1st Grade - Gateway 1
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Focus & Coherence
Gateway 1 - Meets Expectations | 92% |
|---|---|
Criterion 1.1: Focus | 2 / 2 |
Criterion 1.2: Coherence | 4 / 4 |
Criterion 1.3: Coherence | 7 / 8 |
The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations for Gateway 1. These materials do not assess above-grade level content, and they spend the majority of the time on the major clusters of each grade level. Teachers using these materials as designed will use supporting clusters to enhance the major work of the grade. These materials are partially consistent with the mathematical progression in the standards, and students are offered extensive work with grade-level problems. Connections are made between clusters and domains where appropriate. Overall, the Grade 1 materials are focused and follow a coherent plan.
Criterion 1.1: Focus
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations for assessing grade-level content. Overall, the instructional materials can be modified without substantially affecting the integrity of the materials so that they do not assess content from future grades within the summative assessments provided. Summative assessments considered during the review for this indicator include unit post-assessments and Number Corner assessments that require mastery of a skill.
Indicator 1a
The assessment materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations for focus within assessment. Content from future grades was found to be introduced; however, above grade-level assessment items, and their accompanying lessons, could be modified or omitted without significantly impacting the underlying structure of the instructional materials.
For this indicator, several pieces in the Assessment Overview section of the Assessment Guide were used to identify summative assessments. On page 4 of the assessment overview, the authors note that "The unit assessments are generally longer, more comprehensive in terms of the material covered in the unit, and more summative in nature," and on page 5,"Unit assessments are generally longer, more comprehensive, and summative with respect to the goals of the instruction in the unit." Additionally, on pages 3 and 4, the authors identify the Number Corner Checkups as having a "focus on critical numeracy skills and concepts," and they explain that they are meant to document growth quarterly as compared to a "Baseline" Checkup at the beginning of the year and based on skills and concepts taught in that quarter. Lastly, the Grade 1 Assessment Map found on pages 12-14 in the Assessment Overview section indicates when mastery of each standard is expected and where the mastery standard is assessed. It was found that some of the mastery concepts were assessed on unit checkpoints. Based on these criteria, the following were considered to be the summative assessments and were reviewed for Indicator 1a:
- All Unit Assessments
- Number Corner Checkups 1 – 4
- The Comprehensive Growth Assessment
- Select Unit Checkpoints where mastery is indicated on Assessment Map:
- Unit 5 M2 S5: Shapes Checkpoint
- Unit 6 M2 S5: Combinations and Stories Checkpoint
- Unit 7 M2 S5: Numbers to 120 Checkpoint
- Unit 8 M2 S4: Time and Change Checkpoint
Assessments are student observation/interview or written in nature. Most Comprehensive Growth Assessment (CGA) questions are fully aligned to the Grade 1 CCSS. All of the Number Corner Quarterly Checkups are fully aligned to the Grade 1 CCSSM. There are some questions in the Unit Checkpoints that go above Grade 1 assessment expectations.
The Unit Assessment Checkpoints that contain above grade-level or content not specifically required by the standards are noted in the following list:
- In the Comprehensive Growth Assessment (CGA) (written portion, page 18)
- question 18 asks the student to create a composite shape. One of the suggestions is to use a rhombus, which is not part of 1.G.1 but is mathematically reasonable to have included.
- In the Unit 5 Assessment (Module 3, Session 6, p. 54):
- In Questions 5 and 7, fractional parts are written using symbols (½ and ¾), for example: Draw a line to divide this rectangle in half. Color in one-half (1/2) of the rectangle. Symbolic notation for fractions is a Grade 3 expectation (3.NF.1). However, since the word form is included in the question, it is not necessary for students to have mastered symbolic fraction notation in order to answer the questions. It should be noted that when looking at the sessions leading into this assessment, symbolic notation is included. For example, students play games with fraction cards which show fractional models of shapes and sets with the symbolic fraction form included (Grade 3 expectations).
- In Question 6, students are required to color in three-fourths of the circle. Coloring in three-fourths of a circle is not mathematically reasonable in Grade 1, and this item would need to be revised or removed from the assessment. The related session, Unit 5, Module 3, Session 5, also includes fractions that are not appropriate for Grade 1 (for example, 2/3).
- In the Unit 6 Assessment (Module 3, Session 5, p. 66):
- In Question 2, students are given 14 addition problems (sums up to and including 20). The author aligned the task to 1.OA.6 (add and subtract to 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10). However, the answer key provided indicates that students score one point for each correct answer recorded during the 3-minute timing. Timing indicates an expectation of fluency with those addition combinations, and six of the problems have sums greater than the limit of 10 as indicated in the standard. This item could be easily modified to be appropriate for Grade 1 by not timing the students.
- In the Unit 8 Time and Change Checkpoint (Module 2 Session 4) and the Unit 8 Assessment (Module 3 Session 6):
- Question 2 on both assessments goes beyond the intended “tell time to the hour” to assess elapsed time: soccer practice began at 4:00 and lasted 1 hour; students must identify the clock with shows what it looks like when soccer practice is over.
Criterion 1.2: Coherence
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 Grade 1 meet the expectations for focus on the major clusters of each grade. Students and teachers using the materials as designated will devote the majority of class time to major clusters of the grade.
Indicator 1b
Instructional material spends the majority of class time on the major cluster of each grade.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations for focus by spending the majority of class time on the major clusters of the grade. All sessions (lessons), except summative and pre-assessment sessions, were counted as 60 minutes of time. Number Corner activities were counted and assigned 20 minutes of time. When sessions or Number Corner activities focused on supporting clusters and clearly supported major clusters of the grade, they were counted. Reviewers looked individually at each session and Number Corner in order to determine alignment with major clusters and supporting clusters. Optional Daily Practice pages and Home Connection pages were not considered for this indicator because they did not appear to be a required component of the sessions.
When looking at the modules (chapters) and instructional time, when considering both sessions and Number Corners together, approximately 86 percent of the time is spent on major work of the grade.
- Units – Approximately seven out of eight units spend the majority of the unit on major clusters of the grade, which is approximately 88 percent. Much of Unit 5 is not focused on major work of the grade. The other units devote most of the instructional time to major clusters of the grade.
- Modules (chapters) – Approximately 27 out of 32 modules spend the majority of the time on major clusters of the grade, which equals approximately 84 percent. Units 2, 5, and 8 had modules that were not focused on major work of the grade.
- Bridges Sessions (lessons) – 137 out of 160 sessions focus on major clusters of the grade, which equals approximately 86 percent. Major work is not the focus of the following sessions:
- Unit 1, Module 2, Session 1
- Unit 2, Module 4, Session 1
- Unit 2, Module 4, Sessions 2 and 3
- Unit 5, Module 1, Sessions 1-5
- Unit 5, Module 2, Sessions 1-5
- Unit 5, Module 3, Sessions 2-5
- Unit 8, Module 1, Sessions 2 and 3
- Unit 8, Module 3, Sessions 1 and 6
- Unit 8, Module 4, Session 5
- Bridges sessions require 60 minutes. A total of 137 sessions are focused on major work grade work of the grade. Bridges sessions devote 8,220 minutes of 9,600 minutes to major work of the grade. A total of 150 days of Number Corner activities address major work of the grade. Number Corner activities are 20 minutes each adding another 3,000 minutes to this total. In all 11,220 of 13,000 minutes, approximately 86 percent, is devoted to major work of the grade.
Criterion 1.3: Coherence
Coherence: Each grade's instructional materials are coherent and consistent with the Standards.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations for coherence. The materials use supporting content as a way to continue working with the major work of the grade. For example, students count shapes in categories and then compare the quantities. The materials include a full program of study that is viable content for a school year, including 160 days of lessons and assessment. All students are given extensive work on grade-level problems, even students who are struggling, and this work progresses mathematically. However, future grade-level content is not consistently identified. These instructional materials are visibly shaped by the cluster headings in the standards; for example, one session is called "Sorting & Graphing Shapes." Connections are made between domains and clusters within the grade-level. For instance, materials make connections between operations and algebraic thinking and measurement and data. Overall, the Grade 1 materials support coherence and are consistent with the progressions in the standards.
Indicator 1c
Supporting content enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet expectations that supporting content enhances focus and coherence by engaging students in the major work of the grade.
Supporting standard 1.G.2 is connected to 1.NBT.1 throughout the instructional materials. For example, in Unit 5, Module 1, Session 4 when filling outlines of shapes with pattern blocks, students are asked to count and record in a table the number of each type of shape used. Students practice writing numerals as they record information in the table.
Supporting standard 1.MD.4 is connected to major work of the grade throughout the instructional materials. For example, in Unit 1, Module 1, Session 2 students are creating popsicle graphs and then counting to determine the differences between the flavors; sums and differences are primarily within 10. Within Unit 2, Module 3, Session 3, Workplace 2E, 1.MD.4 supports the major work of 1.OA.6 with the game "Spin & Add;" students are spinning two spinners, adding, and recording totals on chart. Another example is Unit 5, Module 4, Session 2; students make a graph after sorting shapes into two categories and then answer questions such as how many more than, fewer than, and in all. This work with 1.MD.4 supports standard 1.OA.1 and practice with standard 1.OA.6. Also, in the September-May Calendar Collector 1.MD.4 is connected to 1.OA.4, 1.NBT.1, and 1.NBT.3. The first few weeks are spent collecting the data. In the fourth week, students compare and order, estimate and count collections from the previous three weeks. Most months also have students applying concepts to story problem contexts.
Indicator 1d
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 Grade 1 meet the expectations for this indicator by providing a viable level of content for one school year. Overall, the materials have expectations for teachers and students that are reasonable.
- Materials provide for 160 days of instruction. Each Unit has 20 sessions = 20 days. There are eight Units. (20x8=160)
- The prescribed daily instruction includes both Unit session instruction and a Number Corners session. (170 days). There are no additional days built in for re-teaching.
- Assessments are incorporated into sessions and do not require an additional amount of time. Instead, they are embedded into module sessions one on one as a formative assessment.
- The Number Corner Assessments/Checkups (a total of 10 assessments, one interview and one written, in each of the following months: September, October, January, March and May) would require additional time to conduct a 7-10 minute interview with each student.
- A Comprehensive Growth Assessment is completed at the end of the year and will require additional number of days to administer.
- There are no additional time/days built in for additional support, intervention or enrichment in the pacing guide. The publisher recommends re-teaching of strategies, facts, and skills take place in small groups while the rest of the class is at work places (math stations) or doing some other independent task. There is a concern that if a particular session’s activities take up most of the 60 minutes allotted, there will be no time for the remediation and enrichment to take place.
- Based on the Bridges Publisher Orientation Video and Guide provided to the reviewers, Unit sessions are approximately 60 minutes of each instructional day.
- Each Unit session contains: Problems & Investigations (whole group), Work Places (math stations), Assessments (*not found in each session), and Home Connections (homework assignments *not found in each session).
- Based on the Introduction section in the Number Corners Teacher Guide, as well as the Bridges Publisher Orientation Video, Number Corners sessions are approximately 20 to 25 minutes of each instructional day.
- Approximately 80-85 minutes is spent on the Bridges and Number Corner activities daily.
Indicator 1e
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 Grade 1 are partially consistent with the progressions in the standards. Although students are given extensive grade-level problems and connections to future work are made, off-grade level content is not always clearly identified to the teacher or student.
At times, the session materials do not concentrate on the mathematics of the grade. Some of the sessions within each module concentrate on below or above-grade level concepts. Examples of this include counting objects one-by-one, growing patterns, rotational symmetry, building shapes from nets, fraction notation, and fractions of a set. The inclusion of off-grade level concepts takes away from the number of sessions that could be spent more fully developing the work on the mathematics of the grade.
In some cases, the below or above-grade level content is identified as such by the publishers, and in other cases it is not. On the first page of every session, the skills and concepts are listed along with the standard to which it has been aligned by the publisher. In some cases, this alerts the user to the inclusion of off-grade level concepts. Examples include:
- Unit 1, Module 2, Session 1: One of the skills listed is "Count objects one by one, saying the numbers in standard order and pairing each object with only one name." The publisher lists this standard as K.CC.4.A, alerting teachers to the fact that this session involves below-grade level standards.
- Unit 1, Module 2, Session 1: One of the skills listed is "Count up to 20 objects arranged in a line or array to answer "how many?" questions." This skill is listed as K.CC.5, alerting teachers to the fact that this session involves below-grade level standards.
- Unit 1, Module 2, Session 3: One of the skills listed is "recognize the number of objects in a collection of 6 or fewer, arranged in any configuration." This skill is listed as "supports K.CC" which alerts the teacher that this is a below-grade level concept.
- Unit 2, Module 1, Session 1: One of the skills listed is "count up to 20 objects arranged in a line, rectangular array, or circle to answer "how many." This skill is listed as K.CC.5 which alerts the teacher that this is a below-grade level concept.
- Unit 2, Module 1, Session 1: One of the skills listed is "identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group for groups of up to 10 objects." This standard is listed at K.CC.6 which alerts the teacher that this is a below-grade level standard.
- Unit 5, Module 3, Session 2: The About This Session note acknowledges that the activity dives into symmetry and that symmetry isn’t formally studied until fourth grade, so this is simply an “exploration.”
In other cases, the below or above-grade level concepts are not identified as such within the sessions in the "Skills and Concepts" listing or at the beginning of the units in the "Skills Across the Grade Levels" sections. Examples of unidentified below or above-grade level content include:
- Unit 1, Module 1, Session 2: Counting by 5's is a Grade 2 standard (2.NBT.2).
- Unit 1, Module 1, Session 3: The Work Place focus is on Polydrons, 1.G.2; however, work involves Grade 6 standards constructing triangular prisms and pyramids.
- Unit 1, Module 1, Session 5: Counting by 2's is the focus of this lesson and is a Grade 2 standard (2.OA.3).
- Unit 1, Module 3 and Unit 1, Module 4, Session 3: Counting by 5's is a Grade 2 standard.
- Unit 2, Module 4, Session 1: Students are making triangular quilt pieces to represent the five arms of a sea star. Counting by 5's is a Grade 2 standard.
- Unit 2, Module 4, Session 1: Students are assembling a quilt making rows of five which is a Grade 2 standard (2.OA.4).
- Unit 2, Module 4, Session 3: The focus is counting by 5s, a Grade 2 standard.
- Unit 3, Module 1, Session 2 and Session 5: Counting by 2’s is a skip counting strategy/skill that is not introduced until Grade 2 (2.NBT.2).
- Unit 4, Module 4, Session 2 and Session 5: Both sessions involve counting by 5’s, which is a skip counting strategy/skill that is not introduced until Grade 2 (2.NBT.2).
- Unit 6, Module 4, Session 5: The publisher identifies count by twos and number patterns as “supporting 1.NBT” as an indicator that this is not Grade 1 expectation, but it doesn’t specifically call out for which grade level it would be appropriate.
Materials provide students opportunities to work with grade-level problems. The majority of differentiation/support provided is on grade-level. Extension activities are embedded within Sessions and allow students to engage more deeply with grade-level work. Additional Extension activities are also provided online.
Indicator 1f
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 Grade 1 meet the expectations for fostering coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and when the standards require. The standards are referred to throughout the materials. Overall, materials include learning objectives that are visibly shaped by CCSSM cluster headings and include problems and activities that connect two or more clusters in a domain or two or more domains when these connections are natural and important.
Instructional materials shaped by cluster headings include the following examples:
- The Unit 5 Module titles are loosely informed by the K.G cluster headings.
- Unit 5, Module 3, “Putting Shapes Together & Taking Them Apart,” is informed by 1.G.A.
- Unit 5, Module 4, “Sorting & Graphing Shapes,” is similar to 1.G.A.
- Unit 6 Module titles are informed by the 1.OA cluster heading.
- Unit 6, Module 1, “Story Problems for Basic Addition & Subtraction,” is shaped by 1.OA.A.
- Unit 6, Module 3, “Solving for the Unknown in Penguin Stories,” is informed by 1.OA.A.
- Unit 6, Module 4, “Measuring & Comparing Emperor and Little Blue Penguins,” is informed by 1.MD.A.
Units, Modules, and Sessions that connect two or more clusters in a domain or two or more domains include the following examples:
- Unit1, Module1, Session 2: "Popsicle Graph" connects 1.MD.C cluster to 1.OA.A as students are adding up popsicles and determining how many more/many fewer/in all.
- Unit1, Module 2, Session 2: "Making 5 & 10" connects 1.OA.B with 1.OA.C as students are counting on their number racks to make combinations of 5 and 10, then writing the combinations in the form of equations.
- Unit 1, Module 3, Session 3: "Which Coin Will Win" connects cluster 1.NBT.A with 1.MD.C as students are counting and writing numerals to represent the number of coins on the graph.
- Unit 1, Module 3, Session 4: "Quick Look!" connects cluster heading 1.OA.C with 1.NBT.A as students are counting and adding beads on the number rack then writing a numeral that represents the number of beads.
- Unit 1, Module 3, Session 5: "Measuring with Popsicle Sticks" connects cluster 1.MD.A with 1.NBT.A as students measure the length of their hands, use tallies to record the amount on a frequency chart, then write down the numeral that represents the number of tally marks.
- Unit 1, Module 4, Session 1: "Number Rack Detectives" connects clusters1.OA.B, 1.OA.C, and 1.OA.D as students play a game of building addends on the number rack and then only share one row of the number rack with a partner, who then determines how many beads must be on the bottom rack.
- Unit 1, Module 4, Session 3- "How Long is the Jump Rope" -connects cluster 1.NBT.A with 1.MD.A as students are measuring a jump rope using steps and then representing the number of steps with a numeral.
- Unit 1, Module 4, Session 4: "Quick! Look! Plus One, Minus One" connects cluster 1.OA.C with 1.NBT.A as students are shown various quantities of beads on the number rack, record the number of objects with a numeral, and then write down the number that comes before and after it.
- Unit 2, Module 1, Session 3: "Domino Add & Compare" connects cluster 1.OA.C to 1.NBT.B as students count dominos, compare amounts, and represent with a greater than, less than, or equal to symbol.
- Unit 2, Module 2 connects cluster-level headings 1.OA.A and 1.OA.C.
- Unit 2, Module 2, Session 1: "Introducing Double-Flap Dot Cards" connects cluster 1.OA.B with 1.OA.C as students identify number of dots on the dot cards, count on to find the total, and then write an equation to represent the dots shown as fact families.
- Unit 2, Module 2, Session 2: "Double-Flap Picture Cards" connects cluster 1.OA.A to 1.OA.B as students add objects on picture cards to solve word problems and write equations that represent fact families.
- Unit 2, Module 2, Session 3, Introducing Work Place 2C: "Sort the Sum" connects cluster 1.OA.C to 1.NBT.C as students find the sum of dots and then compare the totals. *Note - totals are under 10 which is not the full intent of 1.NBT.3 which calls for comparing two two-digit numbers.
- Unit 2, Module 2, Session 4: "Double Flap Number Cards" connects 1.OA.B to 1.OA.D as students add numbers on the number cards applying strategies to add and subtract as well as determining the unknown whole number in equations.
- Unit 2, Module 3, Session 3: connects cluster 1.OA.C with 1.MD.4 as students are counting numbers and dots on spinner, counting on to get the sum, and then recording amount on a graph
- Activities in Unit 5, Module 1, Session 4: "Pattern Block Puzzles: How Many Ways?" connects 1.G.2 with 1.NBT.1 and 1.MD.4. When composing shapes within a shape outline, students count and record the number of each shape in a table and answer questions regarding which shape is fewer or more.
- Activities in Unit 6, Module 1 connect addition and subtraction story problems 1.OA.A to 1.OA.C.
- Unit 6, Module 2: “Combinations and Story Problems” connects 1.OA.A and 1.OA.C.
- Activities in Unit 6, Module 3 connect work in story problems (1.OA.A) to solving for an unknown in an addition equation involving 3 whole numbers (1.OA.D)
- Activities in Unit 6, Module 4 connect 1.NBT with 1.MD.
- Unit 6, Module 2: “Combinations and Story Problems” connects 1.OA.A and 1.OA.C.