McGraw-Hill Education’s Sociology and You is a comprehensive sociology course for high school students that includes print and online resources. The course introduces students to the study of social structures and includes engaging multimedia features, such as videos and interactive learning tools, which support instruction in blended learning environments. Learning List has recently completed a review of Sociology and You. Sociology and You addresses how social structures shape human societies and behavior. Content is organized using Understanding by Design® (UBD) model, which frames instruction in terms of “Enduring Understandings” and “Essential Questions.” Chapters open with essential questions to guide students’ thinking and include a “Technology and Society” feature that examines how technology influences social experiences. Chapters include primary source documents for analysis and hands-on projects. Lessons begin with lesson-specific essential questions, a brief overview of content, and an explanation of why it matters to students. Students have access to a glossary in Spanish and English and online libraries of “Skills Builder” and “Test Prep” resources. Skills Builder resources address geography, research, writing, and presentation skills and include links to college and career readiness development materials. The Test Prep library provides rubrics and resources to improve test-taking skills. Click here for an outline of the course or here for a program overview.   About McGraw Hill Education at a Glance* Sociology & You  is written exclusively for high school to introduce students to the discipline of sociology and the sociological study of society. McGraw-Hill Education believes that their 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. 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. McGraw Hill believes that harnessing technology can enhance learning inside and outside of the classroom and deepen the connections between students and teachers to empower greater success. By partnering with educators around the globe, McGraw Hill learning engineers, content developers and pedagogical experts are developing increasingly open learning ecosystems that improve pass rates, elevate grades and increase engagement for each individual learner while improving outcomes for all. Why? Because learning changes everything. * The content in this section is provided by or adapted from  McGraw Hill Education . © 2015 Learning List

McGraw-Hill Education’s Texas High School Math Series is a set of comprehensive courses for Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and Pre-calculus that includes print and digital resources.  Courses reference the TEKS throughout the instruction and focus on preparing students for end-of-course exams. Math Process Standards are integrated throughout the instructions and each course includes specific Response to Intervention (RtI) resources. Courses begin with a “Chapter 0” review of the knowledge and skills needed to be prepared for instruction. Subsequent chapters include a “Get Ready” feature that provides a quick check of prerequisite skills and knowledge, an overview of new vocabulary in English and Spanish, and instructions on how to use graphic organizers to support retention of content. Chapters include a mid-point quiz and end with a test preparation feature that includes a study guide, lesson-by-lesson review problems, sets of test-taking strategies, and a TEKS-formatted practice test. “Student Handbooks” provide extra practice problems, selected answers and solutions, a glossary, and reference materials, including formulas, measures, and mathematical symbols and properties. Online course resources include tutorials in key content, BrainPOP® animations of concepts, graphing software, and virtual manipulatives. Teacher editions include comprehensive correlations to the TEKS and ELPS and a “TEKS Skills Trace” feature that allows teachers to track students’ mastery of specific TEKS and preparation for end-of-course exams. Teacher editions provide background information in key content, RtI strategies, and guidance in teaching the math process standards. More information is available at the McGraw-Hill Education Texas site .

McGraw-Hill Education’s Texas Social Studies Series includes comprehensive courses for high school social studies electives, including Economics, Psychology, Sociology, and U.S. Government.  Learning List  has reviewed this series relative to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills ( TEKS ). The Economics course introduces students to the fundamentals of economics, including the effects of economic policies and decisions on daily life. Instruction addresses principles of economics and includes background on the key figures and events that have contributed to development of contemporary economic theories. Understanding Psychology covers fundamental concepts in psychology with a focus on research and statistics in the field. Sociology and You addresses how social structures shape human societies and behavior. U.S. Government addresses the foundations, structures, and processes of U.S. government and their effect on civic life. In each course, content is organized using Understanding by Design® (UBD) model, which frames instruction in terms of “Enduring Understandings” and “Essential Questions.” Course resources support instruction in blended learning environments and include interactive content and include engaging multimedia features, such as videos and interactive learning tools.

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 List has reviewed McGraw Hill’s StudySync California. This comprehensive resource addresses California’s English language arts (ELA) and English language development (ELD) standards for grades 6-12. Materials are provided in online and print formats and support instruction in blended learning environments. The core literacy program provides integrated instruction in the close reading of complex texts, writing for specific purposes (e.g., argument), and research skills. Content is structured around the five key themes of the California Framework: Making meaning, language development, effective expression, content knowledge, and foundational skills. At each grade level, instruction is presented in four 45-day thematic units that include 10-12 short texts for students to analyze, integrated writing and research activities, and a recommended longer “Full Text Study.” Core instruction is presented in each unit’s “Instructional Path” for each of the literary and informational texts contained in the unit. Built on the work of Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey (i.e., “Rigorous Reading”), the Instructional Path begins with a “First Read” lesson followed by several “Skills Lessons” and concludes with a “Close Read” lesson that revisits the text. Each unit includes an “Extended Writing Project,” a “Research Project,” and a recommended “Full-Text Study.” The Extended Writing Project provides core writing instruction and allows students to explore the unit’s theme more deeply, by drawing on the texts read, through research, and students’ own experiences. Research Projects provide opportunities for students to develop research and presentation skills by examining a topic related to the unit’s theme in greater depth. The recommended Full Text Study for each unit suggests an additional full-length work for student to read and study. 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 List has reviewed McGraw Hill’s Reading Mastery, Signature Edition , which is a comprehensive resource to support reading and language arts instruction in grades K-5. The program emphasizes structured direct instruction, rapid intervention, and ongoing support for struggling learners. Resources are available in print and online formats and addresses the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for each grade level. Reading Mastery provides carefully sequenced direct instruction in the concepts, skills, and strategies students need to become proficient readers. Content is presented at a controlled pace that ensures students have the requisite skills and knowledge to master increasingly complex reading and language arts content. The reading and language arts strands of the program are presented separately. Reading lessons integrate phonemic and phonological awareness, vocabulary skills, reading comprehension strategies, and fluency. Language arts lessons focus on developing oral language and writing skills. Lessons for both strands provide opportunities for guided and independent practice with scaffolded support, and for students to apply what they have learned. Content follows a logical progression and builds on students’ prior learning when introducing new skills. Instruction focuses on preventing the misunderstandings and frustration that may discourage struggling readers. Resources for each Response to Intervention (RtI) tier are provided and Reading Mastery: Fast Cycle is available for high performing students. About McGraw Hill* At McGraw-Hill Education, we believe that our contribution to unlocking a brighter future lies within the application of our 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 we develop help educators impart their knowledge to students more efficiently. We believe that harnessing technology can enhance learning inside and outside of the classroom and deepen the connections between students and teachers to empower greater success. By partnering with educators around the globe, our 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. *The content provided here was provided by or adapted from McGraw Hill. Subscribe to Learning List  for access to the spec sheet, full editorial review and detailed alignment report for this material.

McGraw Hill’s Wonders Leveled Readers are a supplemental resource to support reading and language arts instruction at grades K-6. Readers are available in print and eBook formats.  Readers meet the needs of students below, at, and above grade level, as well as English language learners (ELLs). Learning List recently reviewed materials for grade 3. Wonders Leveled Readers provide a balance of informational and literary texts.  Each text begins with an essential question (e.g., “How can others inspire us?” “What are different kinds of energy?”) and is broken into several short chapters. Texts at each level differ in complexity but address the same concepts, vocabulary, reading strategies and skills (e.g., making predictions, theme), and essential questions. eBooks have audio readers and note taking tools. Each reader ends with a set of activities that includes a comparison of the primary text to a second, shorter text (i.e., “Paired Read”). Literary texts support comprehension using colorful illustrations and “Stop and Check” questions. Informational texts incorporate visual elements such as photographs, timelines, graphs, and diagrams. New vocabulary is highlighted and resources include a glossary and an index.  Across both types of texts, illustrations and visual elements in ELL readers support vocabulary development using labels of depicted items (e.g., pencil, prairie). About McGraw Hill* At McGraw-Hill Education, we believe that our contribution to unlocking a brighter future lies within the application of our 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 we develop help educators impart their knowledge to students more efficiently. We believe that harnessing technology can enhance learning inside and outside of the classroom and deepen the connections between students and teachers to empower greater success. By partnering with educators around the globe, our 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. *The content in this section is provided by or adapted from McGraw Hill. 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?

Compass Learning’s supplemental Hybridge™ Math program provides interactive, online mathematics instruction for grades K-8. Resources support instruction in blended learning environments and integrate easily with offline content. At the elementary level (K-5), instruction supports the development of algebraic reasoning, data analysis, and financial literacy skills. Content includes multimedia resources that illustrate and explain mathematics concepts in visually appealing segments appropriate to students’ age and attention span. Hybridge™ Math is a flexible program that may be used to supplement core math instruction in several ways. Teachers may select pre-made lessons that address a particular standard or topic covered in core math instruction. Teachers may also create customized lessons for individual students or groups of students. Customized learning paths are created using diagnostic pre-tests that adapt instruction based on individual student's needs. Teachers may create their own diagnostic tests using program software or they may use a premade assessment provided by one of Compass Learning’s assessment partners (i.e., Northwest Evaluation Association, Scantron, and Renaissance Learning). Most lessons take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete and include direct instruction, guided and independent practice, and a short assessment. Lessons increase in complexity across grade levels and include topics in geometry, mathematical operations, measurement and data, algebraic thinking, and financial literacy. At grade K, lessons help students learn to count and understand quantities. Lessons for grades 3-5 include operations with fractions. Instruction is presented in video lessons and narrated slide shows that include interactive games, puzzles, and activities. Familiar, age-appropriate characters engage students with humor, vivid graphics, and a conversational tone. Some lessons include printable worksheets to accompany instruction and most lessons include a short quiz. NOTE: Compass Learning, a leader in learning acceleration, has recently earned an  Education Software Review (EDDIE) Awards for its newly-released learning acceleration software™ that was selected from submissions worldwide: Hybridge™ won the best Reading/Math solution for Middle School.

Are you considering whether to renew a subscription of an online material? If so, the two-step process featured in this blog will help you analyze potential connections between student assessment results and the online resources you are using. Jackie Lain, President of Learning List, has recently been featured on the “Getting Smart Blog” as a Guest Author. http://gettingsmart.com/2016/08/how-to-determine-the-need-to-renew-online-material-subscription/

This past weekend at ISTE *, Compass Learning unveiled its new suite of accelerated learning software to help teachers tackle some of today’s biggest education challenges. The new offerings focus on blended learning, intervention and credit recovery with software that includes: Pathblazer ™ a reading and math intervention program for elementary and middle school students, Hybridge ™ a blended learning solution for elementary and middle school, and Gradbound ™ , a credit recovery program for high school. Compass Learning is also launching new professional development courses, including its Leveraging Data course, which will support educators in implementing data-driven instruction. While these products are new, Compass Learning has been building on more than 40 years of innovation by providing rigorous products to support accelerated learning experiences that enable K-12 students to succeed. Last year, Learning List reviewed Compass Learning’s comprehensive Odyssey program.  Odyssey provides interactive, accelerated, online instruction in mathematics and English language arts/reading for K-12 students. Across grade levels, Odyssey’s flexible resources support a range of instructional needs, including self-paced learning, remediation, tutorials, and credit-recovery programs.  Lessons are highly customizable and use video, audio, text-based, and interactive learning experiences to accommodate differences in student learning styles. At each grade level, Odyssey’s multimedia content illustrates and explains concepts in humorous, visually appealing segments appropriate to students’ age and attention spans. Each Odyssey course is structured to facilitate easy access to lessons and associated content. Lessons are indexed by sequence, skill, and learning standard, and lessons titles include accurate and thorough descriptions of content and activities. Teachers may customize instruction by adding offline or other web-based resources to existing course materials. Odyssey’s Test Builder tool allows teachers to develop customized assessments using test bank items indexed by learning objective. Teachers may set mastery levels, timed testing windows, and other testing criteria. Like the new suite of products, Odyssey’s reporting tools support data-driven instruction by providing teachers with detailed reports in more than 20 formats. Report data may be aggregated by class, grade, school, and multiple schools and disaggregated for particular student groups, such as English language learners. You can look forward to reviewing the resources on Learning List  after the resources become available for the new school year. *International Society for Technology in Education

Students are more likely to do well on state assessments if their instructional materials help them learn what the state requires them to know and be able to do after taking the course. Publishers regularly tell us that going through our review process has helped them strengthen their materials in a variety of ways: 1) Creating correlations for more products: Trustworthy correlations help teachers quickly identify the parts of an instructional material that will help students master the knowledge and skills required in each standard. Publishers typically develop correlations for materials they intend to submit for state adoption but do not routinely correlate their non-state-adopted and supplemental materials. A detailed correlation document must accompany any product submitted to Learning List for review. Therefore, many publishers have used Learning List’s alignment templates to correlate their materials to state standards for the first time. Learning List’s subject matter experts then verify that the citations in the publisher’s correlation are aligned to the content, context and cognitive demand of each standard. 2) Strengthening their correlations: Learning List’s subject matter experts review the citations listed in the publisher’s correlation from an educator’s perspective. For each citation found not to be aligned to the relevant standard, Learning List’s reviewers provide a comment explaining precisely which part of the standard the citation fails to address. Some publishers have eliminated from their correlations any citations Learning List found not to be aligned to the standards. As one publisher told us, “We don’t want to mislead our customers in any way. We’d rather remove any citations that your reviewers believed did not address the standards as deeply as educators need them to.” 3) Helping educators use products more effectively: Learning List allows publishers to provide comments in response to our alignment review. Several publishers have provided comments to guide subscribers to content provided in another grade level where a particular standard is more deeply aligned. Other publishers suggest ways subscribers can adjust their use of the product (e.g., extend the number range; access a writing tool) to address the dictates of a particular standard that Learning List found not to be aligned in the material. 4) Strengthening product content: Publishers have also added content to their products to address deficiencies highlighted in Learning List’s alignment reports. For example, in response to Learning List’s alignment review of its elementary math products, a publisher created new content for the teacher editions and submitted a correlation to the new content for a subsequent review. As a result of the additional content, the product’s alignment percentage increased from around 70 to 98%. Last week, the publisher of state-adopted materials that were deemed by the state review panel to be aligned to fewer than 100% of the standards asked us to review new content developed to address deficits highlighted in the state’s review. We will review the new content and provide subscribers with both the original state alignment report and Learning List’s alignment report for the updated product. Learning List helps students learn by providing high quality reviews that empower educators to select the instructional materials that will best meet their students’ needs. However, Learning List is helping students learn in another, equally important way. By helping publishers strengthen their materials’ alignment to the standards, Learning List is helping students receive materials that will better prepare them for academic success.