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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.

Are your health teachers asking for new resources? Take a look at Learning List’s review of McGraw Hill’s Glencoe Health McGraw Hill’s Glencoe Health is a comprehensive program to support health instruction in high school. The product is available in English and Spanish, in both print and digital formats. The material intends to enable students to practice making healthy, informed decisions while learning important concepts and skills about their health. Throughout the program, students have numerous opportunities to develop critical thinking and decision-making skills and are consistently encouraged to talk to a parent or trusted adults about health matters. Materials to support instruction about sexual health and wellness are included within the core instruction The material provides instruction through video- and text-based content. Teachers can customize assessments and assignments, as well as grade assignments and provide students with feedback from within the platform. Students can submit most assignments online. Read Learning List’s Editorial Review to learn more about the ways in which Glencoe Health 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 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 .

Questioning has a significant impact on critical thinking and student learning.  In the article, “ Questioning in the Classroom: An Updated Guide ,” Terry Heick outlines the strengths and weaknesses of questions. Good questions:   Encourage further inquiry and learning Reveal subtleties in students’ understanding Promote personalized learning (Heick, 2022). Whereas, weak questions “imply answers, which imply stopping points and ‘finishing’ over inquiry and wisdom.” We have all have been in classrooms where questions are asked and then answered one right after the other, leaving no think time or opportunity for follow-up. According to Jackie Acree Walsh, noted author and speaker, quality questions have four characteristics: Connect to content , Are purposeful , Are at varied and appropriate cognitive levels Are clear and concise (Walsh et al., 2018). Effective questioning takes planning on the part of the teacher with careful consideration of the instructional purpose, content, and goals of the lesson. Thoughtful scaffolding of questions during lessons enables teachers to gauge student learning and provides opportunities for feedback. “Questions are the pulse of any critical thinking classroom” (Heick, 2018). We often think of questioning techniques in a purely pedagogical sense. However, instructional materials influence the types of questions teachers use. What types of questions do your instructional materials encourage? A mismatch between the instructional material’s approach to questioning and the district or campus philosophy could be a barrier to reaching instructional goals for two reasons. First, inexperienced teachers often rely on questions provided by their materials. Second, an inconsistency between the type of questions asked in the classroom versus the types of questions assigned as homework in the instructional material may inhibit development of critical thinking skills.  In our reviews of instructional materials, we have noted a great variation in the approach to questioning, from materials that focus on closed questions to materials that provide mostly open-ended questions. How well do your materials support critical thinking through questioning? Consider the following: Are there a variety of question types supporting scaffolding and differentiation? Do questions align to the instructional purpose and content of instruction? Do questions represent thinking across Bloom’s Taxonomy or Webb’s Depth of Knowledge? Are there open-ended questions with multiple possible answers? Are there opportunities for students to reflect on their strategies? Are there opportunities provided for student-generated questions? Do the teacher materials provide guidance regarding questioning, student discussions, or strategies such as think-pair-share to engage all learners? Selecting instructional materials that align with campus or district goals for instruction support quality instruction and learning. Next time you are selecting instructional materials, consider reviewing the material’s questions adding as an indicator of quality. Reference articles: Heick, T. (2018, March 2) What is the Purpose of a Question , TeachThought. https://www.teachthought.com/learning/what-is-the-purpose-of-a-question/ Heick, T. (2020, November 3). An Updated Guide to Questioning in The Classroom . TeachThought. https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/questioning-guide/ Heick, T. (2022, May 17). The Difference Between a Good Question and a Bad Question , TeachThought. https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/the-difference-between-a-good-question-and-a-bad-question/ Walsh, J.A., Sattes, B.D., Quality Questioning: Research-Based Practices to Engage Every Learner, 2 nd ed., (2016). The Main Idea (2018). https://vpaonline.org/wp-content/uploads/principal_resources/Quality_Questioning_.pdf Walsh, J. A., Sattes, B. D., Quality Questioning: Research-Based Practices to Engage Every Learner, 2 nd . Ed. , The Main Idea (2018).   https://vpaonline.org/wpcontent/uploads/principal_resources/Quality_Questioning_.pdf

Repurposing your existing materials for tutoring has several advantages: it saves the district money, and it saves students and teachers the stress of having to become familiar with a new material. The challenge in repurposing your materials for tutoring is identifying suitable content that you have not already used.  Learning List's alignment reports and Alignment Comparison tool make it easy to identify content in your current  materials that you can use for tutoring. However, here are three steps for accomplishing this task  without our tools . (1) Determine which of your  existing  materials are aligned to the standards students are struggling with. Using the publisher's correlation documents, make a grid with (a) the standards your students are struggling with listed vertically down the page, and (b) the titles of the materials you have for the grade level/subject listed horizontally across the top of the page. Identify which of your existing materials addresses each of the standards your student(s) are struggling with. ( 2) Make a list of citations from those materials that you can use to reteach each standard: Using the grid and the publisher's correlation for each material, identify three of four citations (lessons, activities, quizzes) in each material that you can use to reteach the standards students are struggling with. Make sure that students have not already seen the lessons, activities, quizzes you are listing. Also consider whether the material has the adaptions your student(s) need. (3) Check the alignment of those citations before using them for tutoring . In order for students to learn the knowledge and skills they are lacking, the citations used for tutoring must be aligned to the standards being retaught. We often find that publishers correlation documents include citations that are only partially aligned to the standards. Therefore, before using the citations you have listed for tutoring, check to make sure that they teach all of the knowledge and skills the standard requires students to know. This can be a time-consuming process. However, once you have completed it, you can use the grid and list of citations to deliver targeted, effective tutoring for as many students as need it. Contact us if you need guidance.

Do your digital materials support an equitable learning experience for students participating in remote instruction? You may consider adding this question to your selection rubric as you consider which materials to continue using or purchase next year.  This fall, a state education agency hired Learning List to review 83 core digital materials across the four core content areas to determine the extent to which each material supports remote instruction. One of the goals of these reviews was to determine whether the materials provide a similar and equitable learning experience for students learning remotely and students in the classroom. For this analysis, we examined four aspects of each material: Which components of each digital material were printable?  It is especially important for the core instruction (i.e., lessons, texts, activities, and quizzes) to be available offline or printable. Which features did the digital material include to make the remote learning experience similar to the experience of learning in the classroom?  We looked for features like hyperlinked glossaries, interactive activities with automated feedback, instructional videos, online labs, and/or virtual field trips. Did the material's platform allow students to complete and submit their work online? Did the material's platform allow teachers to review students' work online and provide feedback?  We recognize that many districts integrate their digital materials into a Learning Management System (LMS), and students and teachers rely on the LMS' tools to submit assignments and review student work. However, not all districts have a LMS, and a material's platform may not be compatible with the district's LMS. So, we examined whether the material's platform provided this type of functionality.  Did the material's platform allow students to interact with one another and/or with the teacher in real-time?  In class, students communicate with one another and with their teacher. If an online material is going to provide a similar learning experience, it needs to provide students and teachers the opportunity to communicate synchronously.  We found that many materials rely on LMS tools to support communication; however, some materials' platforms contained discussion boards and other communication tools.   Whether or not your district will not have to provide widespread remote instruction in the future; there are several other circumstances, such as during severe weather events, student illness, or other long-term student absences, where the district may want to rely on remote, asynchronous instruction for individuals or small groups of students. Keeping these criteria in mind will help you purchase materials that will support all students with an equitable learning experience.

Is your district looking for materials to support credit recovery and independent learning in ELA? Take a look at Learning List’s review of Edgenuity’s English I-IV. Edgenuity’s English platform provides comprehensive, online courses intended to support students in developing the skills required for high school English. Courses can be used for original credit or credit recovery in a variety of blended learning and self-paced environments. Each course can be formatted as a complete course for original credit or as a credit recovery course that addresses only the concepts the student failed to master on a pre-test . The program is self-paced and designed for students to work independently; however, teacher involvement supports students in engaging in critical thinking. Lessons focus on developing student mastery of ELA skills through the use of video and other multi-media tools. The material includes many of the texts students typically read in high school English courses. The platform translates the material into multiple languages, including English and Spanish. Students and teachers receive immediate feedback on student performance. The Edgenuity Learning Management System is easy to use and navigate. The Lobby houses the students’ course list, course information such as grades, course progress, upcoming assignments, and communications between the teacher and student.  Read Learning List’s full Editorial Review to learn more about the rigor of the material and how the Edgenuity LMS supports differentiated instruction.  Learning List has also completed a standard-by-standard review of this material’s alignment, and a review of its technology compatibility and support for remote learning.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information.  About Edgenuity* Edgenuity provides engaging online and blended learning education solutions that propel success for every student, empower every teacher to deliver more effective instruction, and enable schools and districts to meet their academic goals. Edgenuity delivers a range of Core Curriculum, AP®, Elective, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and Credit Recovery courses aligned to the rigor and high expectations of state, Common Core and iNACOL standards and designed to inspire life-long learning. * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from Edgenuity .

Late last month, U.S. Secretary of Education Cardona set out his  Vision for Education in America . He discussed the importance of keeping schools open and strategies for helping students catch up and succeed, including targeted, intensive (high-dose) tutoring. Much attention and many resources have been focused on providing tutoring to help close students' learning gaps. What are the ingredients of a successful tutoring program? Several studies provide guidance:  Daily or almost daily tutoring is one of the most effective interventions for struggling students.  A 2016 study provides strong evidence that frequent tutoring is especially effective at increasing the achievement of low-performing students. Studies have shown tutoring produces big gains in student scores when it occurs  daily  or  almost every day ; less frequent tutoring showed lower gains and was not as helpful as other types of interventions. In the studies, successful "high dose" tutoring was delivered by specially trained tutors who adhered to a detailed curriculum and received coaching. The best results occurred when the tutoring took place at school during the school day.  The Science of Catching Up ,  The Hechinger Report, August 25, 2021. While online tutoring companies claim that online tutoring is effective, an independent, comprehensive study is needed.  Two recent studies (2020-21) of online tutoring of low-income, immigrant, middle school students in Italy showed that when students received  four hours  of online tutoring per week, their scores increased; when online tutoring was provided for only  two hours a week , it was more than 50 percent less impactful.  A January 2022 study of online tutoring of low-income middle schoolers in Chicago by volunteer, university students showed no gains. While the students were supposed to receive 30 minutes of tutoring twice a week during the school day, they received far less due to technical glitches, poor attendance, difficulty recruiting volunteer tutors, and vacation breaks. While these studies looked at the effectiveness of online tutoring, under which conditions and for which students online tutoring is effective requires further study.  Proof points: Uncertain Evidence for Online Tutoring , The Hechinger Report, February 14, 2022. Programs that rely on volunteer tutors were less effective than programs that use paid, paraprofessionals (teaching assistants).   Research has shown that tutoring does not have to be delivered by teachers to be effective. Research on struggling elementary and secondary readers and on elementary math programs showed that tutoring delivered by paraprofessionals (college educated teaching assistants) was at least as effective as tutoring by teachers in both one-on-one and small group settings. Additionally, volunteer tutors were less effective than paraprofessionals or teachers, even when volunteer tutors were provided with extensive training and supervision and structured materials.  New Findings on Tutoring: Four Shockers ,  Robert Slavin's Blog, April 5, 2018. Effective tutoring programs rely on just-in-time review . Effective tutors do not simply reteach the same lessons from the year before. Rather, they provide additional practice on the topics being discussed in their students' classes that week, or they review pre-requisite topics. Additionally, while studies have shown that teachers do not have to deliver the tutoring for it to be effective, curriculum experts need to create materials to guide the tutors on how to diagnose students' knowledge gaps and determine what to teach each student.  The Science of Catching Up ,  The Hechinger Report, August 25, 2021. To that end, our recent  blog post  suggests three tips for identifying content in your  current  materials that you can use for tutoring.

Does your district own Holt McDougal Biology ? If so, take a look at Learning List’s reviews, which include a review of alignment to the streamlined science TEKS. Holt McDougal’s Biology is a comprehensive program designed to support Texas high school Biology. The content is available in print and digital formats, in both English and Spanish. While this material is no longer sold by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt , Learning List recently reviewed the digital version of the material to meet subscribers’ requests. The material focuses on providing resources to support students as they deepen their understanding of scientific concepts in preparation for the Texas Biology End-of-Course exam. As such, the program includes end-of-course practice materials in each chapter. The online resources are housed on the Holt McDougal Online platform. Resources include English and Spanish versions of the text, as well as projects to support “Pre-AP” students and ideas for differentiating instruction for special populations. Teachers can customize most activities and assessments. Read Learning List’s complete Alignment Report to learn more about the degree to which the material aligns to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for Biology. Learning List's alignment reports do not only inform selection decisions, they facilitate instructional alignment and curriculum mapping with the reviewed materials, as well. Learning List has also completed an instructional quality review, and a review of the material’s technology compatibility and support for remote learning.  To learn more about this product and thousands more PreK-12 instructional materials, contact Learning List for subscription information.  About Holt McDougal* Holt McDougal is a division of 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.

State departments of education generally revise state assessments when the standards for the content area have been revised. In such circumstances, districts generally purchase new materials. However, as this  blog post  discusses, several forces may cause state education leaders to implement widespread changes to state assessments, as recently occurred in Texas. Starting with the spring 2023 administration, the Texas state assessments will be administered online and will include 14 new types of questions, cross-curricular passages, and evidence-based writing.  When state assessments are revised, you undoubtedly consider the instructional implications of the changes. Do you also consider how the revisions may impact the efficacy of your current materials? For example, many instructional materials contain quizzes and tests comprised predominantly of multiple-choice questions. Those materials reflect the question format in Texas’ current state assessments. However, would they prepare students for the new state assessments?  If your state has implemented widespread changes to the state assessment, here are four questions to help you evaluate whether your current materials will prepare your students for success on a revised state assessment:   Does the material contain  instructional content  aligned to the new standards?  Does the material contain a sufficient number of activities and assessment questions for the  standards that are eligible for assessment?  Do the material’s activities and assessments represent the  types and frequency of questions  included in the new state assessments?  Does the material include activities and assessments at the  level of rigor  specified by the standards?   If you find gaps in your current materials, check to see if the publisher has made updates or published a new edition of the material. If not, consider revising your district’s curriculum to make up for the materials’ deficits in order to prepare your students for success on the new state assessments.