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Learning List has reviewed Edgenuity’s online mathematics program for Algebra II. The comprehensive course supports instruction in blended learning and self-paced environments. Video-based lessons focus on developing students’ understanding of advanced algebraic concepts and the application of learning to real-world problems. Prescriptive, diagnostic pre-tests identify the concepts students have already mastered and route them to relevant, personalized content. Instruction 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 teachers, with accompanying white board demonstrations of concepts and skills. The course includes read-aloud tools in seven languages and translation tools in 17 languages, including Spanish. Students have access to audio readers, a searchable glossary, a set of calculators (e.g., graphing, matrix, statistical), and online highlighting and note taking tools. 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 is designed to inspire life-long learning. * The content in this section 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.

Great Minds provides a comprehensive set of mathematics resources to support the transition to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The downloadable materials, known as Eureka Math , provide lesson plans and professional development resources to support mathematics instruction in grades PK-12.  Learning List recently reviewed Eureka Math resources for grades K-12. Some Eureka Math resources may be accessed at no cost at www.GreatMinds.org Eureka Math mathematics resources focus on exploring fewer topics in greater depth at each grade level. Content is organized using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines, which structure instruction by providing multiple means of engaging students, representing content, and expressing and acting upon learning. Further, lesson plans strive to meet the rigor of the CCSS by balancing conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and the application of mathematics to real-world problems. To achieve this goal, Eureka Math lessons are presented in four-parts: Fluency Practice includes activities that develop proficiency, connect to prior learning, and preview new concepts. Concept Development provides core instruction in new concepts and skills, including step-by-step examples. Application Problems allow students to practice using problem sets that are related to the instruction provided in the Concept Development portion of the lesson. Student Debrief provides opportunities for students to discuss and share what they have learned. Debriefs close with an “exit ticket” –a short formative assessment of the day’s learning as students leave the classroom. The Mathematical Practice Standards (MPS) are integrated throughout Eureka Math lessons, and teacher resources include comprehensive support to help teachers adapt to the new standards and integrate the practices in instruction.  Other teacher resources include full-year scope and sequence materials (i.e., curriculum maps) that provide a detailed overview of instruction at each grade level, background in key content, rationale for the structure of instruction, and CCSS alignment documents. About Eureka Math* A group of education leaders founded the non-profit Great Minds in 2007 to define and encourage content-rich comprehensive education for all American schoolchildren. In pursuit of that mission, Great Minds brings schoolteachers together in collaboration with scholars to craft exemplary instructional materials and share them with the field. Great Minds’ Eureka Math curriculum has won accolades at the state and national levels, and is the only comprehensive math curriculum aligned to the Common Core State Standards at every grade. Content in this section is provided by or adapted from Great Minds .   Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

Learning List has reviewed DynaStudy’s DynaNotes Math Eligible TEKS Program for grades 6-8.  DynaNotes is a supplemental learning aid to support mathematics instruction in grades 3 through Algebra 2. Student resources are in print format and teacher materials are on a CD-ROM. Instruction at each grade level addresses each of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) assessed by the applicable STAAR test. At each grade level, DynaNotes presents content using a four-page set of “Student Course Notes” and an accompanying “Student Activity Book.” Student Course Notes are coated cardstock notes broken into categories related to the TEKS strands for each grade level (e.g., Geometry and Spatial Reasoning). Categories are broken into sections that address a subset of the strand (e.g., circles) and provide notes on specific content (e.g., radius, diameter). Section notes summarize fundamental concepts in short, easy-to-read text, clear examples, and colorful illustrations, tables, and graphs. The Student Activity Book provides a set of corresponding activities for each section of the Student Course Notes. Teacher materials are provided on a CD-ROM and include “Student Course Notes and Lessons,” TEKS alignment documents, and answer keys to problems in Student Activity Books. Course Notes and Lessons present the Student Course Notes for each section and an accompanying lesson plan.  Lesson plans present the TEKS addressed by instruction, whole group warm-up exercises and discussion questions, and references to the accompanying activities in the Student Activity Book. About DynaStudy* DynaStudy, Inc., is an award-winning educational publishing company headquartered in Texas. DynaStudy is the creator and sole source provider of all DynaNotes brand products. DynaStudy strives to provide the most effective research-based, student-centered tools that are both motivating for students and affordable for schools. DynaStudy is proud to be WBE certified (Women's Business Enterprise) by WBENC/WBEA and also HUB certified (Historically Underutilized Business) by the Texas Building and Procurement Commission * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from  DynaStudy .   Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

Learning List recently reviewed eBook resources for McGraw Hill’s DLM Early Childhood Express. The comprehensive program builds the knowledge and skills pre-K students need in order to successfully transition to Kindergarten. Resources are available in print and eBook formats and support instruction in blended learning environments. The holistic program addresses the social-emotional, academic, and physical learning needs of pre-K students. Instruction may be paced for half-day and full-day pre-K programs. DLM Early Childhood Express is a holistic program that addresses social and emotional skills; oral language and vocabulary development; phonological awareness; letter names, sounds, and formation; writing skills; math, social studies, science content; fine arts, technology, and physical education. Content is organized in units that focus on a particular interdisciplinary theme (e.g., “Amazing Animals”). Each day’s instruction incorporates predictable routines, including start-of-the-day and end-of-the-day activities, learning centers, and whole group “Circle Time” experiences. Daily activities incorporate read alouds, music, art, and storytelling. Math and science concepts are addressed in the “Math and Science Flip Chart” and in learning center activities. Math learning center resources include “Building Blocks,” which are early education math learning activities and games. The “Making Good Choices Flip Chart” contains illustrations and discussion prompts that address social and emotional skills (e.g., “How can I get others to play with me?”). eBooks present images with associated text (e.g., an elephant; “This animal is big.”) and have audio readers and annotation and highlighting tools. About McGraw Hill* McGraw Hill’s mission is to accelerate learning through intuitive, engaging, efficient and effective experiences – grounded in research. McGraw-Hill Education believes that its that our contribution to unlocking a brighter future lies within the application of a deep understanding of how learning happens and how the mind develops. It exists where the science of learning meets the art of teaching. * 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 A-Z’s Raz Plus is a supplemental program that supports reading instruction in grades K-5. Resources are available online and may be downloaded and printed or displayed using classroom projection devices. Instruction focuses on developing proficient readers using texts that match students’ individual reading levels. Learning List has recently completed reviews of Learning A-Z's Raz Plus grades K-5. Reading A-Z content is organized in 27 reading levels (i.e., aa to Z 2 ) that gradually increase in difficulty. Levels are identified using Learning A- Z’s proprietary “Text Leveling System.” This system considers qualitative indicators (e.g., author’s purpose), quantitative measures (e.g., word count), and reader and task considerations (e.g., student interest and skill) to provide a rounded measure of text complexity. Learning A-Z provides a “Level Correlation Chart” aligning its complexity levels with other widely used measures (e.g., Lexiles, Fountas & Pinnell). At each level of text complexity, Reading A-Z provides two “Benchmark Books” that assess students’ readiness for instruction. Core instruction is presented through the use of more than 1,400 leveled texts and their associated “Guided Lessons.” Texts include a balance of fiction and non-fiction selections. Lessons address fluency, comprehension, writing, vocabulary and foundational skills, such as letter recognition, phonological awareness, and phonics. Each leveled reader is accompanied by a set of instructional resources, including worksheets and quizzes. Teachers may enable individual students and/or classes to access the online “On Your Own Book Room.”  The Book Room contains a variety of independent reading materials in eBook format, including Spanish-language books, poetry, and texts that emphasize high frequency vocabulary.   About Learning A-Z* Learning A-Z is an education technology company dedicated to expanding literacy through thoughtfully designed resources. Learning A-Z provides research-based PreK-6 products that enhance instruction and improve learning. This content is provided by or adapted from  Learning A-Z .   Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

Are you teaching a new grade level or subject this year? If so, have you had time to investigate the instructional materials provided by the district for the grade or course you are teaching? Sometimes when we have short notice of a change of assignment there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to plan.  Three years into my teaching career I moved between campuses and inherited a book cart full of materials for my new assignment. I had no idea which materials were current or most aligned to the standards for the course I would be teaching!  To make things more difficult, I was a singleton teacher and had no one to ask.  It took me a long time to wade through what I had and I am quite sure that I was missing components of the material that came with the original purchase. If you are in a similar position consider the following as you navigate your new role and review the materials you have. What types of materials do you have? Are your materials comprehensive or supplemental? A comprehensive material is one that supports instruction for a course’s full curriculum and is provided for all students. Such materials would include broad, deep discussions of content; remediation and enrichment activities; formative and summative assessments; as well as teacher resources. Supplemental resources are not designed to be the sole instructional resource for a course. Instead, supplementary materials complement, enrich, or extend the content of comprehensive resources. It seems reasonable that supplemental products will vary in terms of their alignment to standards. Some products may focus on a narrow set of standards, while others, such as test preparation resources, may provide a brief review of all standards. What other instructional resources are included with those materials? For example, do you and/or your students have access to additional web resources, or consumables that may engage them or help extend their learning? Hopefully you were left a list, or someone else on your team can provide this information to you. If not, it may be worth your time to research the material on the publisher’s website in order to understand all of the components you have at your fingertips. Is the material aligned to the standards you are teaching? Sometimes we have older materials that were purchased prior to a standards revision cycle. Those may not address all the current standards students are responsible for learning. How would you know? Compare the material’s publication date to the date the new standards were implemented. If provided, use the publisher’s correlation to identify which standards are addressed in the instructional material. When planning your instruction check that the citation(s) (page, lesson, video, etc.) you plan on using  is aligned to the content, context, and cognitive demand of the standard s you are teaching. Students won’t learn what they are not taught.  So make sure the materials you are using address the entire standards you are teaching. Thinking back to my third year teaching I would have been a far more effective teacher if I had known to check my materials.  I didn’t.  I hope this helps you avoid the same mistake so that your students have the best opportunity for success.

Compass Learning’s Pathblazer is a supplemental online program that supports intervention and remediation in English language arts/reading (ELAR) and mathematics across grades K-8. Adaptive screening and diagnostic tools identify individual student’s learning gaps and prescribe a customized plan that addresses gaps and moves students toward on-grade level instruction. Learning List has reviewed Pathblazer’s ELAR resources for middle school students (i.e., grades 6-8). Pathblazer uses an “Initial Screener” and a “Proficiency-Level Diagnostic” to identify each student’s learning needs. Based on combined assessment results, students are prescribed an individualized, standards-based instructional path that addresses gaps, accelerates learning, and moves students toward on-grade level instruction. Learning paths are made up of thematic, text-based lessons designed to build students’ vocabulary, fluency, reading comprehension, and writing skills. Lessons are engaging and balance entertaining instruction with high-quality content. Direct instruction is provided through animated, interactive videos that clarify learning objectives, vocabulary, and literary terms and devices. Instruction focuses on building foundational skills and reading fluency and includes frequent quizzes that check for understanding. About Compass Learning* Compass Learning purpose-builds K–12 learning acceleration software for blended learning, intervention, high school, and inquiry-based personalized learning. Compass® software helps pinpoint and close skill and concept gaps and move students forward academically with: Explicit instruction Supported practice Independent practice Ongoing formative assessment Compass Learning’s award-winning content is rigorous, yet fun, so students remain engaged and motivated to learn. * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from Compass Learning Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

As the school year begins, so does the debate over homework. Educators, parents, and researchers have differing opinions about how much (if any) homework is appropriate. Some people believe homework is useless, if not harmful.  Others favor homework in some cases but not all, depending on the age of the child, the type of homework assigned, and the time it takes to complete.  Whether or not you agree with the concept of assigning of homework, students’ time spent interacting with instructional materials (during the school day or as homework) will lead to improved academic performance only if the materials used are aligned to the standards. As you plan homework, review the instructional material you plan to use to make sure that it addresses, and is aligned, to the standards you want students to learn. Here’s why: after hearing many teachers complain that they were not getting the promised results from a widely used supplemental material, Learning List reviewed it. Our alignment report revealed the problem: The material was not aligned to 100% of the state standards, which was not surprising because few supplemental materials intend to cover 100% of the standards. Teachers were (unintentionally) using the material to help students practice standards the material did not cover. In fact, the publisher’s correlation did not list those standards as being addressed in the material at all. In order for homework to be effective it must be aligned to the standards you want students to learn. Otherwise, you are giving students false confidence that they have learned what they need to be successful. For more information about using instructional materials efficiently and effectively, read these previous posts: Are You Discussing Instructional Material Alignment in Your PLC? Are Your Resources Supporting Your Efforts to Close the Achievement Gap?

According to Solution Tree , the first of four critical questions around which effective PLCs focus their work is, “What do we expect our students to learn?” This fundamental question lays the foundation for the remaining work of the PLC. In response to this question, your PLC is likely discussing the relevant state standards, the district curriculum, and pacing. You may be missing a large piece of the puzzle if you are not also discussing the alignment of the instructional materials you will be using to support student learning.     Consider the following: Simply using a resource on a state-adopted list (if your state has one) or on the AP Example Textbook Lists does not necessarily mean that the resource addresses all of the standards for the grade and subject area. For example, materials are eligible for adoption in Texas and for inclusion on the 2016 Example Textbook Lists if they align to at least 50% of the relevant standards. Just because the publisher claims that a material is aligned to 100% of the standards, does not mean it is. Learning List finds that on average, comprehensive (full-course/year) materials are aligned to 80% and supplemental materials are aligned to 60% of the relevant standards. Even if a material is aligned to 100% of the state standards (i.e., it’s aligned to each standard in at least one location) it does NOT mean that it’s aligned in all the places the publisher claims it to be . From an instructional perspective, it’s critically important to student success for teachers to be sure that the particular citations (e.g., page numbers, lessons) that they assign in their instructional materials are truly aligned to the standards they are teaching. How do you evaluate “alignment” during your PLC? Step 1: Check whether the material addresses the standard(s) you are using it to teach. Publisher’s should be able to provide a correlation document or an online “correlation” that shows exactly where in their material each standard is addressed. Use the publisher’s correlation to identify whether your material(s) address the standard(s) you will be teaching in the unit or lesson. If the material does address those standards proceed to Step 2. If the material does not address the standards, find another resource that does. *If you do not have a correlation document you can request one from the publisher. If the publisher does not have one, you may want to reconsider using that resource. Step 2: Check that the citations you plan to assign are aligned to those standards. Just because a material addresses a standard, does not mean it’s aligned to the standard. As part of your PLC work, check that each citation (e.g., each  page, lesson or unit in your material) you intend to assign is aligned to the standard you are using it to teach, A citation is aligned to a standard only if it addresses the  content, context, and cognitive demand of the standard. The content of the standard describes what the students are expected to learn. The context of the standard describes where or when the learning should take place (e.g., type of science, genre of ELA, place/time in history). The Cognitive demand of the standard describes what the student is expected to do (i.e., the level of rigor) A citation must be aligned to all three C’s of the standard in order to teach students all the knowledge and skills the standards require them to learn. If the citations in your material address only part of the standard(s) you will be teaching, then either (1) adjust your instruction to cover the parts of the standard the material does not, or (2) find citations in another resource that are aligned to those standards Answering the question, “What do we expect our students to learn?” leads the important instructional work of the PLC. Ensuring that the materials you use are aligned to the standards they are being used to teach is a critical step in preparing your students for success. Doing that work during the planning stage that should save you from having to do as much remediation later. Learning List ’s detailed alignment reports and alignment comparison tool can save PLC’s hours of work. C ontact us to find out how.

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Learning List recently reviewed the CPM Educational Program’s Core Connections comprehensive courses for Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2. Resources are available in print and eBook formats and address the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Instruction is problem based; students work in “Study Teams” to deepen their understanding of problem-solving strategies and solutions. Study Teams develop students’ responsibility for their own learning. Teams work together to answer questions, justify their reasoning, and identify multiple solution strategies. Through ongoing discussion, teams support one another and ensure all members understand problems and solutions. Teachers encourage students’ teamwork, facilitate discussions, and provide support when teams encounter questions they are unable to answer. Teacher resources include background and strategies to support the implementation of Study Teams. The “Teacher” tab in course eBooks provides pacing information and suggested lesson, closure, and homework activities. Lessons include “Mathcasts”—recorded podcasts in which an expert teacher walks users through the lesson providing background information and suggesting teaching strategies. Students have access to interactive math tools, including algebra tiles and Desmos graphing calculators, and course resources are available in Spanish. About CPM Educational Program* CPM Educational Program is a California nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to improving grades 6-12 mathematics instruction.  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. * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from  CPM Educational Program . Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.