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As standards are revised, you may have to purchase new or supplemental instructional materials to align to 100% of the new standards. When standards change, Learning List will review the alignment of materials already featured on our site against the new standards. The Learning List alignment reports will highlight changes in the standards to help you identify gaps in your current materials. As publishers submit an updated correlation (i.e., identifying citations in their existing materials that align to the new standards), Learning List will verify those correlations, and the alignment reports will show citations in your  existing materials that align to the new standards, as shown below. Contact  us to find out how reviewing Learning List’s alignment reports for your current instructional materials helps to determine whether gaps exist before purchasing new materials.You may find that you can save a lot of money!

Learning List has reviewed McGraw-Hill’s Traditions & Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past, Updated 6 th Edition.  This comprehensive resource supports instruction in high school Advanced Placement (AP) World History courses.  Content is available in print and digital formats with additional online resources. Instruction emphasizes overarching themes (e.g., Interaction Between Humans and the Environment) to help students make connections across regions, cultures, and periods in time. Traditions & Encounters begins with a preface that introduces students to the course’s features, the AP themes for world history, historical thinking skills, the format and types of questions on the AP exam, and how the exam is scored. Subsequent content is organized in seven parts.  Each part addresses a chronological period (e.g., The Formation of Classical Societies, ca. 500 B.C.E. to ca. 500 C.E.) and is made up of chapters that focus on particular phases or developments of the period (e.g., The Unification of China).  Content is presented using an engaging and highly readable writing style. Chapters include features titled “Sources from the Past” and “Reverberations.” Sources from the Past presents a primary source document from the period for students to analyze. Reverberations provides a brief discussion of how momentous events, ideas, and processes (e.g., “Urbanization and Patriarchy”) affect different regions and historical periods. Reverberations content helps students make connections across chapters. About McGraw Hill* McGraw Hill Education’s mission is to accelerate learning through intuitive, engaging, efficient and effective experiences – grounded in research. McGraw-Hill believes that its contribution to unlocking a brighter future lies in the company’s deep understanding of how learning happens and how the mind develops. It exists where the science of learning meets the art of teaching. Educators have been and always will be at the core of the learning experience. The solutions McGraw Hill develops help educators impart their knowledge to students more efficiently. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from  McGraw Hill Education . Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

McGraw Hill’s Thrive™ powered by Time To Know® is a comprehensive, online resource to support English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science instruction in 1:1 computer-based learning environments. Resources support teacher-led, data-driven instruction in classrooms that integrate technology. Learning List recently reviewed Thrive math resources for grades 3 – Algebra 2. Thrive math presents content at each grade level in units that focus on developing students’ understanding of mathematical concepts and processes, fluency skills, and ability to solve real-world problems. Units are framed by an essential question (e.g., “What does multiplication mean?”) and are made up of lessons that include teacher-led and student-directed activities. Lessons include animations, videos, and learning games to engage students and frame content. Engaging digital manipulatives (e.g., number lines) are integrated throughout instruction. Students have access to audio readers and interactive math tools, such as number lines, place value charts, and graphic organizers. Students may share their work with the class using the program’s “Gallery” feature. Teachers have access to a set of tools to facilitate learning in a 1:1 environment. The “Eyes on the Teacher” tool alerts students that the teacher requires their attention. “Follow Me” and “Stop Line” tools allow teachers to control students’ navigation and progress. When using Follow Me, teachers control students’ navigation through the lesson. Stop Line allows teachers to place a “stop line” that prevents students from progressing past a particular point in a lesson. About Thrive Math* A focused, rigorous progression of concepts essential for math comprehension grounds the Thrive math program, engineered to meet the new standards. Engaging and age‐appropriate lesson animations and videos, explicit definitions of key terms and concepts, and scaffolded problem‐solving with instant and targeted feedback ensure students are ready for high‐stakes testing. Interactive lessons that balance conceptual understanding with procedural fluency ask learners to make sense of real‐life questions as they figure out, engage with, and look for structure and meaning in the world around them. *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from McGraw Hill Education .   Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

If you’ve concluded your Beginning of Year (BOY) assessments, then you’re probably planning RtI for struggling students. When selecting instructional materials for intervention support, these two questions are critical to your students’ success: Is the material aligned to the standards students are struggling with? Does the instructional material provide sufficient practice for students to master those skills? Imagine that your assessments show that a 2 nd  grade student needs help decoding multiple syllabic words (a) in context and (b) independent of context by applying common letter sound correspondences. The table below shows a popular intervention material’s alignment to the Elements of the Standard that addresses decoding words in context .  The material is aligned to each Element of the Standard; in fact, all 3 of the citations Learning List reviewed* were aligned to each Element. Standard 2.A.1: Decoding words in context: In contrast, the table below shows the material’s alignment to the Elements of the Standard that addresses decoding words independent of context .  One of the citations Learning List reviewed was aligned to each Element of the Standard, but five other citations reviewed were not aligned. Standard 2.A.2: Decoding words independent of context: While the instructional material is aligned to both of the standards the student is struggling with, this material would provide only one opportunity for the student to learn/practice each Element of the second standard, decoding multisyllabic words independent of context. Some level of repetition is typically required for students to understand, internalize, and master content and skills. If this is an adaptive material, this material’s single "aligned" citation may not be instructionally sufficient to help the student "master" decoding multisyllabic words independent of context. If this were your student, you would be advised to look for a different material that contains more citations aligned to each Element of these two standards, or use the reviewer’s comments in the alignment report to adjust instruction to match the full intent of the standard. Learning List’s alignment reports make it easy to identify materials that are aligned to the standard your students are struggling with and help you determine whether the material provides sufficient practice for your students to master those standards. *If the publisher's correlation lists  fewer than three  citations as aligned to a standard, Learning List's subject matter experts review all of the citations listed. If the publisher's correlation cites  more than three  citations as being aligned to a standard, Learning List employs a "spot check" verification methodology - at least three and up to eight citations are reviewed for alignment to the standard. If teachers want to use a citation that Learning List has not  reviewed, they would be advised to check the alignment of the citation themselves. However, Learning List's alignment report serves as a guide as to how likely it is that any additional citation would be aligned to that standard.

McGraw Hill’s ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge Spaces) is a comprehensive, online program that provides adaptive math instruction for students in grades 3-12. Content is available online and includes some printable resources (e.g., worksheets). Instruction is presented using individualized, interactive tutorials that focus on a specific concept. Learning List recently reviewed ALEKS resources for middle and high school math courses. Students take an “Initial Assessment” that evaluates they know and the concepts they are ready to learn. Based on the results of the Initial Assessment, each student receives a “Student Assessment Report” that clarifies the topics they will be assigned in “ALEKS Learning Mode.” In ALEKS Learning Mode, students receive direct instruction and have opportunities for guided and independent practice. Instruction focuses on a single topic or concept (e.g., the multiplicative property of equality with decimals) and begins with an example problem, its solutions, and an explanation of the strategy used to find the solution. After the example problem, students are presented with a set of similar practice problems. ALEKS supports instruction in a variety of learning environments, including teacher-led, self-directed, and distance learning programs. Content is fully customizable and available in English and Spanish. About McGraw Hill Education and ALEKS* McGraw-Hill Education, a leading digital learning company, acquired  ALEKS Corporation in 2013 At the time of the acquisition, McGraw-Hill Education had marketed and sold ALEKS for math in the higher education space for more than 10 years. * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from  McGraw Hill Education   Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

Learning List has reviewed middle school and high school resources for the College Board’s SpringBoard English Language Arts: California Edition. The comprehensive program is designed for students in grades 6-12 and is available in print and digital formats. Courses have a consistent structure and focus on developing English language arts skills through active learning. At each grade level, instruction emphasizes the development of the knowledge and skills needed for rigorous coursework, including Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Content is organized thematically and includes fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and non-print media related to the theme (e.g., change). SpringBoard uses the “Understanding by Design” instructional model. Each unit begins with an overview that frames new content with essential questions. Units are broken into sets of activities made up of several daily lessons that address related concepts. Each lesson establishes learning targets in student-friendly language. Lessons include “Suggested Learning Strategies” (e.g., summarizing, close reading, marking the text) that meet different learning needs and facilitate student ownership of learning and a “Making Connections” feature that connects content to students’ lives. Lessons focus on developing close reading skills. Students learn to analyze texts using graphic organizers and strategies applied before, during, and after reading. They learn to interpret what they read and to support their interpretations with evidence from the text. Instruction emphasizes the effective use of language and the development of writing skills. Each unit includes step-by-step guidance in the writing process. Writing activities include prompts for expository and narrative pieces as well as opportunities for students to develop arguments and incorporate research. About the College Board* The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. 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. The information in this section is provided by or adapted from the College Board .   Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

We are often asked whether we review materials for Pre-AP courses. Pre-AP courses are grade level courses with embedded strategies to provide knowledge, concepts, and skills needed to prepare students for AP courses. While we will review any instructional materials aligned to the TEKS, CCSS, NGSS, and certain state-specific standards, districts may not need to purchase specific “Pre-AP texts”. Supporting students in these five essentials will better prepare them for more rigorous AP coursework to come. Reading advanced texts is a large component of AP courses . Students access learning from college level texts and must be able to read independently for understanding. Pre-AP courses can support this skill development by including instruction in note-taking, key vocabulary terms, as well as reading college texts and primary source documents. Higher level thinking should be embedded in all classes and is essential for Pre-AP . Teacher developed lessons should include questions that challenge students to analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and create. Students should also be encouraged to create higher level questions and participate in class discussions where conversations are between student and teacher, as well as student and student. In addition to promoting higher level thinking, Pre-AP courses should focus on depth and complexity . Students should be looking for big ideas, details, trends, patterns, rules, unanswered questions, and using subject-specific vocabulary.. Pre-AP students benefit from exposure to a variety of resources . Challenging Pre-AP students to use a variety of materials to connect and apply their learning supports the skills previously discussed. Teachers can include resources such as high school texts, college texts, studies by experts in the field, and online resources. Writing in Pre-AP is important for AP test preparation. Moreover, students benefit from writing in the context of the discipline, using the language of the discipline to express higher level thinking through depth and complexity is a skill that will support students in all future endeavors.

Learning List has reviewed TeachTransform’s Start Quick and Ramp It Up! This set of supplemental print resources supports mathematics instruction at grade 4. The program scaffolds instruction from grade 3 to 4 for struggling students and provides on-grade level and more challenging extension activities. Content focuses on developing students’ ability to reason mathematically and understand and implement problem-solving strategies. Start Quick and Ramp It Up! content is presented five books that separately address (1) operations, (2) multiplication, (3) division, (4) measurement, and (5) algebraic reasoning.  Each Start Quick and Ramp It Up! book is organized in terms of the TEKS addressed by instruction. Books include the following activities: Quick Starts are designed to help struggling students. Activities help students connect fourth-grade content to what they have learned in previous grades. Ramp Ups are on-grade-level learning tasks that support students in applying core math content and extending learning through challenging problems. Launches present more complex problems and offer an even greater challenge for students who have demonstrated mastery of content at the Ramp Up level. Lessons incorporate common classroom objects (e.g., markers, base-ten blocks) and provide opportunities for students to work collaboratively and to discuss their problem-solving strategies.  Instruction emphasizes the use of precise mathematical language and includes “Thought Extender” discussion prompts that help students verbalize their thinking (e.g., “How is multiplication different from division? How is it similar?”). About TeachTransform* TeachTransform products are based on the work of Carol Gautier,  a math curriculum specialist who has worked in a variety of positions in Texas, including serving as Project Coordinator for Curriculum Support for Education Service Center Region 13.  TeachTransform products are written with the goal of helping students to love math and helping teachers to love teaching math. The information in this section is adapted from TeachTransform .   Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

McGraw Hill’s Thrive™ powered by Time To Know® is a comprehensive, online resource to support English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science instruction in 1:1 computer-based learning environments. Resources support teacher-led, data-driven instruction in classrooms that integrate technology. Learning List has reviewed Thrive ELA resources for grades 3-8. Thrive presents content at grade level in five or six thematic units (e.g., Personal Discoveries) made up of Reading Modules and a Writing Module. Each grade also has a set of “Literature Study” works to extend classroom instruction or for students to read independently. Reading Modules focus on authentic literary and informational texts. Each module begins with a “Model Reading” activity that guides students through a text, posing questions to help students develop reading and comprehension strategies (e.g., “What is the narrator’s problem, or conflict?”). After Model Reading lessons, students reread the text in a “Close Reading” activity in which they answer text-dependent questions. Most Reading Modules contain a second “Anchor Text” followed by another Close Reading activity. Writing Modules address the writing process, planning and drafting, editing and revising, and publishing and presenting. Writing Modules include opportunities for peer review and instruction in grammar and usage. About Thrive ELA* Improving student engagement with reading, writing, and speaking is at the core of the  Thrive  English language arts program. Guided reads, model reads, and anchor text selections—with a 50/50 balance of fiction, literary nonfiction, and informational texts—provide students with context for learning at their own levels and paces to build close reading and writing skills. Structured lesson plans deepen students’ understanding of texts, while genre‐specific writing tutorials reflect the shifts in ELA instruction, for which the  Thrive  English language arts program is designed. An emphasis on analytical writing and writing to sources affords students opportunities to practice and apply foundational literacy skills, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies as they foster a lifelong *Information in this section is provided by or adapted from McGraw Hill Education .   Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

When selecting materials for a campus, there are many benefits to choosing a publisher’s material that spans multiple grade levels. The consistency of navigation, layout of the instruction, technology specifications (for online materials), special population student support, and common professional development are significant considerations that may lead you to lean in favor of adopting a single material for multiple grade levels. You may also presume that the product’s alignment to the standards will be consistent across grade levels. Not so. Having analyzed the alignment of thousands of K-8 materials, Learning List has found that the alignment percentage of a material in one grade level is not predictive of the same material's alignment in other grade levels. Take for example, the alignment of the multi-grade level material shown in the chart below. Learning List’s alignment reports for grades K through 8th highlight a significant variation in percentage of state standards addressed by material in each grade level. So, what does this mean for your materials selection strategy? When you are reviewing a material to purchase for a grade span, it is critical to carefully examine the alignment of the material in each grade level. Learning List’s alignment reports make it easy to see which standards are and which are not addressed in each grade level. If a comprehensive material is not aligned to 100% of the standards in each grade level, determine whether there is a pattern in the standards that are not addressed across all grade levels. For example, does this material simply not address the financial literacy standards in each grade level? If so, then it is easier to identify other materials that will fill in the gap for this product at all grade levels. If there is no obvious pattern in the material’s alignment across grade levels, then the variability may be caused by the fact that different authors wrote each grade level or different people correlated the material at each grade level. Finding products to fill in the material’s gaps will be more arduous and more expensive, though Learning List’s Fill-in-the-Gap tool and new Search by Standard filter lessens that burden. This revelation should not necessarily be discouraging. As one superintendent told me, “Realizing that a material is not necessarily aligned consistently across all grade levels was a real ‘A-Ha’ moment for me. I no longer had to force all my teachers to agree on a single material.  This year, we adopted one product for the elementary grades and another for the middle schools.  The teachers were much happier.  Now my technology staff… well, that’s another story.”

Learning List has reviewed Edgenuity’s Chemistry. The comprehensive, online course supports instruction in blended learning and self-paced environments. Video-based lessons focus on developing students’ understanding of chemistry concepts and their real-world applications. Instruction includes virtual and classroom-based lab activities. Diagnostic pre-tests ensure that instruction is individualized for each student. Content is presented in video-based lectures with accompanying whiteboard notes and demonstrations. Each lesson begins with an interactive warm-up that frames the lesson topic, establishes learning goals, connects to prior learning, and introduces new vocabulary and concepts. Core instruction is presented in video lectures by engaging, highly-qualified teachers, with accompanying white board demonstrations of concepts and skills. The use of multiple teachers ensures that students experience a range of instructional styles. Virtual labs provide interactive learning experiences in which students use simulated lab equipment, such as microscopes and test tubes, to explore concepts. Instruction addresses lab safety and some lessons include classroom-based wet labs to be completed with teacher oversight. Many labs include a downloadable student guide with step-by-step instructions and resources to support data collection and analysis. 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. This content is provided by or adapted from Edgenuity .   Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

It’s mid-September and classroom observations are starting. Learning List resources can assist you in preparing for classroom observations and coaching conversations. Below are sample questions related to each T-TESS dimension that addresses “alignment” of lessons and  activities to the state standards and using materials to assess student progress. These questions may be useful in conversations prior to observations or edited and used during coaching conversations after observations. Please note, the short descriptions of the dimensions below does not capture the full scope of the rubric's expectations. Consult the rubric for further detail. Planning Dimension 1.1: The teacher designs clear, well organized, sequential lessons that reflect best practice, align with standards and are appropriate for diverse learners. Sample Coaching Questions Which instructional material(s) supports the objectives for this lesson? What criteria do you use to determine whether an instructional material is aligned to the standards being taught in the lesson? How do you determine the sequence of instructional materials to use? Will you use technology in the lesson? If so, how will you determine the most appropriate technology to use? How are you using instructional materials to help you differentiate instruction? Planning Dimension 1.2: The teacher uses formal and informal methods to measure student progress, then manages and analyzes student data to inform instruction. Sample Coaching Questions What type of instruments will you use to assess student progress? How will you use the data you get back from those formative assessments to guide small group instruction? How do you involve students in monitoring their progress? What resources are available for instructing students of varying needs? What criteria do you use to determine which to use? What type of feedback do you find most effective with the students you teach? Planning Dimension 1.4: The teacher plans engaging, flexible lessons that engage higher-order thinking, persistence and achievement. Sample Coaching Questions What questions have you planned for the lesson? Which questioning and/or other strategies will you use to encourage all students to engage in higher-order thinking? How will you use your instructional materials to prompt students to engage in higher order thinking and questioning? How will you assess the alignment of your activities with instructional materials? Instruction Dimension 2.2: The teacher uses content and pedagogical expertise to design and execute lessons aligned with state standards, related content and student needs. Sample Coaching Questions Can you demonstrate that this lesson is aligned to the state standards you are intending to cover? How does this lesson align to the district curriculum (scope and sequence)? How will you use your instructional materials to provide students with opportunities to use different types of thinking and problem solving skills? What real world scenarios will you reference to support student learning? We encourage principals to leverage the reviews and tools on Learning List to help implement the T-TESS rubric during the observation and coaching cycle.  Contact us if you would like to schedule training to help support this important work.