2023

CommonLit 360 6-8

Publisher
CommonLit
Subject
ELA
Grades
6-8
Report Release
05/14/2024
Review Tool Version
v1.5
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
Key areas of interest

This score is the sum of all points available for all foundational skills components across all grades covered in the program.

The maximum available points depends on the review tool used and the number of grades covered.

Foundational Skills
NC = Not Claimed. The publisher does not claim that this component is addressed in the materials.
NC
Building Knowledge
66/72
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Report for 8th Grade

Alignment Summary

The grade 8 CommonLit 360 materials meet the expectations for alignment. The materials include anchor texts that are well-crafted, content-rich, and rich in language and academic vocabulary and texts reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. There are consistent opportunities for students to respond to text-dependent questions and tasks that require evidence collection.

Throughout the program, students have varied opportunities to demonstrate knowledge about what they are reading and learning through various speaking and listening protocols. Students also have many opportunities to practice their writing both in on-demand and process writing tasks. However, students do not engage in learning informative or expository, argumentative, and narrative writing at the distribution required by the standards.

While the materials include grammar and usage activities, there is limited explicit grammar instruction and few opportunities for students to demonstrate the application of grade-level grammar and usage skills. The materials include a year-long plan for students to interact and build vocabulary, including vocabulary activities, vocabulary quizzes, and a word wall.

The materials are grouped around topics/themes across six units to grow students’ knowledge over the course of the school year. Throughout the course of the year, most sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. Learning builds throughout the unit toward the culminating tasks, so most questions build on student knowledge to prepare them for the culminating task. The materials also provide opportunities for students to complete research activities tied to topics and core unit texts.

The pacing for the six units in the program is generally reasonable, and the suggested implementation schedule can be reasonably completed in one school year. Optional tasks do not distract from student learning and generally enhance it.

8th Grade
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Meets Expectations
Gateway 3

Usability

22/25
0
15
22
25
Usability (Gateway 3)
Meets Expectations
Overview of Gateway 1

Text Quality and Complexity and Alignment to the Standards with Tasks and Questions Grounded in Evidence

Anchor texts are well-crafted, content-rich, and rich in language and academic vocabulary; texts reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. Over the course of the school year, materials include 20 informational texts and 15 literary texts, resulting in a 57/43 balance of informational and literary texts, which should support achieving the 55/45 balance of informational and literary texts across the school day that is required by the standards. Throughout the program, there are opportunities for students to read a variety of texts at various levels of complexity throughout each unit and throughout the school year.

The materials provide students with opportunities to respond to text-specific and text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to collect textual evidence.

The program provides varied protocols to support students in speaking and listening skills. Throughout the course of the year, students participate in turn and talk, whole class discussions, small group discussions, debates, and culminating discussions.

Throughout the program, there are various on-demand and process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. There are frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence with explicit teacher instruction. While materials include opportunities for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres of writing, the writing genre distribution is 33% argumentative, 67% informational/explanatory, and 0% narrative, which does not align with the grade-level writing distribution of 35/35/30 required by the standards.

While the materials include grammar and usage activities, they provide limited explicit grammar instruction and few opportunities for students to demonstrate the application of grade-level grammar and usage skills. The materials include a year-long plan for students to interact and build vocabulary, including vocabulary activities, vocabulary quizzes, and a word wall.

Criterion 1.1: Text Quality and Complexity

18/18

Texts are worthy of students’ time and attention: texts are of quality and are rigorous, meeting the text complexity criteria for each grade. Materials support students’ advancing toward independent reading.

Anchor texts are well-crafted, content-rich, and rich in language and academic vocabulary; texts reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards. Over the course of the school year, materials include 20 informational texts and 15 literary texts, resulting in a 57/43 balance of informational and literary texts, which should support achieving the 55/45 balance of informational and literary texts across the school day that is required by the standards.

The materials contain 35 core unit texts throughout the six units spanning various text types and genres. Texts have the appropriate level of complexity according to quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as the relationship to their associated student task. Text complexity is mixed throughout the units. The quantitative measures range from 420L-1490L and generally increase throughout the year, and the qualitative measures range from slightly complex to very complex.

The materials provide independent reading resources for the teacher and student to utilize. The materials provide best practices for independent reading, a suggested independent reading list for each unit, and a reading response notebook template. 

Indicator 1A
04/04

Anchor texts are of high quality, worthy of careful reading, and consider a range of student interests.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria of Indicator 1a. 

Anchor texts are of high quality, are engaging, and are worthy of multiple reads. The unit texts tie closely to essential questions over the course of the year. A variety of texts consider a range of student engagement and interest, such as drama, informational texts, poems, and short stories.  

Anchor texts are of high-quality and consider a range of student interests, are well-crafted, content rich, and engage students at their grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, students read the short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. This classic story of American Literature is about a man who tells the story of a terrible act he committed, which ties to the unit’s essential question, “How do authors create suspense, and why are we drawn to it?” Students will be drawn to this text as the narrator tries to convince his audience that he is sane. Also, the text builds on a previous text, “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Téllez, which helps students understand how the narrator’s point of view impacts the audience. 

  • In Unit 2, students read “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. This poem explores the theme of courage. The use of rhyme, repetition, and figurative language makes this well-crafted text engaging to readers. Students are able to discuss and analyze the use of repetition and figurative language in the poem. 

  • In Unit 3, students read the drama Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose, which closely ties to the unit’s essential question, “What are the benefits and challenges of a jury system?” Students read this play and learn about defendants and juries and the benefits and challenges of a jury system. This play, adapted as a famous film, could engage students, especially as they read passages aloud and understand the elements of reading a drama. 

  • In Unit 4, students read “The Concussion Gap: Head Injuries in Girls Soccer are an ‘Unpublicized Epidemic’” by Lee van der Voo. The topic is interesting and relates to many students. The text contains engaging subheadings to keep the reader interested, and the topic lends itself to discussions around the unit’s essential question, “Are contact sports worth the risk?”

  • In Unit 5, students read the nonfiction text, “What is Othering?” by Kendra Cherry, which closely ties to the essential question, ”How does ‘othering’ affect individuals and humanity in general? What does the way a person treats others reveal about them?”  This text helps students analyze the other texts in this unit as they gain an understanding of “othering,” a concept where “...some individuals or groups are defined and labeled as not fitting in within the norms of a social group.” The information gained from this text encourages students to reread the science fiction short story “The Star Beast” by Nicholas Stuart Gray in order to apply what they learned about the concept of “othering” in this text.

  • In Unit 6, students read “Lack of sleep can turn teens into ‘zombies,’” by Stephen Ornes. This text discusses a topic that is interesting to students and relates to an issue many students relate to. The subheadings create clear sections of the text that help engage readers. The text contains many facts that lend themselves to deeper discussion among students. 

Indicator 1B
04/04

Materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1b. 

The materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required for the grade level. Text types include, but are not limited to, short stories, poems, dramas, and informational texts. Over the course of the year, materials include 20 informational texts and 15 literary texts, resulting in a 57/43 balance of Informational and Literary Texts. This should support achieving a 55/45 balance of informational and literary texts as required by grade-level standards. In addition to core texts in each unit, some units include choice texts where students read additional texts based on their interest level. 

Materials reflect the distribution of text types/genres required by the grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Unit 1, students read “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. In this short story, students see how an author uses point of view and setting to create suspense. This is a classic tale about murder and madness. 

  • In Unit 2, students read “General Eisenhower’s Order of the Day” by General Dwight D. Eisenhower. In this historical document, students learn that it is important to do what is right in the face of danger. Students learn about the Invasion of Normandy during World War II and how Eisenhower led his troops in the defeat of the enemy. 

  • In Unit 4, students read “The American Academy of Pediatrics on Tackling in Youth Football” by the American Academy of Pediatrics. In this press release, “the American Academy of Pediatrics outlines their recommendations for making tackling safer for young players.” As students read, they analyze how details develop the central idea and how comparisons can develop a central idea. Students gather evidence most relevant to their research question. 

  • In Unit 5, students read “A Short Note to My Very Critical and Well-Beloved Friends and Comrades” by June Jordan. In this poem, students explore how “othering” may impact the emotional well-being of those closest to us. The poem uses repetition to help emphasize the point. 

  • In Unit 6, students read “Changing School Start Times Has Ripple Effects — And Those Ripples Could Sink Many Families” by Johannah Haney. In this editorial, students learn about later high school start times and the impact this schedule has on students and families. Students “gather evidence and notes for the argumentative task: writing an essay to argue the ideal school start time.”

Materials reflect a 55/45 balance of informational and literary texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Unit 1, students read seven core texts. In this unit, 14% of the texts are informational, and 86% of the texts are literary.

  • In Unit 2, students read seven core texts. In this unit, 43% of the texts are informational, and 57% of the texts are literary.

  • In Unit 3, students read four core texts. In this unit, 75% of the texts are informational, and 25% of the texts are literary. 

  • In Unit 4, students read five core texts. In this unit, 100% of the texts are informational.

  • In Unit 5, students read six core texts. In this unit, 33% of the texts are informational, and 67% of the texts are literary. 

  • In Unit 6, students read six core texts. In this unit, 100% of the texts are informational.

Indicator 1C
04/04

Core/Anchor texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to documented quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and relationship to their associated student task. Documentation should also include a rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1c.

The materials have the appropriate level of complexity according to quantitative and qualitative analysis and the relationship to their associated student task. The materials provide a core unit text list for each unit that provides the title, author, and genre for each core text, as well as the Lexile level and description. A rationale for educational purposes for most of the core unit texts can be found in the Unit Guide for each unit. The description of each text includes how students will use most texts and how the text supports knowledge and understanding of other texts within the same unit. Materials include a text complexity analysis and an explanation of the relationship of texts to the associated student task in an additional spreadsheet. The text analysis spreadsheet contains the text, author, text type, and text description; quantitative measures such as Lexile and length; and qualitative measures such as text structure, language features, purpose/meaning, knowledge demands, and reader and task.  

Anchor/core texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to their associated student task. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, students read “The Cone” by H. G. Wells. The overall complexity of this short story is complex, with the publisher-provided quantitative measure of 900L and a verified Lexile of 879L. The qualitative measure is very complex. Although the quantitative measure is below level, the life experience, conventionality, and vocabulary measures challenge the reader as they allow students to analyze suspense-building techniques that were introduced in previous lessons independently. There are two associated student tasks and one of those tasks entails using textual evidence to “Write an essay that compares and contrasts how the authors of ‘Ruthless’ and ‘The Cone’ build suspense,” which meets grade-level expectations.

  • In Unit 2, students read “Letter from Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman” by Frederick Douglas. The publisher-provided quantitative measure of this text is 1220L, with a verified Lexile of 1190L. The summary of the qualitative measure of this nonfiction text is moderately complex, with language features measuring very complex. Students read the text as a whole group and answer questions while reading. They complete a short discussion and use the text to support their thinking. 

  • In Unit 4, students read “The Social and Academic Benefits of Team Sports” by Paige Maslen. The publisher-provided quantitative measure of this text is 1240L, with a verified Lexile of 1290L. The summary of qualitative measures of this informational text is moderately complex. Students read this text independently and take notes on a graphic organizer to help them respond to the question, “Is playing contact sports worth the risk?” 

  • In Unit 5, students read “The Neighbor’s Wife” by Susan Palwick. The overall qualitative complexity of this poem is very complex, with no quantitative measure for a non-prose text. This text builds on the skills taught in two previous texts, “The Star Beast” and “A Short Note to My Very Critical and Well-Beloved Friends and Comrades,” because students continue to examine how diction contributes to a speaker’s tone. There are two associated student tasks and one of those tasks entails students writing an essay that analyzes “...whether authors from two unit texts agree or disagree” with a quotation from social activist Chuck Collins, which meets grade level expectations for appropriately rigorous and scaffolded.

  • In Unit 6, students read “Changing School Start Times Has Ripple Effects – And Those Ripples Could Sink Many Families” by Johannah Haney. The publisher-provided and verified quantitative measure of this opinion text is 1140L. The summary of qualitative measures is moderately complex. Students read the text independently with some guidance on taking notes. The students take notes on a graphic organizer to help them answer the research question, “What is the ideal school start time?”

Anchor/Core texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by an accurate text complexity analysis and a rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The beginning of each unit includes a Core Unit Texts list. This list provides the title, author, and genre for each core text, as well as the Lexile level and description. 

  • A publisher provided spreadsheet includes quantitative and qualitative analysis data for each text, as well as reader and task consideration information. This spreadsheet includes tabs for each Grade and Unit in the program. Information provided in this spreadsheet is as follows:

    • Text Summary information

      • Grade Level

      • Unit

      • Title

      • Author

      • Text Type 

      • Text Description

    • Quantitative measurement

      • Lexile Level

      • Word Count

    • Qualitative Measurement

      • Text Structure

      • Language Features

      • Purpose/Meaning

      • Knowledge Demands

    • Reader and Task

      • Considerations for Reader and Task

  • Each unit includes a Unit Guide that lists the Unit Texts and Supplemental Texts and their titles, genres, Lexile, and descriptions. The description includes information on what the student will do with the text. For example, in Unit 6, students read the news article “Impact of Later School Start Times on Athletics Reviewed by West Hartford Board of Education” by Ronni Newton. The description includes a section that states, “As students read, they determine central and supporting ideas and annotate to gather evidence for their argumentative essay.” 

  • The accuracy of the provided quantitative measures was verified using MetaMetrics or determined using the Lexile Text Analyzer on The Lexile Framework for Reading site. The accuracy of the provided qualitative measures was verified using literary and informational text rubrics.

Indicator 1D
04/04

Series of texts should be at a variety of complexity levels appropriate for the grade band to support students’ literacy growth over the course of the school year.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1d. 

The materials provide a variety of texts at appropriate complexity levels for the grade band, which supports students’ literacy growth. The complexity is mixed throughout the units. The quantitative measures generally increase throughout the year, and the qualitative measures range from slightly complex to very complex. The overall quantitative complexity measures across the year range from 420L–1490L. Over the course of the year, 20% of texts lack quantitative ratings because they are Non-Prose. All units provide an opportunity for students to grow their literary skills. Reading includes whole group, partner reading, and independent reading. Tasks include During Reading Questions, Turn and Talk Partner Discussions, and Independent Questions. The Teacher’s Copy of the resource provides directions on how to facilitate the lesson, such as recommendations on what reading modalities to use, when to use supportive During Reading Questions, and when to circulate to check for understanding. The recommended lesson facilitation is provided for all texts. 

The complexity of anchor texts students read provides an opportunity for students’ literacy skills to increase across the year, encompassing an entire year’s worth of growth. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, the Lexile range is 420L-960L. The qualitative range is Moderately Complex to Very Complex. In Unit 2, the Lexile range is 860L-1350L. The qualitative range is Slightly Complex to Very Complex. In Unit 3, the Lexile range is 960L-1040L. The qualitative range is Moderately Complex to Very Complex. In Unit 4, the Lexile range is 1170L–1490L. The qualitative range is Slightly Complex to Very Complex. In Unit 5, the Lexile range is 800L–1310L. The qualitative range is Slightly Complex to Very Complex. In Unit 6, the Lexile range is 1000L–1320L. The qualitative range is Moderately Complex to Very Complex. The overall quantitative complexity measures across the year range from 420L–1490L. The overall qualitative range across the year is Slightly Complex to Very Complex.

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “Button, Button,” students read the short story “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson (420L). The qualitative complexity is moderately complex. After reading the text, students work on Independent Practice questions and respond to “Paragraphs 117-145: What role does Arthur’s character play in building suspense in the story?” which assesses understanding of character development. In Unit 3, students read the drama Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose (NP). The qualitative complexity is moderately complex. In Act 1 (pp 24-36), students “...interpret how characters develop differing points of view.” They switch off reading and taking notes with a partner and respond, “How does Juror 9 affect how the other jurors understand the old man’s testimony?” In Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “The Star Beast,” students read the science fiction short story “The Star Beast” by Nicholas Stuart Gray (1030L). The qualitative complexity is slightly complex. Under Independent Practice, students respond to a question assessing character motive, “How is the creature’s view of himself different from the humans’ view of him?”

  • In Unit 2, Reading Lesson: “General Eisenhower's Order of the Day,” students read “General Eisenhower’s Order of the Day” by General Dwight D. Eisenhower (860L)and determine the purpose of the text. The qualitative complexity is slightly complex. Students partner read and highlight the text to take notes and summarize a section of the text. Students then determine the purpose of the text by looking at word choice and paragraphs to determine how Eisenhower used this to achieve his purpose. The lesson’s skill focus is that “students analyze the development of the central idea by examining an author’s word choice.” In Unit 4,  Reading Lesson: “The Concussion Gap: Head Injuries in Girls Soccer are an 'Unpublicized Epidemic,’” students read “The Concussion Gap: Head Injuries in Girls Soccer are an ‘Unpublicized Epidemic’” by Lee van der Voo (1280L). The qualitative complexity is moderately complex. In this lesson, students read as a whole group, in partners, and independently. They “analyze how an author uses a comparison to develop the central idea.” Students respond to prompts such as “Underline three details that reveal why the risk of injury in girls’ soccer is increasing” and “Consider paragraph 24. Why are girls’ soccer risks comparable to football?” At the end of the lesson, students add notes to their research graphic organizer to help answer the question, “Is playing contact sports worth the risk?” In Unit 6, Reading Lesson: “Study: Later School Start Time Would Benefit Economy,” students read “Study: Later School Start Time Would Benefit Economy” by Kealey Bultena (1250L). The qualitative complexity is moderately complex. Students read the text independently and take notes on the impacts of a later school start time. Students then use the text to add notes to the graphic organizer to answer the research question, “What is the ideal school start time?” 

As texts become more complex, appropriate scaffolds and/or materials are provided in the Teacher Edition (e.g., spending more time on texts, more questions, repeated readings, skill lessons). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “Button, Button,” students read the short story “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson (420L). The qualitative complexity is moderately complex. This lesson requires students to reread parts of the text to further analyze text components. For example, students analyze character development and respond to “Paragraphs 117-145: What role does Arthur’s character play in building suspense in the story?” Students have the option of working with a partner or independently. 

  • In Unit 3, students read the drama Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose (NP). The qualitative complexity is moderately complex. In Act 1 (pages 24-36), students “...interpret how characters develop differing points of view.” They switch off reading and taking notes with a partner and respond, “How does Juror 9 affect how the other jurors understand the old man’s testimony?” Students begin in Whole Class Mode, reading the text aloud to support comprehension based on the play’s format. Students work in pairs for a Close Reading, a scaffold to help students respond to deeper analysis questions. 

  • In Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “The Star Beast,” students read the science fiction short story “The Star Beast” by Nicholas Stuart Gray (1030L). The qualitative complexity is slightly complex. The lessons begin with whole class support due to the complexity of analyzing point of view and dramatic irony. Still, other modes, such as partner and independent work are later suggested. For instance, when students work on Independent Practice questions, they respond to “How is the creature’s view of himself different from the humans’ view of him?” which assesses character development and allows literacy skills to increase across the year.

Indicator 1E
02/02

Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to support their reading at grade level by the end of the school year, including accountability structures for independent reading.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1e. 

The materials provide students with opportunities and support to read a wide variety and volume of texts. The materials contain 35 core unit texts throughout the six units. These texts range in text types and genres. Text types include, but are not limited to, novels, informational texts, news articles, short stories, poetry, and speeches. The materials provide independent reading resources for the teacher and student to utilize. The materials explain best practices for independent reading, a suggested independent reading list for each unit, and a reading response notebook template.

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in reading a variety of text types and genres. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, the texts include but are not limited to the historical document “General Eisenhower’s Order of the Day” by General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the speech “JFK’s ‘Race to Space’ Speech” (excerpted) by President John F. Kennedy, and the poem “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou. 

  • In Unit 4, the texts include but are not limited to several informational texts, including “What a Lifetime of Playing Football Can Do to the Human Brain” by Brian Resnick, “The Concussion Gap: Head Injuries in Girls Soccer Are An ‘Unpublicized Epidemic’” by Lee van der Voo, “The American Academy of Pediatrics on Tackling in Youth Football” by the American Academy of Pediatrics, “Heads Up Football Program Flourishing” by Associated Press, and “The Social and Academic Benefits of Team Sports” by Paige Maslen. 

  • In Unit 5, there are six core texts. These texts include the short story “The Star Beast” by Nicholas Stuart Gray, the poem “The Neighbor’s Wife” by Susan Palwick, and the nonfiction text “McCarthy, Communists, and ‘Enemies from Within’” by Adrienne Favors.

  • In Unit 6, the texts include, but are not limited to, a news article, “Fairfax, Montgomery Officials to Share Experience Delaying School Start Times” by Cindy Huang; the opinion text, “Changing School Start Times Has Ripple Effects–And Those Ripples Could Sink Many Families” by Johannah Haney; and the informational text “Lack of Sleep Can Turn Teens into ‘Zombies’” by Stephen Ornes. 

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in a volume of reading. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, students read seven core texts over the course of five to seven weeks. Students engage in various groupings as they read and complete comprehension assessments from Whole Class Reading, Partner Reading, and Independent Reading. The second core text, “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl, has students beginning in whole class reading, moving to partner reading, back to whole class reading, then to partner reading again, and finishing independently. During partner reading, students work together to respond to written prompts, turn and talk, and find evidence to support answers to “during reading” questions. 

  • In Unit 4, students read five core texts over the course of five to seven weeks. The unit also includes six choice texts. Students engage with at least two of these texts beginning in reading lesson assignment 15. The materials state, “In this activity, students choose at least two texts about the impact of contact sports (from a set of six). Students will add notes from these texts to their Research-Note Taking Graphic Organizer.” 

  • In Unit 5, students read six core texts over the course of five to seven weeks. The short story “The Star Beast” by Nicholas Stuart Gray is “designed to be a whole class lesson because it provides students with guidance on analyzing point of view and dramatic irony and how those details contribute to a text’s mood and theme. Use the recommended reading modalities (whole class, partner, independent) and the During Reading Questions.”

  • In each unit, supplemental texts are provided. The materials state, “These texts range in both their complexity and thematic links to the unit. Each text is available digitally and prepared with an annotation task, Guided Reading Mode multiple choice questions, and Assessment multiple choice and short-answer questions.” The materials also list suggestions for how teachers could implement the supplemental texts. 

There is sufficient teacher guidance to foster independence for all readers (e.g., independent reading procedures, proposed schedule, tracking system for independent reading). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the Independent Reading and Book Club Resources, the materials contain a document titled “Best Practices for Independent Reading.” This document contains suggestions for the teacher, including, but not limited to, “Provide class time for students to self-select their next book” and “monitor and support readers during independent reading time through small-group and 1:1 conferences.” In the Independent Reading and Book Club Resources, the materials contain a suggested independent reading list for each unit, a reading response notebook template, a “Books I’ve Read” template, and a teacher resource on how to run a student book club. 

  • Teachers can find resources under the lessons and materials tab that include supplemental texts and lessons. Teachers have a link to a Guide of Supplemental Texts Sets. One direction suggestion for teachers relating to independent reading states, “Independent, In-Class reading: Provide a text to students to read independently in class. This provides students with an opportunity for sustained silent reading. During this time, the teacher can also pull a group of students to read with.”

  • The Professional Development section guides teachers in ways they can best  support students to work independently through such guides as “Annotating Effectively,” “Using a Note-Taking Graphic Organizer Effectively,” and “Checking for Understanding During Reading Lessons.”

Criterion 1.2: Tasks and Questions

16/18

Materials provide opportunities for rich and rigorous evidence-based discussions and writing about texts to build strong literacy skills.

The materials provide students with opportunities to respond to text-specific and text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to collect textual evidence.

The materials provide a variety of protocols to support students in speaking and listening skills. Throughout the course of the year, students participate in turn and talk, whole class discussions, small group discussions, debates, and culminating discussions. The materials provide opportunities across a variety of speaking and listening skills for students to demonstrate knowledge of what they are reading.

The materials provide a variety of on-demand and process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. On-demand writing is included throughout the reading lessons. Each unit contains a process writing piece that includes time for planning, drafting, and editing/revising. While materials include opportunities for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres of writing, the writing genre distribution is 33% argumentative, 67% informational/explanatory, and 0% narrative, which does not align with the grade-level writing distribution of 35/35/30 required by the standards. There are frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence with explicit teacher instruction.

While the materials include grammar and usage activities, they provide limited explicit grammar instruction and few opportunities for students to demonstrate the application of grade-level grammar and usage skills. The materials include a year-long plan for students to interact and build vocabulary, including vocabulary activities, vocabulary quizzes, and a word wall.

Indicator 1F
02/02

Most questions, tasks, and assignments are text-specific and/or text-dependent, requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text).

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1f. 

The materials provide students with opportunities to respond to text-specific and text-dependent questions and tasks such as During Reading questions, Independent Reading multiple choice questions, note-taking around text content, and completion of graphic organizers that require textual evidence. The majority of the During Reading questions are text-dependent. Text-specific discussion prompts are included. The materials provide support for teachers in planning and implementation of text-based questions and tasks through tools such as the Unit Guide and the teacher copy of the Lesson Overview. Teachers can access notes to plan lesson tasks and example responses to guide students.  

Text-specific and text-dependent questions and tasks support students in making meaning of the core understandings of the texts being studied. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “The Tell-Tale Heart,” students read “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. One of the tasks directs students to “Find Evidence: Highlight at least three details that describe how the sound of the old man’s heartbeat affects the narrator.” 

  • In Unit 2, Reading Lesson: “Letter from Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman,” students read “Letter from Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman” by Frederick Douglass and respond to text-specific Further Analysis questions. For example, students reread paragraph 2 and respond to the following question, “How does this use of juxtaposition add to your understanding of Tubman and her work?”

  • In Unit 3, students read Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose. In the lesson Act I, Pages 5-12: Independent Practice, students respond to the following question, “You have just read Twelve Angry Men Act 1, Pages 5–12 by Reginald Rose. What role does the setting of Twelve Angry Men play in establishing conflict? In your response, make sure to introduce your evidence by describing: 

    • What is happening at this moment

    • Who is speaking or being quoted, if anyone.”

  • In Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “The Neighbor’s Wife,” students read the poem “The Neighbor’s Wife” by Susan Palwick and find evidence during the reading process. One example states, “Turn & Talk: Reread the clauses that begin with ‘who’ in lines 19–21. What do they emphasize about the speaker’s attitude toward ‘the new Marella’?”

Teacher materials provide support for planning and implementation of text-based questions and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “Lather and Nothing Else,” students read “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Téllez. In the notes to teachers in the Lesson Overview, the materials state, “The Further Analysis Questions section of the lesson supports students by asking them to reread sections of the text and pay particular attention to the way internal conflict develops suspense.”The materials include three Further Analysis Questions with example answers for the teacher to use. 

  • In Unit 2, Reading Lesson: “Letter from Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman,” students read “Letter from Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman” by Frederick Douglass. Students respond to text-specific Further Analysis questions. Teacher materials provide support at the beginning of the Lesson Review and in the Further Analysis Question section. At the beginning of the Lesson Overview, the materials provide notes for teachers about Further Analysis Questions: “The Further Analysis Questions section of the lesson supports students by asking them to reread sections of the text and pay particular attention to the way the author uses juxtaposition to develop the central idea.” In addition, the Teacher copy includes possible student responses for all of the Further Analysis Questions. 

  • In Unit 4, Reading Lesson: “What a lifetime of playing football can do to the human brain," students read the informational text “What a Lifetime of Playing Football Can Do to the Human Brain” by Brian Resnick and take notes to support the essential question. The materials provide notes for teachers in the Lesson Overview to explain the purpose of taking notes in the graphic organizer. For example, “The Research Note Taking section supports students by asking them to keep track of key evidence and ideas from the unit’s anchor texts, which students will then use to support the culminating task presentation.”

  • In Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “McCarthy, Communists, and 'Enemies from Within,’” students read the nonfiction text, “McCarthy, Communists, and ‘Enemies from Within’” by Adrienne Favors. The materials provide teachers with a  Lesson Overview, which includes resources that support teachers in helping students experience success in responding to text-based questions. For example, the Independent Practice section includes a student checklist for summarizing evidence and writing that guides students with prompts, such as, “Highlight or bold at least two instances where you use verbs to describe the author’s or speaker’s ideas.”

  • In the Professional Development section under “How-To Guidance,” the materials provide a PDF called Annotating Effectively. This document describes the research on annotating, how to navigate struggles, and how to get started. For example, under the Getting Started section, guidance states, “Model by verbalizing your thought process for determining what to highlight or what notes to write.”

Indicator 1G
02/02

Materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1g. 

The materials provide a variety of protocols to support students in speaking and listening skills. Throughout the course of the year, students participate in turn and talk, whole class discussions, small group discussions, debates, and culminating discussions. The materials provide a variety of PDFs in the Professional Development section titled “How-To Guidance.” These PDFs provide protocols for discussions, debates, and presentations. The materials include the student’s reflection documents and data trackers for the teacher. Speaking and listening opportunities are provided throughout the course of the year. 

Materials provide varied protocols to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills across the whole year’s scope of instructional materials. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The “Facilitating a Productive Debate” PDF provides the stages of a debate. The stages include Before the Debate, Round 1, Round 2, and Reflect.

    • Before the Debate, “students are assigned or select sides and are placed in partners or teams. They establish claims and gather evidence.” 

    • For Round 1, the materials state, “Each side presents their claims and evidence, while the opposing side takes notes.”

    • For Round 2, “Each side presents their claims and evidence, while the opposing side takes notes.”

    • For Reflect, “students complete a post-reflection independently and use their new knowledge to inform the culminating task.”

  • The “Facilitating Productive Discussions” PDF explains how a productive discussion should function. 

    • The materials state, “Discussion lessons often start with a teacher-led instruction on a speaking and listening skill. This portion of the lesson prepares students for the student-led discussion that follows.” A handout with sentence starters and a place for students to take notes is also provided. 

  • The  “Facilitating Productive Discussions” PDF provides tips for derailment:

    • “Be Realistic and Persistent” suggests that discussion will fall flat and the discussion practice will lead to fluent class discussions. 

    • “Redirect when Needed” suggests using questions to breathe life into stale discussions. For example, “Did anyone else interpret that quote differently? Can you explain?”

    • “Have a Plan B” suggests depending upon the discussion, students may need to regroup and gather more evidence or create new discussion questions. 

    • “Share Ownership…Solicit class reflection regarding the success of the discussions. Privately enlist ‘discussion leaders’ to notice and respectfully engage their quieter classmates.”

  • The “Facilitating a Student Presentation” PDF provides presentation models for whole-class presentations, small group presentations, gallery walk presentations, and pre-recorded presentations. The materials include but are not limited to an instructional practice overview, instructions on preparing for presentation days, active listening strategies, and teacher verbal prompts. 

    • Whole Class Presentations: “Students present to a whole class. Teachers circulate to ensure active listening.”

    • Small Group Presentations: “Students present to a small group. Teachers circulate to pace presenters and ensure active listening.”

    • Gallery Walk Presentations: “Students develop visual presentations only. The audience circulates and reviews presentations with an established purpose. Teachers circulate to pace and ensure engagement.”

    • Pre-recorded Presentations: Students create a video, audio, or screencast for an audience to watch and reflect on asynchronously. Teachers circulate to pace and ensure engagement.”

Speaking and listening instruction includes facilitation, monitoring, and instructional supports for teachers. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Teachers have access to a variety of How-To Guidance PDFs. The “Facilitating Productive Discussions” guide includes a section about getting started, dealing with discussion derailments, and assessment. The PDF provides a few questions to help keep the conversation going. Questions include, but are not limited to, “Did anyone else interpret that differently? Can you explain? What in the text makes you say that? Can anyone else build upon ____’s idea that…?” Other PDFs include, but are not limited to, “Facilitating a Productive Debate” and “Facilitating a Student Presentation.” 

  • The teacher materials include a “Student Voice Tracker.” This template provides a spot for the focus discussion skill and a chart where the teacher can record student names and the number of times each student has spoken, as well as a place to mark additional notes. 

  • The materials provide a Teacher Guide on “5 Ways to Have a Great Class Discussion.” The materials provide the following five discussion options: Silent Discussion (Distance Learning Option), Concentric Circles, Conversations Stations, Fishbowl, and Socratic Seminar. The document provides the how-to, preparation considerations, and variations for each type of discussion.

  • In Unit 5, Discussion Skill Review, students engage in a discussion skill lesson. The Discussion Skill Lesson Teacher Copy includes activities to support students with the skill of understanding “What Makes a Productive Discussion.” The first part of this lesson includes analyzing a sample student discussion and answering questions about it. In the second part, students use sentence stems to participate in a discussion. In this Teacher handout, the exemplar answers are in blue text for the teacher to refer to.

Indicator 1H
02/02

Materials support students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching (including presentation opportunities) with relevant follow-up questions and evidence.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1h. 

The materials provide opportunities across a variety of speaking and listening skills for students to demonstrate knowledge of what they are reading. Throughout the course of the year, students have opportunities to come to discussions prepared, follow discussion rules and protocols, and include multimedia components for presentations. Students participate in discussion lessons in almost every unit, as well as culminating tasks. Most discussions and presentations emphasize using and interpreting text evidence.

Students have multiple opportunities over the school year to demonstrate what they are reading through varied speaking and listening opportunities. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Discussion Lesson 2,  students prepare for a class discussion on the Class Discussion 2 handout. First, students write down their initial thoughts to the question: “Based on your experiences and the ideas represented in the unit texts, define courage in your own words. In your definition, consider what motivates people to be courageous and what courage requires.” Students are to support their ideas with at least two texts from the unit. Then, they complete a graphic organizer where they have space to include evidence and their own explanations. 

  • Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Discussion Lesson 1, students participate in a discussion. Students complete the document, Statements and Questions that Connect Ideas. The document starts by prompting students to review a sample discussion and consider why it is effective. After, they are given discussion sentence starters and question frameworks for connecting ideas. Lastly, students apply this learning in a class discussion on the prompt, “‘Invictus’ and ‘Sonnet’ were written over a hundred years ago and are both still widely taught today. Do you think these poems are still relevant today? Why or why not?” After this discussion, students complete a reflection where they track their progress on the discussion skills they learned at the beginning of the lesson. Students check off and then reflect on the following statements: 

    • “I supported my ideas with evidence from the text(s).

    • When I spoke, I responded to the discussion question or a comment from my peer.

    • I made connections between other people’s ideas during the discussion.

    • I spoke in a strong, confident voice to my classmates, not just my teacher.

    • I respected others’ ideas by listening carefully and waiting to raise my hand until my classmates finished speaking.”

  • Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Drafting the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Presentation, students create a slide presentation and include aspects of a strong visual presentation. After discussing elements of a strong visual presentation, students respond to the following prompt, “Based on this analysis, list three to four things you should remember as you draft your own presentation slides.” 

    • In Unit 4, Planning the Culminating Task: Argumentative Presentation,  students analyze an advertisement and then design their own for the culminating argumentative presentation on the prompt, “Are contact sports worth the risk?” Students integrate multimedia and visual displays to strengthen claims. They discuss their advertisements with partners and answer the following questions: “What are the central claims of the advertisements so far? How do the content and design choices in the advertisement so far (ex., slogan, text, evidence, images, layout) help you understand the claims?”

Speaking and listening work requires students to utilize, apply, and incorporate evidence from texts and/or sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Discussion Lesson 1, students participate in a class discussion to the prompt, “‘Invictus’ and ‘Sonnet’ were written over a hundred years ago and are both still widely taught today. Do you think these poems are still relevant today? Why or why not?” The Class Discussion 1 document prompts students to take notes on interesting points made by classmates and to use follow-up questions. Follow-up questions to “keep the discussion going,” such as, “What does each poet want the reader to know about courage?” and “What literary device does each poet use to develop a theme about courage?” are included on the Class Discussion 1 document. 

  • Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 3, Discussion Lesson, students learn how to “acknowledge new information” in a discussion. Students respond to the prompt, “Consider the three main topics that can influence a jury that we’ve read about: Presumption of innocence, confirmation bias, and false memories affecting witness testimony. How do these topics influence your jurors' decision-making?” During the discussion, students are prompted to: 

      • “Listen for any ideas that might be new or different from your own notes. 

      • Acknowledge your classmates’ ideas by pointing out what they said. 

      • Make a connection to your own ideas to reveal big ideas or identify patterns.”

They receive a handout with sentence starters for how to acknowledge new information. After the discussion, students reflect on how they integrated this skill and others into the discussion. 

  • Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Related Media Exploration: What Motivates People to Act Courageously?, students analyze four videos and then evaluate historical events and modern events around the idea of courage in order to understand the motivation behind the actions of people in the past and present. The first video students watch is “Children’s Crusade of 1963 | American Freedom Stories | Biography.” Students evaluate what motivated children in this time period to choose courage over fear.

  • In Unit 6, Related Media Exploration: Analyzing Graphs to Support Your Argument, students “engage with four graphs and charts, build knowledge about the unit topic, and discuss what they’ve learned.” Students analyze the information presented in the graphs to determine the effects of school start times on student performance and the financial and logistical implications of changing school start times. 

  • Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 3, Discussion Lesson, “students acknowledge new ideas and justify their views when new information is presented.” Students engage in a class discussion and evaluate and contradict the evidence presented. For example, one sentence frame guides students to evaluate the evidence presented by stating, “You mentioned ____. However, I found an opposite example in _____. “

  • Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound, valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 4, Writing Lesson: Drafting the Culminating Task Pitch, students present a culminating argumentative presentation. Students “...create an advertisement which expresses your position on the following question: ‘Are contact sports worth the risk?’ The purpose of this advertisement is to convey your claims through text and visual media.” This task is completed independently and then students present to a partner and get feedback. Partners give feedback on the following points:

      • “The target audience was clear and engaged

      • The problem was highlighted along with the evidence

      • A solution was presented that was aligned with the advertisement

      • The audience was left with a clear call to action.”

Indicator 1I
02/02

Materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g., multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1i. 

The materials provide a variety of on-demand and process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. On-demand writing is included throughout the reading lessons. Students pause and write about sections they have read or respond to their reading in the independent practice prompts. Each unit contains a process writing piece that includes time for planning, drafting, and editing/revising. Materials include digital resources when appropriate. Most graphic organizers or planning documents allow students to type their thinking or draft, and digital copies of checklists are included.

Materials include on-demand writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “Ruthless,” students read “Ruthless” by William DeMille. While reading, students pause to write. One writing prompt asks, “Which suspense-building techniques(s) does the author use in paragraphs 17-23: point of view and/or conflict? List all that apply.” The next writing prompt says, “Explain how this section builds suspense.” 

  • In Unit 2, Writing Lesson: Including Context About the Author or Speaker, students engage in a writing lesson that teaches them to provide evidence about an author or speaker. This writing lesson provides students with a writing opportunity as they respond to the prompt, “Describe Douglass’s opinion of Tubman,” and practice what they have learned. Students reference the text “Letter From Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman” by Frederick Douglass while developing this writing skill. 

  • In Unit 3, Act I, Pages 24-36: Independent Practice, students read Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose. During the Independent Practice, students respond to the following prompt, “You have just read Twelve Angry Men Act I,  Pages 12-24 by Reginald Rose. Is the jury meeting the expectations of a fair trial? Why or why not? In your response, make sure to introduce your evidence by describing what is happening at this moment [and] who is speaking or being quoted, if anyone.” 

  • In Unit 4, Reading Lesson: “The Social and Academic Benefits of Team Sports,” students read “The Social and Academic Benefits of Team Sports” by Paige Maslen and respond to the prompt, “Which two pieces of evidence are most effective in supporting the author’s thesis? Explain why.” Students are prompted to include relevant evidence and reasoning that supports the claim. 

  • In Unit 5, Narrative Writing Prompt, students respond to a narrative writing prompt. The prompt states, “Rewrite ‘The Neighbor’s Wife’ as a narrative from the perspective of ‘the new Marella.’” The materials include a narrative writing checklist. The checklist includes, but is not limited to: “Establish a problem, situation, or setting; Use transitions to create a smooth progression of events and to signal shifts from one-time frame or setting to another; Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved.”

Materials include process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Opportunities for students to revise and edit are provided. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Planning the Culminating Task, Drafting the Culminating Task, and Peer Reviewing the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students write an essay responding to the prompt that compares and contrasts how the authors of “Ruthless” and “The Cone” build suspense. They are required to use relevant evidence from both texts to support their response. The writing process includes planning, drafting, and peer reviewing. 

  • In Unit 2, Planning the Culminating Task, Drafting the Culminating Task, Peer Reviewing, and Reflecting on the Culminating Task, students complete a literary analysis presentation. The prompt states, “In this unit, you have read five poems in which individuals convey messages about courage. With a partner, prepare a presentation comparing and contrasting how two poets convey their messages.” The writing process entails a lesson on including the context of authors and speakers, a lesson on adding strong reasoning, planning and drafting the task, and a peer review that requires students to use a checklist to revise and assess the presentation. 

  • In Unit 3, Planning the Culminating Task, Drafting the Culminating Task, and Peer Reviewing the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students write a literary analysis essay. They respond to the following prompt, “You have read the play Twelve Angry Men by Reginal Rose and non-fiction articles discussing the role of a jury in the justice system. Select one character whose development throughout the play has been significant. Using your chosen character and the nonfiction articles, answer the following question: How does the play highlight the benefits and challenges of our jury system?” Students work on their writing for three lessons. One lesson focuses on peer reviewing. In this lesson, students discuss the following questions, “Which example of introducing evidence with context was the strongest? Why? Which example of the use of academic language was the strongest? Why?”

  • In Unit 4, Planning the Culminating Task, Drafting the Culminating Task: Argumentative Presentation, and Writing Lesson: Drafting the Culminating Task Pitch, students complete and present an argument for the culminating task. There are five writing steps to this argumentative presentation: discussing and outlining claims, establishing a target audience, conveying claims in an advertisement, planning, and drafting. Revision and Editing expectations are integrated into the rubric and include but are not limited to using sentence structure appropriate to grade level and demonstrating a strong command of the English conventions. 

  • In Unit 6, Planning the Culminating Task, Drafting the Culminating Task: Research-Based Argumentative Essay, Revision, and Review, students write a research-based argumentative essay. The prompt states, “In this culminating task, a Research-Based Argument Essay, incorporate survey data and research into an essay to convince a specific audience of your stance on the ideal start time for your school. Support your thesis with evidence from your research.” Students complete five writing lessons for this essay, including conducting research, giving a survey, analyzing data and drawing conclusions, reviewing an exemplar essay, planning, and drafting the essay. Two revision lessons focus on addressing your audience and hooking your reader.

Materials include digital resources where appropriate. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Drafting the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Presentation, students use a digital shared document to draft a literary analysis presentation. This digital document includes a planner to indicate which partner is presenting which slides and a space to draft the presentation. 

  • In Unit 4, students use a digital shared document, Research Note Taking Graphic Organizer, to record evidence for each text  relating to the culminating writing prompt, “Is playing contact sports worth the risk?” The chart includes the title of each anchor text and a place to record evidence for and against the prompt.

  • In Unit 5, students plan their literary analysis essay to separate two paragraphs into one. The materials include a section where students can select the texts that most strongly support or contradict the quotation. The digital materials allow students to click on the text and cross them out.  

  • In Unit 6, Discussion Lesson, students use a digital class discussion document to record evidence to prepare for the discussion. They also have a place to record interesting points classmates say, questions they have, and new ideas. 

Indicator 1J
01/02

Materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1j. 

The materials provide opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres of writing. The writing genre distribution is 33% argumentative, 67% informational/explanatory, and 0% narrative. This does not align with the grade-level writing distribution of 35/35/30 required by the standards. There are multiple opportunities for writing instruction for informational/explanatory and argumentative writing, but there is no instruction for narrative writing. Almost all writing connects to text or text sets. 

Materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes/types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Percentage or number of opportunities for argumentative writing: Over the course of the year, four units address argumentative writing. This equates to 33% of writing opportunities over six units.

    • Unit 1: 0

    • Unit 2: 1

    • Unit 3: 0

    • Unit 4: 3

    • Unit 5: 1

    • Unit 6: 1

  • Percentage or number of opportunities for informative/explanatory writing: Over the course of the year, four units address informative/explanatory writing. This equates to 68% of writing opportunities over six units.

    • Unit 1: 4

    • Unit 2: 2

    • Unit 3: 4

    • Unit 4: 0

    • Unit 5: 2

    • Unit 6: 0

  • Percentage or number of opportunities for narrative writing: Over the course of the year, zero units address narrative writing. This equates to 0% of writing opportunities over six units. While some units include on-demand narrative writing prompts, there is no instruction connected with those assignments. 

    • Unit 1: 0

    • Unit 2: 0

    • Unit 3: 0

    • Unit 4: 0

    • Unit 5: 0

    • Unit 6: 0

  • Explicit instruction in argumentative writing: Four units contain explicit instruction to guide teachers in argumentative writing instruction. For example, the Unit 6 Culminating task is an Argumentative essay, and teachers access instruction for five writing lessons leading up to the culminating prompt. The materials say, “In this culminating task, a Research-Based Argument Essay, incorporate survey data and research into an essay to convince a specific audience of your stance on the ideal start time for your school. Support your thesis with evidence from your research.” Lessons include teacher instruction in conducting research, giving a survey for research purposes, analyzing data and drawing conclusions, analyzing an exemplar essay, planning an argumentative essay, and responding to the culminating task prompt. Each lesson provides instruction relating to how the lesson fits into the arc of the writing process, identifies skill focus and materials needed, and how to facilitate each part of the lesson.

  • Explicit instruction in informative/explanatory writing: Four units contain explicit instruction to guide teachers in informative/explanatory writing. For example, the Unit 1 Culminating task is a Literary Analysis Essay, and teachers access five lessons that lead up to the Peer Review of the Literary Analysis Essay. The culminating task prompt asks students to “Write an essay that compares and contrasts how the authors of ‘Ruthless’ and ‘The Cone’ build suspense. Use relevant evidence from both texts to support your response.” Teachers use the materials to teach students to write a strong claim in lesson one, guide students in writing a paragraph in lesson two, help students gain knowledge through an exemplar essay in lesson three, and draft an essay in lesson four. Each lesson provides instruction relating to how the lesson fits into the arc of the writing process, identifies skill focus and materials needed, and how to facilitate each part of the lesson. 

  • Explicit instruction in narrative writing: Three units contain opportunities for students to practice narrative writing. Although students are provided narrative writing checklists and a holistic rubric that guides students in their writing, little explicit instruction is found to guide students through the narrative writing process. One example is found in the How-to Guidance found under professional development. Teachers have access to “Using Rubrics Masterfully,” which, if used during the narrative writing prompts, will help teachers guide students through the process before and during instruction and for and beyond assessment. 

Different genres/modes/types of writing are distributed throughout the school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Students have opportunities to engage in argumentative writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 4, Writing Lesson: Drafting the Culminating Task Pitch, students outline an advertising pitch, and the prompt states, “In this culminating task, you will work individually to create an advertisement which expresses your position on the following question: are contact sports worth the risk? The purpose of this advertisement is to convey your claims through text and visual media.” Students are asked to include several components, one of which requests that students “cited evidence supporting your claims.” Students are guided to organize their claims by using an outline chart that divides their pitch into four parts. 

      • In Unit 6, students write a Research-Based argumentative essay. As students draft that essay, they use a model essay, graphic organizers, a checklist, and a rubric. In the checklist, they are required to include “An attention-grabbing introduction that introduces your topic and includes your thesis about the ideal school start time.” 

    • Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 6, students complete a Research-Based Argumentative Essay that incorporates survey data and research from credible sources. Students are expected to support their argument with credible evidence from their research. A checklist requires students to include “The body of the essay that includes your claims and different types of evidence, such as expert knowledge, data, and real-life examples.”

    • Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 6, Planning the Culminating Task: Research-Based Argumentative Essay, students are prompted to use words, phrases, and clauses that best strengthen the argument by acknowledging and disproving the opposition. For example, “include a contrasting conjunction to then restate your position and further your claim.” Two examples include “However” and “In spite of this.”

    • Establish and maintain a formal style. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 4, students reference the Project Presentation Rubric as they complete their Argumentative Presentations. The rubric states that in order for students to earn a four, the highest score, the section for Visual Design states, “Layout establishes a formal style, provides a balance of text and images/charts, and greatly enhances understanding of the ideas.” 

    • Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 4, Writing Lesson: Drafting the Culminating Task Pitch, students use the handout called Drafting the Culminating Task Pitch to provide a conclusion in Part 4 of the assignment. Under the section called “A Call to Action,” they have to explain, “What are you encouraging your audience to do? What are their next steps?”

      • In Unit 6, students write a Research-Based argumentative essay. As students draft that essay, they use a model essay, graphic organizers, a checklist, and a rubric. In the checklist, they are required to include “A conclusion that summarizes your claims and reinforces the thesis.” 

  • Students have opportunities to engage in informative/explanatory writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 3, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students plan their culminating task, a literary analysis essay. Students respond to the following prompt, “Select one character whose development throughout the play has been significant. Using your chosen character and the nonfiction articles, answer the following question: How does the play highlight the benefits and challenges of our jury system?” As students outline the draft of the essays, they use their thesis statements as a placeholder for their introductions. As students draft their essays, they reference the Literary Analysis Rubric. In the organization section, in order to get a 4, students must have “A strong introduction and conclusion that make meaningful connections between the claim, text, and broader world.” 

    • Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 5, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students plan their literary analysis essay. Students respond to the prompt, “Write an essay in which you analyze whether authors from two unit texts agree or disagree with the following quotation from scholar and social activist Chuck Collins: ‘Of course, we have to respond to our immediate family, but, once we’re O.K., we need to expand the circle. A larger sense of family is a radical idea, but we get into trouble as a society when we don’t see that we’re in the same boat.’ In your essay, be sure to explain whether the author of each text agrees or disagrees with the quotation and how they develop their ideas.” In the planning stage, students complete a graphic organizer where they pick two texts and determine evidence that helps to support their position. 

    • Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 1, students plan, draft, and revise their literary analysis essay. In the essay rubric, there is a category about organization. As students write, they reference the Literary Analysis Rubric. In order to score a 4 in organization, the rubric states, “Strong transitions connect claim, key points, and evidence and support the reader’s understanding.” 

      • In Unit 2, Writing Lesson: Including Context about the Author and Speaker, students learn about different types of context in writing and why it matters. Students take notes on when to add context, such as:

        • “When writing about fiction, always include who says, thinks, or narrates the evidence. 

        • When writing about nonfiction, always include the name of the author or speaker (for a speech).

        • Sometimes add additional context to make your evidence clearer, such as:

          • relevant information about the author or speaker, or

          • what was happening in the world when the text was written.”

    They later apply the skill when responding to the prompt, “Describe Douglass’s opinion of Tubman.” This context makes the relationship between their evidence and ideas clearer as “Using context provides important information about the author and makes the quotation clearer. It also makes the paragraph flow better.” 

    • Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 3, Writing Lesson: Writing with Academic Vocabulary, students analyze a student writing sample response against a revised sample response to learn how academic vocabulary enhances writing. Then, students use what they have learned to revise three writing samples by including academic vocabulary from the unit. Later in the unit, students write a literary analysis essay where they apply this skill again. As students draft their essays, they reference the Literary Analysis Rubric. On the rubric, in order to score a 4 for Writing Conventions and Craft, students must “Include carefully selected academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including from the text, while avoiding wordiness and redundancy.”

    • Establish and maintain a formal style. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 3, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students plan their culminating task, a literary analysis essay. Students respond to the following prompt, “Select one character whose development throughout the play has been significant. Using your chosen character and the nonfiction articles, answer the following question: How does the play highlight the benefits and challenges of our jury system?”As students draft their essays, they reference the Literary Analysis Rubric. To earn a 4 for Writing Conventions and Craft, the rubric states that “Register is clearly appropriate for the task, audience, and purpose.”

    • Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 3, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay,  students plan their literary analysis essay. Students respond to the prompt, “You have read the play Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose and non-fiction articles discussing the role of a jury in the justice system. Select one character whose development throughout the play has been significant. Using your chosen character and the nonfiction articles, answer the following question: How does the play highlight the benefits and challenges of our jury system?” Students complete an outline during the planning stage that includes a section of the conclusion. The students are asked to “Restate the essay’s thesis statement” and “List/restate the essay’s key points from the body paragraphs.” 

  • Students have opportunities to engage in narrative writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 3, Narrative Writing Prompt, students respond to the prompt, “You have read Twelve Angry Men, a play told from the perspective of the twelve jurors in a trial proceeding. Consider the events of the jury’s deliberation from the perspective of the defendant. Write a narrative journal entry written by the defendant after his ‘not guilty’ verdict, emphasizing the events and details as presented by the jurors. You should establish and build the defendant’s character based on the information learned from the jurors about him and whether or not he is innocent. Your narrative should include imagined actions and thoughts that are consistent and connected to the characters from the play.” Students introduce the defendant’s character by interpreting the point of view of the jurors based on the text.

    • Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 1, Narrative Writing Prompt, students respond to the prompt, “You have read the short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe, which is written as a first-person narrative. Consider the events in paragraphs 14-18 when the narrator is questioned by police officers. Rewrite paragraphs 14-18 from a police officer’s point of view, emphasizing their thoughts and feelings about their interactions with the narrator. You may choose to include some of the same details and to add dialogue, but from a new point of view. Your narrative should use one of the literary techniques we’ve discussed to build suspense. ” The prompt requires students to add details and dialogue. Students use the text to develop an experience from a different point of view. 

    • Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 1, Narrative Writing Prompt, students rewrite paragraphs 14-18 in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. Students are tasked to show the thoughts and feelings relating to the narrator’s experience with an officer. When rewriting this section of the text, students are guided to use their narrative writing checklist, which prompts them to “Use transitions to create a smooth progression of events.”

    • Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 5, Narrative Writing Prompt, students respond to the prompt, “Rewrite ‘The Neighbor’s Wife’ as a narrative from the perspective of “the new Marella.” Students must capture the experience of the character in order to rewrite the scene from a new character’s point of view. When drafting, students are guided to “Draft your narrative in the space provided. Be sure to respond to all parts of the prompt and use the Narrative Writing Checklist as you write.” The checklist guides students to “Use precise words, telling details, and sensory language to create a vivid picture of events, setting, and characters.”

    • Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

      • In Unit 3, Narrative Writing Prompt, students write a narrative journal entry written by the defendant after his “not guilty” verdict. Students are asked to build the character of the defendant and conclude on whether the defendant is guilty or innocent. The Narrative Writing Checklist guides students to “Provide a conclusion that follows from what the characters have experienced, observed, or decided.”

Where appropriate, writing opportunities are connected to texts and/or text sets (either as prompts, models, anchors, or supports). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • All narrative on-demand writing practice references narrative texts. In Unit 5, students read the poem “The Neighbor’s Wife” and then rewrite it in narrative form using the character Marella. While narrative opportunities are present in the curriculum, there is no narrative writing instruction. 

  • All informative/explanatory and argumentative writing opportunities require students to reference and/or use the text(s) they read in that unit. 

Indicator 1K
02/02

Materials include frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1k. 

Materials include frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice and apply writing using evidence and include explicit instruction to guide teachers step by step. Many evidence-based writing opportunities are found in writing lessons that support the culminating task as well as the culminating final task of each unit. These writing tasks require students to access a unit text for evidence or to utilize a graphic note-taking organizer that contains evidence from texts within units. Teacher materials include how to facilitate each part of the writing lesson and notes to guide students in their writing. Evidence-based writing lessons are found across the school year and include multiple opportunities to support analysis and claims linked to unit texts. Writing prompts include requirements such as “support your thesis with evidence from the text” and include “reasoning to explain how your evidence connects to your claim.”

Materials provide frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Writing Lesson: Planning a Complete Paragraph, teachers guide students in reviewing the parts of a paragraph and eventually drafting their own. First, students review an exemplar paragraph for its parts. Then, students discuss the exemplar paragraph and how they will use what they learned from it to improve their writing that day. Next, teachers prompt students to plan their paragraphs to the prompt “In William Demille’s ‘Ruthless,’ who or what is most responsible for Judson’s death? Support your opinion with evidence from the text.” The Teacher Copy includes the following notes for this part of the lesson: “Students brainstorm their claims, evidence, and reasoning in response to a prompt.” Next, students use their plan to independently draft a complete paragraph to the prompt using bullet-pointed criteria to guide their writing. Lastly, students check their work using a checklist. 

  • In Unit 2, Writing Lesson: Including Context About the Author or Speaker, teachers guide students in learning about how context improves writing. First, students analyze two writing samples. From this analysis, they conclude that “Using context provides important information about the author and makes the quotation clearer. It also makes the paragraph flow better.” The Teacher Copy provides this exemplar response so teachers can support students in drawing the correct conclusion about context. Next, students work in pairs as they review an example and notes to learn about when to add different types of context. Students use this knowledge in the next part of the lesson, where they “read two examples of introducing evidence with context and determine which type of context is included.” Lastly, students work independently to answer the prompt “Describe Douglass’s opinion of Tubman” based on the text they’ve previously read, “Letter from Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman” by Frederick Douglass. The Teacher Copy includes the following notes for teachers on this part of the lesson: “Have students apply their new skill of introducing evidence with context in their independent writing prompt.” 

  • In Unit 3, Writing Lesson: Introducing Evidence with Context, teachers guide students in learning about why context matters and when to use which type. First, students compare two writing samples to learn that lack of context can be confusing. They conclude that context improves the quality of writing because “It tells the reader important information about events and characters in the play so that they can understand the full meaning of the quotation.” The Teacher Copy provides this exemplar response so teachers can support students in drawing the correct conclusion about context. Next, students work in pairs to “learn when to add different types of context.” Then, students re-read passages from Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose and practice adding context to evidence samples. Lastly, students work independently to answer the prompt,  “Identify what you believe is the strongest argument by the jury so far. Explain your answer using evidence from the text to support [it.]” The Teacher Copy includes the following notes for teachers on this part of the lesson: “Have students apply their new skill of introducing evidence with context in their independent writing prompt.”

  • In Unit 5, Writing Lesson: Introducing Evidence with Reasoning, teachers lead students in learning about and practicing introducing evidence with reasoning. First, students analyze an exemplar paragraph “in which reasoning precedes evidence and then analyze the effect this structure has on readers.” Students draw the conclusion that reasoning preceding evidence “Immediately draws the reader’s attention to the writer’s idea about the text.” The Teacher Copy provides this exemplar response so teachers can support students in drawing the correct conclusion about reasoning before evidence. Afterward, students practice this skill as they respond to the prompt, “You have just read the poem ‘The Neighbor’s Wife’ by Susan Palwick. Do you think the neighbors are right to accept the alien? Why or why not? Make sure to practice introducing your evidence with reasoning and to incorporate relevant unit vocabulary in your writing.” The Teacher Copy includes the following notes for teachers on this part of the lesson: “Students practice using reasoning to introduce evidence.” Lastly, students review their own responses using a checklist. 

Writing opportunities are focused around students’ careful analysis and claims developed from reading closely and working with evidence from texts and sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” students read “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. While reading, students respond to the following prompt: “Find Evidence: Highlight at least three details that describe how the sound of the old man’s heartbeat affects the narrator. Write: How does the sound of the old man’s heartbeat affect the reader?”

  • In Unit 1, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students begin planning their culminating task. Students respond to the prompt: “Write an essay that compares and contrasts how the authors of ‘Ruthless’ and ‘The Cone’ build suspense. Use relevant evidence from both texts to support your response.” During this lesson, students find evidence from the text that proves which literary techniques are used to build suspense. 

  • In Unit 2, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Presentation, students plan for their culminating task, which entails comparing and contrasting how two poets convey messages. As students prepare to write, they complete a graphic organizer that requires them to analyze word choice and theme and then record evidence that supports their choices. Students conclude the compare-contrast response by indicating why their presentation and ideas matter. 

  • In Unit 3, Reading Lesson: “False Memories and How They Form,” students read “False Memories and How They Form” by Kendra Cherry. Students respond to the following writing prompt: “You have just read ‘False Memories and How They Form’ by Kendra Cherry. How does the idea of false memories affect events in Twelve Angry Men? Cite evidence from the article to support your answer. In your response, make sure to include:

    • A claim that responds to all parts of the prompt

    • Evidence to support your ideas

    • Sentences that explain how your evidence supports your claim.” 

  • In Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “What is Othering?,” students read “What is Othering?” by Kendra Cherry. Students respond to the following prompt while reading: “Write: How is othering used by people in power? Find Evidence: Highlight two examples of how othering ‘can cause the greatest inequality and harm to minority individuals and communities’ (36).”

  • In Unit 6, Writing Lesson: Analyzing Data and Drawing Conclusions, students analyze their research survey data and draw conclusions about the results. The materials state this lesson “... reinforces a critical skill: how to aggregate data, analyze data, and draw conclusions about the data. Students apply the skill in their argumentative essay by including findings to support their claim for or against a later school start time.” Part 4 of this lesson requires students to draw conclusions about survey results. Part 6 of this writing task requires students to connect their conclusions to both sides of the issue. Students use calculated responses to the copies of their survey in order to draw conclusions.

Indicator 1L
01/02

Materials include explicit instruction of the grade-level grammar and usage standards, with opportunities for application in context.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 1l. 

The materials provide limited explicit grammar instruction and few opportunities for students to demonstrate the application of grade-level grammar and usage skills. Practice for some grade-level standards is very limited or not addressed at all. All units, except Unit 6, contain a grammar and usage activity set and a quiz covering the concepts from the activities. The materials usually do not prompt for direct instruction of the grammar and usage activities in the curriculum. Teacher guidance prompts the teacher to “assign the activities as warm-ups, homework, or practice to prepare students for the grammar quiz.” Many of the grammar and usage activities do not contain any teacher-led instruction. There are some opportunities for students to demonstrate grade-level grammar skills in writing activities. Writing rubrics contain a section on Writing Conventions and Craft that scores on spelling and grammar usage. 

Materials include limited explicit instruction of the grade-level grammar and usage standards. Materials include authentic opportunities for students to demonstrate application of skills in context, including applying grammar and convention skills to writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Students have opportunities to explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 1, Grammar and Usage Activities, students complete grammar and usage activities “containing five activities that focus on correctly using the three main verb forms: gerunds, participles, and infinitives.” The lessons include, but are not limited to, a section where students examine verb forms. In this section, students take notes as the teacher reviews information on verb forms, gerunds, partiples, and infinitives, and activities where students practice using verb forms correctly in sentences. 

  • Students have opportunities to form and use verbs in the active and passive voice. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 3, Grammar and Usage Activities, students complete a grammar and usage activity set that “contains six activities that focus on using verbs in the active and passive voice.” The activities include but are not limited to, notes on active and passive voice, identifying active and passive voice, and writing in active and passive voice, both in a sentence and in a paragraph. 

  • Students have opportunities to form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Grammar and Usage Activities, students complete grammar and usage activities that “contain ten activities that focus on examining and using the conditional verb mood.” The materials include notes on conditional sentences and practice writing conditional sentences correctly. There are no explicit lessons on using verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, or subjunctive mood. 

  • Students have opportunities to recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Grammar and Usage Activities, students complete grammar and usage activities. In one activity, students read a sentence with an underlined mistake and then revise the sentence to correct it. The example lists the original sentence as “If I am rich, I would travel around the world” and the corrected sentence as “If I were rich, I would travel around the world.”

  • Students have opportunities to use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 4, Grammar and Usage Activities, students complete a grammar and usage activity set that contains “...6 activities that allow students to practice different sentence-combining methods and the appropriate punctuation.” When reviewing notes on sentence combining, students note, “When using a coordinating conjunction to connect two independent clauses, always place a comma before the conjunction.” One section of the lesson provides practice, and the directions state, “For each practice exercise below, write a compound-complex sentence using the given two conjunctions.” Before starting the practice exercises, students are reminded, “The same comma rules apply as with compound and complex sentences.” One section of the six activities is teacher-led in this lesson. Opportunities to practice punctuation include a worksheet/online quiz format and do not connect to unit core texts. 

  • Students have opportunities to use an ellipsis to indicate an omission. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • No evidence was found.

  • Students have opportunities to spell correctly. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In the Grade 8 Literary Analysis Rubric, spelling correctly is referenced under Writing Conventions and Craft. The rubric states, “Reflects exceptional control of grade level conventions; errors are few and minor.” Although the expectation is represented in the rubric and expected to be practiced in writing, no other explicit instructions exist for spelling correctly across all 8th-grade units to support, practice, and/or teach this skill. 

  • Students have opportunities to use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action, expressing uncertainty, or describing a state contrary to fact). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Grammar and Usage Activities, students complete a grammar and usage activity set, including “... 10 activities that focus on examining and using the conditional verb mood.” Students review keynotes on conditional sentences, examine sentences, and then write sentences correctly using the correct form of the verb. For example, students rewrite third-person conditional sentences such as, “I wonder, if Taneshia knows she would win the award at the assembly, would she have dressed up that day?” changing the verb form to past perfect tense. Reviewing key ideas on third conditional sentences offers the option for teacher-led instruction or student-independent practice. No evidence of authentic writing opportunities is evident in this unit for active and passive voice or conditional and subjunctive mood. 

Indicator 1M
04/04

Materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 1m. 

The materials include a year-long plan for students to interact and build vocabulary. The materials include a vocabulary routine for the teacher, which discusses the use of the vocabulary activities, vocabulary quizzes, and word wall. Every unit includes the Grade 8 Key Terms Glossary, which focuses on academic and literary key terms. Each unit also includes unit vocabulary words and introduces them using the vocabulary activity set, the activity slide deck, word wall, and word wall teacher guidance. The slide deck is used to introduce all the new vocabulary words to the whole class at the beginning of the unit. Unit vocabulary words are listed at the beginning of every text in which they appear. Every unit includes at least one multiple-choice vocabulary quiz. The materials also include other key terms lists, such as poetry terms, when relevant to the text. Other potentially unfamiliar words or terms are listed with their definition in the footnotes of the texts. Some during reading questions use the unit vocabulary words and students are asked to incorporate vocabulary words in various writing assignments. Literary and Content terms are repeated across the school year, and Academic Vocabulary words are repeated across unit texts. 

Materials provide teacher guidance outlining a cohesive year-long vocabulary development component. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the Program Guide, the materials communicate the importance of vocabulary development. In this section, the materials discuss the vocabulary routines and materials, which include a Vocabulary Introductory Activity and a Word Wall. For the Vocabulary Introductory Activity, the materials state, “A slide deck guides students through the first unit vocabulary activity, supporting students in inferring the meaning of vocabulary words through the use of context clues in an example sentence.” Under Word Wall, the materials state, “The Word Wall Teacher Guidance also suggests ways for teachers to extend student practice and application of unit vocabulary throughout protocols beyond the word wall.” 

  • Each unit provides a link to the “Unit Key Terms Word Wall Cards,” which focus on the key terms in that specific unit. The Teacher Copy directions state, “Use these Word Wall Cards to build a classroom visual of key terms for this unit and throughout the year,” indicating attention to high-value academic words across the school year.

  • Each unit contains at least one Vocabulary Activity Set. This includes the Student Vocabulary Activity set, Activity Slide Deck, Word Wall, and Word Wall Teacher Guidance. The materials state, “Use the Slide Deck to facilitate the Vocabulary Activity whole-class. Flexibly assign the remaining activities as warm-ups, homework, or practice to prepare students for the Vocabulary Quiz.”

Vocabulary is repeated in contexts (before texts, in texts) and across multiple texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, the materials provide a Vocabulary Activity Set. The activity set asks students to predict the definition of the vocabulary words, including the vocabulary words intrigue and offensive. Students also need to fill in the blanks using the vocabulary word and determine synonyms for each vocabulary word. Students read “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson. Both intrigue and offensive are listed as vocabulary words for this text. Students respond to prompts like “Norma says she thinks the button is ‘intriguing.’ Highlight three details that further develop this idea.” 

  • In Unit 4, students experience two vocabulary activity sets. Vocabulary Activity Set 1 contains the academic vocabulary words collide and trend, which are both found in two of the same texts in this unit. One text is “What a Lifetime of Playing Football Can Do to the Human Brain” by Brian Resnick, and the other is “The Concussion Gap: Head Injuries in Girls Soccer are an ‘Unpublicized Epidemic’” by Lee van der Voo. Students take Vocabulary  Quiz 1, found in this unit, to assess their knowledge of the academic vocabulary words. 

  • In Unit 6, students begin with a vocabulary activity set list of ten academic vocabulary words that will be accessed in the unit texts. One of the ten academic vocabulary words is deprive. The word deprive is highlighted under vocabulary in the Teacher Copy of three different Reading Lessons in this unit, such as “Among Teens, Sleep Deprivation an Epidemic,” by Ruthann Richter, “Lack of Sleep Can Turn Teens into ‘Zombies’” by Stephen Ornes and “Study: Later School Start Would Benefit Economy,” by Kealey Bultena. Later in the unit, students take a vocabulary quiz that assesses knowledge of academic vocabulary, and directions state, “Select the vocabulary word that best fits the scenario.”

Attention is paid to vocabulary essential to understanding the text and to high-value academic words (e.g., words that might appear in other contexts/content areas). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Each unit includes a Key Terms Glossary for the grade level focusing on literary-based vocabulary and a unit vocabulary list for high-frequency words used within the unit. Students complete activities with these vocabulary words and are expected to use them when responding to writing prompts. Definitions for text-specific vocabulary are included in the footnotes of every text. 

  • Each Unit includes one or two Vocabulary quizzes depending on the number of Vocabulary Activity Sets. Quizzes assess understanding of high-value academic words as they select vocabulary that best fits the scenario for each question. The words assessed are then included in the texts in the following lessons.

  • In each Unit Introduction, students are introduced to the Grade 8 Key Terms Glossary reference sheet. These key terms are almost exclusively literary or academic terms. Directions state, “These terms will appear throughout the year. Some terms may appear in more than one unit. Use this reference sheet as needed.” Eighth-grade terms include characterization, dramatic irony, foreshadowing, mood, and poetic structure.

  • In Unit 3, students read Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose. For each During Reading lesson, the materials provide a list of vocabulary words on the first page of the Student Copy. The lists include a section for Allusions and Cultural References, a section for Legal Terms, and a Section for Unit Vocabulary. Examples of Allusions and Cultural References include, but are not limited to, going to pot, flips his wig, and chap. Examples of legal terms include, but are not limited to, cross-examine and hang the jury/hung jury. The materials include definitions and the page where each word appears. In the Writing Lesson: Writing with Academic Vocabulary, students review a revised sample response that includes terms such as, presuming the defendant is innocent and reasonable doubt. Students then respond to a prompt including relevant legal terms and vocabulary words. 

Overview of Gateway 2

Building Knowledge with Texts, Vocabulary, and Tasks

The materials are grouped around topics/themes across six units to grow students’ knowledge over the course of the school year. The sequence of texts and activities helps students build knowledge over the course of each unit. Throughout the course of the year, most sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. Learning builds throughout the unit toward the culminating tasks, so most questions build on student knowledge to prepare them for the culminating task. The materials include research and writing activities and projects from the beginning to the end of the year. While writing lessons are included in every unit, the materials do not match the distribution required by the standards, and instruction in narrative writing is especially lacking. 

The materials spend instructional time on content that falls within grade-level aligned instruction, practice, and assessments. Over the course of each unit, the majority of questions, tasks, and assessments are aligned to grade-level standards, and by the end of the academic year, most standards are addressed. The implementation schedules align with the core learning and can reasonably be completed in the time allotted.

Criterion 2.1: Building Knowledge

22/24

Materials build knowledge through integrated reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.

The texts in each unit are connected by a grade-appropriate and cohesive topic/theme. Each unit also includes a related essential question. The sequence of texts and activities helps students build knowledge over the course of the unit. Materials require students to analyze the key ideas, details, craft, and structure within individual texts and across multiple texts, using coherently sequenced, high-quality questions and tasks. Throughout the course of the year, most sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. Learning builds throughout the unit toward the culminating tasks, so most questions build on student knowledge to prepare them for the culminating task. Culminating tasks require students to demonstrate a variety of reading, writing, and speaking and listening standards. Almost all culminating tasks require students to use evidence from texts read throughout the unit. While the culminating task is often introduced towards the end of each unit, the materials require students to record evidence from texts they read throughout each unit that will support them as they respond to prompts.

Each unit includes a unit introduction that lists unit focus standards for writing. Writing lessons are included in every unit, focusing on grade-specific skills. Most culminating tasks are writing assignments, and the unit includes writing lessons that are built to help students with their culminating tasks. Although informative/explanatory and argumentative writing standards align to grade level instruction and support writing growth over the course of the year, narrative writing instruction is not present throughout the year.

The materials include research and writing activities and projects from the beginning to the end of the year. Materials provide opportunities for students to complete research activities tied to topics and core unit texts. Research standards are present in the Scope and Sequence for each unit.

Indicator 2A
04/04

Texts are organized around a cohesive topic(s) to build students’ ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 2a. 

The texts in each unit are connected by a grade-appropriate and cohesive topic/theme. Each unit also includes a related essential question. The sequence of texts and activities helps students build knowledge over the course of the unit. Activities and prompts throughout the materials focus on the themes, topics, and essential questions. 

Texts are connected by a grade-appropriate cohesive topic/theme/line of inquiry. Texts build knowledge and the ability to read and comprehend complex texts across a school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, materials focus on the psychology behind students’ own reactions to suspense. Students strengthen their analytical reading skills by examining how point of view, conflict, and irony work together to build suspense as they consider the essential question, “How do authors create suspense, and why are we drawn to it?” The unit includes core texts, “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson, “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl, “Ruthless” by William Demille, “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Téllez, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” by Edgar Allan Poe, “The Cone” by H.G. Wells, and “The Psychology of Suspense” by R.J. Jacobs.

  • In Unit 3, students read Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose and address the essential question, “What are the benefits and challenges of a jury system?” The novel is supported by three informational texts that build knowledge about the jury system, including “Presumption of Innocence” by New York Courts, which “outlines the responsibilities of a juror in ensuring a trial is fair and impartial.”

  • In Unit 6, the content focuses on the debate over the time that school starts and the essential question, “What is the ideal school start time?” Students read various texts, including “Study: Later School Start Would Benefit Economy” by Kealey Bultena and “Changing School Start Times Has Ripple Effects-And Those Ripples Could Sink Many Families” by Johannah Haney. In the Discussion Lesson, students use what they have learned in the unit and evidence from various texts to answer the following questions in a class discussion: “What are the main concerns on both sides of the debate over school start times? Who would most benefit, and who would struggle the most from implementing a later school start time? Whose needs are most important to prioritize when making a decision?”

Indicator 2B
04/04

Materials require students to analyze the key ideas, details, craft, and structure within individual texts as well as across multiple texts using coherently sequenced, high quality questions and tasks.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 2b. 

Materials require students to analyze the key ideas, details, craft, and structure within individual texts and across multiple texts using coherently sequenced, high-quality questions and tasks. Multiple reading standards for this indicator are represented in each unit text. Teacher copies of lessons indicate the lesson skill focus is aligned to the standard. Independent tasks such as multiple choice and short response writing indicate standard alignment to analyzing key ideas, details, craft, and structure. Each unit guide indicates the reading lessons and aligned reading standards. The 8th Grade Scope and Sequence also references all standards addressed across all six units, including RL/RI 1-6.

For most texts, students analyze key ideas and details  (according to grade-level standards). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “Lather and Nothing Else,” students read “Lather and Nothing Else” by Hernando Téllez. While reading, students respond to the following prompts: “Find Evidence: Highlight three details that show the narrator’s growing conflict” and “Write: How do the narrator’s reflections develop suspense?”

  • In Unit 3, Reading Lesson: “False Memories and How They Form,” students read “False Memories and How They Form” by Kendra Cherry. After reading, students answer the following questions: “Paragraphs 14-17: What role can emotions play in remembering past events?” and “Paragraphs 21-24: How does the brain inference, or ‘fill in gaps,’ when recollecting experiences?” 

  • In Unit 4, Reading Lesson: “The Concussion Gap: Head Injuries in Girls Soccer are an ‘Unpublicized Epidemic,’” students analyze how the author uses a comparison between football and girl’s soccer to explore the idea of sports that may have a high risk for concussions. After reading “The Concussion Gap: Head Injuries in Girls Soccer are an ‘Unpublicized Epidemic’” by Lee van der Voo, students analyze the risk of concussion by responding to “What is the relationship between the changes in girls’ soccer and the growing trend of player concussions?”

  • In Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “What is Othering?” students read “What is Othering?” by Kendra Cherry. While reading, students answer questions. Questions include, but are not limited to, “Turn & Talk: How does the author use paragraphs 12-15 to develop ideas about othering?” and “Turn & Talk: In paragraph 25, the author explains that ‘the factors that define group boundaries…can often be quite arbitrary.’ How does the author develop this idea in paragraphs 26 and 27?” 

  • In Unit 6, Reading Lesson: “Lack of Sleep Can Turn Kids Into ‘Zombies,’” students learn about factors contributing to sleep deprivation in teens. After reading “Lack of Sleep Can Turn Kids Into ‘Zombies’” by Stephen Ornes, students analyze how the “...text supports one or both sides of our essay prompt: What is the ideal

school start time?” Students then find evidence to support both sides of the argument. 

For most texts, students analyze craft and structure (according to grade-level standards). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “The Psychology of Suspense,” students read “The Psychology of Suspense” by R.J. Jacobs. After reading, students answer the following question: “What is the purpose of the italicized statement above paragraph 8, paragraph 17, and paragraph 19?”

  • In Unit 2, Reading Lesson: “Letter from Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman," students “analyze how an author uses juxtaposition to develop the idea that hidden courage can have a bigger impact than public courage.” After reading the text, students respond to the prompt, “You have just read ‘Letter From Frederick Douglass to Harriet Tubman’ by Frederick Douglass. How does Douglass’ use of juxtaposition add to the development of ideas in his letter? Use text evidence to support your response.”

  • In Unit 3, Act II, Pages 49-63: During Reading Questions, students read Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose. Students answer the question, “At the bottom of page 1, the stage directions tell us how the setting of the room is changing. What might this change be foreshadowing about the plot?” 

  • In Unit 4, Reading Lesson: “What a lifetime of playing football can do to the human brain,” students read “What a Lifetime of Playing Football Can Do to the Brain” by Brian Resnick and determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text. For, in the Independent Practice section, students respond to the following: “In paragraph 13, what does the phrase ‘evidence has only mounted’ indicate about the results of recent scientific studies of concussions?”

  • In Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “The Star Beast,” students read “The Star Beast” by Nicholas Stuart Gray. During reading, students answer questions including, but not limited to, “Write: How does the author develop dramatic irony in this section?” and “Write: How do these paragraphs further develop the dramatic irony?”

  • In Unit 6, Reading Lesson: “Lack of Sleep Can Turn Kids Into ‘Zombies,’” students read “How Lack of Sleep Can Turn Kids into ‘Zombies’ by Stephen Ornes and then analyze craft and structure as they respond to the Independent Practice questions. One example asks, “How does the section ‘Zombie-making biology’ use science to refute the idea that teens are just lazy?”

Indicator 2C
04/04

Materials require students to analyze the integration of knowledge within individual texts as well as across multiple texts using coherently sequenced, high quality text-specific and/or text-dependent questions and tasks.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 2c.  

Throughout the course of the year, most sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. The materials build throughout the unit toward the culminating tasks, so most questions build on student knowledge to prepare them for the culminating task. The materials also include choice texts that provide opportunities for students to build knowledge through reading, answering questions, and responding to writing prompts. The related media explorations also provide knowledge-building opportunities. The materials provide opportunities for students to analyze across multiple texts. However, the materials do not clearly identify the appropriate standards (RL.9 and RI.9). 

Most sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Related Media Exploration: “What Motivates People to Act Courageously?” students analyze historical and modern-day examples of courage. After reading, “Students reflect on the ideas they have explored by considering what motivates people to act courageously.”

  • In Unit 4, Related Media Exploration: “Playing Through the Pain,” “students collaboratively engage with three videos and one graph, build knowledge about the unit topic, reflect on their lives and experiences, and discuss what they’ve learned.” One question students respond to relates to the risk of playing sports. Students explore the graph “Concussions per 10,000 competition exposures” and answer three questions related to risk and concussion. For example, “What does this graph reveal about the risks people take when playing high school sports?”

  • In Unit 5, Related Media Exploration 1: “Why Was Communism In America Viewed As Both An Opportunity And A Problem?,” students engage in media to better understand the concern with communism in America. While watching “Communism’s Appeal Grows during the Great Depression,” students answer questions including, but not limited to, “According to the speakers, why did communism grow in popularity during the 1930s?” and “Why was there a growing fear of communism in America in the late 1940s and early 1950s?” At the end of the lesson, students respond to the following Independent Reflection prompt: “Based on the video and timeline, why was communism in America viewed as both an opportunity and a problem? Summarize evidence from the videos and use precise verbs in your response.” 

  • In Unit 6, Related Media Exploration: “Analyzing Graphs to Support Your Argument,” “…students collaboratively engage with four graphs and charts, build knowledge about the unit topic, and discuss what they’ve learned.”  Students examine a table titled “Before-School Program Fee Schedule” from the Wake County Public Schools System. Students respond to questions such as, “What do you notice about the connection between school start times and the yearly fees for before-school programs?” 

Sets of questions and tasks provide opportunities to analyze across multiple texts as well as within single texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Discussion Lesson, students respond to the following prompt, “Consider each of the unit texts and their different suspense-building techniques. Which text had the moment of greatest suspense? Use evidence from the text and R.J. Jacobs’s ‘The Psychology of Suspense’ to support your response.” The students can choose from six texts from the unit. 

  • In Unit 3, Reading Lesson: “False Memories and How They Form,” students read “False Memories and How They Form” by Kendra Cherry. During Independent Practice, students respond to the following prompt, “You have just read ‘False Memories and How They Form” by Kendra Cherry. How does the idea of false memories affect events in Twelve Angry Men? Cite evidence from the article to support your answer.”

  • In Unit 4, Reading Lesson: “The Concussion Gap: Head Injuries in Girls Soccer are an ‘Unpublicized Epidemic,’” students analyze two articles and respond to a two-part question. The question asks,  “How might the author of ‘What a lifetime of playing football can do to the human brain’ respond to paragraphs 32-34 in this article? Why do you think it is important to consider different perspectives on the same topic? Explain your answer.”

Indicator 2D
04/04

Culminating tasks require students to demonstrate their knowledge of a unit's topic(s) through integrated literacy skills (e.g., a combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 2d. 

The materials provide culminating tasks for each unit. Culminating tasks require students to demonstrate a variety of reading, writing, and speaking and listening standards. Almost all culminating tasks require students to use evidence from texts read throughout the unit. While the culminating task is often introduced towards the end of each unit, the materials require students to record evidence from texts they read throughout each unit that will support them as they respond to prompts. Culminating tasks often require students to present their tasks and utilize technology in some way. Culminating tasks are varied and often try to mirror real-life situations. The culminating tasks are broken into multiple lessons with lesson copies for both the teacher and the student.

Culminating tasks are evident and varied across the year and they are multifaceted, requiring students to demonstrate mastery of several different standards (reading, writing, speaking, listening) at the appropriate grade level, and comprehension and knowledge of a topic or topics through integrated skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students break down the prompt, find evidence in the texts from the unit, draft their thesis statements, and outline their essays. In Drafting the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students write their drafts in response to the prompt, “Write an essay that compares and contrasts how the authors of ‘Ruthless’ and ‘The Cone’ build suspense. Use relevant evidence from both texts to support your response.” In Peer Reviewing the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students begin by reading their peer’s essay and using a Peer Review Checklist to annotate the essay. Then, students exchange notes with their partners and jot down ideas to revise their essays. This culminating writing task requires students to demonstrate mastery of reading, writing, speaking and listening. 

  • In Unit 2, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Presentation, students break down the prompt, brainstorm for their presentation, and begin planning. The prompt states, “In this unit, you have read five poems in which individuals convey messages about courage. With a partner, prepare a presentation comparing and contrasting how two poets convey their messages.” During planning, students outline the key points for each part of the presentation and list the evidence they will use to support those points. In Drafting the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Presentation, students learn about strong visual presentations, review and analyze strong speaker notes, plan their presentations with partners, and draft their presentations. In Peer Reviewing the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Presentations, students use a peer review checklist to provide feedback on each other’s presentations. Then, they discuss and exchange feedback. Lastly, student pairs use the feedback they received to revise their presentations. In a later lesson, students can reflect on their presentations. This culminating writing task requires students to demonstrate mastery of reading, writing, speaking and listening. 

  • In Unit 6, Planning the Culminating Task: Research-Based Argumentative Essay, students break down the prompt, draft a thesis, gather evidence, and begin to draft counterclaims and rebuttals. The prompt states, “Imagine that you have the opportunity to speak directly to your school’s student government about your school’s start time. In this final unit culminating task, a Research-Based Argument Essay, you will incorporate survey data and research into an essay to convince a specific audience of your stand on the ideal school start time for your school. Support your argument with evidence from your research.” The materials include a graphic organizer where students can record their claims and evidence. In Drafting the Culminating Task: Research-Based Argumentative Essay, students use an exemplar essay and rubric to draft their argumentative essays. In later lessons, students analyze writing samples and use their learning to make revisions to their essays where they address their audience directly and hook their readers with compelling evidence. Lastly, students review their works cited pages. This culminating writing task requires students to demonstrate mastery of reading, writing, speaking and listening. 

Indicator 2E
02/04

Materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to achieve grade-level writing proficiency by the end of the school year.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 2e. 

Each unit includes a unit introduction that lists unit focus standards for writing. Writing lessons are included in every unit, focusing on grade-specific skills. Most culminating tasks are writing assignments, and the unit includes writing lessons that are built to help students with their culminating tasks. The Unit Guide includes an Arc of Writing Instruction that includes all the writing lessons in the unit as well as the culminating task. Each unit includes lessons and materials with teacher copies to guide instruction. Materials include writing exemplars as models to instruct students. Teachers can access How-To-Guidance, explaining how to use writing and research tools with students. Although Informative/Explanatory and Argumentative writing standards align to grade level instruction and support writing growth over the course of the year, Narrative writing instruction is not present in the materials. 

Materials include some writing instruction that aligns to the standards for the grade level and supports students’ growth in writing skills over the course of the school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Each unit includes an introduction that includes information about the writing skills students will learn along with the culminating writing task. Each culminating task references how each writing lesson fits into the arc of writing for the unit. Each writing lesson requires text-based evidence and aligns to grade-level standards while supporting writing growth over the course of the year. The Culminating task for each unit allows students to transfer practiced writing skills and integrate evidence from unit texts to draft a final writing task aligned to grade-level writing standards. 

  • In each unit, students complete a culminating task aligned to argumentative or informative/explanatory writing standards. There are no culminating tasks aligned to narrative writing standards, and there are no additional opportunities for students to practice narrative writing with instruction. All culminating tasks include a rubric that students can reference as they write. Most culminating tasks include exemplar writing samples that students analyze before beginning their planning and drafting. 

  • In Unit 1, writing lessons include an on-demand writing prompt and three separate writing lessons before the culminating task. The three writing lessons focus on skills such as writing a strong claim, writing a complete paragraph, and an exemplar essay review. These writing lessons build separate skills that students need to be successful in the culminating task, which for this unit is a literary analysis essay. Later in the unit, students plan and draft their literary analysis essays, applying these skills. After drafting, students engage in a peer review activity where they give and receive feedback on their writing. 

  • In Unit 5, writing lessons include an on-demand narrative writing prompt and two separate writing lessons before the culminating task. The two writing lessons focus on skills such as using precise verbs in reasoning and introducing evidence with reasoning. These writing lessons build separate skills that students need to be successful in the culminating task, which for this unit is a literary analysis essay. Later in this unit, students plan and draft their literary analysis essays, applying these skills. After drafting, students engage in a revision lesson where they practice separating one paragraph with multiple ideas into two paragraphs. 

Instructional materials include a variety of well-designed guidance, protocols, models, and support for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • All culminating tasks include a rubric that teachers can reference to provide students with feedback. Most culminating tasks include exemplar writing samples that teachers can analyze to align their feedback with the intended grade-level expectations. 

  • Writing lessons usually begin with the analysis of writing samples. These lessons include exemplary responses to all student questions for teachers to reference. These exemplary responses include the key knowledge students should be concluding about a writing skill or topic. Writing lessons usually include checklists that can be referenced by both teachers and students. All writing lessons include a facilitation guide for teachers. 

  • In Unit 1, Writing Lesson: Exemplar Essay Review, teachers guide students in reviewing “the structure and parts of a well-written essay.” The Teacher Copy provides a chart to show where this lesson fits within the arc of the writing of the unit. This is Writing Lesson 3 and builds to the culminating task, where students write a literary analysis essay. This lesson provides an exemplar essay and During Reading questions for students to complete, such as “Find Evidence: Highlight the essay’s thesis statement” and “Write: How does paragraph 2 support the thesis?” The Teacher Copy includes suggested answers for the teacher to use to support students. 

  • In Unit 4, Writing Lesson: Establishing a Target Audience, teachers guide students in identifying a target audience based on sample advertisements. Students then use what they learned to establish a target audience based on their research questions. The Teacher Copy provides exemplar responses for all tasks in this lesson, including the graphic organizers that students complete. The Teacher Copy also provides suggestions on how to facilitate each part of the lesson such as sending kids to work independently or for teachers to directly lead parts of the lesson. Students lead students in identifying the target audience for the first advertisement in the lesson and walk students through the questions they should ask themselves to complete the process. Later in the unit, students use this learning in their culminating task, which is an argumentative presentation.

Indicator 2F
04/04

Materials include a progression of focused research projects to encourage students to develop knowledge in a given area by confronting and analyzing different aspects of a topic using multiple texts and source materials.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 2f. 

The materials include research and writing activities and projects from the beginning to the end of the year. Materials provide opportunities for students to complete research activities tied to topics and core unit texts. Research standards are present in the Scope and Sequence for each unit. The language of research standards is referenced in all Unit Guides. Research is integrated throughout the curriculum and can be found in Related Media Exploration lessons and Culminating unit lessons. Students synthesize multiple texts and source materials to gain knowledge and understanding of the topic and record this information in a note-taking graphic organizer to be accessed in the culminating unit tasks. Materials provide opportunities for students to draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Professional development materials in PDF format, found under How-to Guidance, support teachers in guiding students to use graphic organizers to gather relevant information, writing exemplars, and understanding the Research Process. Guidance is available in the digital teacher resources found in the series of culminating tasks at the end of the unit.

Research projects are sequenced across a school year to include a progression of research skills according to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 1, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students review key scenes from unit texts and choose evidence that reveals how authors use literary techniques to create suspense. Students use a graphic organizer to collect relevant evidence from unit texts. For example, “each selected literary technique needs to be supported with evidence.”

    • In Unit 4, Choice Board: Texts, students select two texts to read and annotate. Texts include, but are not limited to, “Why the Latest Effort to Make Youth Football Safer Could Fail” by Ryan Swanson and “Playing Teen Sports May Protect From Some Damages Of Childhood Trauma” by Susie Neilson. Students then complete their Independent Research Notes and take notes for their culminating project. The graphic organizer asks students to find evidence to determine if playing contact sports is worth the risk. 

    • In Unit 6, Review: Formatting Your Works Cited Page, students learn the standard format for citation (MLA). The lesson contains seven parts: Identifying Texts and Multimedia Sources Referenced in Your Task, Review Works Cited Formatting for Texts, Independent Practice: Starting Your Works Cited with Reading Texts, Publish and Celebrate Your Work, Review Works Cited for Charts and Graphs, Updating Your Works Cited with Multimedia Formats, and Checking Your Works Cited List. When students create their own work cited page, they use checklists to ensure they include the correct information and cite in the appropriate way. 

Materials support teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge of different aspects of a topic via provided resources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Materials support teachers in employing projects by providing tools found under Professional Development in the How-To Guidance. One tool is a PDF called “Research Process.” The first part of this teacher tool provides “A method for identifying sources and gathering evidence to answer an inquiry and prove a thesis.” The second half of the tool addresses how teachers can guide students through hurdles during research, “Some students may find it difficult to move from step to step. Below are some common student challenges during the research process and possible solutions.”

  • In Unit 4, Research Note Taking Graphic Organizer, the materials provide a graphic organizer for students to use to record the views on contact sports that students will be reading throughout the unit. The graphic organizer lists the anchor text titles and then has a place for students to add evidence and examples for “Yes, playing contact sports is worth the risks” and “No, playing contact sports isn’t worth the risks.” The Teacher Copy lists examples of evidence that a student may write down. 

Materials provide many opportunities for students to synthesize and analyze content tied to the texts under study as a part of the research process. 

  • Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 4, Planning the Culminating Task: Argumentative Presentation, students respond to the following prompt: “In this culminating task, you will work individually to create an advertisement which expresses your position on the following question: are contact sports worth the risk? The purpose of this advertisement is to convey your claims through text and visual media.” Students use their Research Note-Taking Graphic Organizer to find evidence for this culminating task. 

    • In Unit 6, Planning the Culminating Task: Research-Based Argumentative Essay, students respond to the prompt: “Incorporate survey data and research into an essay to convince a specific audience of your stance on the ideal start time for your school.” Students draw on six informational texts and three graphs/charts in order to explore the prompt relating to school start times. 

    • Opportunities to generate individual research questions are not evident in the materials. 

  • Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 1, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students draw on evidence from six core literary texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. The task requires students to “Identify 4-5 pieces of evidence from each text that reveal how the author used at least two literary techniques to build suspense.” In the Grade 8 Analysis Rubric, students are scored on six required components, one being Analysis and Reasoning, which states, “Analysis clearly identifies how the development of contrasting points of view create emotional effects in the reader/audience.”  

    • In Unit 2, Drafting the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Presentation, the materials provide a rubric for the culminating task. In order to earn a 4, the students need “Strong, relevant evidence thoroughly supports the claim and demonstrates complete comprehension of sources.” 

    • In Unit 4, Writing Lesson: Drafting the Culminating Task Pitch, students plan their culminating task pitch to go along with their argumentative presentation. Students read through an Exemplar Pitch Outline, where the pitch provides four pieces of evidence to help support their pitch. While planning, students are expected to incorporate evidence into their pitch. After planning their pitch, students present the pitch to a partner, and the partner provides feedback. One pitch component on the feedback form states, “The problem was highlighted, along with evidence.” 

    • In Unit 6, Planning the Culminating Task: Research-Based Argumentative Essay, students respond to the prompt: “Incorporate survey data and research into an essay to convince a specific audience of your stance on the ideal start time for your school.” Students draw on six informational texts and three graphs/charts in order to explore the prompt relating to school start times. 

Criterion 2.2: Coherence

08/08

Materials promote mastery of grade-level standards by the end of the year.

Materials spend the majority of instructional time on content that falls within grade-level aligned instruction, practice, and assessments. Aligned grade-level standards are stated clearly in the materials. Questions and tasks are aligned to reading, writing, language, and speaking and listening standards in a majority of the lessons. Grade-level standard-aligned assessments are found in vocabulary quizzes, grammar quizzes, and culminating writing tasks at the end of each unit.

The implementation schedules align with the core learning and objectives and can reasonably be completed in the time allotted. The materials contain six units, with each unit taking five to seven weeks to complete, assuming 45 minutes of instruction a day. Optional tasks include writing prompts, book clubs, and additional texts. These tasks relate to the unit’s essential questions, focus on the skills students are learning in the unit, and do not distract from core learning.

Indicator 2G
04/04

Materials spend the majority of instructional time on content that falls within grade-level aligned instruction, practice, and assessments.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 2g. 

Materials spend the majority of instructional time on content that falls within grade-level aligned instruction, practice, and assessments. Aligned grade-level standards are stated clearly in the materials. Questions and tasks are aligned to reading, writing, language and speaking and listening standards in a majority of the lessons. Grade-level standard-aligned assessments are found in vocabulary quizzes, grammar quizzes, and culminating writing tasks at the end of each unit. Multiple reading and writing and speaking and listening standards are repeatedly addressed within and across units to ensure mastery of grade-level standards. Although the Scope and Sequence indicate most of the standards are represented, some standards are missing or represented only once.

Over the course of each unit, the majority of instruction is aligned to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Most Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are taught throughout the school year as recorded in all Unit Guides: Unit at a Glance, Skill Focus, Arc of Reading and Writing Instruction, Vocabulary, Discussion, and Grammar Sections. Materials record standards in brackets next to skills in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. Grade level standards are indicated in the teacher copy of unit lesson overviews, specifically in the skill focus and Independent multiple choice and short answer questions. 

  • In Unit 2, Writing Lesson: Including Context About the Author or Speaker, students learn about providing context about an author or speaker when introducing evidence. This relates to standard W.8.2c. The materials look at sample texts and determine how they introduced the same piece of evidence. Students analyze which of the two samples provides context for their evidence and how this improves the writing. The Teacher Copy includes exemplar responses for this analysis. Students also provide notes on when to add context and examples of context. Students answer some Think & Share questions and Turn & Talk questions, including, but not limited to, “Based on the notes, what type of context do you always include when introducing evidence from a nonfiction text?” 

  • In Unit 4, Reading Lesson: “The Concussion Gap: Head Injuries in Girls Soccer are an Unpublicized Epidemic,” students read the article by Lee van der Voo. The recommendation is that this lesson is teacher lead. During reading, teachers prompt students to pause and answer questions such as, “Turn & Talk: How might publicizing the high number of concussions affect girls’ soccer?” and “Think & Share: How does the author suggest that girls’ soccer leagues earn from what is happening in boys’ football?” The Teacher Copy includes exemplar student answers for the teacher in blue. Students then answer Independent Reading questions such as “What is the relationship between the changes in girls soccer and the growing trend of player concussions?” and “Which statement best reveals how the distinction between ‘contact sport’ and ‘collision sport’ could affect the way people view girls’ soccer?” These all address standard RI.8.3.

  • In Unit 5, Related Media Exploration 1: “Why Was Communism In America Viewed As Both An Opportunity And A Problem?” students engage in multiple grade-level standards. Students build knowledge about the appeal and fear of communism in the 1940s as they “...collaboratively engage with one video and a timeline, build knowledge about unit themes, and discuss what they’ve learned” (RI.8.2, RI.8.7, W.8.2, W.8.7, W.8.8, SL.8.1, SL.8.2). At the beginning of the lesson, teachers use a slide deck to lead students in some introduction to the topic. Students review key terms in pairs and then “Paraphrase the difference between communism and capitalism.” Then, teachers show a video and prompt students to work in pairs to answer questions. Next, students review a timeline and answer questions in pairs. The Teacher Copy provides exemplar student responses for the teacher. Students then engage in an independent reflection and a short whole class discussion. 

Over the course of each unit, the majority of questions and tasks are aligned to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “The Tell-Tale Heart,” students “analyze how an author builds suspense through the point of view and setting” (RL.8.3, RL.8.6). The task requires students to read and respond to During Reading questions and analyze how Edgar Allan Poe builds suspense in the short story. During Reading questions align with grade-level standards, for example, “How does the sound of the old man’s heartbeat affect the reader?”

  • In Unit 2, Grammar and Usage Activities Set, students complete ten activities focusing on conditional verb mood. In the activities they examine conditional sentences and write conditional sentences correctly. These activities align with standard L.8.1c. 

  • In Unit 5, Writing Lesson: Introducing Evidence with Reasoning, the task requires students to Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly, which aligns with grade-level standard W.8.1a. Students respond to a prompt in order to practice introducing evidence and reasoning. The prompt references the poem “The Neighbor’s Wife” by Susan Palwick and asks students to write a short response answering, “Do you think the neighbors are right to accept the alien? Why or why not? Make sure to practice introducing your evidence with reasoning and to incorporate relevant unit vocabulary in your writing.”

  • In Unit 6, Choice Board: Texts, students work to determine central and supporting ideas in a text (RI.8.2). During the lesson, students choose from six texts and read them while taking notes on evidence that supports a later school start time or an earlier school start time. Students will then use their evidence to support their work with the following culminating task, “Imagine that you have the opportunity to speak directly to your school’s student government about your school’s start time. In this culminating task, a Research-Based Argument Essay, you will incorporate survey data and research into an essay to convince a specific audience of your stance on the ideal start time for your school. Support your thesis with evidence from your research.” This addresses standards W.8.1 and W.8.7. 

Over the course of each unit, the majority of assessment questions are aligned to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Grammar and Usage Quiz, students are assessed on using various types of phrases. Quiz directions state, “Write two original sentences using the provided verb. Use different verb forms for each sentence: the gerund, participle, or infinitive form of the verb.” This task is aligned to grade level standard L.8.1b.

  • In Unit 4, Grammar and Usage Quiz, students take a grammar quiz on sentence variety. Students are asked to revise a paragraph so that it contains at least one compound sentence, one complex sentence, and one compound-complex sentence. This addresses standard L.8.2a. The standard is listed in the unit guide but not on the quiz. 

  • In Unit 5, Drafting the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students’ final assessment for the unit is writing an essay. The essay requires students to “...analyze whether authors from two unit texts agree or disagree with the following quotation from scholar and social activist Chuck Collins…” The Grade 8 Literary Analysis Rubric is used to assess mastery of the task. 

  • In Unit 6, Reading Lesson: “Changing School Start Times Has Ripple Effects - And Those Ripples Could Sink Many Families,” students read the text by Johannah Haney. After reading, students answer four Independent Practice questions that all relate to a standard. Questions include, but are not limited to, “Which statement best describes the effect of the line ‘I have vacillated between fury, panic, sadness, and confusion’ in paragraph 1?” (RI.8.4) and “Which statement best captures the author’s point of view in this article?” (RI.8.6). This entire lesson is meant to be completed independently by students. 

By the end of the academic year, standards are repeatedly addressed within and across units to ensure students master the full intent of the standard. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, the standard RL.8.6 is repeatedly addressed within and across units to ensure mastery of the standard. Students practice this standard by analyzing how an author builds suspense using these reading lessons: “Button, Button” by Richard Matheson, “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl, and “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe.

  • In Unit 2, Reading Lesson: “JFK’s ‘Race to Space’ Speech (excerpted),” students read John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s speech. During reading, students answer a variety of questions, including “How does Kennedy strengthen his ideas through the use of rhetorical questions?” During Independent Practice, students answer the following question: “Which of the following best identifies the central idea of this text?” These questions align with standard RI.8.2. In Unit 4, students read “What A Lifetime of Playing Football Can Do To The Human Brain” by Brian Resnick. After reading, students respond to the following question, “Which statement best expresses the central idea of the article?” This also aligns with standards RI.8.2. 

  • In Unit 3, speaking and listening standards are practiced daily, as stated in the unit guide, “In all CommonLit units, students discuss the texts they read daily. In addition to multiple opportunities for informal discussion, there is one formal whole class discussion that allows students to learn how to acknowledge new information and justify their views when new evidence is presented.” The speaking and listening standard requires students to “Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing,” ensuring mastery.

  • In Unit 4, Planning the Culminating Task: Argumentative Presentation, students respond to the following prompt: “In this culminating task, you will work individually to create an advertisement which expresses your position on the following question: are contact sports worth the risk? The purpose of this advertisement is to convey your claims through text and visual media.” This culminating task addresses a few standards, including W.8.1. In Unit 6, Planning the Culminating Task: Research-Based Argumentative Essay, students also work on a task that addresses W.8.1. Students complete the following prompt for this culminating task: “Imagine that you have the opportunity to speak directly to your school’s student government about your school’s start time. In this culminating task, a Research-Based Argument Essay, you will incorporate survey data and research into an essay to convince a specific audience of your stand on the ideal start time for your school. Support your thesis with evidence from your research.” 

  • In Unit 5, standard W.8.2 is repeatedly addressed within and across units to ensure mastery of the standard. The Arc of Writing Instruction in the unit guide includes four writing lessons aligned to the grade level writing standard W.8.2. Also, the  Related Media Exploration 1: “Why Was Communism In America Viewed As Both An Opportunity And A Problem?” is aligned to W.8.2. Three other units also include culminating tasks involving writing a literary analysis, which aligns to this grade-level standard.

  • The following standards are missing or only taught once throughout the school year: RL.8.7, RL.8.9, RI.8.6, RI.8.8, RI.8.9, W.8.3, W.8.6, W.8.9, L.8.3, L.8.5, and SL.8.3.

Indicator 2H
04/04

Materials regularly and systematically balance time and resources required for following the suggested implementation, as well as information for alternative implementations that maintain alignment and intent of the standards.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 2h. 

The implementation schedules align with the core learning and objectives and can reasonably be completed in the time allotted. The materials contain six units, with each unit taking five to seven weeks to complete, assuming 45 minutes of instruction a day. The pacing guide includes flextime for teachers to utilize for completing previous activities, independent reading, supplemental text activities, or additional unit writing options. Optional activities are provided. They do not distract from learning, and they enhance core instruction. Most optional tasks can be found under the Additional Materials tab. Optional tasks may include writing prompts, book clubs, and additional texts. Optional tasks relate to the unit’s essential questions and focus on the skills students are learning in the unit.

Suggested implementation schedules and alternative implementation schedules align to core learning and objectives. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The resource Scope and Sequence outlines materials for the units over the course of the year. There are six units: three thematic units, one research, one drama, and one argumentative. Each unit includes focus skills for reading, writing, and speaking and listening. The Pacing Guide for each unit provides some options for flex time. The materials say, “Supplemental texts, independent reading, vocabulary activities, and grammar activities can often be assigned as homework or completed during flex time. Teachers should expect to revise pacing as needed.”  

  • In the Unit Guides, core learning can be seen under the Unit at a Glance. The guide provides an essential question, the length of the unit with the link to the pacing guide, unit texts, and focus skills tied to grade-level standards addressed for all core learning and objectives. 

  • Each Unit Guide provides a suggested implementation guide broken out week by week. For example, Unit 1, Week 1 suggests an optional writing baseline assessment on Monday, an introduction to the unit and a vocabulary activity set on Tuesday, a reading lesson on Wednesday, an extension of that reading lesson on Thursday, and a vocabulary activity set and writing lesson on Friday. Week 1 aligns with core standards in reading, writing, language, and speaking and listening skills. 

Suggested implementation schedules can be reasonably completed in the time allotted. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “The Cone,” teachers find a suggested implementation of 105-110 minutes. The pacing guide suggests completing this text and the activities for this text in two days, which may be difficult for a 45-minute class period. The suggested implementation for facilitation is independent work. In order to implement this lesson based on the suggested allotted time, teachers would need to assign parts of this lesson outside of class time. The pacing guide does suggest, “Supplemental texts, independent reading, vocabulary activities, and grammar activities can often be assigned as homework or completed during flex time.” Considering most of this lesson is done independently, using flex time might be required to complete this lesson within the allotted time. 

  • In Unit 4, the pacing guide suggests students spend two days on “What a LIfetime of Playing Football Can Do to the Human Brain” by Brian Resnick. On the first day, students complete the “What a Lifetime of Playing Football Can Do to the Human Brain” slide deck, read the text, and complete the Research Note-Taking task. On the second day, students complete Vocabulary Activity Set List 1: Activity 3 and 4, “What a Lifetime of Playing Football Can Do to the Human Brain” Independent Practice, and conduct a Student-led Discussion. The allotted time for this reading lesson is about 60 minutes; therefore, students should be able to complete the reading lesson and the vocabulary activity in two 45-minute class periods. 

  • In Unit 5, Narrative Writing Prompt, students “Rewrite ‘The Neighbor’s Wife’ as a narrative from the perspective of ‘the new Marella.’” Students are allotted a suggested 45 minutes to complete this narrative, which requires students to establish a problem, situation, or setting, use correct pronouns, transitions, dialogue, precise words, and a conclusion. A Grade 8 Narrative Writing Rubric is included in this task. Suggested implementation includes a grammar and usage activity during the same class period. This activity is allotted 45 minutes, which students should be able to complete in one class period.

Optional tasks do not distract from core learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Independent Reading and Book Club Resources, found under Additional Materials, teachers are provided with a resource that can be used simultaneously with core learning. Students are provided a list of texts and are encouraged to choose a reading response question from a menu to demonstrate understanding of the text. All novels explore “...the unit’s essential question: How do authors create suspense, and why are we drawn to it?” 

  • In Unit 2, Supplemental Texts and Lessons under Additional Materials, the materials provide a Guidance for Supplemental Text Sets document. Under the heading “Why use supplemental texts?” the materials state, “...teachers can use the texts to support and challenge a wide range of learners.” The materials also provide four suggestions for how to implement the texts: Independent In-Class reading, Small Group or Partner In-Class Reading, Homework, or Student Choice. 

  • In Unit 3, Supplemental Texts and Lessons, found under the Additional Materials tab, teachers can offer optional practice in reading texts that align with the theme of the unit. For example, “The Scottsboro Boys” by Jessica McBirney provides students insight into the criminal justice system and how it failed to bring justice to nine boys in 1931. This text provides another opportunity for students to reflect on the essential question, “What are the benefits and challenges within our jury system?” The text should not distract from learning and instead provides background information to better understand the theme of this unit. 

  • In Unit 6, Supplemental Texts and Lessons under Additional Materials, the materials provide five texts related to the Unit. The essential question for Unit 6 is, “What is the ideal school start time?” Supplemental texts include, but are not limited to, “Should Your School Day Start Later?” by Steph Smith and “Self-Care” by Set to Go. 

Optional tasks are meaningful and enhance core instruction. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Supplemental Texts and Lessons, found under the Additional Materials tab, teachers can provide options for independent reading that aligns with the unit’s theme. For example, “Antigonish [I met a man who wasn’t there]” by Hughs Mearns is one optional text that provides practice analyzing poetry. The poem addresses the essential question relating to building suspense and also provides practice analyzing repetition and tone. 

  • In Unit 2, Independent Reading and Book Club Resources under Additional Materials, the materials provide the Independent Reading Materials Unit 2: Conveying Courage Independent Reading Teacher Guide. The materials provide general questions and unit-specific questions. Unit-specific questions relate to what students have been learning about over the course of the unit. One question states, “After reading your book and the unit texts, what personal traits or beliefs are necessary to act courageously? Explain your answers.”

  • In Unit 3, Writing Baseline Assessment, found under the Additional Materials tab, teachers can provide students with a writing baseline that assesses student strengths and weaknesses. The materials include a Grade 6-10 Argumentative Writing Rubric, a Student Feedback Form, and a Writing Baseline Assessment Goal Setting Tool. These tools can be used by teachers and students to build skills and understanding in argumentative writing.

  • In Unit 4, Additional Unit Writing Options, under the Additional Materials tab, the materials provide an additional writing prompt that teachers may choose to use. The Teacher Copy provides a Note to Teachers that states, “Included here are two additional unit writing opportunities. These optional prompts are meant to be used in addition to the Culminating Task. You may choose to incorporate one or more of these prompts throughout the unit in a way that best aligns to the needs and interests of your students.” The prompt for option one states, “Is playing contact sports worth the risk? Write an essay in which you use evidence from the last three texts to support your claims on this question.” Option two states, “In this unit, you have read about the harmful effects of playing contact sports. Write a letter to your board of education urging them to adopt safe playing practices within your school’s athletic programs.” 

Overview of Gateway 3

Usability

The materials meet the expectations for usability. The materials provide comprehensive teacher guidance and correlation information to the ELA standards. In addition, the materials include explanations of the instructional approaches and include and reference research-based strategies. 

There is a clear assessment system that provides multiple assessment opportunities to determine students’ learning. The standards assessed in each assessment are indicated, and the materials offer some accommodations for assessments that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

The materials provide some strategies, supports, and resources for students in special populations. While general guidance is provided across special populations, lesson-specific guidance is lacking.

The materials integrate technology in ways that engage students in grade-level standards. The materials provide teacher guidance for using embedded technology in the Program Guide. The visual design of the materials supports learning. The design is not chaotic and easy to navigate, as student materials mimic teacher materials.

Criterion 3.1: Teacher Supports

09/09

The program includes opportunities for teachers to effectively plan and utilize materials with integrity and to further develop their own understanding of the content.

The materials provide comprehensive teacher guidance and correlation information to the ELA standards. In addition, the materials include explanations of the instructional approaches and include and reference research-based strategies. The materials do not include strategies or suggestions for stakeholders to use to support student progress.

Indicator 3A
02/02

Materials provide teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials to support students' literacy development.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 3a. 

Materials provide teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials to support students’ literacy development. The home page clarifies available resources to assist teachers with the variety of different lessons in each unit. Videos guiding teachers through the unit lessons and tasks are available in each unit. Unit guides break the unit into parts, guiding the teacher through each step and providing facilitation of lessons and suggestions for implementation. Lessons include Notes to the Teacher sections, and guidance within lessons provides suggestions for During Reading questions and Independent Practice addressing specific learning objectives. 

Materials provide comprehensive guidance that will assist teachers in presenting the student and ancillary materials. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Materials provide teachers with overviews and highlight instructional supports and instructional routines. The home page provides an overview of what is available in the ELA curriculum, including reading and writing lessons, vocabulary and grammar lessons, and related media exploration. Materials also provide three PDFs and a video to assist teachers in presenting to students and ancillary materials. The PDFs include access to the Scope and Sequence, Program Guide, and Research-Based Evidence. The video provides navigation information and a tour of the curriculum units. 

  • Materials provide teachers with an About this Unit section. In this section, teachers can access a five-minute video that provides general information about the unit lessons and tasks. In addition, the culminating task is identified and outlined, a list of skills students should be able to do is outlined, and reasons students might love the unit are identified. 

  • Each unit provides a Unit Guide that reveals the unit at a glance. Teachers can find the unit’s essential question, pacing guide, unit texts, focus, writing, and language skills for each specific unit. Both the Arc of Reading Instruction and the Arc of Writing Instruction are detailed and explained in the unit guide, along with the Culminating task prompt, vocabulary, discussion, and grammar focus, which are all aligned with identified grade-level standards.

  • Each unit is broken down into reading, writing, vocabulary, related media exploration, discussion, and culminating task lessons. Pacing time allotment for each lesson is evident before opening each lesson. Upon opening the lesson, teachers have access to a description of the lesson. The material provides a Teacher Copy that demonstrates how each specific lesson fits in with the entire unit, outlines the skill focus, provides notes to the teacher, breaks down the lesson activities, and provides suggestions for facilitation of the lesson. 

Materials include sufficient and useful annotations and suggestions that are presented within the context of the specific learning objectives. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Materials provide many useful annotations and suggestions within each lesson of each unit. One example is the Notes for Teachers component found in every lesson. For example, in Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “The Star Beast,” the Teacher Copy provides teacher notes that state, “This lesson is designed to be a whole class lesson because it provides students with guidance on analyzing point of view and dramatic irony and how those details contribute to a text’s mood and theme. Use the recommended reading modalities (whole class, partner, independent) and the During Reading Questions.”

  • Materials provide annotations and suggestions found in the During Reading Questions within each reading lesson of every unit. For example, in Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “The Star Beast,” in blue italicized writing, directions to the teacher state, “Answers in blue. To help us ensure assessment security, please do not post or circulate these answers online.” Suggestions for During Reading questions can be found in blue below the student question. Also, the Independent Practice section of the lesson provides guidance and states, “Note: To ensure test security, the following assessment items are viewable only on commonlit.org for verified teacher accounts. Navigate to the Answer Key tab on the text page to access it.”

Indicator 3B
02/02

Materials contain adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade-level/course-level concepts and concepts beyond the current course so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 3b. 

Materials contain adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade/course-level concepts, such as resource-based instructional strategies found in the How-To Guidance section. The Program Guide provides implementation guidance for teachers, and the Professional Development Portal includes target lessons to improve students’ success. The materials provide concepts beyond the current course so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject. Guides are provided that include content that challenges a wide range of readers. Videos are provided to engage in best practices, such as teaching digital writing lessons. Links to building classroom libraries and reading across contents can be accessed under Independent Reading and Book Club Resources. 

Materials contain adult-level explanations and examples of more complex grade/course-level concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Every unit provides a How-To Guidance section found under the Professional Development tab. This section states, “These free resources provide teachers research-based instructional strategies and time-saving tips to get the most out of CommonLit 360 lessons.” Teachers can access multiple PDFs addressing four ELA categories: Reading, Writing and Research, Speaking and Listening, and Assessments. 

  • The 360 Program Guide provides implementation guidance for using the common program tools and for implementing the different types of lessons in each unit, such as Reading, Writing, Discussion, Vocabulary, and Related Media Exploration. 

  • On the home page, the materials provide a Professional Development Portal that provides 60+ self-paced training modules. One example module includes Target Lessons: Engaging and Scaffolding Lessons to Support Your Students.

Materials contain adult-level explanations and examples of concepts beyond the current course so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Each unit provides a link to Guidance for Supplemental Text Sets. The materials explain the purpose of these texts, “Because the texts vary in complexity, teachers can use the texts to support and challenge a wide range of learners. The texts provide an opportunity for remediation and extension within each unit.” The guide also educates teachers on a variety of ways to use supplemental texts. 

  • Each unit provides self-paced training under the Professional Development tab. One section, 360 Best Practices, provides seven training videos. A few examples include Best Practices for Essential Reading Lessons, Scaffolding Instruction to Support All Readers, and Best Practices for Digital Writing Lessons.

  • Under Lesson and Materials, teachers can access Independent Reading and Book Club Resources for most units. Teachers are provided a guide to Best Practices for Independent Reading. The guide includes a link to “build your classroom library on the cheap.” The guide leads to other posts related to reading in the classroom. 

Indicator 3C
02/02

Materials include standards correlation information that explains the role of the standards in the context of the overall series.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 3c. 

Materials include standards correlation information that explains the role of the standards in the context of the overall series. Correlation information is present for the ELA standards addressed throughout the grade level/series. The Scope and Sequence provides ELA standard focus skills tied to every unit at all grade levels. The Library provides specific reading standards correlated to over 1100 texts. Explanations of the role of specific grade-level/course-level ELA standards are present in the context of the series. Each Unit Guide for every grade level provides the focus standards in clear language correlating to specific standards across core ELA standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. Reading, Writing, and Culminating Tasks across all units and grade levels explain the skills and tasks the students will focus on and the correlating standards associated with those skills and tasks. 

Correlation information is present for the ELA standards addressed throughout the grade level/series. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The Scope and Sequence can be accessed on the home page and also on each grade level tab. For every grade level and every unit, the Scope and Sequence provides the unit title. Essential questions and knowledge-building texts are tied to the focus skills and the ELA standards addressed. 

  • The Library, found under the Browse Content tab, contains over 1100 texts. The materials have a Reading Standard tab for information and literature. Users can click a specific reading standard to find text titles that contain specific reading standards across all grade levels.

  • The Reading lessons for each unit contain an Independent Practice section that includes multiple-choice and short-response questions that identify the assessed grade-level standard.

Explanations of the role of the specific grade-level/course-level ELA standards are present in the context of the series. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Each Unit provides a Unit Guide that explains the role of specific grade-level standards present in the context of the series. At the beginning of each guide, the Unit at a Glance provides the focus skills that are addressed throughout the unit in Reading, Writing, Language, and Speaking and Listening, along with the correlating ELA standard. The Skill Focus provided in the Unit Guide shows the correlation between the previous grade standard and the shift to the current grade standard. 

  • Each Reading, Writing, and Culminating Task lesson includes a skill focus section. The skill focus explains what the students will be doing and learning and directly indicates what standards those activities and learned skills address. 

Indicator 3D
Read

Materials provide strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

The materials do not provide strategies or suggestions for stakeholders to use to support student progress. The materials do include an FAQ section, and there is a section for parents/guardians. The FAQ section gives a brief overview of CommonLit but does not provide strategies or suggestions for how to help students progress.

Materials contain strategies for informing students, parents, or caregivers about the ELA program. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In the FAQ section of the CommonLit Support Center, there is a section for Parents & Guardians. In this section, one question states, “I am a parent. What is CommonLIt 360?” The materials provide a quick explanation of CommonLit and how it began, as well as a short video titled “Welcome to CommonLIt 360.” This section also includes the question, “I am a parent. Can I create an account on CommonLit?” The response is that parents cannot create an account, but they may browse the library resources and learn about CommonLit.

Materials contain suggestions for how parents or caregivers can help support student progress and achievement. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • No evidence found.

Indicator 3E
02/02

Materials provide explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 3e. 

The materials explain the instructional approaches to the program. In the Research and Evidence Base PDF, the materials list sections including, but not limited to text selection, knowledge building, repeated reading, annotation and note taking, on-demand and process writing, and academic discussions. In each of these sections, the materials provide the research that supports that strategy and then explain how CommonLit360 aligns with the research. The document cites the research throughout and includes a Works Cited page. Throughout the course of the year, the materials include these research-based strategies. Examples are given throughout the PDF so teachers know what the materials will look like.  

Materials explain the instructional approaches of the program. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  •  In the Research and Evidence Base PDF, the materials explain how their materials are research and evidence-based. For example, under text selection, the document says, “Research has shown that the ability to comprehend complex texts is a key factor in determining college readiness among students (ACT, 2006; Nelson et al., 2012).” The materials then state, “CommonLit360 immerses students in rich, engaging, grade-appropriate complex texts across a wide range of genres and modes.”

  • In the Research and Evidence Base PDF, the materials state the research behind text-centered questions and tasks. The materials state, “Teachers should adopt approaches that enhance academic rigor, such as asking targeted text-dependent questions that contribute to students’ comprehension (Fisher & Frey, 2012).” The materials then say, “Questioning makes up the heart of the CommonLit360 curriculum.”

  • In the Research and Evidence Base PDF, the materials state, “Studies have shown that specific feedback can significantly improve students’ writing quality and ability to revise their work. Graham and Hebert (2010) found that feedback that focuses on both the content and process of writing is most effective in helping students identify areas for improvement.” 

  • In the Research and Evidence Base PDF, the materials elaborate on the use of repeated reading. The materials state, “Through repeated engagement with complex sections of a text, close reading supports students in developing their vocabulary and analyzing text structure and sentence structure (Goff et al., 2005; Ericsson, 1993).” 

Materials include and reference research-based strategies. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The materials include a Professional Development tab, which includes a How-To Guidance section. This includes a variety of topics, including, but not limited to, Checking for Understanding During  Reading Lessons, Using a Note-Taking Graphic Organizer Effectively,  and Giving Meaningful Feedback. 

    • The materials provide suggestions for implementing this strategy in the Checking for Understanding During Reading Lessons PDF. One suggestion states, “Teach student fix-up strategies like Rewriting the question in their own words. Defining Key terms in the question.” 

    • In the Using a Note Taking Graphic Organizer Effectively PDF, the materials share why it is important and offer teacher tips. The materials also include a section titled “What the Research Says.” This section references Knipper & Duggan 2006 and says, “The act of writing content improves students’ abilities to process and comprehend new and complex ideas, and connect new information for prior knowledge and lived experiences.” 

    • In the Giving Meaningful Feedback PDF, the material provides examples of one-dimensional feedback and meaningful feedback and what the potential student outcomes could be based on the feedback. The PDF provides a rubric example and sample feedback responses. 

Indicator 3F
01/01

Materials provide a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 3f. 

The materials provide a list of materials for lessons throughout each unit. Each unit begins with a Unit Guide, which lists everything included in the unit. Each unit has a Lessons & Materials tab, which includes everything needed to complete the lessons within the unit. Most reading lessons do not include a materials list, but the materials needed are included within the assignment as students click through the resource. Most writing lessons include a “Materials Needed” section since they often use materials from previous lessons. 

Materials provide a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Unit Guide, the materials list what’s included in the unit. The list includes but is not limited to, A Unit Introduction Activity, 7 Reading lessons, A Set of Supplemental Texts, and 5 Writing Lessons. The materials then state, “All lessons can be accessed through the Lessons & Materials page.”

  • In Unit 3, Related Media Exploration 1: The Jury System and the Role of a Juror, the Teacher Copy provides a Lesson Overview that states how to facilitate this lesson. The materials state, “Use the paired slide deck to guide students through the handout. Videos are linked in the slide deck.” The materials then list the parts of the lesson and link the videos used throughout the lesson. 

  • In Unit 5, Writing Lesson: Using Precise Verbs in Your Reasoning, the Teacher Copy Lesson Overview provides a “Materials Needed” section. This section lists items “You will need” and items “Your student will need.” Under “You will need” the materials list: This lesson handout, “The Star Beast” (Teacher Copy), and “What is Othering?” (Teacher Copy). Under “Your students will need” the materials list: “Using Precise Verbs in Your Reasoning” (Student Copy), “The Star Beast” (Student Copy), and “What is Othering?” (Student Copy).

Indicator 3G
Read

This is not an assessed indicator in ELA.

Indicator 3H
Read

This is not an assessed indicator in ELA.

Criterion 3.2: Assessment

10/10

The program includes a system of assessments identifying how materials provide tools, guidance, and support for teachers to collect, interpret, and act on data about student progress towards the standards.

The materials provide a clear assessment system that provides multiple assessment opportunities to determine students’ learning. Assessments include grammar and usage quizzes, vocabulary quizzes, independent in-class assessments, and final culminating unit assessments. Every unit contains a culminating task that incorporates reading, writing, and speaking and listening skills. The materials include a rubric for the teacher to use to grade the culminating tasks. Materials also include an Independent Practice component throughout each unit, typically with each reading lesson. This is similar to an exit ticket that allows the teacher to assess student understanding frequently over the course of the year. During Reading questions and tasks allow teachers to check in with students during the lessons. Throughout the program, the materials identify the standards and practices assessed in formal assessments. In addition, the materials offer some accommodations for assessments that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills.

Indicator 3I
02/02

Assessment information is included in the materials to indicate which standards are assessed.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 3i. 

The materials identify the standards and practices assessed in formal assessments throughout the program. Independent reading questions and culminating task prompts always have the standards addressed listed beside the question or the prompt. The grammar quizzes and vocabulary quizzes do not list the standards by the questions, but the standards are listed in the Unit Guide for teachers. 

Materials consistently identify the standards and practices assessed for formal assessments. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Most units include a grammar quiz. The grammar quiz includes a scoring chart at the bottom to help determine a student’s score. The grammar instruction standards addressed for each unit are listed in the Unit Guide, and those are the standards addressed in the quiz. 

  • Each unit includes at least one vocabulary quiz. The Unit Guide lists the Vocabulary standards addressed within each unit, and the quiz addresses those same standards.

  • The culminating task for each unit includes the standard(s) addressed on the task prompt. Each culminating task also includes a rubric teachers can use to score the task. The rubrics used are a 4-3-2-1 scale, and each section contains clear expectations that students must include to receive that score. 

  • Independent Practice questions are included at the end of almost every reading lesson. Each question is marked with the corresponding standard or standards that the question addresses. 

Indicator 3J
04/04

Assessment system provides multiple opportunities throughout the grade, course, and/or series to determine students' learning and sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 3j. 

The materials provide multiple opportunities for assessments. Every unit contains a culminating task that incorporates reading, writing, and speaking and listening skills. The materials include a rubric for the teacher to use to grade the culminating tasks. Materials also include an Independent Practice component throughout each unit, typically with each reading lesson. This is similar to an exit ticket that allows the teacher to assess student understanding frequently over the course of the year. During Reading questions and tasks allow teachers to check in with students during the lessons. The materials provide possible answers, as well as optional during reading questions the teacher can use if they choose. 

Assessment system provides multiple opportunities to determine students’ learning and sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Each unit contains a multifaceted culminating task. Students typically include reading, writing, and speaking and listening skills to complete the culminating task. Each culminating task includes a rubric for the teacher to use to assess the students. The task for each unit differs to provide some variety over the course of the year. For example, the Unit 1 culminating task is a literary analysis essay, while the Unit 4 culminating task is an argumentative presentation. 

  • Independent Practice is a form of formative assessment used throughout each unit. Independent practice may include a short written response question, an application question, and multiple choice questions. 

  • The materials provide during reading questions that allow the teacher to check in with students while reading. These questions may be Turn & Talk, highlight evidence, written response, or Think & Share. The Teacher Copy provides possible answers, as well as providing information on optional During Reading Questions that the teacher can choose to use. 

Assessment system provides multiple opportunities to determine students’ learning and suggestions to teachers for following-up with students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the Program Guide, the materials state the following under the rubric section, “Rubrics enable teachers to provide constructive feedback that helps students recognize their strengths, identify areas for improvement, and set goals for future growth.” 

  • Formative assessments are included throughout the units within the Independent Practice sections of the lessons. The program guide states, “Teachers are able to monitor students’ comprehension, analysis, and skill building through frequent review of these formative assessments, allowing them to adjust their instructional practices and improve student learning outcomes.” 

Indicator 3K
04/04

Assessments include opportunities for students to demonstrate the full intent of grade-level/course-level standards and shifts across the series.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for Indicator 3k. 

Materials provide opportunities for students to demonstrate the full intent of grade-level/course-level standards and shifts across the series through formative and summative assessments, such as grammar and usage quizzes, vocabulary quizzes, independent in-class assessments, and final culminating unit assessments. The assessment item types in the program are varied. 

Assessments include opportunities for students to demonstrate the full intent of grade-level/course-level standards and shifts across the series. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • All grade-level units include a writing baseline assessment. This argumentative prompt connects to the major unit themes. Facilitation suggestions include instructions to “Use the Grade 6-10 Argumentative Writing Rubric to score student essays. Provide direct feedback to students on their essays using the Student Feedback Form. Have students reflect on their writing and set writing goals using the Writing Baseline Assessment Goal-Setting Tool. You may use this tool to kick off 1:1 conferences with students.” This writing baseline assessment is a constructed response. 

  • Each unit includes one to two Vocabulary quizzes that assess the “10 high-impact academic vocabulary words they will see in the texts they read.” Vocabulary quizzes are multiple-choice. 

  • Most units include one Grammar and Usage quiz that assesses students’ knowledge of the unit’s grammar skill that correlates directly to grade level language standards. Grammar and Usage quizzes vary in structure, including short answer and open-response. 

  • Each unit includes a culminating task with instructions that state the following: “To measure student understanding, each unit culminates in a task that assesses student understanding of core unit knowledge and skills. Throughout the unit, students engage in the writing process to refine this task so that they have a published product by the end of the unit.” 

  • Students are assessed using many different types of rubrics such as “Writing: informative, argumentative, narrative, literary analysis, Listening and speaking, and Presentation.” “Culminating tasks are assessed using the associated rubric, which allows teachers and students to track and understand how students are performing in relation to the focus standards in the unit.” Culminating tasks vary in structure, including process writing and presentations. 

  • Formative Assessments found in many of the reading lessons include in-class Independent Practice activities that “require students to answer a short written response question, an application question, and/or multiple-choice assessment questions.” 

Indicator 3L
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Assessments offer accommodations that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment.

The digital versions of Vocabulary, Grammar, and Usage Assessments and Culminating Unit Tasks provide some universal accommodations that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment. Those accommodations include document translation to other languages and font size adjustments. No evidence was found that demonstrates guidance for teachers on the use of provided accommodations.

Materials offer accommodations that ensure most students can access the assessment (e.g., text to speech, increased font size) without changing the content of the assessment. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Materials offer accommodations that ensure all students can access the assessment without changing the content of the assessment. Students have access to document translation to other languages and font size adjustments.

  • Reading lessons for all units and grade levels provide a translate button and a read-aloud link. Translate allows access to the texts in 41 different languages. The Read-Aloud option reads the text back in English. 

Materials include guidance for teachers on the use of provided accommodations. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • No evidence found.

Criterion 3.3: Student Supports

03/06

The program includes materials designed for each student’s regular and active participation in grade-level/grade-band/series content.

The materials provide some strategies, supports, and resources for students in special populations. While general guidance is provided across special populations, lesson-specific guidance is lacking. Some of the How-To Guidance PDFs provided for teachers in the materials provide guidance for helping students who are struggling, including examples and strategies to guide teachers. The materials provide some strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak a language other than English. The Program Guides provide a list of supports for English Learners, including a list of teacher-led strategies and explanations for how CommonLit 360 tools and resources can be used to help. The materials provide some suggestions and strategies for using home language to support students in learning English Language Arts. The Program Guide suggests that teachers use the students’ first language skills to help them better understand vocabulary and comprehend text. There is guidance for grouping students in a variety of ways across each unit. Types of interactions among students include Whole Class Partner Work, including Think Share, Turn and Talk, Student-Led Discussions, Further Analysis responses, and Independent work. Materials provide varied approaches to learning tasks over time. Opportunities for students to demonstrate and monitor their learning are also varied.

The materials, including texts and assessments, depict characters and individuals of varying ages, genders, races, and ethnicities and typically present diversities in a positive light. The materials do not include teacher guidance on how to engage culturally diverse students in the learning of ELA.

Indicator 3M
01/02

Materials provide strategies and supports for students in special populations to work with grade-level content and to meet or exceed grade-level standards that will support their regular and active participation in learning English language arts and literacy.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 3m. 

The materials provide some strategies, supports, and resources for students in special populations. The materials include PDFs under the How-To Guidance section within the professional development tab for each unit. These PDFs cover topics regarding reading, writing, research, speaking and listening, and assessments. Some of these PDFs provide guidance for helping students who are struggling, providing examples and strategies to guide teachers. The examples and strategies are general and not specific to particular lessons. Individual lessons include optional During Reading Questions that teachers can use, but lessons do not include specific guidance on strategies and supports to use with students in special populations. The materials provide a variety of texts for students to use during the Choice Board lessons, but there is no guidance for the teacher on how to use these to support special populations.

Materials regularly provide strategies, supports, and resources for students in special populations to support their regular and active participation in grade-level literacy work. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The materials provide How-To Guidance PDFs under the professional development tab for each unit. These PDFs provide suggestions for the teacher to use in a variety of situations, including, but not limited to, annotating effectively, checking for understanding during reading lessons, facilitating a productive discussion, and giving meaningful feedback. The PDFs typically provide suggestions for students who are struggling. For example, in the “Checking for Understanding During Reading Lessons” PDF, the materials provide suggestions for students who are struggling to comprehend the content. The materials state, “Teach students fix-up strategies like: 

    • Rereading

    • Breaking down the existing question

    • Asking an additional question.”

The materials provide an example for the teacher as well. 

  • In the Teacher Copy of Reading Lessons, the materials provide a suggested reading modality based on the amount of support students may need with the topic. The materials provide During Reading questions, but certain questions are optional. The materials state, “During Reading Questions that are marked with an asterisk (*) are optional questions. Teachers can choose to use the questions with students needing more support.”

  • In Unit 4, Choice Board: Texts, the Teacher Copy provides notes for teachers. Part of the notes state, “This lesson is designed as independent reading because students select and read two texts that support their own stance on the research question.” Although this task is designed as an Independent Research activity, the materials do not provide guidance for the teacher on how to assist students in special populations or information regarding which grouping of texts might be best for students in special populations.

Indicator 3N
01/02

Materials regularly provide extensions to engage with literacy content and concepts at greater depth for students who read, write, speak, and/or listen above grade level.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 3n. 

The materials provide some opportunities for advanced students to investigate grade-level content at a higher level of complexity. The materials contain a Beyond the Wall section in the Word Wall Teacher Guidance that provides a variety of activities that the teacher can incorporate for advanced students. The materials also provide Reading Responses for Advanced Analysis as options for the questions/responses in the Independent Reading and Book Club Resources. There are also opportunities for students to choose to read more challenging texts during choice text lessons. 

Materials provide some opportunities for advanced students to investigate the grade-level content at a higher level of complexity. Materials are free of instances of advanced students doing more assignments than their classmates. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The materials provide a Word Wall Teacher Guidance document for the Vocabulary Activity Sets. This document provides best practices for using word walls, as well as a Beyond the Wall section. The Beyond the Wall section says, “Here are additional creative ways to support students to do higher-level thinking with target words. These activities can be beneficial for reinforcing key ideas and making cross-curricular connections.” One example activity is Word Relationships. The materials state, “In pairs, each student has a target word on a card. Sharing their words with each other, students discuss similarities between their words. Ask pairs to form groups of four to see if students can find similarities among the four words.” The teacher directions for this page state, “Here are additional creative ways to support students to do higher-level thinking with target words. These activities can be beneficial for reinforcing key ideas and making cross-curricular connections.” 

  • In Unit 5, the Additional Materials tab provides Independent Reading and Book Club Resources. The materials provide reading responses students can use for their independent reading log. The materials contain a section called Reading Responses for More Advanced Analysis. An example of a response is, “Significant Passage: Describe or quote from a passage that you feel is most important to the meaning of the whole text or a part of the text. Explain what makes this passage especially meaningful to the other parts of the text. Which words and phrases stand out as particularly important? Why might the author have chosen to include this passage, or particular words, phrases, and lines from the passage?” There are no clear teacher directions on when to use these questions.

Indicator 3O
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Materials provide varied approaches to learning tasks over time and variety in how students are expected to demonstrate their learning with opportunities for for students to monitor their learning.

Materials provide varied approaches to learning tasks over time. Opportunities for students to demonstrate and monitor their learning are also varied. Research units and Related Media projects provide inquiry opportunities for students. Every unit ends with a culminating task that provides evidence of student thinking over time. Materials provide a variety of approaches for ongoing review, reflection, and feedback through During Reading questions, comprehension checks, rubrics, and peer review. Students monitor and set goals for their learning through Unit Introduction self-checks, beginning-of-the-unit writing assessments, and rubrics for culminating tasks. 

Materials provide multi-modal opportunities for students to question, investigate, sense-make, and problem-solve using a variety of formats and methods. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Every grade level has one assigned research unit in which students investigate and gather information to support a claim. Students “engage in a cyclical process of inquiry to explore important issues and topics and present their findings in various forms. The program provides students opportunities to engage in informal and formal research projects…” Related Media lessons provide opportunities for students to complete short inquiry-based research projects. These projects support students “in gathering and synthesizing information from various multimedia and multimodal texts (videos, podcasts, graphs, charts, and infographics) in order to present their learning through writing and/or speaking.”

Students have opportunities to share their thinking, to demonstrate changes in their thinking over time, and to apply their understanding in new contexts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Every unit ends with a culminating task in which “Students take their culminating tasks through the writing process, developing and refining their ideas, conveying them clearly, and showcasing their mastery of the unit’s content and skills. One example of a task and prompt that requires students to demonstrate changes in thinking and apply them to understand new contexts is the Unit 4 culminating task, which states, “In this culminating task, you will work individually to create an advertisement which expresses your position on the following question: are contact sports worth the risk? The purpose of this advertisement is to convey your claims through text and visual media.”

Materials leverage the use of a variety of formats and methods over time to deepen student understanding and ability to explain and apply literacy ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Materials offer a variety of formats and methods over time to deepen student understanding. Students participate in formats such as Teacher-Led that may entail reading modalities that are whole class, partner, or independent. Students participate in Independent work, which requires longer chunks of independent reading. Students participate in Student-Led small groups where students work in groups of three to five and “answer the During Reading Questions and alternate readers to read sections aloud.” Students also work with partners for Turn and Talk and Think and Share.

Materials provide for ongoing review, practice, self-reflection, and feedback. Materials provide multiple strategies, such as oral and/or written feedback, peer or teacher feedback, and self-reflection. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:  

  • Materials provide opportunities for ongoing review. Reading lessons include During Reading questions, which provide review and practice while reading texts. Reading lessons also contain independent practice opportunities that assess comprehension of the text and standards taught in the lesson. 

  • Materials provide opportunities for self-reflection. In Unit 2, Related Media Exploration: What motivates people to act courageously? Students complete the lesson with Independent Reflection. For example, students respond to the prompt, “Based on the young people in these videos, what motivates people to act courageously? Summarize evidence from at least two of the four videos in your response.” All Related Media lessons contain an independent reflection opportunity. 

  • Materials include lessons for Peer Review for culminating tasks. These lessons include checklists for feedback and provide peer feedback based on the checklists that include required elements. 

Materials provide a clear path for students to monitor and move their own learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Materials provide opportunities for students to monitor and set goals for their own learning. Unit Introduction lessons include opportunities for students to rate how they feel about unit themes and topics under Exploring the Unit’s Big Ideas. Students rate their confidence level in reading, writing, and speaking and listening skills. They rate themselves on their skills and monitor themselves as they complete tasks.

  • Materials provide access to student performance. Although the materials provide a limited exploration of the student performance tool, it appears that once students complete an assessment, they are able to view assignment averages, highest performance, and areas that need improvement.

  • Materials provide rubrics for culminating and writing tasks. Students can use these rubrics to monitor and improve their culminating tasks and writing within the unit and throughout the year. 

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

Materials provide grouping strategies for students. Materials provide for varied types of interaction among students. Types of interactions among students include Whole Class, Partner Work, including Think Share, Turn and Talk, Student-Led Discussions, Further Analysis responses, and Independent work. Little guidance is found around how students might best interact when paired or working in small groups. Materials provide guidance for teachers in Reading and Related Media lessons that suggest grouping strategies and explain why the strategy was chosen for the specific lesson. Teachers find guidance under the Notes for Teachers and How do I facilitate this lesson? Sections. 

Materials provide grouping strategies for students. Materials provide for varied types of interaction among students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The materials provide a variety of grouping strategies for reading and discussion. Whole class reading involves all students receiving shared guidance on the same text. Collaborative reading includes student-led partner or small group reading. Two or more students work together on the same text and share task responsibilities. Independent reading involves no support from peers or teachers. During Reading grouping strategies include Think and Share and Turn and Talk in order to clarify understanding and establish new ideas. 

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “Ruthless,” students work independently when reading the text and responding to During Reading questions. There are two opportunities during this lesson for students to partner up when they respond to Further Analysis questions and during the student-led discussion. Students work independently and apply skills from previous reading lessons as they work. 

  • In Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “Hamadi,” students work in a variety of groupings. When reading the text, students begin with partner reading and halfway through the text, students switch to independent reading. While reading with a partner, students answer During Reading questions using the Turn and Talk method. The lesson ends with partner work for the student-led discussion. 

Materials provide guidance for the teacher on grouping students in a variety of grouping formats. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Two areas in Reading and Related Media lessons provide guidance for grouping consistently across units and grade levels. Each of these lessons provides Notes to Teachers, which outlines how to group students for each particular lesson. Each of these lessons includes a How do I  Facilitate this lesson? Section, which provides three options for grouping students for that particular lesson. 

  • In Unit 1, Reading Lesson: “Button, Button,” the materials provide guidance for teachers on grouping students. Under Notes for Teachers, the materials state, “This lesson is designed to be a whole class lesson because it provides students with more guidance on analyzing how point of view and conflict create suspense, which they will apply more independently in a future lesson. Use the recommended reading modalities (whole class, partner, independent) and the During Reading Questions.”

  • In Unit 5, Reading Lesson: “McCarthy, Communists, and ‘Enemies from Within,’” the materials provide teacher guidance for student grouping. This lesson suggests partner work or small groups. Teacher guidance is provided under the How do I  Facilitate this lesson? Section and suggests, “Put students into partners or groups of 3-5. Students answer the During Reading Questions and alternate readers to read sections aloud. Circulate to check for understanding.”

Indicator 3Q
01/02

Materials provide strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English to meet or exceed grade-level standards to regularly participate in learning English language arts and literacy.

The materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the criteria for Indicator 3q. 

The materials provide some strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak a language other than English. The Program Guides provide a list of supports for English Learners. The Program Guides also provide a list of teacher-led strategies and explanations for how CommonLit 360 tools and resources can be used to help. The materials include resources in written and audible modes and provide many During Reading questions teachers can use to check for understanding. Discussion stems are also provided for all discussion lessons. While the materials provide some strategies and materials, they do not provide information within the lessons to help teachers utilize those resources to help English Language Learners. All guidance is provided for the teachers in the program guide and is not specific for each unit or lesson.  

Materials consistently provide some strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English to meet or exceed grade-level standards through regular and active participation in grade-level literacy work. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The Program Guide contains a section titled Support for English Learners. The guide lists the practices that the materials include. The practices include Use Background Knowledge, Engage in Meaningful and Intellectually Challenging Interactions, Build Academic English and Content Knowledge, Utilize Scaffolds, and Accommodations for English Learners. 

    • Under Accommodations for English Learners, the strategies include, but are not limited to, “pointing out cognates to key vocabulary to leverage first-language skills,” “breaking down routine and directions into shorter, more manageable segments,” and “using flexible grouping by strategically grouping students according to home language.” 

    • Under Use Background Knowledge, the materials state, “At the beginning of each unit, teachers are provided with unit introductions, which create opportunities to connect students’ prior knowledge to the new content in order to leverage students’ languages, literacy, culture, and other experiences…” There are no further teacher prompts or directions in the Unit introductions on how to utilize the introductions to support English Language Learners.

  • In Unit 5, Discussion Lesson, the materials provide a Discussion Preparation Student Copy document. This document includes a list of sentence stems. This list includes, but is not limited to: 

    • “The similarity I see between ___ and ___ is…

    • How does ____ connect to ____?

    • I see it slightly differently because on page ____…

    • What do you think, [Name]?”

The Program Guide states, “Carefully constructed questions promote extended discussion about academic content using supports such as sentence stems.” There is no further guidance for the teacher within the discussion lesson on how to help English Language Learners.  

Indicator 3R
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Materials provide a balance of images or information about people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics.

Materials, including texts and assessments, depict characters and individuals of varying ages, genders, races, and ethnicities. Materials typically present diversities in a positive light. Materials do not include images that contain people of various demographics or people of various physical characteristics. Depictions include but are not limited to, abolitionist Harriet Tubman’s courage and the need to analyze what is right about specific cultures instead of what is not acceptable. Materials avoid stereotypes and offensive language and celebrate accepting differences and standing up for one’s beliefs.

Materials and assessments depict different individuals of different genders, races, ethnicities, and other physical characteristics. Depictions of demographics or physical characteristics are portrayed positively across the series. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Unit 2, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Presentation, students prepare a presentation addressing the following: “In this unit, you have read five poems in which individuals convey messages about courage.” Many of the poems depict gender, race, and ethnicity positively. For example, Harriet Tubman’s courage and strength are represented in this text and celebrated by another abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, as he states, “Much that you have done would seem improbable to those who do not know you as I know you. It is to me a great pleasure and a great privilege to bear testimony for your character and your works, and to say to those to whom you may come, that I regard you in every way truthful and trustworthy.”

  • In Unit 5, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students must use the unit texts to agree or disagree with the statement, “Of course, we have to respond to our immediate family, but, once they’re O.K., we need to expand the circle. A larger sense of family is a radical idea, but we get into trouble as a society when we don’t see that we’re in the same boat.” Students read texts that address gender, race, ethnicity, and other physical characteristics in the text “A Short Note to My Very Critical and Well-Beloved Friends and Comrades.” Students must draw their own conclusions about what positive portrayal looks like in this text. 

Materials and assessments balance positive portrayals of demographics or physical characteristics. Materials avoid stereotypes or language that might be offensive to a particular group. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Presentation, students prepare a presentation addressing the following prompt: “In this unit, you have read five poems in which individuals convey messages about courage.” One example of balancing positive portrayals of demographics and physical characteristics is Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise.” Maya Angelou “... was respected as an advocate for Black people and women, and her work centers on themes such as racism, identity, family and travel.” Although the poem contains references of a sensitive nature, Angelou uplifts her experience as a black woman despite the struggles she’s faced. 

  • In Unit 5, Planning the Culminating Task: Literary Analysis Essay, students must use the unit texts to agree or disagree with the statement, “Of course, we have to respond to our immediate family, but, once they’re O.K., we need to expand the circle. A larger sense of family is a radical idea, but we get into trouble as a society when we don’t see that we’re in the same boat.” Students read “The Neighbor’s Wife” and “read about one person’s decision to accept someone who is different into their community. Students will reflect on the way their own treatment of others could have positive or negative ripple effects.” The text addresses a creature very different yet accepted, nurtured by the speaker of the poem and generally accepted by the community. 

Materials provide representations that show students that they can succeed in the subject, going beyond just showing photos of diverse students not engaged in work related to the context of the learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Photos do not depict people throughout all grade levels. Most often, photos represent hands or feet or distant photos that cannot be analyzed beyond the vague depiction. Students do view videos that depict diversity in the Related Media Lessons throughout each grade level. 

Indicator 3S
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Materials provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student home language to facilitate learning.

The materials provide some suggestions and strategies for using home language to support students in learning English Language Arts. The Program Guide suggests that teachers use the students’ first language skills to help them better understand vocabulary and comprehend text. There are no specific examples within the materials on how teachers can facilitate this. The materials, including text, directions, and questions/prompts, can be translated into a wide variety of languages. The Program Guide provides research that shows the benefits of building on students’ cultural and language diversity; however, there are no specific directions and examples on how to use this within the materials. 

Materials provide some suggestions and strategies to use the home language to support students in learning ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The Program Guide contains a section titled Support for English Learners. Some of the suggestions include:

    • “pointing out cognates to key vocabulary to leverage first-language skills.

    • encouraging students to leverage cognates in their native language to facilitate comprehension of text.”

  • The online materials will translate directions, texts, and questions/prompts into a wide variety of languages. This feature is available on the student view for students to utilize. 

Materials present multilingualism as an asset in reading, and students are explicitly encouraged to develop home language literacy and to use their home language strategically for learning how to negotiate texts in the target language. Teacher materials do not include guidance on how to garner information that will aid in learning, including the family’s preferred language of communication, schooling experiences in other languages, literacy abilities in other languages, and previous exposure to academic or everyday English. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The Program Guide contains a section titled Support for English Learners. In this section, the materials state, “English Learners benefit from access to language development in an environment that values their linguistic and cultural diversity as they engage in content work at grade-level expectations.” 

  • The Research and Evidence Base document states the following about English Learners: “Teachers benefit from being trained on best practices for teaching ELs, including strategies for building on students’ prior knowledge and designing language learning with attention to the sociocultural context. (Valdés, Bunch et al., 2005; Lucas & Villegas, 2011; Bunch et al., 2012; Walqui & Heritage, 2012; Gandara & Santibanez, 2016).”

Indicator 3T
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Materials provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student cultural and social backgrounds to facilitate learning.

The materials do not include teacher guidance on how to engage culturally diverse students in the learning of ELA. The materials do not include equity guidance and opportunities. Materials do not include prompts that allow students to share personal experiences. The materials provide the ability to translate reading lesson texts into other languages. 

Materials make connections to the linguistic, cultural, and conventions used in learning ELA. Materials make connections to the linguistic and cultural diversity to facilitate learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • No evidence found

Materials include teacher guidance on how to engage culturally diverse students in the learning of ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • No evidence found

Materials include equity guidance and opportunities. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • No evidence found

Materials rarely include opportunities for students to feel “acknowledged,” such as tasks based on customs of other cultures; sections provided in multiple languages such as the glossary, digital materials, family letters; etc. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The digital reading lessons have a drop down menu allowing the text to be translated into other languages.

Materials include prompts where students are encouraged to share how they (or their parents) do things at home or use information to create personal problems, etc. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • No evidence found

Indicator 3U
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This is not an assessed indicator in ELA.

Indicator 3V
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This is not an assessed indicator in ELA.

Criterion 3.4: Intentional Design

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The program includes a visual design that is engaging and references or integrates digital technology, when applicable, with guidance for teachers.

The materials integrate technology in ways that engage students in grade-level standards. Materials include digital technology and interactive tools like annotation, highlighting, increased and decreased font size, text and question translation, and text and question read-aloud options. Graphic organizers, worksheets, or other documents that students fill in are Google Docs, allowing for customization as needed. Opportunities for collaboration are possible in the Google Doc format.

The materials provide teacher guidance for using embedded technology in the Program Guide. The Program Guide explains how lessons can be assigned and how some lessons provide the option to download a PDF or a Google Doc. The Program Guide provides guidance for sharing multimedia resources linked through an external website.

Materials have a visual design that supports learning. The design is not chaotic, nor does it distract from student learning. The layout and structure of the teacher materials make navigating units and lessons easy. Student handouts and materials mimic Teacher versions.

Indicator 3W
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Materials integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic software in ways that engage students in the grade-level/series standards, when applicable.

Materials include digital technology and interactive tools like annotation, highlighting, increased and decreased font size, text and question translation, and text and question read-aloud options. Students can access During Reading questions and tasks by clicking on icons within the text, or accessing them at the bottom of the page. Related Media Explorations provide engaging videos and content within the materials. Graphic organizers, worksheets, or other documents that students fill in are Google Docs, allowing for customization as needed. 

Digital technology and interactive tools, such as data collection tools, simulations, and/or modeling tools are available to students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The Student View for most of the lessons includes a Read Aloud feature, where students can have all parts of the text and questions read aloud to them. The materials also provide a translate feature that translates the texts and questions to a variety of different languages. Students can also change the font size between small, medium, large, and extra large. 

  • The Student View has activities listed in a button after each paragraph or groups of paragraphs where students can click to see the questions or tasks. Students can also click on a tab at the bottom of the page to see all the questions and activities. 

  • The Student View includes an annotate feature on some lessons, such as writing lessons. According to the materials, “Students can either import previous annotations from texts they’ve been assigned or add new annotations.” 

  • The My Classes tab includes an opportunity for teachers to view student performance. Teachers may view student data collected through the materials. This includes submitted assignments, assignment performance by standard, and individual standard analysis.

Digital tools support student engagement in ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The materials include all mentor texts (other than novel sets) in an interactive online setting. Reading passages contain notes at the bottom, often to provide definitions and other footnotes. 

  • During Reading questions and tasks can be accessed throughout the text or at the bottom of the page. Students can type their responses to questions in the boxes provided. Students can also highlight sections of the text and annotate the text to help with answering questions and responding to tasks. 

  • Slide decks are included in many lessons to introduce the topic and provide explanations. For example, Related Media Exploration lessons include slide decks with videos included in the slide deck for students to access.

Digital materials can be customized for local use (i.e., student and/or community interests). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Most documents that ask for students to type in can be opened as a Google Doc or Google Slide. This allows the teacher to edit the documents as needed to customize them.

Indicator 3X
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Materials include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable.

Materials include digital technology throughout the unit. Digital collaboration is not clear. Opportunities for collaboration are possible in the Google Doc format; however, no reference or guidance is suggested in the materials besides indirectly in the Student-Led Discussions found in some reading lessons. 

Materials include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Materials include digital student copies they can use to collaborate. Many of the lessons include Student-Led discussions. Directions state, “Discuss the questions with a partner. Record both of your answers to the questions. Practice speaking with academic language by using the discussion sentence starters.”

  • Students and teachers use digital materials in every lesson. Although digital technology collaboration is not specifically referenced, students have opportunities to use their digital copies to collaborate with their peers. Digital copies are also submitted to teachers.

Indicator 3Y
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The visual design (whether in print or digital) supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject, and is neither distracting nor chaotic.

Materials have a visual design that supports learning. The design is not chaotic, nor does it distract from student learning. The layout and structure of the teacher materials make navigating units and lessons easy. Student handouts and materials mimic Teacher versions. One page smoothly links to the next, starting with the overview of the grade down to the individual lessons of units. Materials appear to be free from errors.

Images, graphics, and models support student learning and engagement without being visually distracting. Images, graphics, and models clearly communicate information or support student understanding of topics, texts, or concepts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Teacher materials use icons to identify instructional approaches such as Teacher-Led, Independent Work, and Group Activity. Other icons, such as a computer screen, pencil, desk, and speech bubbles, indicate the type of activity students will engage in for each part of the lesson. 

  • Student materials include green information and access buttons, arrows with labels, a world icon for language access, and a volume icon for read-aloud access. There may be more features available as evidence is based on access to one reading lesson.

  • The digital facing of the Teacher materials for each grade level includes a small, colorful image that ties to the theme/concept of each unit. Six units are simply represented with unit title and number, image, type of unit, and length of unit. 

  • Each unit is simply identified by lesson number and title of the lesson, allowing easy navigation throughout the unit. All units begin with a Unit Introduction lesson that includes a  slide deck that “introduces students to the unit’s topics and texts through engaging discussion!” 

Teacher and student materials are consistent in layout and structure across lessons/modules/units. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Materials appear to be consistent between teacher and student materials. The student materials are assigned by the teacher. Students view assigned lessons, completing them one part at a time. The student view mirrors the components found in the teacher’s student copy lessons. Students do not see the entire lesson at one time as viewed in the Teacher Copy but instead view the lesson one task at a time. 

  • Most lessons provide a student and teacher digital copy. Those digital copies are identical in layout and design. Students do not view the same copy as the teacher but instead view the lesson part by part. The teacher copy differs in that it provides information about the lesson and how it ties into the entire unit, standard information, guidance for facilitating, and possible answers to During Reading questions and other independent and paired student tasks. 

  • The overview page for the entire curriculum allows access to all grade levels by clicking on the grade level tab. A brief summary of all that is included in the ELA curriculum can be found here. Curriculum essentials such as Scope and Sequence PDF, Introductory Webinar, Program Guide PDF, and Research and Evidence PDF are linked on this page. 

  • Each grade level page contains digital access to all six units divided in rectangles with information for each unit that includes Unit number and title, type of unit, and suggested pacing for unit. There is another link on this page to Scope and Sequence. 

  • Unit pages provide access to separate page tabs, such as Unit Overview. This tab provides access to three links: About this Unit, Text Lists, and Writing Lessons At-A-Glance. Unit Overview provides a Unit Introduction video, a description of the Culminating Unit task, a checklist of what students will be able to do at the end of the unit, and a checklist as to why students will love this unit. The Text list lists all the text titles, authors, Lexiles, and descriptions of the text. Writing Lessons-At-A-Glance lists the writing lessons and describes the lesson focus. The materials do not provide a student view of the entire student text. 

  • Lessons and Materials provides a vertical list of lessons that includes estimated time frames to facilitate the lesson and a drop-down show more tab. The drop-down list leads to a description of the lesson and a link to preview or assign the lesson. This link opens up a new window that allows downloading of the teacher and student copy of the lesson. The materials do not provide a clear view of what students see beyond the lesson assigned. 

  • Professional Development has two links: Self-Paced Training and How-To-Guidance. Self-paced training provides a PDF and slideshow that is not accessible without a paywall. The How-To-Guidance section includes access to free resources that “provide teachers research-based instructional strategies and time-saving tips to get the most out of CommonLit 360.”

Organizational features (Table of Contents, glossary, index, internal references, table headers, captions, etc.) in the materials are clear, accurate, and error-free. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Materials appear to be free from errors. Some links are not accessible to review without a paywall. A full unit view was not found in the student version.

Indicator 3Z
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Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable.

The materials provide teacher guidance for using embedded technology in the Program Guide. The Program Guide explains how lessons can be assigned and how some lessons provide the option to download a PDF or a Google Doc. The Program Guide provides guidance for sharing multimedia resources linked through an external website.

Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In the Program Guide, under the section titled Lessons and Materials in 360 Units, the materials state, “All texts can be assigned digitally, and most can be downloaded as a PDF or used as part of a hybrid lesson (combined digital and PDF).” 

  • In the Program Guide, under the section titled Lessons and Materials in 360 Units, the materials state the following about multimedia resources that are linked through an external website: “When assigning such materials, teachers should review each source and its associated website beforehand to evaluate its content for their students. Teachers can make instructional decisions based on their students’ needs and backgrounds.” 

  • In the Program Guide, under CommonLit360 Implementation Guidance, the materials provide suggestions for implementing the materials, including how to use the digital resource. One example under Annotation Tasks states, “On the Digital Platform: CommonLit’s digital platform contains an annotation tool that students can use to highlight text and make notes as they read. You may wish to model the use of this tool using a smartboard or projector before releasing your students to independent work. Please note that teachers can also review and respond to student annotations through the digital platform.”