8th Grade - Gateway 1
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Focus & Coherence
Gateway 1 - Partially Meets Expectations | 71% |
|---|---|
Criterion 1.1: Focus | 2 / 2 |
Criterion 1.2: Coherence | 4 / 4 |
Criterion 1.3: Coherence | 4 / 8 |
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the quality expectations for alignment to the CCSSM. There are lessons for 150 of the 180 days, requiring the teacher to find supplemental materials to re-teach or practice a particular skill. However, there are no additional materials on the site for practice. Content from prior grades is not identified or related to grade-level work. The lessons do not differentiate for lower ability or advanced learners. Materials do not provide students of varying abilities extensive work with grade-level problems. The material does not identify or relate grade level concepts explicitly to prior grade knowledge. Overall, the instructional materials reviewed do not meet the expectations for alignment to the CCSSM.
Criterion 1.1: Focus
The instructional materials for Grade 8 do not assess any topic from future grades. Unit test questions assess only Grade 8 level content. Likewise the performance assessments only assess Grade 8 content. Overall, instructional materials meet the expectations for focus within assessment.
Indicator 1a
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for assessing the grade-level content. There is no content from future grades assessed. Overall, the instructional materials assess the grade-level topics
- All unit assessments address the content expectations for Grade 8.
- Unit test questions address the Grade 8 clusters listed below:
- Unit 1: 8F.A, major
- Unit 2: 8.EE.B, major and 8.F.B, major
- Unit 3: 8.F.B, major and 8.F.A, major
- Unit 4: 8.EE.B, major and 8.SP.A, supporting
- Unit 5: 8.EE.C, major and 8.F.B, major
- Unit 6: 8.EE.C, major and 8.F.B, major
- Unit 7: 8.EE.B, major
- Unit 8: 8.G.A, major
- Unit 9: 8.EE.B, major, 8.EE.C, major and 8.G.A, major
- Unit 10: 8.EE.A, major
- Unit 11: 8.G.B, major and 8.NS.A, supporting
- Unit 12: 8.G.C, additional
- The performance task assessments addressed only Grade 8 content.
- There are four performance tasks for Grade 8. All assess major and supporting clusters.
- A Child's Growth and Prosperity 8.EE.B, 8.EE.C and 8.F.A ,all major
- Architectural Works & Wonders 8.G.B and 8.EE.A, both major
- Business Success 8.EE.C major and 8.SP.A, supporting
- Sign Production 8.G.A and 8.EE.C both, major
Criterion 1.2: Coherence
Students and teachers using the materials as designed devote the large majority of class time in each grade K-8 to the major work of the grade.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 are developed so that students and teachers using the materials as designed devote the large majority of class time to the major work of the grade. For example, 83% of the days are suggested for major work of the grade. Also nine of the 12 units are fully designated as major work of the grade. Overall, the instructional materials meet the criteria for the time devoted to the major work of the grade.
Indicator 1b
Instructional material spends the majority of class time on the major cluster of each grade.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for spending the majority of class time on the major cluster of each grade. Eighty-three percent (83%) of the days in the program are spent on the major work of the Grade 8. Overall the instructional materials meet the criteria outlined in the CCSSM publisher guidelines for the time for the major work of the grade.
- The Grade 8 course does spend the majority of the class time on the major cluster.
- The curriculum guide states that there are 150 days of instruction and 125 of those days are spent on major work.
Criterion 1.3: Coherence
Coherence: Each grade's instructional materials are coherent and consistent with the Standards.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 does not meet the expectations for coherence and consistency with the CCSSM. Given that there are only lessons for 150 of the 180 days, the teacher would need to find supplemental materials to re-teach or practice a particular skill. However, there are no additional materials on the site for practice. Content from prior grades is not identified or related to grade-level work. Throughout, the lessons do not differentiate for lower ability or advanced learners. Overall the Grade 8 material falls short of addressing key aspects of coherence and consistency with the standards.
Indicator 1c
Supporting content enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meets the expectations for the supporting content enhancing focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade. The supporting clusters in Units 4 and 11 clearly support the major work of the Grade 8. Overall, supporting content consistently enhances focus and coherence.
- All of the supporting work truly aligns with the major work of the grade.
- Unit 4 on bivariate data has students writing equations for trend lines when they are near linear.
- Supporting cluster 8.SP promotes the major work 8.EE.5 and 8.F.
- All three clusters are working with data in the form of input and output. The data must be graphed on a coordinate plane, and a relationship between the data will be discovered (i.e., will be increasing or decreasing).
- Unit 11 spends one lesson on the supporting cluster 8.NS.A, irrational numbers. This connects to the major work, 8.EE.A, working with radicals, as the students are asked to look at non-perfect square roots.
Indicator 1d
The amount of content designated for one grade level is viable for one school year in order to foster coherence between grades.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 do not meet the expectations for the amount of content designated for one grade level being viable for one school year in order to foster coherence between grades. Edgenuity does not provide any supplementary materials online for the 30 days for which there are no designated lessons. Overall, the amount of appropriate content that is designated for this grade level is viable for 150 days, but not for the full extent of the school year.
- The provided materials are appropriate to foster coherence and would be able to be completed in one school calendar year. However, teachers would have to find materials to supplement for more practice.
Indicator 1e
Materials are consistent with the progressions in the Standards i. Materials develop according to the grade-by-grade progressions in the Standards. If there is content from prior or future grades, that content is clearly identified and related to grade-level work ii. Materials give all students extensive work with grade-level problems iii. Materials relate grade level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 do not meet the expectations for the material to be consistent with the progressions in the standards. Materials rarely identify or relate grade level concepts explicitly from prior grades. Connections are not made with content from future grades. Overall, the instructional materials develop, but do not clearly identify the progressions from prior grades in the standards.
- Materials do develop according to the grade-by-grade progressions. Content from prior or future grades is not clearly identified.
- Closed caption dialogue for the instruction and summary videos do not mention grade level.
- Learning goals for the lessons are not explicitly connected to other lessons.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 do not meet the expectation of providing all students with extensive work with grade-level problems. Overall, the materials do not consistently give students of varying abilities extensive work with grade-level problems.
- The lessons do not differentiate for lower achieving or advanced learners.
- There is one lesson per learning goal and only one assignment for each lesson.
- There is no provision for re-teaching or additional practice for any of the skills.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 do not meet the expectation of relating grade level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades. Overall, materials do not relate grade level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades.
- There is nothing in the materials that relates new content to previously taught content.
- Closed caption dialogue for the instruction and summary videos do not make references or connections for the teacher or for the student.
- All lessons state the learning goal and then continue with instruction for that particular learning goal, without connecting to other lessons across or within units.
Indicator 1f
Materials foster coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the Standards i. Materials include learning objectives that are visibly shaped by CCSSM cluster headings. ii. Materials include problems and activities that serve to connect two or more clusters in a domain, or two or more domains in a grade, in cases where these connections are natural and important.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for fostering coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the standards. Overall, materials include learning objectives that are visibly shaped by CCSSM cluster headings.
- The materials do include learning goals that are shaped by the CCSSM cluster headings.
- The lesson goals are identified in the narrative of the lesson warm ups.
- It is clear that many of the learning goals use language directly from the cluster headings.
- Units 2 (Functions) and 5 (Linear Equations) align with 8.F.B and 8.EE.B, both of which are major work clusters of Grade 8.
The instructional materials include problems and activities that serve to connect two or more clusters in a domain. They include problems and activities that connect two or more domains in a grade. Overall the materials foster coherence through connections within Grade 8.
- Connections between 2 clusters are made in the materials.
- For example, unit 9, lesson 8, connects slope to similar triangles.