9th Grade - Gateway 3

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing.

The materials demonstrate effective lesson structure and take into account pacing. An ARC Literacy Lab Overview is provided for each unit. Components of the lesson are available for 120- or 75-90-minute literacy blocks and offer ranges of minutes within. The suggested times allotted for activities gives teachers flexibility in pacing lessons across days, weeks, and units according to the needs of students. A number of other supports give teachers options to effectively pace and structure learning.

The blocks of time for English in materials are for 90-120 minutes. The publisher materials state, “ARC frameworks are intended to be flexible structures that educators adjust as needed. Although the Literacy Lab is organized into “6 weeks,” it is common for educators to need 8 or 9 weeks in the first year.”

Each unit begins with students reading and analyzing texts based on the unit’s topic. Then students turn that analysis into a formal writing process. The first unit is a Literacy Lab where students focus on components of literature the first four weeks and then write literary critiques the last two weeks being a 6 week unit. Units 2, 3, and 4 are all 9 week units. Unit 2 is a research units where students are researching information based on a social studies or science topic. Unit 3 focuses on researching a specific genre. Every unit has a similar daily structure. Students read complex text, they write to the text, they read independently, and then write independently. Students read the complex text daily for about 15-30 minutes. They read independently for about 20-40 minutes. They write for about 20-40 minutes daily.

There are also checklists, rubrics, and reading logs for teachers to track student progress through the lessons. Focus Standards are provided each week, as well as an overview of the daily lesson plans. During Week 1 there is a day by day detailed instruction, after that there is a framework in the following weeks. Daily lessons provide teachers the outline of the lesson, as well as prompts for what the teacher may say or how to present tasks. These plans also include a column of teacher notes for additional guidance and research. The Literacy and Research Lab instruction includes parts such as CCSS Mini-Lessons, Read-Discuss Complex Text-Readers’ Workshop, Writing, Read-Alouds, Small group and whole group work, Text-based discussions, and reflection opportunities. The Research Labs instruction includes goals for expertise, reading, writing, vocabulary, art, and final projects. Each unit also comes with a series of graphic organizers for collecting text evidence, independent reading support, task rubrics, and discussion rubrics/guidelines.

In the prefatory materials in each unit, the materials explicitly state that the framework provides teacher self-direction: “There is no perfect script that will work for all personalities and all classrooms. Instead, we give you a highly structured framework that works in general from which you will need to create the version that works for you, in your district, in your school, in your classroom, with your students” (Unit 1 p. 41).

A Pacing Guide provides a breakdown of each daily literacy block, either the 120 or 75-90 minute block. There are three parts to each daily block: Read/Write/Discuss Complex Text, Reader’s Workshop, and Writing. The Guide reminds teachers there is flexibility in the pacing: “Depending on the lesson and student energy, teachers may spend more time writing or more time reading” (Unit 1 p. 60-61).

Additional pacing support is provided for the weekly lesson topics. For example, In Unit 1, the suggested time frame is 6 weeks. In Unit 2, the suggested time frame is 9 weeks. The curriculum is broken into three phases: Phase 1: Initiate Academic Community, Phase 2: Initial Assessment and Goal Setting, Phase 3: Strategic Instruction/Building Expertise. The first two phases are the reading portion of the unit while the third phase is for the larger writing/research project. The Guide reminds teachers there is flexibility in pacing: “*Weeks are approximate. Teachers should be welcome to expand or condense as needed” (Unit 1 p. 56).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that the teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.

ARC publishers indicate that the materials are inquiry based and encourage self-directed learning with an emphasis on independent reading and study. Though there are guidelines for 165 lessons which can be completed in a school year, the publishers also indicate that the curriculum should be considered a framework. On Page 59 of the unit introduction, publishers indicate that there is “no perfect script that will work for all personalities and all classrooms. Instead, we give you a highly structured framework that works in general from which you will need to create the version that works for you, in your district, in your school, in your classroom, with your students.”

The framework is designed to allow teachers the freedom to adjust the pacing of daily lessons within weekly plans as needed. In the prefatory materials in each unit, a Pacing Guide is provided with the weekly lesson topics. For example, In Unit 1, the suggested time frame is 6 weeks. In Unit 2, the suggested time frame is 9 weeks. The curriculum is broken into three phases: Phase 1: Initiate Academic Community, Phase 2: Initial Assessment and Goal Setting, Phase 3: Strategic Instruction/ Building Expertise. The first two phases are the reading portion of the unit while the third phase is for the larger writing/research project. The Guide reminds teachers there is flexibility in pacing: “*Weeks are approximate. Teachers should be welcome to expand or condense as needed” (Unit 1 p. 56).

Also in each unit, a Pacing Guide provides a breakdown of each daily literacy block, either the 120 or 75-90 minute block. There are three parts to each daily block: Read/Write/Discuss Complex Text, Reader’s Workshop, and Writing. The Guide reminds teachers there is flexibility in the pacing: “Depending on the lesson and student energy, teachers may spend more time writing or more time reading” (Unit 1 p. 60-61).

The “Guide to Lesson Plan Decision-Making” materials indicate that teachers can organize Readers’ Workshop and Writing components “in any order,” allowing the flexibility to structure according to the needs of individual students or classes. Moreover, the general template for lesson planning indicates that “The pacing and italics are all suggestions,” suggesting that teachers may structure learning according to the needs of individual students and classes. In addition, the “Guide to Lesson Plan Decision-Making” materials prompts teachers to consider “What will students create by the end of the this lesson/week/unit” indicating that they have the flexibility to pace content as they see fit.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that the student resources include ample review and practice resources, clear directions, and explanation, and correct labeling of reference aids (e.g., visuals, maps, etc.)

ARC Materials provide review and practice resources such as evidence and reading logs, reference charts, task checklists, constructed response rubrics and writing rubrics for larger writing projects, graphic organizers, masters, research cards (which include questions), and informational writing cards. The lessons provide teacher guidance for modeling, as well as opportunities for independent or small group practice. Teachers are prompted to give clear directions, and directions are also found on the graphic organizers or checklists provided in the units. The materials provide teachers with directions and guidance on usage and how to direct student use and also provide blackline masters that teachers copy and distribute to students.

The practice resources are specifically designed for each unit to help students to complete the culminating project. All other practice resources, such as questions posed by the teacher that students either speak or write about, are teacher directed. The reference aids and resources are correctly labeled. Teacher directions are very clear and an appendix in each unit provides lesson planning materials general to the unit. In the prefatory materials, all the worksheets for students are compiled together.

In Unit 1, students are provided with a reading survey, the Toulmin’s Argument Framework, a College- Ready Reader Scale, a Writer’s Log, a Genre Record Chart, a Genre Profile Chart, an Interest Inventory, Editing Checklist, etc. In the first section of the daily lessons of Unit 1, Week 1, Day 4, teacher’s lead a lesson on the CCSS standard that connects genre and theme. Students use the handout, Genre Profile, in small groups while reading/discussing the Core novel. In the second section of the daily lesson, students determine the genre of their chosen books and consider “why it matters to the text.” Students fill in the Genre Profile independently with the characters, setting, plot/events, theme, structure, and language of their books. There are no directions provided to students on the worksheet. All the directions for completion are in the teacher’s edition and are part of the first section of the day’s lesson: Read/Discuss Complex Text. There are suggested questions to guide students in understanding how character, setting, etc. are related to genre. This is similar for all handouts in all units.

In Unit 3, one of the handouts students receive is CCSS RL.2/3 Thinking Map College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards. To achieve Standard R.2, students determine central ideas or themes of a text and to analyze their development and to summarize the key supporting details and ideas. To achieve Standard R.3, students analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. Categories are included in a graphic organizer for students to complete.

Units 3 and 4 include a number of resources and documents related to the content, including graphic organizers, mapping documents, genre cards, sequencing organizers, thinking maps, rubrics, reading surveys, and other visuals and graphics that support student learning of specific content. Some of the resources, such as the reading surveys, are offered in several languages. Each of the resources is designed in a uniform fashion in terms of fonts and font size. The resources have visual appeal and are clearly labeled and titled.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items.

Alignment documentation is provided for all questions, tasks, and assessments as a framework with general guidance for the teacher. Standards connect to all areas of the program and are included in the introductory materials for each unit, as well as on the writing rubrics, lesson planners, and assignments. An instructional focus is articulated at the beginning of each week. Within the daily lessons, standards are repeated and are connected to specific activities. Culminating performance projects are connected to the standards as well, and several handouts provide students with teacher explanations of their connection to the standards. Teachers are provided a rubric for scoring these tasks.

The Unit 1 Literacy Lab requires students to address W.1 by writing a literary critique. Students are reminded of the CCSS Reading Literature standards (RL.2, RL.3, RL.4, RL.5, RL.6, RL.7, RL.9) covered in the unit. Some examples of how this instruction is achieved over the unit include:

• In Unit 1, Week 4, in the Week 4 Framework pages, different figurative language devices are explained in great detail with mini-lessons that connect to the different standards for the unit. The mini-lesson for hyperbole, for example, states: “Teacher Work: Post the 9-10 Common Core Language Standard #5. Introduce the figure of speech hyperbole,” followed by a definition and lesson to help students understand and practice the device before reading a passage that contains hyperbole (p. 317).
• In Unit 1, Week 5, the culminating writing task is introduced and a rubric that directly connects to CCSS W.1 for writing a proficient answer is provided. Students follow the writing process: “Claim: Introduce a precise, knowledgeable claim that is debatable, defensible, narrow, and specific. Establish the significance of the claim” through “Conclusion: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.”
• In Unit 1, Week 6, engage in the editing and revision processes with a rubric designed to connect to CCSS W.5/W.6/L.1/L.2.

The Unit 2 Research Lab requires students to synthesize information across texts and to write an informational book on their choice of topic in their Civil War Era research study. Students refer back to the CCSS Reading Information standards (RLI.1, RI.2, RI.3, RI.4, RI.5, RI.6, RI.7, RI.9, RL.9) they covered in the unit with a focus on RI.7, creating visuals for their informational book.

The “Guide to Lesson Plan Decision-Making” in Unit 3, Memoir, indicates that each lesson is structured around Language Arts standards and that “These should be some subset of the Language Arts Focus Standards of the Unit which are being taught and practiced in-depth across the Unit.” Students focus on Standard R.9: Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare approaches that the authors take. In Week 1, Day 1 the first lesson is an introduction: KWL on what students are going to research and become an expert on. The standard is listed on the activity, “ 1. Introduce Research Project: CCSS R.9”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literacy concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

There is educational research found throughout this program providing the rationale and background knowledge for teachers as professionals and life long learners. The Teacher Editions for each unit contain ample descriptions, explanations, and examples of instructional literacy concepts that help students to deepen their understanding of the content being presented. All directions and explanations provide adult-level suggestions for how to teach the content. Prefatory materials thoroughly explain the purpose of each unit and how the literary concepts connect to the instruction. The weekly lessons have annotated sidebars for teaching different literary skills and standards, and many annotations in the curriculum function as examples from experts and resources that might be provided in a professional development setting.

The teacher materials contain multiple ways for teachers to build their own knowledge, including recommending external online resources for teacher development and literacy instruction support. Materials routinely offer supports and ideas for teacher PLCs, building data walls, and building student literacy.

In Week 5 of the Unit 1 Literacy Lab, the materials provide explanations and examples of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Devices, as well as adult-level examples of literary critiques to build teacher knowledge for teaching students how to analyze and critique literature.

The Reader’s Workshop for Week 2, Days 1-3 inspires teachers to explain how students must select and read increasingly complex text. “‘Conferring For A Growth Mindset’ helps teachers understand how a student’s fixed mindset is established and provides guidance on helping them overcome the challenge in the context of pushing them to read more difficult texts.”

Teacher directions further read, “A good argument includes: • A central claim (opinion) that is debatable, defensible, narrow, and significant* • Evidence that supports the claim • Reasoning that explains how the evidence leads to or supports the claim often through a rule or a set of criteria. (Also known as a warrant.) • A rebuttal that acknowledges the potential reservations of a counterargument and effectively argues against them. *The claim often includes a qualifier that limits or lessens the scope of the claim to make it more defensible” Similar callout and annotations are found throughout the units.

In Week 7, Day 3 of Unit 2, (p. 309), teachers are provided a one-page reference chart on Word Choice which defines and gives examples of denotation, connotation, various types of figurative language, and parts of speech to guide students in considering their own word choice in writing.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition that explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum.

The introductory materials of each Teacher Edition outline the standards that are addressed in each Literacy and Research lab, and the Teacher Editions explain the purpose of the ELA/Literacy standards for instruction and how they support the curriculum across the year. The Teacher Edition routinely offers CCSS mini-lessons with teacher guidance for what that looks like and how to engage students. Each weekly overview indicates what the focus standards for the week are and the first two weeks of instruction provide a one to two page framework for the teacher and student work in order to address the focus standards. This framework is used throughout the unit, and the curriculum emphasizes how the units, weekly lessons, and daily lessons, and individual parts within the daily lessons connect to the standards. Typically the specific wording of the standard is listed with each activity. Within weekly lesson plans, there are standards listed next to lessons; in every unit, there is a “Pacing Guide” at the beginning of each unit that states the week and the standard being focused on; and in Unit 1, there is a Scope and Sequence page that includes the CCSS included in each unit.

Pages 14-15 of the Unit 1 Literacy Lab provide the CCSS Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, and Language standards that are addressed throughout all four units, as well as the Scope & Sequence for which standards are individually highlighted in each unit. The Unit 1 Scope and Sequence for Q1, the 1st 6-8 Weeks of School, reads as follows:

• Reading #1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
• Reading #4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
• Reading #10: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. + Introduction/Review of all Reading Standards

The introductory documents of Unit 2 include an “Informational Writing Research Lab: An Inquiry Community of Researchers & Authors,” (p. 14) that describes how routines and activities built in Unit 1 are extended into Unit 2. The information is accompanied by the CCSS Focus Standards. Moreover, the last portion of the teacher materials for Unit 2 provide the vertical progression of all grades 6-12 ELA Common Core Standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research based strategies.

The ARC curricular materials provide descriptions of the instructional approaches featured. Throughout the program, instructional reasoning is explained and ELA experts are cited. This information is accompanied by the emphasis of evidence-based strategies and references to their origins. Many teacher-facing annotations serve as examples vetted by prominent academics in the field and as resources delivered in professional development settings. The introductory materials for the Literacy and Research Labs, for example, provide a series of explanations and research-based approaches such as inquiry, literacy development, reading culture, school success, and social purpose, to support the publisher rationale for the curriculum. Moreover, research-based strategies are embedded within units as lesson sidebars, and Works Cited/Consulted sections highlighting the foundational research used to design the program are included in each unit as well.

Several pages are devoted to explaining the program rationale for building student knowledge through teachers and students as researchers. The program also emphasizes student choice and ownership in learning as seen in this provided quote by Mike Anderson, author of Learning to Choose; Choosing to Learn: “When students leave school, they will enter a world where self-motivation, creativity, autonomy, and perseverance are all critically important, and these are characteristics that are hard to practice in an environment centered on standardization and compliance.”

The ARC Core Overview documents in the Teacher’s Editions contains an informational article “What Reading Does for the Mind” (p. 26) that explains the instructional approach of requiring students to complete a large volume of reading. It outlines the effects of reading on student achievement and includes a citation to find more information.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the expectations that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress.

The Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA) Conferencing & Formative Assessment Independent Reading Levels & Student-Teacher Conferences consistently assess student progress. The teacher materials indicate that the IRLA introduced in the Literacy Lab in Unit 1 is used to diagnose student reading levels and track their progress over the year. The assessment system helps teachers to identify what skills and strategies students have mastered or need to focus on.

Students are also assessed by a unit task that generally requires a substantial writing piece in the mode that they have studied in the unit. Teachers are provided with checklists, rubrics, notetakers, protocols for conferencing, and student exemplars. The daily framework for lessons prompts teachers to monitor students and provide immediate feedback given through student and teacher conferencing.

In Unit 3: Memoir, pages 22 & 23 provide a rubric for W.3 to score student work and short answer responses for the unit task of writing a memoir. Page 24 offers guidelines for teachers to complete a pre-assessment of students and use the provided rubric to score:

• “Part 1: Have students read a short text in the genre. The text should be at grade level.
• Part 2: Ask students to write a response to the question: What is a central theme of this text? How does the author use literary elements to develop this theme?”

In Unit 4: Sports and Society, page 5 provides the Final project rubric to score student work for the unit task of writing an argument. To support student learning around W.1, page 27 provides a detailed rubric for assessing student work as they practice argumentative writing.

Page 26 offers guidelines for teachers to pre-assess students based on the provided rubric:

• “Ask students to write an argument related to the text they have just read. (e.g., Should school administrators be able to go into students’ lockers without students’ permission?)
• Take a position and provide 3 good pieces of evidence in support of that position.”

Teachers are provided with checklists, rubrics, notetakers, protocols for conferencing, and student exemplars. There are pre and post assessments, writing rubrics, and assessment guides. Students are constantly assessed with immediate feedback given through student and teacher conferencing.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that assessments clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.

The IRLA Framework state the standards clearly, and each assessment component found in the materials articulates the learning standards assessed. The prefatory materials, teacher instructional notes, and sidebars contained within the daily lessons provide thorough explanations that refer regularly to the standards.

The materials provide teachers recommendations for daily assessment or monitoring of student work that are connected to standards-aligned units. Unit pre-assessments are recommended for teachers to assess students based on the writing standard addressed. Rubrics assessing the writing standards are provided in each unit, as well as rubrics or checklists for editing, discussion, and student responses.

Weekly goals, such as those found in Unit 1, Week 5 (p. 277), are clearly denoted with learning standards. The goals are then formatively assessed throughout the week.

In Unit 4, Week 2, Day 2, the topic of focus is Author’s Purpose. On the first page of the day’s lesson, the standard R.6 is named, along with the standard as it is written from below and above the grade level taught. Next, the teacher is provided with more guiding questions about the depth that author’s purpose means for Common Core: “The deep question here is what does the author believe? How do you know? How might the author’s background or experience shape his/her perspective? What does s/he want you, the reader, to believe/think? Why? Does the author state his/her point of view by making an explicit claim, or is it implicit? If it is implicit, what evidence can you find that would help you infer this author’s point of view?” (p. 153). These questions help the teacher guide students as they determine author’s purpose beyond just point of view or basic inform/persuade/entertain purposes. Also, as teachers begin instruction on Author’s Purpose, there is a sidebar note: “Use the instruction of Common Core Standards to deepen students’ knowledge and interest in the Unit. Be careful not to let the Standards instruction overwhelm the content focus” (p. 154). Teachers then guide students in a close read of the Core Text with the guiding question “What does s/he believe about this topic? Why?” (p. 154).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials the criteria that assessments provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow up.

ARC materials present teachers with rubrics and suggestions for assessments. The IRLA gives a framework for assessing and tracking student reading level and the teacher determines what skills or strategies should be addressed in differing types of instruction. As part of the curriculum, teacher work includes “1-on-1 Conferences: Baseline Reading Levels Use the IRLA/ENIL to conduct 1-on-1 formative assessment conferences to identify student baseline reading levels. Document Use the Status of the Class/eIRLA to document your observations about individual students’ levels. Goal: Baseline reading level for each student entered in SchoolPace by the end of Week 3. Accountable Talk Partner/Group Share Share a summary of a section/text that proves you understood what you read. Invite a few students to share out with the whole group.”

Most interpretation and follow up from assessment is done during the Monitor Engagement section of the daily lesson, as well as one-on-one student conferences. Teachers are given frameworks for these conferences, rubrics for scoring student work, and general recommendations for sharing work or grouping students. The culminating tasks in each unit have generic grading rubrics used for multiple tasks throughout the unit. There are tips for how teachers can use information from unit formative assessments in their PLC work.

In Unit 1, Week 5 (p. 310) offers teachers guidance on reviewing writing samples with a teacher review team, “Look for patterns within and across classes. Discuss implications for grade-level instruction/planning.”

In Unit 3, Week 1, Day 5, after students write Constructed Response #1, the sidebar offers teachers suggestions to Reflect and Plan around student work: “Evaluate Constructed Response #1 (using building-recommended rubric or W.1 Rubric) to evaluate the effectiveness of this week’s instruction. Plan for next week how to most effectively meet students’ needs in whole-group, small-group, or individual remediation (p.119).

• Literary Elements: Are there students who need additional support identifying literary elements? Who? Which elements?
• Task Writing: Are there students who need additional support with task writing/constructed response? What part(s) of writing (e.g., responding to the prompt, organization of ideas, using text evidence)?
• Reading Levels: Are there students whose reading levels will prevent them from succeeding when responding to grade-level text. What is the plan to accelerate these students’ reading growth?”

In the introductory pages of Unit 4, page titled “Grade-Level Common Core Instruction for All Students” describes how rubrics are used in the units. “Rubrics scaffold students’ thinking, teaching them how to build a proficient answer one component at a time. Rubrics make the expectations for a proficient answer clear to everyone, allowing students to take charge of their own learning. An effective rubric, used appropriately, ensures that all students, regardless of reading level, master grade-level thinking” (p. 64). The same rubrics for writing are provided for small, formative writing tasks throughout the unit and the culminating writing task at the end of the unit. The rubric for a proficient answer for argument is points based and includes organization of the writing form from claim through conventions (p. 79).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials should include routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress.

The materials regularly provide routines and guidance that indicate opportunities to monitor student progress on a variety of skills and concepts being learned throughout each unit. Both the IRLA Framework and the weekly units consistently provide opportunities for teachers to observe student progress in specific standards, whether reading or writing. Individual or small group conferencing opportunities are provided for reading progress checks. Writing progress checks are offered in the form of small formative writing tasks that build to the larger culminating tasks.

The Materials are designed to track student progress daily through the Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA) that guides teachers to assess and monitor student reading levels. Teachers determine those skills and strategies that students have mastered and need to learn. Materials to document student progress through logs, class charts, and an online tracking system are provided. Teachers and students set Power Goals and routinely monitor these through assessment and one-on-one conferencing. Both small group and writing protocols and rubrics are provided. The unit tasks come with scoring rubrics and are presented to the class. Each lesson includes specific formative assessment opportunities for teachers to monitor student progress with side notes about addressing instruction or further assessment opportunities. Materials prompt teachers to monitor and conference with students frequently.

“Accountable Talk” is a routine present in daily lesson plans. In Unit 2, teachers are encouraged to “Spend extra time” establishing the routine at the beginning of the unit (p. 14).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of range of learners so the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding the grade-level standards.

The ARC materials thoroughly support teachers to use the Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA) to evaluate, monitor, and increase student reading levels. Using the assessment helps teachers to determine the skills and strategies needed or mastered and to document them on paper and an online tracking system. Teachers then address student needs using whole-group, small-group, and one-on-one conferencing. Based on the reading data, teachers and students set Power Goals and follow conferencing protocols to support each student. Materials offer guidance to teachers to help students who are stuck or need additional support. Both small group and writing protocols and action plan documents are provided.

In Unit 1, a “Reading Survey” (p.93) is provided in three languages. The purpose is to help teachers gauge student perceptions of their enjoyment of reading and its relative difficulty. However, no specific strategies are offered beyond the brief scoring matrix at the bottom of the sheet: e.g., students with a score of 15-20 are encouraged to “Keep looking for a ‘Hook Book.’”

In Unit 2, teachers are directed to, “Monitor for Engagement” and to “Ensure all students are on task, working in success-level reading.” The teacher directions state, “ Formative Assessment/Strategic Reading Instruction Strategy Groups with 1-4 Students with the Same Power Goal Work with students in small strategy groups of 1-4 students to provide targeted and strategic instruction on individual Power Goals,”

In Unit 3, Week 8, Day 1, an informational article titled “Unstick Stuck Writers” (p. 349) provides instruction as follows.

• Things a student can do independently to unstick themselves: 1. Write a description of your main character or other characters (what do they look like, what do they like to eat, what are they wearing right now—anything to help picture that character) 2. Figure out the ending first; write what happens there. 3. Describe the setting— as exactly and precisely as you can. 4. Draw a picture of the story, the setting, a character, etc.
• Things a teacher can do to guide a student who is stuck: 1. Pose a statement to the student about his/her story (Your characters are very angry) and ask the students to ask questions about the statement (Why is this guy angry? How angry? Are all the characters angry?). These questions can become the basis for writing. 2. Ask why (aim to elucidate the causes and effects the student has/has not included).

In Unit 4, Week 2, Day 3, and article titled “Conferencing Moves” (p. 108) provides instruction as follows. “If students are having trouble locating relevant information, consider:

• Do they understand the key Science/ Social Studies concepts? (This is the most common cause of research problems in Research Lab classrooms. If Grade Level Instruction was effective at teaching the key concepts, research usually goes very smoothly.)
• Have they picked a topic that doesn’t fit the Prevent Frustration and Failure criteria (see Week 1, Day 3)? (This is the second most common cause of research problems. Switch topics now, while students can still easily catch up to their peers.)
• Do they know how to use text features (table of contents, index) to efficiently locate information?
• Do they skim and scan, only reading sections that look relevant?
• Do they know to read the charts, graphs, and images? Do they know how to read them?
• Are they using the wrong books? (too hard, irrelevant)

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level, or in a language other than English, with extensive opportunities to work with grade level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards.

The ARC materials provide regular opportunities for all learners to engage with grade-level text. The framework is structured so that teachers can use the Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA) to assess, monitor, and augment a student reading levels. Students also have daily practice with Core, Anchor, and Independent Reading texts; these text sets help students move towards grade-level reading. Within the weekly and daily lessons, all students read a grade-level Core text together and work to understand and to analyze the text through specific reading standards. Independent reading opportunities give students access to reading at their assessed level of reading to build to independence at grade level. Students who read below grade level can become engaged in reading texts that interest them to help them improve their reading level. The framework allows teachers to track student progress in meeting grade-level reading standards.

The ARC Core Literacy Block is designed to embed all the best practices of culturally and linguistically responsive teaching into a literacy framework centered on meeting the needs of the unique students in each room, in order to ensure that each child reads, writes, and collaborates on grade level. All students are provided with the same grade level texts and questions. There are opportunities for partner and small group work, and teachers may strategically place students into specific partnerships or groups. There are opportunities in the materials for the teachers use the “Formative Assessment/Writing Coach Check for Understanding” to observe students as they write to ensure students are making adequate progress in their note-making. Teachers are routinely prompted to support learners who are stuck or struggling with the material or content.

This statement is provided in the introductory materials of each unit: “English Language Learners The WIDA Can Do Descriptors are included as potential ways to scaffold English language learners’ successful participation in grade-level reading, writing, and conversation with their peers around grade-level complex text.”

An “ARC Literacy Lab Routines Teacher Checklist” (p.68) guides teacher practice to ensure all students are engaged with grade-level text, e.g. the first domain of the rubric assesses grade-level instruction, specifically, “Teacher and student engage in Standards-Based Grade-Level Instruction daily.”

In Unit 2, teachers are instructed to “Consider groupings that effectively support today’s learning goals (to become an expert on RQ #3 on their topics). Since the focus is on content, some language learners might benefit from working with a partner who speaks the same home language, reading in English, then discussing in their home language. Or pair language learners with students who are proficient in English and have chosen the same topic. “

In Unit 2, the materials indicate, “If the modified sentence frames suggested for the Practice Rubric prove challenging for language learners, simply copy the Writing Focus on the board and point to the five components of a Proficient Answer, per the rubric, which they have been using since Day 1: • Introduce the text/topic • Objective Summary • Opinion • Evidence • Citation (Sentence starters: I want to research... Define the topic... This is the most interesting to me because…)”

In Unit 3, sidebar instructions to the teacher provide guidance for below grade level readers: “Accommodating ELLs and Remedial Readers: Ideally all students do Independent Reading in the genre. However, it is paramount that students experience success-level reading: reading where their own skill base is self-extending (i.e., learning to be better readers by reading). When faced with the choice between having a student do his/her Independent Reading with success level books or with books in the genre that are too hard for her/him, choose success level first” (p. 101). This sidebar is found repeated in all units.

In all daily lessons, during the Independent Reading Teacher Work section, the teacher is instructed during conference time: “One-on-One Conferences/Very Small Strategy Groups: Use the majority of Independent Reading time to work with individual students, focusing your attention on your most struggling readers” (p. 133).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials regularly include extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.

Independent Reading Level Assessment (IRLA) is used to determine, monitor, and research a student's reading level. The teacher determines the skills and strategies each student has mastered and which he needs to learn next. Teachers then address those needs using whole-group, small-group, and one-on-one conferencing. Materials are provided for documenting student progress in the IRLA. Teachers are provided with reading level guides and formative assessment conferencing protocol that is used daily to monitor and interpret student performance. Teachers and students set Power Goals at the student’s level. There is guidance for teachers to assist students in reaching the goal set.

Both small group and writing protocols and action plan documents are provided. Every lesson includes specific formative assessment opportunities for teachers to monitor student progress. Teachers meet with students, monitor progress, and document student performance daily. Students are encouraged to choose books from the Book Boxes to reach beyond their reading levels. Students who complete a task early are often instructed to work with a peer to better help the peer understand the process. Within the framework, there are suggestions for students who are reading above grade level.

The Unit 1 “Reading Survey” (p. 93) is provided to help teachers gauge student perceptions of their enjoyment of reading and its relative difficulty. Advanced students with a score in the high range of 20-24 are labeled “Engaged Reader” and told to “Keep reading!”

A “College-Ready Readers Scale” is provided in Unit 1 (p. 96) a tool for assessing a student’s current independent reading practices.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

The daily instructional framework for ARC requires that students spend time in small-group and whole group discussion. Reading often takes place as whole class with the Core text, and while independent reading is always an individual activity, conferencing with students begins as individual and moves to small group as teachers feels comfortable with student engagement in independent reading.

The introductory materials indicate that ”students participate in intellectual discourse around the text, genre and Focus Standards: Partner Share, Discussion Groups, [and] Whole Group Debrief.” Each unit offers some guidance around being instructionally strategic in one-on-one and small-groups. The materials suggest that students discuss with a partner, small group, or whole class during the Read/Discuss portion of the daily lesson. Teachers are prompted daily to engage students in Accountable Talk through pair-share, small- and whole- group discussion. Students also work frequently in peer-review or peer-conferencing settings. There are also partner or small group writing opportunities.

In Unit 3, Week 1, Day 3 students engage in an “Accountable Talk Partner Share: Each partner takes one minute to share about the characters of his/her book and characters in the genre.

• Select a character. What is s/he like? Why do you think s/he will matter in the story? What evidence from the text supports your answer?
• What generalizations can you make about characters in this genre? What types of characters might be important to this genre as a whole?

Also in this lesson, students engage in a “Discussion Group: Each group works together to identify one generalization they want to share with the whole class about characters in this genre.”

The “Strategic Instruction: One-on-One/Small-Group Teacher Checklist” (p. 312) encourages teachers to use flexible grouping that includes a mix of group, individual, and small strategy groups.