. A district recently asked us whether they could distribute the needs assessment with the rubric. We explained that the needs assessment must be distributed before the rubric is distributed for the following reasons. The needs assessment should be distributed to many more stakeholders than just the selection committee members, whereas the rubric will only be distributed to the members of the selection committee. Moreover, the aggregated list of needs assessment must-haves should be used to customize the rubric the selection committee will use to review so that the rubric reflects the district's priorities for the adoption. Customizing the rubric will be discussed in the next blog post.

Learning List has reviewed McGraw Hill’s AP (Chang) Chemistry, 12th Edition. The course is a comprehensive resource that supports instruction in high school Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry courses. Content is available in print and digital formats with additional online resources. Chang Chemistry provides a straightforward introduction to the concepts, principles, and theories of chemistry through guided inquiry and problem solving activities. The text’s first chapter introduces core principles in the study of chemistry (e.g., states of matter, the scientific method) and strategies for chemical problem solving. Subsequent chapters address key concepts (e.g., acids and bases) while maintaining a strong connection to the College Board’s big ideas and essential knowledge statements. Each chapter begins with an outline of the chapter (i.e., section titles and page numbers), an “AP Big Ideas: A Look Ahead” feature, and a set of essential questions. Look Ahead introduces content in the context of the big ideas addressed by the chapter.  Essential questions reference the relevant essential knowledge statement(s) of the course framework (e.g., “What is a gas? 2.A.2”). Each chapter ends with practice problems reference the relevant chapter sections and require students to demonstrate quantitative reasoning, conceptual understanding, and critical thinking thinking skills. Some chapters include a “Chemical Mystery” activity that presents a real-world mystery for students to solve using chemistry skills (e.g., “Who Killed Napoleon?”). The activity begins with a short narrative explaining the mystery followed by a set of “Chemical Clues” for students to consider. About McGraw Hill Education* At McGraw-Hill Education, we believe that our contribution to unlocking a brighter future lies within the application of our deep understanding of how learning happens and how the mind develops. It exists where the science of learning meets the art of teaching. Our mission is to accelerate learning through intuitive, engaging, efficient and effective experiences – grounded in research. Educators have been and always will be at the core of the learning experience. The solutions we develop help educators impart their knowledge to students more efficiently. We believe that harnessing technology can enhance learning inside and outside of the classroom and deepen the connections between students and teachers to empower greater success. By partnering with educators around the globe, our learning engineers, content developers and pedagogical experts are developing increasingly open learning ecosystems that are proven to improve pass rates, elevate grades and increase engagement for each individual learner while improving outcomes for all. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from McGraw Hill Education . Subscribe to  Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material, and thousands of other widely used Pk-12 resources.

Learning List has reviewed Edvantage Interactive’s AP Chemistry 1 and AP Chemistry 2. The combined products comprise a comprehensive resource that supports instruction in Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry courses. Content is available in print format with additional digital learning tools. Instruction addresses the College Board’s course framework for AP Chemistry with an emphasis on real-world problem solving linked to contemporary problems (e.g., buffering agents in over the counter medications). Content for AP Chemistry 1 and AP Chemistry 2 is organized in student worktexts for each chapter and accompanying “Online Study Guide” resources. AP Chemistry 1 is made up of nine chapters that cover the skills and processes of chemistry, matter, the mole, chemical change, chemical relationships and patterns, solution chemistry, gases, and organic chemistry. AP Chemistry 2 is made up of seven chapters that address reaction kinetics, chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, solubility equilibrium, acid-base equilibrium, applications of acid-base reactions, and oxidation-reduction and its applications. Online Study Guide resources for each chapter include the “Traffic Light Study Guide,” “Study Notes,” “Video Solutions,” printable answer keys, and quizzes. The Traffic Light Study Guide is a printable student self-assessment tool. Study Notes are downloadable PowerPoint notes for each chapter section. Video Solutions provide step-by-step explanations of the solutions to problems. About Edvantage Interactive* AP Chemistry 1 and AP Chemistry 2 by Edvantage Interactive are designed to support the AP Chemistry student succeed in the course. Developed by teachers with proven success in teaching AP Chemistry and senior year Chemistry, the program combines the best of a textbook at the price of a workbook. Edvantage Interactive prints digitally so there is the opportunity to add up to 50 pages of teacher created content to the book and the cover image can also be changed to reflect the school, community or chemistry program at no additional charge. *Information in the section is provided by or adapted from Edvantage Interactive . Subscribe to Learning List for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and alignment reports for these materials and thousands of other widely used PreK-12 resources.

CPM Educational Program’s Calculus is a comprehensive single-variable calculus text that supports instruction in Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC courses. Resources are available in print and eBook formats. Learning List recently reviewed eBook materials for AP Calculus AB and BC.  Reviewers found the College Board’s big ideas, enduring understandings, and essential knowledge for AP Calculus AB and BC to be well addressed in course resources. Reviewers said that the course covers these concepts effectively in a rigorous, non-traditional format that requires students to investigate and connect new concepts and strategies. CPM’s Calculus non-traditional approach to presenting content does not include some familiar features of a mathematics text, such as an instructional narrative and example problems with step-by-step solutions. Instead, instruction emphasizes “Study Teams” made up of two to four students who work together to discover strategies and solutions. Teams work together to answer questions, justify their reasoning, and identify multiple solution strategies. The teachers’ role is to encourage students’ teamwork, facilitate discussions, and provide support when teams encounter questions they are unable to answer. Learning List’s reviewers noted that CPM’s inquiry-based approach to instruction facilitates the integration of the College Board’s Mathematical Practices for AP Calculus (MPACs), explaining that students use the MPACs each day in their work in Study Teams. Teacher resources include background and strategies (e.g., Math Chat) to support the implementation of Study Teams. Many lessons also include recorded podcasts, or “Mathcasts,” in which an expert teacher walks users through the lesson providing background information and suggesting teaching strategies. A “Teacher Support” appendix provides information about the course’s interactive math tools, links to each Mathcast video, printable resources for some lessons (e.g., polar graph paper), professional development information, SmartBoard files for each chapter, CPM Newsletters, and errata files. About CPM* CPM began as a grant-funded mathematics project in 1989 to write textbooks to help students understand mathematics and support teachers who use these materials. CPM Educational Program is now a nonprofit educational consortium of middle and high school teachers and university professors that offers a complete mathematics program for grades 6 through 12 (Calculus) designed to engage all students in learning mathematics through problem solving, reasoning, and communication. CPM’s Mission: CPM’s mission is to empower mathematics students and teachers through exemplary curriculum, professional development, and leadership. We recognize and foster teacher expertise and leadership in mathematics education. We engage all students in learning mathematics through problem solving, reasoning, and communication. CPM’s Vision: CPM envisions a world where mathematics is viewed as intriguing and useful, and is appreciated by all; where powerful mathematical thinking is an essential, universal, and desirable trait; and where people are empowered by mathematical problem-solving and reasoning to solve the world’s problems. *The content in this section is provided by or adapted from CPM. Subscribe to Learning List for access to full editorial reviews, alignment reports and spec sheets.

Is your district looking for materials to support writing skills? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of the free version of NoRedInk. NoRedInk is a supplemental, fully digital English language arts program for students in grades 4-12. The program provides a free version and a subscription-based version. Learning List recently reviewed the free version of the program. The material focuses on developing students’ writing skills, and includes practice exercises, scaffolded writing activities, and assessments. The design of the program allows teachers can customize assignments, and students complete the work that teachers assign to them through the program. They receive immediate feedback and have access to brief tutorials and reteaching. The program is provided in English and is designed to support blended learning or a flipped classroom. Some, but not all, of the source texts required to respond to the writing prompts are included. Read Learning List’s Editorial Review to learn more about the ways in which NoRedInk supports the specific learning needs of students. Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard review of the alignment of the material to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and a review of the product’s technology compatibility. To access these reviews, contact Learning List for subscription information. About NoRedInk* NoRedInk’s mission is “to unlock every writer’s potential.” The company is “committed to helping students learn and helping teachers do their jobs better.” NoRedInk’s leadership team is comprised of educators, engineers, designers, and advocates. NoRedInk provides high-interest content, authentic assessments, blended learning, adaptive technology, and unlimited practice in a comprehensive curriculum. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from NoRedInk .

Is your district offering African American Studies? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s African American History. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s African American History is a comprehensive program designed to support the Texas high school African American Studies course. Content is available in print and digital formats, and is intended to support a semester-long course. The materials are available in English. Online resources are housed in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Ed: Your Friend in Learning platform. The material focuses on providing resources to support students as they explore a historically-based representation of the role of African Americans in the development and history of the United States. Numerous resources support analysis of both primary and secondary sources. Student learning is extended through additional projects and ideas for enrichment. Substantial resources for instruction in blended learning environments are included on the Ed platform. Teachers can make assignments and monitor student progress through the platform. Read Learning List’s Editorial Review to learn more about the ways in which Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s African American History supports the specific learning needs of students. Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard review of the alignment of the material to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and a review of the product’s technology compatibility. To access these reviews, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt* Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a global learning company committed to delivering integrated solutions that engage learners, empower educators and improve student outcomes. As a leading provider of K–12 core curriculum, supplemental solutions and professional learning services, HMH partners with educators and school districts to uncover solutions that unlock students’ potential and extend teachers’ capabilities. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 3 million educators in 150 countries, while its award-winning children's books, novels, non-fiction, and reference titles are enjoyed by readers throughout the world. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.