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Does your district need a digital program for the College Readiness and Study Skills course? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Goodheart-Willcox’s Texas College Readiness and Study Skills. Goodheart Willcox’s Texas College Readiness and Study Skills is intended for the College Readiness and Study Skills course. The goal of the program is to help students improve reading comprehension, critical-thinking skills, time management, and soft skills. The program consists of two primary student resources, Study Skills and Soft Skills for the Workplace; and three shorter resources, Evaluating and Responding to Texts, Portfolio Development Activities, and Charting Your Career: Interest Inventory.  The materialfocuses student learning around the skills students need to be successful in college and the workplace. Student activities include providing written responses to open-ended questions, watching brief videos, and researching relevant topics.  Learning List’s reviewers noted the program’s emphasis on encouraging students to reflect on their learning, their study skills, and their interpersonal skills as a distinguishing feature. The design of materials within the online platform, as well as features such as summary statements, study aids, and structured practice activities support blending learning or self-paced instructional models. Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn about the rigor and other attributes that distinguish Goodheart-Willcox’s Texas College Readiness and Study Skills. Learning List has completed a qualitative review of the instructional content and a review of the technology compatibility for each grade level covered by this material.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Goodheart Willcox* In 1921, William Goodheart and Charles D. Willcox, and others, came together to start a company to publish Dyke's Automobile and Gasoline Engine Encyclopedia that had been previously self-published by the author, Mr. A. L. Dyke. Little did they know this small publishing company would grow up to become The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc., a leader in career and technical education (CTE). Today's Goodheart-Willcox (G-W) publishes both print and digital textbooks while also producing online courses and other instructional resources that provide a complete classroom solution. With subject-appropriate titles for middle school, high school, higher education, and professional training, G-W is recognized as a go-to source for career and technical education content. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Goodheart-Willcox .

Learning List's  three professional reviews  provide a multi-faceted perspective of each material: Spec Sheet  – provides an overview of the material's key instructional features and technology compatibility.  We test the key instructional components of each material to identify which devices and operating systems the material works on, as well as other interoperability information. This review helps educators eliminate from consideration products that clearly will not meet their students' instructional needs or work with the district's technology infrastructure and hardware. Alignment Report  – reviews the material’s alignment to  each  state standard and calculates the percentage of standards to which the material is aligned. The alignment report provides important context for the alignment percent, showing (1) which standards each material is and is not aligned to, and (2) which reviewed citations (i.e., pages, lessons, videos) from the publisher's correlation are completely aligned to each standard and which are only partially aligned. Educators can export, into their lesson and intervention plans, the citations we have verified as aligned to ensure that they are using their materials to teach all of the content knowledge and all of the skills the standards expect students to learn. Editorial Review  – reviews the quality of the material’s instructional content, including the instructional model, rigor, adherence to the concepts embodied in the standards, relevance to students' lives, adaptions for different learners, instructional resources for teachers, ease of use, and more. This review empowers educators to identify the materials that will meet their students' and teachers' needs best.  Our reviews are concise and easy to read. Tools on our site layer the information provided to allow subscribers to quickly eliminate from consideration materials that clearly will not meet their needs. Other tools allow subscribers to create customized comparisons across various product features to determine which will meet their needs best at the best price. Lastly, the alignment reports are downloadable to empower educators to use only aligned citations in their materials so that they have confidence that students are learning all of the knowledge and skills the standards require. Contact us to learn more about subscribing to our service. Subscribing districts have realized significant gains in terms of instructional quality and cost savings.

Does your district want to adopt a high school ELA product with strong support for ELL students?  Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Perfection’s Texas Connections. Perfection’s Texas Connections is an English language arts program for grades 6-12.  Learning List recently reviewed the materials for English I-IV. The material focuses on supporting college and career readiness by developing students’ abilities to analyze complex texts and respond to texts through writing, speaking, and listening. Texas Connections s upports student understanding of complex texts by using close reading as an instructional model. Each chapter includes a project-based assessment to encourage students to make connections within and across texts. Activities are directly connected to the reading selections. As a result, students have limited choice of reading material. Many of the texts are excerpts, and some selections, while provocative and engaging, confront challenging social issues and may cause debate among students and complaints from parents. The material provides extensive support for ELL students based on English proficiency levels, including a separate resource to guide teachers. Learning List has completed a qualitative review of the instructional content and a review of the technology compatibility for each grade level covered by this material.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Perfection Learning* For over 90 years, Perfection Learning® has been a leader in literature and language arts programs for grades 6-12. These programs cover the complete range of language arts skills and course areas with both textbooks and supplemental programs. Innovative literature programs provide cost-effective solutions for teaching critical thinking skills and incorporating the demands of state standards. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Perfection Learning .

Is your district looking for an ELA product to support advanced students or honors level courses?  Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Bedford, Freeman, & Worth’s Foundations of Language and Literature & Advanced Language and Literature. Bedford, Freeman, & Worth’s Foundations of Language and Literature & Advanced Language and Literature are English language arts materials for English I and II. They are intended to be used in consecutive years and prior to English III and IV AP English courses. The materials focus on building the skills students will need for success in AP English courses and are, therefore, best suited for advanced or honors level courses. The learning management system (LMS) allows students to experience the course in the manner similar to that of a college course; however, learning to navigate the LMS will require time and training for students and teachers. The material is designed to support a rigorous, engaging, “AP-like” learning experience for advanced students. Students are consistently required to analyze text, think critically, and synthesize information for discussion and composition throughout the material. Both levels provide an abundance of high-quality texts, representing multiple genres, cultures, and time periods. Reading selections will engage students and spark curiosity, but some may be controversial and/or result in parent complaints. To learn more about the student experience in and rigor of this material, and how teachers can differentiate instruction with this product, read Learning List’s complete editorial review. Learning List has conducted a qualitative review of the instructional content and a review of the technology compatibility for each grade level covered by this material.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Bedford, Freeman, & Worth* BFW Publishing Group consists of three distinct publishing houses—Bedford/St. Martin’s, W.H. Freeman, and Worth Publishers—and unlike some publishers, BFW is a privately-owned company. They are proud of our extensive publishing history and our focus on our customers. Their authors consist of renowned leaders in their disciplines, recognized leaders in the AP® communities, and leading authorities on the AP® courses. They are Nobel Prize winners, award-winning novelists, and cutting-edge researchers. They are college professors and AP® teachers. They are in the classroom every day: just like you. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Bedford, Freeman, & Worth .

Is your district using Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Collections (2015)?  Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of this ELA material. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Collections (2015) is a comprehensive literacy program that supports English language arts instruction for grades 9 through 12. Content is available in print and digital formats. Online resources are housed in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Collections Dashboard . HMH Collections organizes student learning thematically in collections (units) of reading selections and accompanying activities. Collections are comprised of anchor texts, related reading selections across a variety of genres, and performance tasks. The material fully integrates reading, writing, listening, speaking, and research by providing students with consistent opportunities to make connections within and across texts and demonstrate their skills through discussion, writing, research, and presentations. Learning List’s reviewers noted the abundance of digital resources to effectively support a digital learning environment. The materials are well organized and easy to use. Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn more about the program’s rigor and extent to which the material supports differentiated instruction to address the learning needs of a variety of students. Learning List has completed a standard-by-standard alignment report, qualitative review of the instructional content and a review of the technology compatibility for each grade level covered by this material.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, 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.

Is your district looking for a digital ELA product?  Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Shmoop ELA 9-12. Shmoop University’s ELA 9-12 is an English language arts program for high school students.  This fully online  program is intended for students to engage independently.  Shmoop’s goal is to “provide fun, rigorous, materials that engage and challenge.” Shmoop University’s ELA 9-12 supports self-paced or blended learning environments. As students progress through the course, they complete a series of lessons that require them to read a selection and complete an activity such as writing to respond to a prompt about the selection.  An Essay Lab guides students at each step of the writing process. The materials are text-heavy, requiring students to read extensively in order to succeed with this program. Lessons are highly structured and all students generally complete the same assignments. Adaptions for special populations and tools for differentiating instruction are limited. Teachers can monitor student progress through the digital classroom. To learn more about the student experience and techniques Shmoop uses to engage students , read Learning List’s complete editorial review. Learning List has completed a qualitative review of the instructional content and a review of the technology compatibility for each grade level covered by this material.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About Shmoop* Since 2009, Shmoop has been a digital publishing company with a point of view. The believe that if students enjoy the learning process, they will do it more.The company’s intention is to  balance a teen-friendly, approachable style with academically rigorous materials to help students understand why they should care. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Shmoop.

Is your district looking for digital instructional materials for high school English?  Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of StrongMind’s Texas English Language Arts . StrongMind’s Texas English Language Arts is a comprehensive English language arts program for grades 9-12 (English I-IV). The materials are fully digital. StrongMind Courseware focuses on delivering a powerful and engaging learning experience.  Materials are organized topically and/or thematically in a logical sequence.  The materials require students to read, analyze text, and write in every lesson. All required reading selections are included with the material, but may not fully represent the selections traditionally used in English classes. Writing instruction is embedded throughout each unit. Texas English Language Arts is intended for independent learning, but provides opportunities for collaboration among students through the consistent use of discussion boards. Instruction is segmented into manageable chunks to support student success. Material includes a text-to-speech reader, but does not provide any additional adaptions for special populations or any suggestions for differentiated instruction. This fully digital product provides resources and materials on the Canvas platform to support blended learning or a flipped classroom. Teacher facilitation will increase student success with this material. Learning List has conducted a qualitative review of the instructional content and a review of the technology compatibility for each grade level covered by this material.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. Our reviews not only inform selection decisions, they facilitate instructional planning and curriculum writing, as well. About StrongMind* For nearly two decades, StrongMind has blazed the trail in online education. It was founded by Damian Creamer as the exclusive technology and curriculum partner for Primavera Online High School. Through collaboration and innovation, Primavera has become the largest high school in Arizona and one of the most successful online high schools in the country, serving more than 22,000 students each year. StrongMind’s purpose is to reinvent the learning experience. They strive to unlock the magic of learning and foster student success by creating the most engaging digital curriculum.  Information in this section is provided by or adapted from StrongMind.

During our many conversations regarding the alignment of instructional materials we have found that the concept of curriculum alignment and even the phrase “aligned to standards” means different things to different people. For example, the marketing director of a publishing company recently told us that “aligned to standards” in their marketing material means that their material generally addresses the  concepts  contained in the standards. In contrast, when we ask educators what they understand when they read that a material is “aligned to standards,” they repeatedly tell us they expect the material to address the content knowledge and skills the standards require students to learn. Since  Learning List  is a review service for districts, we review materials from the educators' perspective. We use the definitions and criterion educators most commonly use when reviewing materials. Thus, when we review materials for alignment to the standards, we check to ensure that the material addresses all of the content and skills the standards require students to learn.     Each standard has three components: Content  describes what the student is expected to learn. The "content" is typically reflected in the nouns of the standard.  Context  describes where/when the learning is taking place. Examples of the context of a standard include: time periods in history, in informational texts, poems, myths, 2-step word problems, lab experiments, the area of science being studied, and investigative questions. Cognitive Demand  describes the skills students must use. The cognitive demand is most often reflected in the verb(s) of the standard. Examples of the cognitive demand of a standard include: understand, ask and answer, describe, analyze, compare and contrast, or solve. Learning List  reviews citations (e.g., page or page range, lesson, video, activity) in the publisher’s correlation for alignment to the  content, context and cognitive demand  of each standard. Each citation is reviewed by multiple subject matter experts (SMEs).* Therefore, our alignment decisions are not just one person’s opinion. We review multiple citations for each standard with the goal of finding three aligned citations so that teachers can use the material to teach and reteach each standard. Each reviewed citation is listed as “aligned” or “not aligned” in our alignment report , and each non-aligned citation is accompanied by a Reviewer’s Comment explaining precisely which part of the standard the citation failed to address. We do not give publishers credit for aligning to a standard if their material addresses only part of the standard.  However, since standards state what students must have learned by the end of the course, comprehensive materials often scaffold instruction throughout the product. This is particularly true when standards are written as complex sentences, with multiple nouns and verbs. For example, a citation in unit one of the material may address the first part of a standard; a citation in unit five may address the second half of the standard, and a citation in unit seven may address the final part of the standard. Though our SMEs review citations individually for alignment to each standard, if multiple citations each address a different part of the same standard and together completely align to the standard, we provide a Reviewer’s Comment explaining which citations must be “bundled” in order to teach all the knowledge and skills a standard requires. If we find a “bundle” of citations aligns completely to the standard, we give the publisher credit for aligning to that standard. Once we have completed the alignment review, we calculate the percentage of standards to which the material is aligned. Though our goal is to find multiple aligned citations for each standard, when calculating the alignment percentage, we give the publisher credit for aligning to a standard as long as at least one of the citations reviewed is aligned to that standard. Why does alignment matter? Because students won’t learn what they are not taught. If teachers are using non-aligned citations to teach a standard, then students may not learn all the knowledge and skills the standard requires them to know. Their learning gaps will impede their ability to answer questions on standards-aligned assessments. We allow educators in subscribing districts to export the aligned citations from our alignment reports into their lessons and intervention plans, so that they know that they are using the parts of their material that will teach students what they need to know. If you would like to learn more about standards alignment, consider our two-hour, online professional development course, What Alignment Means, Why It Matters, and How to Do It! *Learning List’s subject matter experts are current or  recently  retired educators with at least 5 years of teaching experience, who are certified in the grade and subject and have experience teaching the standards of the material they are reviewing.

Is your district looking for a product to improve argumentative writing? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of BetterRhetor’s College-Ready Writing Essentials. BetterRhetor’s College-Ready Writing Essentials (CRWE) is writing-based program for grades 11 and 12 (English III and IV). The program focuses on preparing students for the writing, skills, and behaviors they will be expected to demonstrate in college. The program is the same for students in English III and English IV. This five-week unit provides comprehensive guidance about argumentative (persuasive) writing for teachers and students. The unit requires students to read extensively to complete assignments, think critically, research, and synthesize information for composition. Reading selections are limited; however, and primarily provide examples/models to support the research and writing process. All students follow the same lessons. Differentiation and adaptions consist of general suggestions for ELL students. Learning List has conducted a qualitative review of the instructional content and a review of the technology compatibility for each grade level covered by this material.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About BetterRhetor* BetterRhetor is dedicated to helping more students succeed in college. They provide instruction and assessment that helps teachers better prepare students for college-level academic work. They place special emphasis on college-ready writing, since writing is a foundational skill essential for success across disciplines. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from BetterRhetor.

Does your district want to adopt a high school ELA product that allows students to choose the texts they read? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of McGraw-Hill’s StudySync. McGraw-Hill’s StudySync is a comprehensive literacy program that supports English language arts instruction for grades 6 -12. Content is available in print and digital formats. Learning List recently reviewed the material for English I-IV. The program focuses on developing students’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking abilities while making connections outside the classroom. StudySync organizes student learning in thematically based units. Essential questions and a brief overview of the theme engage students at the beginning of each unit by connecting to students’ lives. The flexibility of the unit design in this material makes it well suited to support a variety of instructional models, including workshop and Gradual Release of Responsibility. Learning List’s reviewers noted that a distinguishing feature of this material is the focus on students making choices about their learning. Another benefit is that all resources are easily accessible at point-of-use from the teacher or student eBooks. Unlike in many materials, in this product, teachers and students are not required to exit the core content to access resources. Read Learning List’s full editorial review to learn more about how the flexible design of this material contributes to the rigor of the instruction and product’s ease of use. Learning List has completed a qualitative review of the instructional content and a review of the technology compatibility for each grade level covered by this material.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About McGraw Hill * McGraw-Hill Education’s mission is to accelerate learning through intuitive, engaging, efficient and effective experiences – grounded in research. By partnering with educators around the globe, McGraw-Hill 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 .

Are your English teachers looking for an anthology that provides an abundance of reading material? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of EMC School’s Mirrors and Windows: Connecting with Literature. EMC School’s Mirrors and Windows: Connecting with Literature is a comprehensive English language arts program for grades 9-12 (English I-IV). The materials are available in print and digital form. Mirrors and Windows focuses on literature that “provides mirrors that help students reflect on their world and windows that lead them into new worlds.” Learning List recently reviewed the student and teacher editions of the eBooks and material linked within them. Mirrors and Windows emphasizes development of independent reading skills. The material provides numerous texts for independent reading. Additionally, there are an abundance of reading selections across multiple genres to encourage comparisons across texts during class instruction. Accompanying each selection are numerous questions, identified by level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, to ensure student comprehension and support textual analysis. The material provides support for teachers by providing multiple resources including extensive content and pedagogical support. Workshops to address skills frequently tested on state assessments are included and are separate from the core instruction. Learning List has conducted a qualitative review of the instructional content and a review of the technology compatibility for each grade level covered by this material. Learning List's reviews not only inform selection decisions, they facilitate curriculum mapping and instructional alignment, as well. To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About EMC* EMC School has grown steadily into one of the nation’s leading producers of blended learning solutions for K-12 schools throughout the country.  EMC School  offers K-12 programs in Language Arts, World Languages, Business Education, and Social Studies with supplementary and multimedia materials. EMC is a division of  Carnegie Learning, Inc. , a comprehensive, dynamic and progressive learning technology company. Advocating a belief in teaching and determination to help students develop as learners and thinkers, Carnegie Learning is seeking to re-define the role of technology across the K-16 landscape. For more information, please visit  www.carnegielearning.com  and  www.emcp.com . *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from  EMC .

Do your English teachers need new instructional materials for Proclamation 2020? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of College Board’s SpringBoard English I-IV. The College Board’s SpringBoard English I-IV is a comprehensive English language arts program for grades 9-12 (English I-IV). The materials are available in print and digital form. SpringBoard empowers students to take charge of their own learning and provides a learning experience that will support student success in AP courses. The design of the material provides rigorous learning experiences with multiple assignments in each unit at the Apply level and above on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Materials focus on developing students’ skills in analyzing complex text, using close reading as an overarching strategy. Writing instruction is fully integrated with reading, listening, speaking, and thinking across each unit. Students consistently use strategies regularly seen in Pre-AP and AP courses, such as marking the text, OPTIC, SMELL, and TP-CASTT. SpringBoard Digital  provides an abundance of teacher resources, including pedagogical support. From the platform, teachers can monitor student progress, make assignments, and communicate with students.  Learning List has conducted a qualitative review of the instructional content and a review of the technology compatibility for each grade level covered by this material.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About The College Board* The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of over 6,000 of the world's leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success—including the SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators, and schools. For further information, visit collegeboard.org. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from The College Board .