2016

Agile Mind Middle School Mathematics

Publisher
Agile Mind
Subject
Math
Grades
6-8
Report Release
02/20/2020
Review Tool Version
v1.0
Format
Core: Comprehensive

EdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.

Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Meets Expectations

Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.

Usability (Gateway 3)
Meets Expectations
Our Review Process

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About This Report

Report for 7th Grade

Alignment Summary

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for alignment to the CCSSM. The materials meet the expectations for focus and coherence in Gateway 1, and they meet the expectations for rigor and the mathematical practices in Gateway 2.

7th Grade
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Meets Expectations
Gateway 3

Usability

31/38
0
22
31
38
Usability (Gateway 3)
Meets Expectations
Overview of Gateway 1

Focus & Coherence

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet expectations for focus and coherence. The instructional materials do not assess topics beyond Grade 7, and students and teachers using the materials as designed would devote the large majority of instructional time to the major work of the grade. The instructional materials meet expectations for coherence, and they show strength in having an amount of content that is viable for one school year and fostering coherence through connections within the grade.

Criterion 1.1: Focus

02/02
Materials do not assess topics before the grade level in which the topic should be introduced.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet expectations for not assessing topics before the grade-level in which the topic should be introduced. Overall, there are not assessment items that align to topics beyond Grade 7.

Indicator 1A
02/02
The instructional material assesses the grade-level content and, if applicable, content from earlier grades. Content from future grades may be introduced but students should not be held accountable on assessments for future expectations.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for assessing grade-level content. The majority of the Grade 7 assessment content was appropriate for the grade. There are some items in the assessments that align to standards above Grade 7, but omitting or modifying these assessment items would not significantly impact the underlying structure of the Grade 7 materials.

The questions within the Practice and Assessment sections were reviewed for this indicator. The Practice sections within each topic contain multiple questions under the categories of Guided Practice and More Practice. The Assessment sections within each topic contain Automatically Scored questions and Constructed Response questions.

The following questions that include content from future grades are from Topic 13:

  • Guided Practice 8, More Practice 1-2, and Automatically Scored 1-2 expect students to work with the central and interior angles of polygons, which aligns to 8.G.5.
  • Automatically Scored 10 requires the use of the Pythagorean Theorem to find the perimeter of a right triangle (8.G.7).


Criterion 1.2: Coherence

04/04
Students and teachers using the materials as designed devote the large majority of class time in each grade K-8 to the major work of the grade.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for students and teachers devoting the majority of class time to the major work of the grade when materials are used as designed. Overall, the materials spend approximately 72% of class time on the major work of Grade 7.

Indicator 1B
04/04
Instructional material spends the majority of class time on the major cluster of each grade.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for spending the majority of class time on the major clusters of the grade. Overall, the instructional materials spend approximately 72% of class time on the major clusters of Grade 7.

For this indicator, the following were examined: all Blocks of instruction within all Topics in Course Contents, Alignment to Standards in Course Materials, the Mathematics 7 Scope & Sequence with Common Core State Standards document in Professional Support, and the Block descriptions for each Topic located within Deliver instruction under Advice for Instruction in Professional Support. There are fifteen topics divided into the following categories: Overview, Explore, Summary, Practice, and Assessment. Each Topic contains 6 to 13 Blocks of instruction, and each Block of instruction represents a 45-minute class period.

In the Block descriptions for each Topic, individual activities are not assigned specific amounts of time, or ranges of time, for the activities to be completed. Thus, when calculating the percentage of class time spent on the major cluster of the grade, two perspectives were appropriate, Topics and Blocks. For these materials, analysis by Blocks is the most appropriate because the Topics do not have an equal number of Blocks within them and the Blocks are not subdivided into smaller increments.

In addition to the Blocks directly aligned to major clusters of the grade, all Blocks aligned to supporting clusters of the grade were also examined. Those Blocks aligned to supporting clusters that were found to incorporate major work of the grade were included in the calculations below:

  • Blocks: 102 of the 142 Blocks, approximately 72%, are spent on the major clusters of the grade.
  • Topics: 11.5 of the 15, Topics , approximately 77%, are spent on the major clusters of the grade.


Criterion 1.3: Coherence

07/08
Coherence: Each grade's instructional materials are coherent and consistent with the Standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for being coherent and consistent with the Standards. The instructional materials show strengths in having an amount of content that is viable for one school year but do not always make explicit connections between prior knowledge and future learning and the major work of the grade. Therefore, the progressions in the Standards are not always evident. The materials foster coherence within grade level work.

Indicator 1C
02/02
Supporting content enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet expectations that supporting content enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade. Overall, supporting content is found primarily in Topics 1-2 and 9-15, and the supporting content does enhance focus and coherence by engaging students in the major work of the grade. Examples of the connections between supporting work and major work include the following:

  • In Topic 1 Blocks 2, 3, 6, and 11 connect major standard 7.RP.3 to supporting standard 7.G.1. Students are using scale factor in solving a variety of problems with proportional relationships.
  • In Topic 2 Blocks 8 and 9 connect major standard 7.RP.3 to supporting standard 7.G.1. Students are using scale factor in solving direct variation problems involving the effects of different sized scopes.
  • In Topic 9 Blocks 2, 6, 9, and 10 connect major standard 7.NS.3 to supporting standard 7.SP.8. Students are calculating simple and compound probabilities using rational numbers in various forms.
  • In Topic 9 Blocks 4, 5, and 11 connect major standard 7.RP.3 to supporting standard 7.SP.7. Students are using ratios and percentages to solve problems within probability models.
  • Topic 11 connects supporting cluster 7.SP.C and major standards 7.RP.3, 7.NS.3, and 7.EE.3 as students are designing an appropriate simulation using proportional reasoning and testing its validity.
  • In Topic 12 Blocks 1, 2, and 4 connect major standards 7.EE.3,4 to supporting standard 7.G.5. As students find measures of vertical, adjacent, complementary, and supplementary angles, they are using variables and writing equations that can be solved to find the missing angle measures.
  • Topic 13 connects supporting cluster 7.G.B and major standards 7.NS.3 and 7.EE.4 as students are solving a variety of real-life and mathematical problems involving area and circumference of circles and areas of two-dimensional objects.
  • In Topic 14 Blocks 2, 3, 5, and 6 connect major standard 7.NS.3 to supporting standard 7.G.6. Students are solving rational number expressions to find the surface area and volume of various figures. Major standard 7.EE.3 is also incorporated into Topic 14 as students are solving a variety of real-life and mathematical problems with positive rational numbers.
  • In Topic 15 Blocks 2-6 connect major standard 7.NS.3 to supporting standards 7.G.1,4. Students are using scale factor to calculate differences in area and perimeter of 2-dimensional shapes. Major standards 7.EE.3 and 7.RP.1,3 are also incorporated into Topic 15 as students are solving a variety of real-life and mathematical problems involving proportional reasoning as dimensions are changed and the patterns of change in perimeter and area are examined.


Indicator 1D
02/02
The amount of content designated for one grade level is viable for one school year in order to foster coherence between grades.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for the amount of content designated for one grade-level being viable for one school year in order to foster coherence between grades. The suggested pacing contains 15 Topics and 142 Blocks (days) of instruction, including assessments. According to the Agile Mind Mathematics 7 Scope and Sequence, each block is expected to last 45 minutes. Some lessons (Constructed Response, MARS tasks) may take longer than indicated.

Each Block includes the following sections: Overview, Exploring, Summary, and Assessment. The Exploring pages are categorized by math concept and can be discussed and reviewed as a class or by individuals/small groups of students.

Indicator 1E
01/02
Materials are consistent with the progressions in the Standards i. Materials develop according to the grade-by-grade progressions in the Standards. If there is content from prior or future grades, that content is clearly identified and related to grade-level work ii. Materials give all students extensive work with grade-level problems iii. Materials relate grade level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 partially meet the expectations for being consistent with the progressions in the Standards. Overall, the materials develop according to the grade-by-grade progressions in the Standards, and they give all students extensive work with grade-level problems. However, content from prior or future grades is not always clearly identified or related to grade-level work, and the materials do not always relate grade-level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades.

Examples of Grade 7 materials in which off grade-level content is present and not identified as such includes the following:

  • Topic 4 Block 11, aligned to 7.RP.3, extends above grade-level when compound interest is introduced.
  • In Topic 5 there are items that have students place rational numbers on a number line (6.NS.6) and order rational numbers (6.NS.7).
  • In Topic 7 there are items that have students solving unit rate problems (6.RP.3b) and placing rational numbers on a number line (6.NS.6).
  • Topic 8 Block 5, aligned to 7.EE.4, extends above grade-level when students are expected to solve an equation that requires collecting like terms (8.EE.7b).
  • In Topic 10 there are multiple items that have students analyze individual sets of data (6.SP.B) as opposed to analyzing and comparing multiple sets of data (7.SP.B).
  • Topic 12 Block 6, aligned to 7.G.2, extends above grade-level when “congruence” and “congruent triangles” are used within the explanation (8.G.2).

One example where off grade-level material is identified is in the teacher materials for Topic 10. "Although the Exploring 'Misleading graphs' is not focused on primary standards of the grade, it has strong connections to the ideas of ratio and area. Additionally, it allows for students to reason abstractly and quantitatively, construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, and attend to precision.”

The Grade 7 materials provide extensive work with grade-level standards. All students are expected to complete the same problems, and lessons or ideas presented for differentiated instruction also include grade-level problems. The MARS tasks that are included, especially the ones in Topics 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, and 15, are places where students are given the opportunity to engage with the grade-level standards to their full intent.

In lessons where prior knowledge is included, identification of content from prior grades is mentioned in four components of the materials, but the identification is general and not explicitly connected to a grade-level or standard. Examples from the four components are as follows:

  • In the first paragraph of the About the Course section, there is a brief, general overview of topics of which students acquired a foundation prior to Grade 7.
  • The first paragraph in Agile Mind Mathematics 7 Scope and Sequence, 2016-2017 briefly references prior work in variables, properties of operations, equations, proportional reasoning, rational number operations, 2-D figures, area, and volume and how these concepts connect to Grade 7 work and beyond.
  • The Advice for Instruction section references prior work in different places, although specific standards are not referenced. Some examples of this include:
    • The Topic 3 Topic at a glance states, “This topic, Patterns in proportional relationships, is designed to build on students' prior knowledge involving ratios, rates, and proportional reasoning developed in previous topics.”
    • The Topic 5 Topic at a glance states, “The topic makes connections to the fractions and decimals students have already studied. Students complete the number line by placing fractions and decimals on number lines along with integers.”
    • In Topic 6 the following Prerequisite skills are listed under Prepare instruction: Multiplication and division, Integers as the set of whole numbers and their opposites, Adding and subtracting integers, and Raising a number to a power. The Prerequisite skills are not explicitly connected to any previous, grade-level standards.
    • In the Deliver Instruction of Topic 8, page 5 of the Overview states, “This page reminds students about their previous work with inequalities.”
    • In Topic 13 a classroom strategy on page 2 of the Overview states, “The formulas presented on this page were introduced in earlier grades. Depending on your students’ prior experiences, they may not recall them or how to apply them. Use this page to connect to prior learning by engaging students in these formulas.”
  • The Overview of the student material sometimes informs students what they will learn within the Topic and occasionally gives a general connection to previous learning. For example, the Overview of Topic 1 states, “Ratios and proportions are very useful in everyday life. You may have explored some of these uses in your previous math courses. Do you remember how to represent ratios? Use the animation for some important reminders.”


Indicator 1F
02/02
Materials foster coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the Standards i. Materials include learning objectives that are visibly shaped by CCSSM cluster headings. ii. Materials include problems and activities that serve to connect two or more clusters in a domain, or two or more domains in a grade, in cases where these connections are natural and important.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for fostering coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the Standards. Overall, the materials include learning objectives that are visibly shaped by CCSSM cluster headings, and they provide problems and activities that connect two or more clusters in a domain or two or more domains when these connections are natural and important.

Some examples of Topic Headings and Goals and Objectives shaped by cluster headings include the following:

  • Topic Headings:
    • In Topic 3, “Patterns in Proportional Relationships” is shaped by 7.RP.A.
    • In Topics 5 and 6, "Multiplying and Dividing Rational Integers" is shaped by 7.NS.A.
    • In Topics 9 and 11, “Probability” and “Designing Experiments,” respectively, are shaped by 7.SP.C.
    • In Topic 13, “Solving problems with 2-D shapes” is shaped by 7.G.B.
  • Goals and Objectives:
    • In Topic 1, “apply proportional reasoning in a range of contexts” is shaped by 7.RP.A.
    • In Topic 5, “apply previous understandings of rational numbers to add and subtract integers represent real-world situations using integers” is shaped by 7.NS.A.
    • In Topic 8, “solve real-life and mathematical problems using linear expressions and equations using concrete models, tables, graphs, and the properties of equality and operations” is shaped by 7.EE.B.
    • In Topic 12, “solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measures” is shaped by 7.G.B.

The following are topics that contain problems and/or activities which connect two or more clusters in a domain or two or more domains in a grade.

  • In Topic 2, 7.RP.A and 7.EE.B are connected as students solve real-life problems where understanding of the unit rate is central to solving the problems.
  • In Topic 3, 7.RP.A and 7.EE.B are connected as students explore proportional and nonproportional relationships in multiple representations and write equations that will describe the proportional relationships.
  • In Topic 4, 7.RP.A, 7.NS.A, and 7.EE.B are connected as students solve a variety of multi-step percent problems using written expressions and multiple operations with rational numbers.
  • In Topic 7, 7.NS.A and 7.EE.B are connected as students solve a variety of problems involving rational numbers and all operations. As students solve, they are responsible for writing expressions/equations that represent the problems before solving.
  • In Topic 7, 7.RP.A and 7.EE.B are connected as students solve a variety of problems based on a given rate or unit price. Students must apply proportional reasoning as they solve.
  • In Topic 8, 7.EE.A and 7.EE.B are connected as students use the properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions as a part of solving mathematical problems using algebraic expressions and equations.
  • In Topic 10, 7.SP.A and 7.SP.B are connected as students make inferences about a single population in order to draw comparative inferences about two or more populations.


Overview of Gateway 2

Rigor & Mathematical Practices

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for rigor and the mathematical practices. The materials meets the expectations for rigor as they help students develop conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and applications. The materials also meet the expectations for mathematical practices. Overall, the materials show strengths in identifying and using the MPs to enrich the content along with attending to the specialized language of mathematics.

Criterion 2.1: Rigor

08/08
Rigor and Balance: Each grade's instructional materials reflect the balances in the Standards and help students meet the Standards' rigorous expectations, by helping students develop conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for rigor and balance. The materials meet the expectations for rigor as they help students develop conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application with a balance in all three.

Indicator 2A
02/02
Attention to conceptual understanding: Materials develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific content standards or cluster headings.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for developing conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific content standards or cluster headings. Multiple opportunities exist for students to work with standards that specifically call for conceptual understanding and include the use of visual representations, interactive examples, and different strategies.

Cluster 7.NS.A addresses applying and extending previous understandings of operations with fractions to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers.

  • In Topics 5, 6, and 7 students develop their understanding of rational number operations, including integers and fractions, through several real-world, interactive examples. Students use algebra tiles, number lines, and other manipulatives to represent various problems and their solutions. Fact families and patterns are also used to build understanding of rational number operations. Real world situations include change of elevation, debt, and traveling across time zones.

Cluster 7.EE.A addresses understanding how the properties of operations can be used to generate equivalent expressions.

  • In Topic 8 students begin by looking at growing patterns in “virtual creatures.” Their understanding develops as they transition from the interactive applet in the materials to modeling equivalent expressions with algebra tiles. Furthermore, equivalent expressions leads to solving equations and inequalities, which are modeled with different representations as students transition from a concrete to an abstract understanding of equivalent expressions.


Indicator 2B
02/02
Attention to Procedural Skill and Fluency: Materials give attention throughout the year to individual standards that set an expectation of procedural skill and fluency.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for giving attention throughout the year to individual standards that set an expectation of procedural skills. Students are given multiple opportunities to develop procedural skills with rational numbers, expressions, equations, and inequalities.

Cluster 7.NS.A addresses students developing procedural skills with adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing rational numbers.

  • In Topic 5 students have multiple opportunities to develop procedural skills with 7.NS.1, including combining quantities to make zero and addition/subtraction of integers. As students generalize patterns through basic practice and verbal description, they make connections between conceptual understanding and procedural skills.
  • In Topic 6 students have multiple opportunities to multiply and divide integers through Practice problems and Student Activity Sheets. Some problems are strictly procedural while others are built into constructed response assessment items.

Standard 7.EE.1 addresses students being able to add, subtract, factor, and expand linear expressions with rational coefficients, and 7.EE.4 expects students to develop procedural skills with solving linear equations and inequalities.

  • Topics 7 and 8 give students ample opportunities to combine linear expressions with rational coefficients along with solving equations and inequalities. In both topics, various rational numbers (fractions and integers, both positive and negative) are embedded into the expressions, equations, and inequalities.


Indicator 2C
02/02
Attention to Applications: Materials are designed so that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of the mathematics, without losing focus on the major work of each grade

The materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for being designed so that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of the mathematics, without losing focus on the major work of each grade. Overall, students are given opportunities to solve application problems that include multiple steps, real-world contexts, and are non-routine.

Application problems allowing students to make their own assumptions in order to apply their mathematical knowledge can be found in different parts of the materials, including MARS Tasks, Constructed Response items and occasionally within the Student Activity Sheets (SAS).

Cluster 7.RP.A addresses students using proportional relationships to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

  • In Topic 1 Constructed Response 1 students use proportional reasoning to modify a vegetable soup recipe based on a given number of people or a specific amount of one of the ingredients. This problem does not include any questions or prompts for scaffolding, and the context is unique when compared to other contexts used in the Topic.
  • In Topic 2 Constructed Response 1 students use proportional reasoning to determine the best buy among different packages of sports drinks. This problem provides some scaffolding for the students as the first part of the problem directs students to find the unit price for each of the three different packages.
  • In Topic 4 Constructed Response 2 students use proportional reasoning to determine the new price of an item after a sale and an additional reduction in price. Students must create a model to represent the situation and determine the full discount without any scaffolding questions or prompts.

Standard 7.NS.3 addresses solving real-world and mathematical problems involving the four operations with rational numbers.

  • In Topic 7 Constructed Response 1 students apply their knowledge of operations with rational numbers when modifying a recipe for trail mix. However, the context for this problem is almost identical to a context that is used during the Topic, and the students are provided with partially completed tables of values that help them determine which operations to use when modifying the recipe.
  • In Topic 7 Constructed Response 2, students answer multiple questions about the costs incurred when different numbers of people participate in different activities, and they are provided a table that lists the activities and their associated costs. In this problem, students are not provided with questions or prompts that lead them toward answers, and the context is unique from others used in the Topic.


Indicator 2D
02/02
Balance: The three aspects of rigor are not always treated together and are not always treated separately. There is a balance of the 3 aspects of rigor within the grade.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for balance. Overall, the three aspects of rigor are not always treated together and are not always treated separately. Most Topics provide opportunities through lessons and assessments for students to connect conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application when appropriate or engage with them separately as needed.

Balance is displayed in Topic 5 in which students apply and extend previous understanding of addition/subtraction of integers using several models. Balance is further evidenced in Topic 13 in which students apply and extend previous understanding of area and volume in a series of animations using number cubes to fill a rectangular prism and cutting the box open to determine its surface area.

Criterion 2.2: Math Practices

09/10
Practice-Content Connections: Materials meaningfully connect the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical Practice

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for practice–content connections. Overall, the materials show strengths in identifying and using the MPs to enrich the content along with attending to the specialized language of mathematics. However, the materials do not attend to the full meaning of MPs 4 and 5, and there are few opportunities for students to choose their own models or tools when solving problems.

Indicator 2E
02/02
The Standards for Mathematical Practice are identified and used to enrich mathematics content within and throughout each applicable grade.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for the Standards for Mathematical Practices (MPs) being identified and used to enrich the mathematics content within and throughout the grade. The instructional materials for the teacher identify the MPs, and students using the materials as intended will engage in the MPs along with the content standards for the grade.

  • The Practice Standards Connections are found within the Professional Support section for the teacher. The eight MPs are listed with three to eight examples for each. According to the Practice Standards Connections “each citation is intended to show how the materials provide students with ongoing opportunities to develop and demonstrate proficiency with the Standards for Mathematical Practice.” Several opportunities exist within the Grade 7 materials where the MPs enrich student learning.
  • Deliver Instruction is located within Advice for Instruction under Professional Support in the teacher material. Occasionally, there will be information within the Deliver Instruction section giving some guidance on how to implement the MP within the task/activity.
    • In Topic 3 Block 8 the teacher guides the student to complete the MARS task “Tiling Squares.” In Deliver Instruction, the questions and activities help the teacher to guide students to identify and generalize patterns verbally and with an algebraic rule. The investigation allows students to engage in MPs 1, 4, and 8.
    • In Topic 9 Block 3 provides an opportunity to reason abstractly and quantitatively (MP2) as students relate experimental probability to theoretical probability through probability experiments with flipping coins.


Indicator 2F
01/02
Materials carefully attend to the full meaning of each practice standard

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 partially meet the expectations for carefully attending to the full meaning of each practice standard (MP). Overall, the materials attend to the full meaning of most of the MPs, but there are two MPs for which the full meaning is not addressed.

The instructional materials do not attend to the full meaning of MPs 4 and 5.

  • MP4: This MP is integrated several times throughout the materials, but the full meaning of the MP is not developed through these different parts of the materials. In Topic 5 during Using the number line and Using the vertical number line, students are given the number lines to model addition/subtraction of integers and numbers and their opposites, but there are no other aspects of MP4 addressed in this Topic. In Topic 12 Block 2, students write equations that model angle relationships and use them to find the measure of different angles, but there are no other aspects of MP4 addressed during this Block. In Topic 13 Block 3 the animation provides a specific example of how students could use square grids to estimate the area of a circle rather than have students determine their own grid. This animation does not allow students to make any assumptions about the problem or identify important quantities as these things are done for them. Also, students do not get to reflect upon their work and make any adjustments that might be necessary.
  • MP5: This MP is integrated at different points in the materials, but the full meaning of the MP is not developed through these different parts of the materials. In Topic 8 during Block 9 students are guided through using a graph to solve an inequality manually and with technology. In this example, the teacher is the person predominantly using the tools, and the students are not able to choose the tools. In Topic 10 during Block 3 the teacher is provided with questions that has students discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using different types of plots with a set of data, but in this example, the types of plots are provided to the students and teachers. In the rest of the Topic, either plots are provided to students in problems or students are directed which plot to make to represent a set of data. In Topic 12 Block 7 students are directed to use a ruler and a protractor to draw triangles that have given characteristics.


Indicator 2G
Read
Emphasis on Mathematical Reasoning: Materials support the Standards' emphasis on mathematical reasoning by:
Indicator 2G.i
02/02
Materials prompt students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics detailed in the content standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectations for prompting students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others. Overall, the materials prompt students to construct viable arguments and to analyze the arguments of others.

The instructional materials provide opportunities for students to construct viable arguments.

  • In Topic 1 Block 5 during the MARS task “Mixing paints” students use proportional reasoning to answer several questions in the context of paint mixtures. They are prompted to explain their answer.
  • In Topic 1 Block 7 during the MARS task “Cereal” students explain their reasoning when determining which cereal has the higher ratio of protein.
  • In Topic 10 Block 8 during the MARS task “Best Guess” students determine which student is the best at guessing how long 30 seconds is with a given scenario and data set. They are then asked to justify their own reasoning.
  • In Topic 12 Block 7 students construct the triangles with given angle measurements and side lengths. Students then compare their answers with a partner. There is a missed opportunity for students to defend their own answers and critique the answers of their partners.

The instructional materials provide opportunities for students to analyze the arguments of others.

  • In Topic 4 Block 8 during the MARS task “25% Sale” students are presented with a statement made by a person in the problem, requiring them to identify, analyze, and explain why the person is wrong.
  • In Topic 8 Block 6 Constructed Response 1 students are presented a situation where a teacher is taking his students to a pizza parlor and asks them to to write an equation to represent the total cost for taking any number of students to BB’s Park and Pizza. Then, the students are prompted to evaluate four possible equations with the following two questions. “Which equation(s) correctly represent the cost for BB’s Park and Pizza? Explain why each equation is or is not correct. Which equations are equivalent? Provide evidence that the equations are equivalent.”


Indicator 2G.ii
02/02
Materials assist teachers in engaging students in constructing viable arguments and analyzing the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics detailed in the content standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for assisting teachers in engaging students in constructing viable arguments and analyzing the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics detailed in the content standards. In Deliver Instruction, classroom strategies and question prompts are provided to assist teachers in engaging students to construct viable arguments or analyzing the arguments of others.

The following are examples of assistance provided to the teachers to promote the construction of viable arguments and analysis of other’s thinking, including prompts, sample questions to ask, and guidance for discussions.

  • In Topic 1 Block 5 the MARS task “Mixing Paints” assists teachers with “Encourage students to be active listeners during the debrief of this task. For example, after a student has shared his or her answer or strategy you can engage students by saying; “Raise your hand if you understand Michael’s strategy.” Then call on one or more of those students to restate the strategy in their own words. ... encourage students to critique each other’s reasoning and to compare the various strategies.”
  • InTopic 2 Block 4 students are asked to solve a punch recipe problem and then play an animation to compare their answer with Briana’s. The teacher is directed to “have them critique Briana’s strategy and discuss how effective it is and how it compares to other strategies used by classmates. Emphasize that there are many different ways that students can use a rate table to reason about the situation.”
  • In Topic 3 Block 3 students work to determine what the cost will be for having medium pizzas delivered. The assistance that teachers are provided with is as follows: “This presents a great opportunity to reinforce the mathematical practice of constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others.”
  • In Topic 8 Block 6 as students complete Constructed Response 1, they get the opportunity to analyze the solutions of fictitious students that are presented to them. The assistance teachers are given for engaging students in analyzing each other’s critiques of the fictitious students is as follows: “After students have had 10-12 minutes to work on the task, have them pair up and share the solutions and strategies. Encourage students to critique others' arguments for which equations are equivalent.”
  • In Topic 10 Block 8 the MARS Task “Best Guess” assists teachers with “Students will also need to provide strong evidence for the arguments, so their written responses should include a description of how they applied statistical reasoning and measures of center and spread to make their decisions. ... After students have formulated their arguments, have students pair up and share their responses and rationale. Encourage them to critique each other’s reasoning. ... During the class debrief, continue to encourage students' careful analysis of the various arguments. Some students may be uncomfortable with the fact that there is not a single correct answer. Be sure that measures of center and variability are both discussed, especially when analyzing the guesses of Ben.”
  • In Topic 12 Block 7 students construct the triangles with given angle measurements and side lengths. Students are then asked to compare their answers to a partner. The teacher is instructed to ask students to present their work to the class and given the following assistance: “Doing so will get the students to think about how to articulate their reasoning and defend their work in front of their peers. It will also allow students the opportunity to ask questions of one another so that the student presenting the ideas can justify their thinking.”

The Advice for Instruction misses the opportunity to assist teachers to understand the construct of problems and situations that lend themselves to these prompts in any lesson throughout the course, instilling the habit for communicating mathematical ideas that construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others.

Indicator 2G.iii
02/02
Materials explicitly attend to the specialized language of mathematics.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for explicitly attending to the specialized language of mathematics. Overall, the materials appropriately use the specialized language of mathematics and expect students and teachers to use it appropriately as well.

Occasionally, there are suggestions within Deliver Instruction as to how teachers can reinforce mathematical language during instruction.

  • Topic 4 Block 1: "This animation reinforces that equivalencies among ratios, percents, and decimals exist because each can be written as an equivalent ratio. Its purpose is not to demonstrate the most efficient process for translating among the representations of ratios, decimals, and percents. The animation builds on the idea that any rational number, including compound ratios, can be expressed as a ratio with a denominator of 1.”
  • Topic 7 Block 1: "Review the different types of numbers: natural, whole, integer, and rational…. Ask students to share their own versions of each definition, correcting any misconceptions as needed.”
  • Topic 12 Block 3: “The animation develops the Angle Sum Theorem for triangles. For this course, the theorem is neither formalized nor proven, but students should be fluent with the fact that the measures of the interior angles in a triangle sum to 180°, and be able to explain why.”

In the student materials, vocabulary terms can be found in bold print within the lesson pages, and these terms are used in context during instruction, practice, and assessment. Vocabulary terms are also available to the students at all time through My Glossary within the materials. For teachers, vocabulary terms for each Topic can be found under Language Support, which is within Advice for Instruction. Both core vocabulary and reinforced vocabulary are listed for each unit.

Criterion 3.1: Use & Design

08/08
Use and design facilitate student learning: Materials are well designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet expectations that the materials are well designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. Overall, materials are well-designed, and lessons are intentionally sequenced. Students learn new mathematics in the Exploring section of each Topic as they apply the mathematics and work toward mastery. Students produce a variety of types of answers including both verbal and written answers. The Overview for the Topic introduces the mathematical concepts, and the Summary highlights connections within and between the concepts of the Topic. Manipulatives such as algebra tiles and virtual algebra tiles are used throughout the instructional materials as mathematical representations and to build conceptual understanding.

Indicator 3A
02/02
The underlying design of the materials distinguishes between problems and exercises. In essence, the difference is that in solving problems, students learn new mathematics, whereas in working exercises, students apply what they have already learned to build mastery. Each problem or exercise has a purpose.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for having an underlying design that distinguishes between problems and exercises.

  • Each Topic includes three sections: Overview, Exploring, and Summary. The Overview section introduces the mathematical concepts that will be addressed in the Topic. The Exploring section includes two to four explorations. In these explorations students learn the mathematical concepts of the Topic through problems that include technology-enhanced animations and full-class activities. The Summary section highlights the most important concepts from the Topic and gives students another opportunity to connect these concepts with each other.
  • Each Topic also includes three additional sections: Practice, Assessment, and Activity Sheets. The Practice section includes Guided Practice and More Practice. Guided Practice consists of exercises that students complete during class periods, providing opportunities for students to apply the concepts learned during the explorations. More Practice contains exercises that are completed as homework assignments. The Assessment section includes Automatically Scored and Constructed Response items. These items are exercises to be completed during class periods or as part of homework assignments. They provide more opportunities for students to apply the concepts learned during the explorations. The Activity Sheets also contain exercises, which can be completed during class periods or as part of homework assignments, that are opportunities for students to apply the concepts learned during the explorations.
  • Some Topics also include MARS Tasks, which are exercises that present students with opportunities to apply concepts they have learned from the Topic in which the MARS Task resides or to apply and connect concepts from multiple Topics.


Indicator 3B
02/02
Design of assignments is not haphazard: exercises are given in intentional sequences.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for having a design of assignments that is not haphazard with problems and exercises given in intentional sequences.

The sequencing of Topics, and explorations within the Exploring section for each Topic, develops in a way that helps to build students’ mathematical foundations.

  • The Topics are comprised of similar content. For example, in Topic 5 Adding and Subtracting Integers the Exploring section includes Modeling with Algebra Tiles, Using the Number Line, and Using the Vertical Number Line.
  • Within the explorations for each Topic, problems generally progress from more simple to more complex problems and incorporate knowledge from prior problems or Topics, which offers students opportunities to make connections among mathematical concepts. For example, solving problems related to relationships for different pairs of angles in Topic 12 incorporates and builds upon writing and solving equations from Topic 8.
  • As students progress through the Overview, Exploring, and Summary sections, the Practice (Guided and More), Assessment (Automatically Scored and Constructed Response), and Activity Sheets sections are placed intentionally in the sequencing of the materials to help students build their knowledge and understanding of the mathematical concepts addressed in the Topic.
  • The MARS Tasks are also placed intentionally in the sequencing of the materials to support the development of the students’ knowledge and understanding of the mathematical concepts that are addressed by the tasks.


Indicator 3C
02/02
There is variety in what students are asked to produce. For example, students are asked to produce answers and solutions, but also, in a grade-appropriate way, arguments and explanations, diagrams, mathematical models, etc.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for having a variety in what students are asked to produce.

Throughout a Topic, students are asked to produce answers and solutions as well as explain their work, justify their reasoning, and use appropriate models. The Practice section and Automatically Scored items include questions in the following formats: fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice with a single correct answer, and multiple choice with more than one correct answer. Constructed Response items include a variety of ways in which students might respond, i.e. multiple representations of a situation, modeling, or explanation of a process. Also, the types of responses required vary in intentional ways. For example, concrete models or visual representations are expected when a concept is introduced, but as students progress in their knowledge, students are expected to transition to more efficient solution strategies or representations.

Indicator 3D
02/02
Manipulatives are faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent and when appropriate are connected to written methods.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for having manipulatives that are faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent and, when appropriate, are connected to written models. The materials include a variety of virtual manipulatives, as well as integrate hands-on activities that allow the use of physical manipulatives.

Most of the physical manipulatives used in Agile Mind are commonly available: ruler, patty paper, graph paper, algebra tiles, and graphing calculators. Due to the digital format of the materials, students also have the opportunity to represent proportional relationships virtually with a table and graph and generate random samples to draw inferences. Each Topic has a Prepare Instruction section that lists the materials needed for the Topic. Manipulatives accurately represent the related mathematics. For example, Topic 8, Exploring Modeling and Solving Linear Equations, students use physical Algebra Tiles to model an equation and write a mathematical procedure along with having an interactive, virtual model of the same problem.

Indicator 3E
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The visual design (whether in print or online) is not distracting or chaotic, but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 have a visual design that is not distracting or chaotic but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject. The student materials are clear and consistent between Topics within a grade-level as well as across grade-levels. Each piece of a Topic is clearly labeled, and the explorations include Page numbers for easy reference. Problems and Exercises from the Practice, Assessment, and Activity Sheets are also clearly labeled and consistently numbered for easy reference by the students. There are no distracting or extraneous pictures, captions, or "facts" within the materials.

Criterion 3.2: Teacher Planning

07/08
Teacher Planning and Learning for Success with CCSS: Materials support teacher learning and understanding of the Standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet expectations that materials support teacher learning and understanding of the standards. The instructional materials provide Framing Questions and Further Questions that support teachers in delivering quality instruction, and the teacher’s edition is easy to use and consistently organized and annotated. The materials provide full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced mathematics concepts in the lessons so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject. Although each Topic contains a list of Prerequisite Skills, this list does not connect any of the skills to specific standards from previous grade levels, so the instructional materials partially meet the expectation for explaining the role of the specific grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum.

Indicator 3F
02/02
Materials support teachers in planning and providing effective learning experiences by providing quality questions to help guide students' mathematical development.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for supporting teachers in planning and providing effective learning experiences by providing quality questions to help guide students' mathematical development. The Deliver Instruction section for each Block of a Topic includes Framing Questions for the start of each lesson. For example, in Topic 6 Block 2, the Framing Questions are: “Can you model the multiplication problems from yesterday? (If students struggle, model a few to get them going.) How do you think we could model division with algebra tiles?” During the lesson, the Deliver Instruction section includes multiple questions that teachers can ask while students are completing the activities. At the the end of each lesson, Deliver Instruction includes Further Questions. For example, in Topic 6 Block 6 “How are the rules for integer multiplication related to the rules for raising integers to powers?”

Indicator 3G
02/02
Materials contain a teacher's edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for containing a teachers edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. Where applicable, the materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

The materials contain Professional Support which includes a Plan the Course section and a Scope and Sequence document. The Plan the Course section includes Suggested Lesson-planning Strategies and Planning Resources. Each Topic contains an Advice for Instruction section that is divided into Prepare Instruction and Deliver Instruction. For each Topic, Prepare Instruction includes Goals and Objectives, Topic at a Glance, Prerequisite Skills, Resources, and Language Support, and for each Block within a Topic, Deliver Instruction includes Agile Mind Materials, Opening the Lesson, Framing Questions, Lesson Activities, and Suggested Assignment. In Lesson Activities, teachers are given ample annotations and suggestions as to what parts of the materials should be used when and Classroom Strategies that include questions to ask, connections to mathematical practices, or statements that suggest when to introduce certain mathematical terms or concepts.

Where applicable, the materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning. For example, in Topic 9 Block 1 teachers are directed to, “Show the animation on page 3. Stop the animation on each panel and have students work in pairs to understand the definition of each bolded vocabulary word. Allow students to use previous knowledge or resources to record their definitions and examples. [SAS, question 1]. Show page 4. Have students discuss each profession. Ask for suggestions for other professions that utilize probability.”

Indicator 3H
02/02
Materials contain a teacher's edition (in print or clearly distinguished/accessible as a teacher's edition in digital materials) that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced mathematics concepts in the lessons so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for containing full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced mathematics concepts in the lessons so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

In Professional Support, Professional Learning, there are four interactive essays entitled “Developing concepts across grades”. There is an Overview that explains the purpose of the four essays, and the topics for these four essays are Functions, Volume, Rate, and Proportionality. Each essay is accessible to teachers and not students, and the Overview states “these essays are available for educators to illustrate connections and deepen understanding around what students may have already learned, and where they are headed on their journey.” Each essay examines the progression of the concept from Grades 6-8 through Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and beyond. By examining the progressions of the concepts beyond Algebra II, teachers have the opportunity to improve their own knowledge of more advanced mathematics concepts that build upon grade-level standards. For example, in Volume, teachers progress from packing a right, rectangular prism with unit cubes to developing the formulas for the volume of cylinders and cones to finding the volume of a figure generated by rotating a two-dimensional shape around a horizontal axis. Also, in Proportionality, teachers explore how proportional relationships are part of the following mathematical concepts: scaling images, linear functions, trigonometric ratios, rational functions, and the derivative.

In addition to “Developing concepts across grades”, the Grade 7 materials also contain a section of interactive essays entitled “Going beyond Grade 7”. There is an Overview that explains the purpose of the three essays, and the Overview states, “These essays are not intended for use with your 7th grade students; rather, they are designed to provide you with important connections and background that will support you as you help your students master 7th grade content.” The topics for these three essays are Rate of Change, Random Variables, and Volume of Solids with Known Cross Sections. Along with having their own section in Professional learning, each of these essays are also referenced in Deliver Instruction for the Blocks where they are appropriate under the title of Teacher Corner. For example, in Topic 3, the essay Rate of Change is referenced for teachers in Block 2 on page 4, and in Topic 9, Random Variables is referenced in Block 4 on page 6. Two of the essays, Rate of Change and Random Variables, connect the Grade 7 content to advanced mathematical concepts through multiple grades and courses, but Volume of Solids with Known Cross Sections progresses quickly from Grade 7 content to content that would be part of a Calculus course. This transition provides few, if any, opportunities for Grade 7 teachers to connect the concept to advanced high school content in Calculus.

In Professional Support, there is a section of Professional Essays which are in either Print or Video format. The Print essays are divided as either Curriculum or Course Management Topics, and although some of the Curriculum Essays are content specific, they do not address mathematical concepts that extend beyond the current grade. The Video Essays - categorized into Teaching with Agile Mind, More Teaching with Agile Mind, and Dimensions of Mathematics Instruction - do not directly provide adult-level explanations or examples of advanced mathematics concepts.

Indicator 3I
01/02
Materials contain a teacher's edition (in print or clearly distinguished/accessible as a teacher's edition in digital materials) that explains the role of the specific grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum for kindergarten through grade twelve.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 partially meet the expectation for explaining the role of the specific grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum. In the course materials for Grade 7, the specific reference to the Standards is the following statement in the Plan the Course materials: “Alignment to standards. To support the use of our Grade 7 course, you will find correlations from Agile Mind topics to your state learning standards. These alignments can be found in Course Materials.” There are no specific references within the online lesson materials as to the standards that are being taught for the courses. A Scope and Sequence is provided where the standards for each lesson are listed for each Topic.

Within Professional Support, Practice Standards Connections is provided. Also, the materials include a table for each Standard for Mathematical Practice that lists examples of where the MPs are used within the course. “The citations below are examples from the Grade 7 program that show how the materials provide students with ongoing opportunities to develop and demonstrate proficiency with the Standards for Mathematical Practice.” Teachers are able to make connections between the standards being taught and the activities and instruction for the lesson.

Indicator 3J
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Materials provide a list of lessons in the teacher's edition (in print or clearly distinguished/accessible as a teacher's edition in digital materials), cross-referencing the standards covered and providing an estimated instructional time for each lesson, chapter and unit (i.e., pacing guide).

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 provide a list of lessons in the teacher's edition, cross­‐referencing the standards covered and providing an estimated instructional time for Topics and Blocks. The materials provide a Mathematics 7 Scope and Sequence document which includes the number of Blocks of instruction for the duration of the year, time in minutes that each Block should take, and the number of Blocks needed to complete each Topic. The Scope and Sequence document lists the CCSSM addressed in each Topic, but there is no part of the materials that aligns Blocks to specific content standards. The materials also provide Alignment to Standards in the Course Materials which allows users to see the alignment of Topics to the CCSSM or the alignment of the CCCSM to the Topics. The Deliver Instruction section contains the Blocks for each Topic. The Practice Standards Connections, found in Professional Support, gives examples of places in the materials where each MP is identified.

Indicator 3K
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Materials contain strategies for informing parents or caregivers about the mathematics program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 do not contain strategies for informing parents or caregivers about the mathematics program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

Indicator 3L
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Materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 do not contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies within the teaching materials. There is a Professional Essays section which addresses a broad overview of mathematics in grades 6-8 as discussed in indicator 3h.

Criterion 3.3: Assessment

06/10
Assessment: Materials offer teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the Standards.

The instructional materials for Agile Mind Grade 7 partially meet exceptions that materials offer teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about students progress on the Standards. Opportunities for ongoing review and practice, and feedback occur in various forms. Standards are identified that align to the Topic; however, there is no mapping of Standards to items. There are limited opportunities for students to monitor their own progress, and there are no assessments that explicitly identify prior knowledge within and across grade levels. The materials include few opportunities to identify common misconceptions, and strategies to address common errors and misconceptions are only found in a few Deliver Instruction topics.

Indicator 3M
01/02
Materials provide strategies for gathering information about students' prior knowledge within and across grade levels.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 partially meet the expectations for providing strategies for gathering information about students' prior knowledge within and across grade levels. The materials do not provide any assessments that are specifically designed for the purpose of gathering information about students’ prior knowledge, but the materials do provide indirect ways for teachers to gather information about students’ prior knowledge if teachers decide to use them that way.

In Prepare Instruction for each Topic, there is a set of Prerequisite Skills needed for the Topic, and the Overview for each Topic provides teachers with an opportunity to informally assess students prior knowledge of the Prerequisite Skills. For example:

  • In Topic 8 three of the Prerequisite Skills are: “Solve one-step equations algebraically; Create an equation in the form px + q = r from a pattern; and Use models such as a pan balance and algebra tiles to represent a one-step equation.”
  • Then, in the Lesson Activities for the Overview, teachers are told, “This page reminds students of their earlier work writing algebraic rules and equations to represent relationships. Have students verbalize the relationship represented by each equation, paying careful attention to what each variable and each number represents in the given scenario. Show pages from the previous topic as needed. Ask students to reflect on other algebraic rules and equations that they have used before. Have students record some examples including a description of the relationship and what each variable represents.”
Indicator 3N
01/02
Materials provide strategies for teachers to identify and address common student errors and misconceptions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 partially meet the expectation for providing strategies for teachers to identify and address common student errors and misconceptions. There is not an explicit way in which the materials help teachers identify and address common student errors and misconceptions, but there are a few instances in the Deliver Instruction where common errors and misconceptions are identified and suggestions are given for how to address them. For example, in Topic 5 Block 4 teachers are told, “Students find subtraction of integers challenging. They often need extra practice. Don't move too quickly to the symbolic level; let students use the model of their choice until they feel comfortable. Explain that because of their familiarity so far with only positive numbers, students commonly, erroneously model subtraction with a concrete direction on the number line (e.g. that it will always mean go to the left). Emphasizing the topic's treatment of subtraction as adding the opposite can help; adding the opposite doesn't always mean going to the left.”

Indicator 3O
02/02
Materials provide opportunities for ongoing review and practice, with feedback, for students in learning both concepts and skills.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for providing opportunities for ongoing review and practice, with feedback, for students in learning both concepts and skills. The materials provide opportunities for ongoing review and practice, and feedback occurs in various forms. Within interactive animations, students submit answers to questions or problems, and feedback is provided by the materials. Practice problems and Automatically Scored Assessment items are submitted by the students. Immediate feedback is provided letting students know whether or not they are correct, and if incorrect, suggestions are given as to how the answer can be improved. The Lesson Activities in Deliver Instruction provide some suggestions for feedback that teachers can give while students are completing the lessons.

Indicator 3P
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Materials offer ongoing formative and summative assessments:
Indicator 3P.i
01/02
Assessments clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 partially meet the expectation for assessments clearly denoting which standards are being emphasized.

The pre-made assessments provided in the Assessment section align to the standards addressed by the Topic, but the individual items are not clearly aligned to particular standards. The set of standards being addressed by a Topic can be found in the Scope and Sequence document or in Course Materials through Alignment to Standards. The MARS Tasks also do not clearly denote which CCSSM are being emphasized.

Agile Assessment is an optional resource that can be licensed along with Agile Mind Grade 7, and Agile Assessment allows educators to create their own assessments by selecting from a repository of items aligned to standards and level of difficulty. Reports from assessments created with Agile Assessment denote which standard is being assessed.

Indicator 3P.ii
01/02
Assessments include aligned rubrics and scoring guidelines that provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 partially meet the expectation for assessments including aligned rubrics and scoring guidelines that provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up. The MARS Tasks that are included in the materials are accompanied by rubrics aligned to the task that show the total points possible for the task and exactly what students need to do in order to earn each of those points. The Constructed Response items are accompanied by complete solutions, but rubrics aligned to the Constructed Response items are not included. For both the MARS Tasks and the Constructed Response items, alternate solutions are provided when appropriate, but sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up are not provided with either the MARS Tasks or the Constructed Response items.

Indicator 3Q
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Materials encourage students to monitor their own progress.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 offer opportunities for students to monitor their own progress. Throughout the Exploring, Practice, and Automatically Scored Assessment sections, students get feedback once they submit an answer, and in that moment, they can adjust their thinking or strategy. Goals and Objectives for each Topic are not provided directly to students, but they are given to teachers in Prepare Instruction.

Students can also monitor their progress on assignments and quizzes assigned by their teacher from the Agile Mind Grade 7 course. There is a set of reports for students that appear on their dashboard about active assignments and quizzes from that day, there is another set of reports in the student’s Report area from which students can view data on all the assignments they have completed throughout the year. These reports allow students to monitor their progress and learning related to the topics in the course.

Criterion 3.4: Differentiation

10/12
Differentiated instruction: Materials support teachers in differentiating instruction for diverse learners within and across grades.

The instructional materials for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet expectations that materials support teachers in differentiating instruction for diverse learners within and across grades. Activities provide students with multiple entry points and a variety of solution strategies and representations. The materials provide strategies for ELLs and other special populations, but the materials do not always challenge advanced students to deepen their understanding of the mathematics. Grouping strategies are designed to ensure roles for each group member.

Indicator 3R
02/02
Materials provide strategies to help teachers sequence or scaffold lessons so that the content is accessible to all learners.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for providing strategies to help teachers sequence or scaffold lessons so that the content is accessible to all learners.

Each Topic consists of three main sections- Overview, Exploring, and Summary, and these three sections are divided into Blocks. Each Block contains lesson activities, materials for Practice, Assessment, and Activity Sheets, along with a MARS Tasks if applicable for the Topic. In each Topic, the Blocks and lesson activities are sequenced for the teacher. In the Advice for Instruction for each Topic, Deliver Instruction for each Block contains instructional notes and classroom strategies that provide teachers with key math concepts to develop, sample questions to ask, ways in which to share student answers, and other similar instructional supports.

Indicator 3S
01/02
Materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 partially meet the expectation for providing teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners. Overall, the instructional materials embed multiple visual representations of mathematical concepts where appropriate, include audio recordings in many explorations, and give students opportunities to engage physically with the mathematical concepts.

However, the instructional notes provided to teachers do not consistently highlight strategies that can be used to meet the needs of a range of learners. When instructional notes are provided to teachers, they are general in nature and are intended for all students in the class, and they do not explicitly address the possible range of needs for learners. For example, in Topic 2, Block 4, the Deliver Instruction states, “In this scenario, promote the practice of making sense of problems and persevering in solving them by allowing students plenty of time to explore this scenario on their own before pairing up with another student to compare strategies. Do not push for a specific strategy at this point, but allow for a variety of approaches. If a student is stuck encourage them to represent the scenario with pictures and then review their notes from the last few days for some of the strategies and representations that have been explored before.”

In some explorations, teachers are provided with questions that can be used to extend the tasks students are completing, which are beneficial to excelling students. For struggling students, teachers are occasionally provided with strategies or questions they can use to help move a student’s learning forward. The Summary for each Topic does not provide any strategies or resources for either excelling or struggling students to help with their understanding of the mathematical concepts in the Topic.

Indicator 3T
02/02
Materials embed tasks with multiple entry-points that can be solved using a variety of solution strategies or representations.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation that materials embed tasks with multiple entry­-points that can be solved using a variety of solution strategies or representations. Overall, tasks that meet the expectations for this indicator are found in some of the Constructed Response Assessment items and Student Activity Sheets that are a part of all Topics. MARS Tasks embedded in some of the Topics have multiple entry-points and can be solved using a variety of solution strategies or representations. For example, in Topic 4 Constructed Response 1 students determine if two fictitious people are correct in their assumption about mixing two types of popcorn together. Students have a choice in the different representations or strategies they can use to correctly analyze the assumption. Another example is Topic 13 Student Activity Sheet 6 Problem 5; students find the area of irregular shapes which can be decomposed in different ways into shapes with which students are more familiar, such as triangles, parallelograms, and trapezoids.

Indicator 3U
02/02
Materials suggest support, accommodations, and modifications for English Language Learners and other special populations that will support their regular and active participation in learning mathematics (e.g., modifying vocabulary words within word problems).

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation that the materials suggest accommodations and modifications for English Language Learners and other special populations that will support their regular and active participation in learning mathematics.

The materials provide suggestions for English Language Learners and other special populations in regards to vocabulary and instructional practices. In Prepare Instruction for Topic 1, Teaching Special Populations of Students refers teachers to the Print Essay entitled “Teaching English Language Learners” in Professional Support, which describes general strategies that are used across the series such as a vocabulary notebook, word walls, and concept maps. Teaching Special Populations of Students also describes general strategies that are used across the series for other special populations, including progressing from concrete stage to representational stage to abstract stage and explicitly teaching metacognitive strategies through think alouds, graphic organizers, and other visual representations of concepts and problems.

In addition to the general strategies mentioned in Teaching Special Populations of Students, there are also many specific strategies listed across each course of the series in Deliver Instruction. In Deliver Instruction, Support for ELL/other special populations includes strategies that can be used with both English Language Learners and students from other special populations. Strategies specific to other special populations can also be found in Classroom strategy or Language strategy. An example of Support for ELL/other special populations from Topic 2, Block 1, Page 2 is “The Latin prefix uni is common in many languages; connect it to unit for ELL students. Directly proportional is a new idea and ELL students as well as students with learning differences may need a physical connection to the concept. Consider using a choral chant to help students begin to internalize what this means. Have students stand up and say “x and y are directly proportional means x times a number equals y. They are always related only through multiplication.”” An example of a strategy for other special populations from Topic 12, Block 5, Page 3 is “Classroom strategy. Students can also build the triangles with straws or other tools. The use of various tools, including technology, to explore forming triangles helps develop conceptual understanding of the conditions needed and is particularly important for students with certain learning differences.”

Indicator 3V
01/02
Materials provide opportunities for advanced students to investigate mathematics content at greater depth.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 partially meet the expectation for providing opportunities for advanced students to investigate mathematics content at greater depth. The problems provided in the materials are on grade level, and the materials are designed to assign most of the problems to all students. However, there are a few problems that are on grade level and not assigned to all students, and these problems could be used for advanced students to investigate mathematics content at greater depth. Examples include:

  • In Topic 15, Block 5, teachers are provided this question to ask students, "How do you think the ratio of the volumes of scaled figures would relate to the scale factor? Explore this question using some simple rectangular prisms."
Indicator 3W
02/02
Materials provide a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 meet the expectation for providing a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics. The activities are diverse, meeting the interests of a demographically, diverse student population. The names, contexts, videos, and images presented display a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics.

Indicator 3X
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Materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies. The Deliver Instruction Lesson Activities include suggestions for when students could work individually, in pairs, or in small groups. When suggestions are made for students to work in small groups, there are no specific roles suggested for group members, but teachers are given suggestions to ensure the involvement of each group member. For example, in Topic 11 Block 5 teachers are told to “have groups try various methods for conducting the simulation, and then share their results with the class. Students should justify their work through explanations, posters, or a class discussion.”

Indicator 3Y
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Materials encourage teachers to draw upon home language and culture to facilitate learning.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 do not encourage teachers to draw upon home language and culture to facilitate learning. Questions and contexts are provided for teachers in the materials, and there are no opportunities for teachers to adjust the questions or contexts in order to integrate the home language and culture of students into the materials to facilitate learning.

Criterion 3.5: Technology

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Effective technology use: Materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning. Digital materials are accessible and available in multiple platforms.

The instructional materials for Agile Mind Grade 7 are web-based and platform neutral but do not include the ability to view the teacher and student editions simultaneously. The materials embed technology enhanced, interactive virtual tools, and dynamic software that engage students with the mathematics. Opportunities to assess students through technology are embedded. The technology provides opportunities to personalize instruction; however, these are limited to the assignment of problems and exercises. The materials cannot be customized for local use. The technology is not used to foster communications between students, with the teacher, or for teachers to collaborate with one another.

Indicator 3AA
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Digital materials (either included as supplementary to a textbook or as part of a digital curriculum) are web-based and compatible with multiple internet browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.). In addition, materials are "platform neutral" (i.e., are compatible with multiple operating systems such as Windows and Apple and are not proprietary to any single platform) and allow the use of tablets and mobile devices.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 are web-based and compatible with multiple internet browsers (Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer). In addition, the materials are “platform neutral” and allow the use of tablets with ChromeOS, Android, or iOS operating systems, and students can complete assignments on smartphones.

However, the navigation between the online student and teacher materials and resources is cumbersome and time consuming. The online interface makes it difficult to compare the student and teacher materials since they cannot be seen in their entirety simultaneously. Teachers can review the printed, spiral-bound teacher materials while viewing the online curriculum projected in class (and what the student also sees when they login to the system).

Indicator 3AB
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Materials include opportunities to assess student mathematical understandings and knowledge of procedural skills using technology.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 include opportunities to assess student mathematical understandings and knowledge of procedural skills using technology. All Practice and Automatically Scored Assessment questions are designed to be completed using technology. These items cannot be edited or customized.

Indicator 3AC
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Materials can be easily customized for individual learners. i. Digital materials include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students, using adaptive or other technological innovations. ii. Materials can be easily customized for local use. For example, materials may provide a range of lessons to draw from on a topic.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 include few opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students. Within the Practice and Assessment sections, the teacher can choose which problems and exercises to assign students, but these problems and exercises cannot be modified for content or wording from the way in which they are given. Other than being able to switch between English and Spanish in My Glossary, there are no other adaptive or technological innovations that allow teachers to personalize learning for all students.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 cannot be easily customized for local use. Within My Courses, there are no options for modifying the sequence or structure of the Topics or any of the sections within the Topics.

Agile Assessment is an optional resource that can be licensed along with the Agile Mind Integrated Math series, and Agile Assessment allows educators to create their own assessments by selecting from a repository of items aligned to standards and level of difficulty.

Indicator 3AD
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Materials include or reference technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other (e.g. websites, discussion groups, webinars, etc.).

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 provide few opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other. Under My Agile Mind, teachers can communicate with students through the Calendar and Score and Review. There are no opportunities for teachers to be able to collaborate with other teachers.

Indicator 3Z
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Materials integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic mathematics software in ways that engage students in the Mathematical Practices.

The instructional materials reviewed for Agile Mind Grade 7 integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic mathematics software in ways that engage students in the Mathematical Practices. Given the digital platform of the materials, the inclusion of interactive tools and virtual manipulatives/objects helps to engage students in the MPs in all of the Topics, and the use of animations in all of the Topics provides for some examples as to how the interactive tools and virtual manipulatives can be used.