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Does your district need math materials to support the Florida B.E.S.T. Standards? Take a look at Learning List’s reviews of Accelerate Learning’s STEMscopes Math for Florida. STEMscopes Florida B.E.S.T. Math Curriculum Overview Accelerate Learning’s  STEMscopes Math is a comprehensive mathematics program for grades K-5. The materials are primarily digital, with a supplemental student print version and Teacher Print Kits available.  Learning List has reviewed the materials designed specifically to align with the Florida B.E.S.T. Standards.  The program makes intentional connections to math concepts found in the everyday world.  Scopes support student learning by clearly reflecting the Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) model. Lessons require students to think critically, reflect, and collaborate. The goal of the program is to provide meaningful learning experiences that focus on 21st-century skills and support student success in STEM careers. The material supports students' learning of common math vocabulary through a visual glossary, includes instructional experiences that consistently support inquiry-based learning, and reflects mathematics learning through the lens of the Mathematical Thinking and Reasoning Standards. The STEMscopes digital platform provides an abundance of resources, including a Teacher Toolbox to support teachers in implementing the Florida B.E.S.T. Standards. Learning List's Reviews of STEMscope Math for Florida Read Learning List’s alignment report to learn more about how STEMscopes supports students in mastering the Florida B.E.S.T. Standards. Learning List has also completed a qualitative review of the instructional components of this material and a review of the product’s technology compatibility.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information. About STEMscopes * STEMscopes™, created by Accelerate Learning Inc., is an award-winning, research-based PreK-12 STEM curriculum. STEMscopes provides comprehensive digital resources, supplemental print materials, and hands-on exploration kits that drive engagement and academic growth. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Accelerate Learning .

Does your district need math instructional materials that develop critical thinking skills? Learning List has just reviewed the quality, alignment and technology compatibility of Accelerate Learning’s STEMscopes Math . This blog post shares a few highlights from our reviewer's review. Accelerate Learning’s STEMscopes Math is a comprehensive mathematics program for grades K-Algebra I. Learning List recently completed a curriculum review of grades 6-Algebra I. The materials are digital, with the option of printing PDF documents for most program components. The program makes intentional connections to math concepts as they are found in the everyday world.  Scopes (lessons) require students to use critical thinking, reflection, and collaborative exploration. The goal of the program is to provide meaningful learning experiences that focus on 21st century skills and support student success in STEM careers. STEMscopes Math includes instructional experiences that support inquiry-based learning, consistently requiring students to explain and justify their thinking. Teacher supports include pedagogical suggestions to help teachers encourage high-level thinking and questioning. The STEMscopes digital platform provides an abundance of resources, including a Teacher Toolbox, to support teachers' effective implementation of the STEMscopes Math program. About Learning List Over the past 10 years, Learning List has reviewed thousands of PK-12 instructional materials, empowering educators to choose and use instructional materials effectively to fuel student achievement. In addition to the editorial review of the material's instructional quality, Learning List has completed a standard-by-standard review of this material’s TEKS alignment, as well as a review of its technology compatibility and support for remote learning. We invite you to contact us to learn more about our reviews and online tools that make the information actionable. About Accelerate Learning Accelerate Learning has grown from a single Texas-focused science program published by Rice University into a national brand offering a variety of digital-first STEM curricula and professional development solutions to support early learning, NGSS, and state-aligned Math and Science curricula. Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Accelerate Learning .

High school social studies classrooms are most engaging when students investigate questions, analyze evidence, and collaborate with peers. Instructional materials that support inquiry-based learning while providing strong teacher supports can help make those experiences possible. Learning List has reviewed several widely used high school social studies programs published by Teachers’ Curriculum Institute. These include: History Alive! World Connections History Alive! Pursuing American Ideals Econ Alive! The Power to Choose Government Alive! Power, Politics, and You Learning List’s independent reviews highlight several features educators may find useful as they evaluate or implement these programs. The design of World Connections  emphasizes inquiry and evidence-based learning. Lessons encourage students to investigate historical questions while examining both primary and secondary source documents. Students engage in collaborative and open-ended activities that prompt discussion, interpretation of historical evidence, and shared analysis of global events. Pursuing American Ideals  similarly centers instruction around inquiry and historical investigation. Students regularly analyze primary and secondary source documents as they explore major events and themes in American history. Lessons incorporate collaborative and open-ended activities that encourage students to examine evidence, discuss interpretations, and develop written responses to historical questions. Econ Alive! The Power to Choose   introduces economic concepts through inquiry, discussion, and collaborative learning activities. Students participate in lessons that encourage them to examine economic ideas, analyze information, and consider how economic choices affect individuals and communities. Government Alive! Power, Politics, and You focuses on helping students understand civic processes and the role of government through inquiry and discussion. Students explore political ideas, institutions, and public policy through collaborative activities designed to prompt discussion and analysis. The digital platform for all of these programs includes a Spanish translation option, and the materials provide substantial supports for students with diverse learning needs, including English Learners and students receiving special education services. Teachers also have access to a range of program resources designed to assist with implementation, differentiation, instruction, and assessment. Like other TCI programs, the platform integrates with learning management systems such as Canvas, Schoology, and Google Classroom. For districts using digital learning environments, the program integrates with several common learning management systems, including Canvas, Schoology, and Google Classroom. Explore the Full Reviews The highlights above represent only a portion of the information included in Learning List’s reports. The full reviews, including a detailed analysis of the instructional design, assessments, ease of use, and implementation supports. If you want deeper insights into how each of these programs are structured and how they would work in your district, consider subscribing to Learning List to read the full reports.

School leaders often ask how to determine whether instructional materials are actually improving teaching and learning. Monitoring the impact of instructional materials helps leaders ensure that curriculum is providing students with consistent access to grade-level work and strengthening classroom instruction. The quality of instructional materials is important, but instructional materials alone do not improve student outcomes. Research suggests that high-quality materials can improve teaching and learning; their impact depends on how consistently and effectively they are implemented and monitored (Doan, et al., RAND )  For districts investing in high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), monitoring their impact is essential to ensure that curriculum is actually moving the needle on student achievement. Campus leaders need a disciplined way to determine whether materials are actually increasing students’ access to grade-level work, strengthening instruction, and improving outcomes. Following are five tips to help school leaders monitor whether curriculum resources are positively impacting student outcomes. 1. Define What “Impact” Means for Your Curriculum  Before collecting data, leaders must establish a clear definition of success tied to the curriculum. This includes identifying the intended student outcomes (e.g., mastery of standards, writing quality, or discourse skills) and aligning them to observable evidence.  Monitoring should go beyond general achievement scores and focus on whether students are demonstrating  the specific knowledge and skills embedded in the instructional materials. 2. Monitor Whether Students Are Accessing Grade-Level Work A curriculum cannot improve outcomes if students are routinely experiencing watered-down tasks. One of the most important questions leaders can ask is whether students are consistently engaging with grade-level assignments and doing the thinking the lesson requires.  Once the students access the grade-level assignment, teacher actions must effectively keep them actively engaged with the content. TNTP’s The Opportunity Myth   study offers a stark reminder: “Even when we did see students offered grade-appropriate assignments, their teachers engaged them effectively with that content less than half the time, and students had the chance to do the deep thinking of the lesson just a quarter of the time.” Teachers must actively support students as they engage with assigned tasks through questioning, scaffolding, and discussion, to ensure students are doing the mental work required rather than completing the task superficially. 3. Use More Than Test Scores to Measure Curriculum Impact Test scores matter, but they are too limited to tell the whole story. Strong monitoring of student learning includes achievement data alongside evidence about access and implementation.  IES Regional Educational Laboratories  recommend examining “opportunity-to-learn (OTL)” data along with achievement data “to get a better understanding of the ways the system is supporting learning for all students and gain insights into which students may need increased access to opportunity to learn.” OTL indicators can include:  Access to or completion of advanced coursework (AP/IB, dual enrollment) Participation in CTE pathways Access to/use of up-to-date, high-quality instructional materials and digital tools Whether students are taught by qualified and experienced teachers School climate and discipline data The purpose of collecting this data is to identify system-level barriers and determine which students may need greater access to learning opportunities.  4. Analyze Student Work to Evaluate Curriculum Effectiveness Student outcomes are most visible in the work students produce every day. If campus leaders want to know whether curriculum resources are working, they should regularly review writing, annotations, discussions, and performance tasks with teachers.  Additionally, as a study from Learning Policy Institute   explains, “Formative assessments enable teachers to understand how and what students are learning so they can support student mastery of content, skills, and dispositions.” 5. Build Collaborative Data Cycles to Improve Instruction Monitoring matters only if it changes practice. The strongest campuses create routines in which teams review evidence, identify patterns, and adjust instruction. The IES   practice guide  emphasizes that “effective data practices are interdependent among the classroom, school, and district levels.” Curriculum resources have the greatest impact when leaders monitor not just whether materials are being implemented with fidelity, but whether students are experiencing the intended learning. That means defining expected impact, verifying that students consistently access grade-level work, using multiple forms of evidence to monitor impact with a focus on student work, and turning findings into action. When campus leaders do that well, curriculum becomes more than a learning resource. It becomes a lever for better student outcomes.

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' learning gaps. Consequently, many campuses and districts are selecting supplemental materials. There are important differences between  supplemental and comprehensive (also referred to as core) materials.   As the blog about What to Expect from Supplemental Materials discusses, one of the characteristics that defines a high-quality core material is a high alignment percentage - the percentage of standards to which the material is aligned. Is the same true of supplemental materials? The alignment of a material to the state standards is an indicator of whether the material teaches what the standards require students to learn. While it is just as important to consider the alignment of supplemental materials as it is core materials, the alignment percentage of supplemental materials may not be all-telling. Here's why. A supplemental material should be aligned to and provide sufficient practice for each of the standards you will use it to teach. But you may not be buying the supplemental material to teach all of the standards. For example, is it critical for a science test prep material to be aligned to 100 percent of the grade-level science standards, or is it more important for it to be aligned to and provide multiple activities for the standards that are eligible for assessment? Similarly, if you are purchasing a material to provide students with intensive practice on fractions , do you need the material to be aligned to all grade-level math standards - or is it more important for it to be aligned to and provide copious practice on just the standards that address fractions? Because comprehensive materials are used as the primary material for the course, they should be aligned to the highest percentage of state standards possible. Supplemental materials, however, are used for more specific purposes. Thus, the percentage of standards to which a supplemental material is aligned is less important than whether the material is well aligned to the standards it will be used to teach . For more guidance on selecting supplemental materials, see our whitepapers, " Navigating to Successful Student Outcomes with Standards-Aligned Instruction " and " Guidance for Selecting or Curating High-Quality Instructional Resources. "

In the first two blogs in this series, we offered guidance for planning an instructional materials adoption and customizing a rubric to reflect your district's priorities . Generally, districts would use that information when selecting core materials. Supplemental materials are most commonly selected at the campus level, and campus leaders typically rely on word of mouth (Wang et. al., 2019) when it comes to selecting new instructional materials. Why the Alignment of Supplemental Materials Matters While core materials are more expensive than supplemental resources, most districts spend more money on supplemental resources overall, given the number of supplemental materials purchased each year. Moreover, supplemental resources are often used to remediate struggling students. Thus, it is just as important to select standards-aligned, high-quality supplemental materials as core materials. To ensure that campuses purchase high-quality supplemental materials, implementing a structured process for reviewing and selecting supplemental resources would be prudent. Since supplemental materials are not as robust as core materials, a pared-down review process such as the one described below would suffice. (1) Articulate the need for the adoption. While a change in state standards is typically the impetus for selecting new core materials, many other factors compel districts/campuses to purchase new supplemental materials. For both financial and political reasons, district or campus leaders would be wise to document clearly why new supplemental materials are needed. (2) Establish a timeline . When developing a timeline for selecting supplemental materials, it is wise to work backward from the date the material must be in the classroom. Given that many supplemental materials these days are digital, be sure to allocate sufficient time for teacher training on how to use the new material. (3) Identify the selection committee . The makeup of the selection committee should depend on the type of material being adopted and the number of teachers who will use it. To secure buy-in for the material selected, a representative sample of the teachers who will be using the new material, as well as staff who will be supporting its implementation, should be on the selection committee. Including both experienced and inexperienced teachers will help ensure that the material selected will support teachers with a wide range of experience. (4) Document the review process logistics . To avoid delays in the process, document and communicate to the selection committee members where , when , and how they should access the product samples they will be reviewing and the date by which reviews must be completed. (5) Identify the non-negotiables . Just as for the adoption of core materials, district or campus leaders should identify the non-negotiables for the adoption of supplemental resources. Non-negotiables may include the budget, the minimum alignment percentage, the material's format, and the required supports for students. (6) Distribute a needs assessment . Before selecting a new supplemental material, it is important to gather feedback about the features teachers want and/or need. An easy way to do this would be to distribute a needs assessment survey to all teachers who will be using the new material and staff who will be supporting its implementation. The aggregated results of the needs assessment will provide the list of features teachers believe the new supplemental material must have to support their students. (7) Narrow the number of materials to be reviewed . Put together a list of supplemental materials to consider. The Learning List , a free directory of K-12 instructional materials, can save you hours of work. Then, use the list of non-negotiables and the needs assessment results to narrow the number of materials the selection committee will review. Optimally, the committee will review between three and five materials. (8) Develop a rubric/checklist of features for the selection committee to use for their reviews. In our previous blog Customizing an Instructional Materials Rubric To Reflect Your District’s Priorities , we discussed the benefits of using a rubric in an adoption process. For the selection of a supplemental resource, the same benefits could likely be achieved by developing a checklist of features rather than a full-blown rubric. The list of non-negotiables, the needs assessment results, state standards, and best practices for the content area and type of material being adopted may be useful resources when developing the checklist. Using a feature checklist to select supplemental materials will ensure consistency in the review process and provide data to support selection decisions. (9) Test the feature checklist.  As with a rubric, once the feature checklist is complete, it would be prudent to run it by a few of the teachers who will be using the material that will be selected to make sure that the checklist (a) includes the features they believe are necessary, and (b) is a reasonable length. In the case of rubrics and checklists, more is not necessarily better. If the checklist is too long, selection committee members may not use it with fidelity to review each material, which would distort the data and could lead to the selection of the wrong material.  (10) Train the selection committee. It is important to provide training to ensure that all committee members understand the features listed in the checklist and how each is likely to be reflected in a material. For example, if one of the features on the checklist is alignment to standards, selection committee members need to understand what alignment means and how to evaluate a supplemental material for alignment to state standards. (11) Review the materials. While it may be necessary to allow committee members to review the materials on their own time, we have observed that convening reviewers in a room while they review the materials independently facilitates important, spontaneous conversations that lead to deeper reviews of the materials and consensus building around which material(s) meet the campus/district’s needs best. (12) Analyze the data and reconvene the selection committee to make a final selection. Once selection committee members have submitted their completed checklists, the person managing the selection process should analyze the responses to determine which material(s) contain(s) the greatest number of checklist features. The selection committee should be reconvened to discuss the data with the goal of reaching a consensus about which material to select. The rationale for selecting that material should be documented clearly and communicated to the teachers who will be using the new material. The documentation should be maintained for several years in case the district’s use of the selected material is ever challenged. Research suggests that supplemental materials are most often selected at the campus level based on referrals from colleagues rather than as a result of a structured vetting process. Given how much districts spend on supplemental resources, the important role these materials play in preparing students for academic success, and the potential for a challenge by parents and/or community groups, adopting a structured process for reviewing and selecting supplemental materials would be prudent. Less time-consuming than the process for reviewing core materials, the process suggested in this blog solicits feedback from the relevant teachers, facilitates consistent reviews, and produces data to support the selection decision(s). Wang, E., Tuma, A., Lawrence, R., Kaufman, J., Woo, A., and Henry, D. (2021) School Leaders' Role in Selecting and Supporting Teachers' Use of Instructional Materials: An Interview Study . RAND Corporation.

If your district or campus will be adopting new materials this year, someone in your campus or district is probably starting to plan the adoption process. Over the last decade, Learning List has assisted hundreds of districts, both formally and informally, with instructional materials adoptions. Based on research regarding selecting and implementing high-quality instructional materials and our own observations of local adoption processes, we offer a four-part blog series on effective strategies for reviewing and selecting instructional resources, both commercially produced and teacher-curated materials. This first blog in this series provides eight steps for planning a successful adoption process. (1) Articulate the need for the adoption . The adoption of core materials is typically, though not always, driven by a change in the state standards. In contrast, there are many reasons that districts adopt supplemental materials. To ensure that the administration, teachers and the community understand the need for the adoption, it is important to clearly articulate the reason for and goal of the adoption before beginning the review process.   (2) Define the non-negotiables for the adoption . District or campus leaders should identify the non-negotiables for the adoption. Non-negotiables are the basic requirements, such as the budget, the minimum alignment percentage, instructional model, required supports for students and resources for teachers, and the format of the material. Recent experience with remote learning may suggest additional non-negotiables. (3) Establish a timeline . Working back from the board meeting where the materials will be adopted or from the deadline for getting materials into the classroom, create a realistic timeline for the entire process, including time for ordering any required technology and providing product-specific professional development for teachers, if appropriate. (4) Document the review process logistics. Be sure to think through the logistics of the entire review and adoption process, including: When, where and how will the selection committee review the materials? Will a rubric be used for the adoption, and if so, how will the rubric be developed? Will the selection committee review the materials simultaneously in-person or virtually and on their own time? If the product samples are online, how will login credentials be provided for all reviewers? Will publishers be permitted to present to the selection committee? What are the voting protocols for the selection committee's recommendations? How will the new material be distributed? Who will be involved in the planning and supporting the implementation? Is there an allocation in the budget for professional development and ongoing support? (5) Identify the makeup of the selection committee and define attendance requirements . State law and/or board policy may dictate the positions that must be represented on the selection committee. At a minimum, the committee should include both experienced and new teachers representing the content area and grade bands covered by the adoption, as well as teachers who provide support services for students, and a technology integration specialist if the material selected may have online components. Additionally, it is important to document attendance requirements and how selection committee members will be replaced if they are unable to meet those requirements.   (6) Distribute a needs assessment. It is critical to gather feedback from teachers, parents and the community about the features they want in the new material. The needs assessment gives all stakeholders, not just the selection committee, a voice in the adoption process. Failure to include this step creates a feeling of disenfranchisement, which may impede the successful implementation. For a core material, the needs assessment should be distributed to all teachers who will have to use the newly adopted material, as well as staff who will be supporting its implementation, such as instructional coaches, instructional technology staff and parents. In some states, districts are required by state law to survey the community during an adoption, as well. For supplemental materials, distributing the needs assessment to teachers who will be using the new material and to staff who will be supporting its implementation would suffice. Aggregate the results of the needs assessment to identify the features that the stakeholders believe the new material must have. These features should then be reflected in the district's rubric for the adoption, which we will discuss in the next blog in this series. (7) Narrow the number of materials to be reviewed by the selection committee . The list of non-negotiables should be used to eliminate materials from consideration and thus narrow the number of materials the selection committee will review. This can be done by district or campus leaders or by the selection committee. Optimally, the selection committee will conduct a rubric review of between three and five materials. (8) Develop a rubric . A decision point in any adoption is whether to use a rubric. The next blog in this series will address benefits of using a rubric and how to develop a rubric and implement it consistently.

As we near the end of the school year, your focus may be on intervention and testing. We offer three suggestions to help you prepare your students for end-of-year success. Make sure your intervention materials are aligned to the standards you are reteaching.  Using tightly aligned materials will reduce your workload and make the intervention more effective. Many intervention materials are not designed to align to 100% of state standards. Make sure the material(s) you are using for intervention are aligned to the standards you are re-teaching. Verify that the citations (e.g., lessons, activities, assessments) you plan to use address both the content and rigor of the standards your students need to learn.   Check that test prep materials are aligned to the standards your students are struggling with.  Do not assume that your test prep materials are aligned to the standards your students need to practice. Not all test prep materials are designed to address all standards. Some intend only to address the standards that have been tested historically; others only address the standards students typically struggle with. Verify the alignment of intervention and test prep materials before buying them. As this budget year draws to a close, you may be tempted to purchase new materials. Before you do, audit the materials you already have for each grade and subject. Check the publisher's correlations for each of your materials to determine whether your existing materials intend to cover all of the standards. Then, find out whether they actually do by asking teachers about their experience using the materials: Have they found the materials well aligned to state standards? Are they rigorous enough for their students? Do your existing materials have all the supports students need? Taking time to audit your existing materials to identify their gaps will help you use your funds strategically to purchase new materials that fill those gaps. Learning List can help. If you do not have the time to do this type of alignment analysis internally,  contact us . Learning List has reviewed well over 4,000 of the most widely used instructional materials, including intervention and test prep products. Alignment Reports and Alignment Comparison Tool Our standard-by-standard alignment report for each material and our alignment comparison tool make it easy to develop  targeted  intervention using your existing materials. Our alignment reports show which standards each material is and is not aligned to. They also show which citations the material we have verified to be aligned to the  content ,  context , and  cognitive rigor  of each standard. Audit Tool Finally, if you're considering purchasing new materials, our audit tool will show whether you have gaps in your existing materials and, if so, which other materials, including widely used Open Education Resources, would fill in those gaps.

This is the second blog in the series about effective strategies for reviewing and selecting instructional materials. Our first blog discussed planning a successful adoption, which included distributing and aggregating the results of a needs assessment. Now it is time to develop a rubric for the adoption. Developing a rubric from scratch can be daunting. More often, educators look for existing rubrics to customize. This blog provides guidance for creating or customizing a rubric to reflect a district's priorities and state standards.   Identifying criteria and sub-criteria  In an instructional materials selection rubric, criteria and sub-criteria/guidance statements should describe observable and measurable features of instructional materials. The following resources will help you identify the features you want to include in your rubric: Research on features of high-quality materials; Best practices for the content area;  The district's instructional goals; The Needs Assessment feedback;  The instructional focus of and topics addressed in the state standards. Keeping the rubric to a manageable length can be one of the biggest challenges when designing a rubric. We have observed, that in order for selection committee members to use a rubric with fidelity, rubrics for selecting core materials should include no more than ten (10) criteria and up to five (5) sub-criteria for each criterion. Thus, the rubric should include the features in instructional materials that your district values most . Drafting criteria and sub-criteria statements Each criterion and sub-criterion should be written as a statement using precise, unambiguous language. Terms like consistently , throughout , and repeatedly may be used to describe features that should be reflected throughout the material. For example: The material is structured consistently and logically. Materials support coherence and connections between and within content at the grade level and across grade levels. Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in productive struggle through sensemaking that involves reading, writing, thinking, and acting as scientists and engineers. It is not imperative to include sub-criteria/guidance statements for each criterion. If used, these statements should clarify or illustrate the criteria. For that reason, sub-criteria statements often include illustrative language, such as includes or does not include . Judgmental language such as poor , well , exceptional, or excellent should not be included in the criteria or sub-criteria statements; rather, judgments should be addressed in the rubric’s rating scale. The format of the criteria and sub-criteria/guidance statements will affect the type and format of the rating scale and vice versa. Developing the rating scale Rubrics should include at least one rating scale. The rating scale allows users to express their level of agreement with each criterion and sub-criterion statement. There are many types of rating scales , including:   Graphic Numerical Descriptive As mentioned above, the type of rating scale selected impacts how criteria and sub-criteria statements are formatted. The type and format of the rating scale also affect how the response data can be aggregated and disaggregated. Using a rating scale that assigns a numeric value for each response makes it easy to tally a score for each material from the aggregate response data. The response choices in the rating scale should be easy to understand and distinguish. The scale should include a sufficient number of response choices to allow selection committee members to communicate their level of agreement with the criteria and/or sub-criteria statements clearly. We have observed that having between three and five response choices in a rating scale works best; too many choices (e.g., 1-10) makes it difficult to discern a meaningful difference in the materials’ aggregate scores.   Testing the rubric Once a draft of the rubric is complete, it is prudent to run it by a few of the content-area teachers to make sure that it is a manageable length and easy to understand. Training for effective implementation Selection committee members must receive training to ensure that they interpret and apply the criteria and sub-criteria/guidance statements consistently. Optimally, district curriculum staff would create an evidence guide that provides text-based examples of the different performance levels for each criterion and key sub-criteria statements. If that is not possible, the selection committee should discuss performance-level examples before beginning the reviews. For example, one of the criteria in any instructional materials rubric should be standards alignment. Selection committee members should receive training on or at least discuss what alignment means and how to evaluate a material's alignment to state standards. If available, links to reliable third-party reviews of the materials being considered will facilitate committee members’ completion of the rubric for each material.   Conducting the reviews While it may be necessary to conduct the reviews virtually, we have observed that having committee members in the same room while they are independently reviewing materials has important benefits. The spontaneous conversations that occur often prompt committee members to explore the materials more deeply and ultimately facilitate consensus building around which materials meet the district’s needs best. When that happens, the selection committee members tend to become strong advocates for the materials selected.  Convene the selection committee to discuss rubric results Once completed rubrics have been submitted, the person managing the selection process should analyze the committee’s response data to determine for each grade level covered by the adoption, which material scored (1) highest overall, and (2) highest on each criterion. That data analysis should be documented in an easy-to-read format and provided to the selection committee members.  The selection committee should reconvene to discuss the rubric results with the goal of reaching a consensus about the materials to recommend for adoption. However, the district’s voting procedures should address how a material will be selected if consensus is not reached. Document rationale for making recommendations The rubric data and the selection committee’s rationale for each recommended material should be documented clearly. If the materials will be adopted by the school board, that documentation should be shared with the board.  The documentation should be maintained in the district for several years in case the district’s use of the selected material is ever challenged by parents or the community. Given the work involved in developing a rubric, a rubric-review process is generally used to select core materials. The next blog in this series will discuss a process for reviewing and selecting supplemental materials. If you need additional guidance developing or customizing rubrics, check out our 2-hour online rubric development course. This course is designed for anyone who is managing an adoption process - large or small. Additionally, our online Selection Toolkit provides standards-aligned, customizable rubrics for math English Language Arts and science.

Teachers’ Curriculum Institute’s ( TCI ) provides comprehensive and supplemental resources to support social studies instruction in  elementary * , middle and high schools . Instruction is discovery-based and includes hands-on activities and frequent opportunities for students to work with peers. Course resources are designed for use with interactive whiteboards and include some print materials. Learning List has recently completed reviews of this social studies series. Primary instruction combines three resources: (1) an editable, interactive whiteboard- compatible presentation (2) the student text, and (3) the “Interactive Student Notebook.” Presentations contain step-by-step guidance for each activity, vivid illustrations, and references to the accompanying resources in the student text and Interactive Student Notebook. Each presentation begins with an essential question followed by a “Preview” activity that introduces new vocabulary, links to what students already know, and frames new content. Subsequent slides structure discovery-based activities. Activities incorporate some direct instruction, but most learning takes place in hands-on experiences. Presentation slides pose questions and students use their texts and Interactive Student Notebooks to discover answers. Some lessons include “Experiential Activities” that relate historical events to students’ experiences in order to deepen their understanding of key concepts. Instructional materials include the “Reading Challenge” game and “Glossary Cards.” The Reading Challenge checks for students’ understanding through multiple choice questions presented in a game format. The game provides multiple opportunities to answer correctly and provides corrective feedback. Glossary Cards are interactive tools to support vocabulary development. Each card provides a term or word on one side and flips to reveal the definition. Other resources include a glossary, biographies of key figures, and access to a variety of maps (e.g., political, physical). For a Free Trial for any of these programs, please click here . <* note there is no 4th grade texas-based (teks) product from tci.>

Will you be participating in curriculum writing this year? If so, mapping resources to the district curriculum is a critical task in the process. Having materials mapped to the district curriculum saves teachers hours of work and helps facilitate standards-aligned instruction. 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 your material, where to look for additional aligned citations, resources for resolving alignment disagreements, and more.  If these DIY resources do not provide sufficient support, consider our new online courses : What Alignment Means and Why It Matters  (and How to Do It!) Mapping Instructional Materials to Your Curriculum These two-hour, self-paced courses provide instruction, skills practice, and a workbook to help you master the art of mapping your instructional materials to your district curriculum. Individual educators can enroll in a pre-scheduled course ($35 per course). Participants have two weeks to complete the course, and a certificate of completion is provided for professional learning credit. Alternatively, districts/campuses can enroll in a "closed" course facilitated by Learning List's Chief Academic Officer.   Contact us to learn more about the courses.

The state’s math standards recently changed, and your district purchased new instructional materials for mathematics. Teachers use the materials for a few months, but when students struggle to master the content, the teachers grow skeptical about the material’s quality. Increasingly, they turn to lesson resources they have developed themselves or borrowed from their colleagues. The district’s math materials gather dust, and district leaders are left with curriculum chaos. That scenario, which has played out in districts across the country for decades, was our impetus for founding Learning List a decade ago and remains our call to action.  This week is Learning List’s 10th anniversary, a time for celebration and reflection. We founded Learning List’s subscription-based instructional materials review service as an economical way to help educators access independent, evidence-based curriculum reviews to inform districts/campuses' purchasing decisions.  Over the years, other entities have begun reviewing instructional materials, including more state education agencies. So, what sets Learning List apart?  We expand districts’ choices and inform local control.  Like Consumer Reports®, Learning List is a private company, independent from publishers and free from political influence. States and other review entities rate and rank materials with the goal of identifying "the best" materials for districts to use. We do not. We calculate an alignment percentage, but we do not rank or rate the materials we review. We provide our subscribing districts with access to easy-to-read, evidence-based reviews of thousands of widely-used PreK-12 instructional materials and comparison tools that empower them to select the materials that best meet  their students’  needs.  We provide a curriculum review service . While states' and other entities' reviews are driven by publishers' submissions, requests from subscribing districts drive our review process. Consequently, our library is filled with reviews of the materials districts are most interested in. We also assist districts in finding answers to selection-related questions and help facilitate local adoption processes. In short, Learning List provides a review service , not just a website with reviews. Our curriculum reviews are published within a timeframe that meets educators' needs. Most review entities take months to publish their reviews. While each material is reviewed by multiple subject matter experts , our efficient review methodology and strict adherence to deadlines enable us to publish an alignment report , instructional quality review , and technology compatibility review for each material within six weeks of the material's submission. We have reviewed many more and a greater variety of materials than other entities. Other entities review materials aligned to a specific state's standards or national standards. We have reviewed materials aligned to multiple states’ and national standards. We have reviewed more than 3,300 core and supplemental materials published by almost 200 publishers . Our reviews span the four core subjects and several others, including Career & Technical Education, Health Education, Technology Applications, and Advanced Placement courses. No other review entity has the equivalent breadth or depth of experience reviewing materials. Our reviews and tools are useful beyond the selection process. Most other entities produce reviews to help educators select materials. Our reviews and online tools inform instruction, as well as selection decisions. Educators use our standard-by-standard alignment reports and comparison tools to develop targeted instruction and/or intervention with the materials they have purchased. As educators know all too well, the price does not necessarily equate with value. Despite the existence of free reviews, we are celebrating our 10th anniversary because the value districts get from our review service far exceeds the low subscription price. Over the years, we have added other curriculum support services to meet districts’ evolving needs. We look forward to partnering with many more districts to expand their capacity, relieve their workload and provide peace of mind.