8th Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for assessing the grade-level content. There is no content of future grades assessed.

• All of the mid-module and end-of-module assessments are aligned to the grade level standards and do not assess content above the specified grade level.
• The rubrics for each assessment indicate which standards are assessed in each question.
• Every question aligns to at least one grade level standard.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 does meet the expectations for spending the majority of class time on the major cluster of each grade. Overall the instructional materials do meet the criteria outlined in the CCSS publisher guidelines for the time for the major work of the grade.

• According to the front matter of each module, 146 out of 180 days (81%) are spent directly on the major work of the grade. The remaining lessons also make specific connections to the major work.
• All of modules 1, 2, 3 and 4 and half of modules 5, 6, and 7 focus on Grade 8 major clusters.
• The second half of module 5 requires students to use functions to solve problems involving geometry.
• Module 6 requires students to use functions and expressions and equations to solve problems of statistics and probability.
• Module 7 focuses on number sense within the understanding of expressions and equations.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for the supporting content enhancing focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade. Overall, most of the chapters and the respective days allocated in the timeline align to the major work of this grade level. Furthermore, the chapters and the individual lessons support focus and coherence to the major work of the grade level.

• Modules 5, 6 and 7 contain lessons on the supporting standards.
• Each of these modules also contains lessons that specifically address major work of the grade.
• All of these lessons flow together coherently because the concepts are discussed in relationship to one another.
• 8.F (using functions to solve) is enhanced by 8.G.C (perimeter and area of common and complex shapes).
• 8.EE (setting up equations) is enhanced by 8.SP (patterns and fitting lines in scatter plots).
• 8.EE and 8.F (using equations and graphs of functions) is enhanced by 8.SP (linear vs. nonlinear modeling of data).
• 8.EE (setting up equations and solving) is enhanced by 8.NS (simplifying radical expressions).
• 8.EE (using integer exponents) is enhanced by 8.NS (decimal expansion).
• 8.EE and 8.G (volume and area equations) is enhanced by 8.NS (simplifying radical expressions).
• 8.G.B (Pythagorean Theorem) is enhanced by 8.G.C (geometry problems).
• Only some of work on statistics and probability and on introductory geometry cannot be linked to a major cluster area.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 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. Overall, the amount of content that is designated for this grade level is viable for one school year.

• There are 180 designated days for all of the modules.
• Each module has built in days for assessment, review and extra practice. This allows for adjustments needed throughout a school year because of school activities, weather days and a teacher's professional judgment as to pacing.
• The following are the designated days for each module:
  • Module 1 (EE): 13 lessons + 7 days = 20 days
  • Module 2 (G): 16 lessons + 8 days = 24 days (2 optional)
  • Module 3 (G): 14 lessons + 6 days = 25 days (1 optional)
  • Module 4 (EE): 31 lessons + 10 days = 41 days (1 optional)
  • Module 5 (F): 11 lessons + 4 days = 15 days
  • Module 6 (F/SP): 14 lessons + 6 days = 20 days
  • Module 7 (NS/EE/G): 23 lessons + 12 days = 35 days
  • TOTAL: 180 days (optional lessons included)

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for the material to be consistent with the progressions in the standards. The materials develop by the grade-by-grade progressions in the standards.

• According to table of contents, module overviews and content, the materials develop according to grade-level progressions.
  • 8.NS (focus on rational number approximation and an introduction to irrational numbers)-Vocabulary & representations (decimal division, number lines) are directly related to the progressions document.
  • 8.EE (focus on radicals with integer exponents, proportional relationship connections, solving linear equations and simultaneous linear equations)- Vocabulary and representations (primarily connecting equations to tables and graphs) are directly related to the progressions document.
  • 8.F (focus on understanding and comparing functions and using functions to model relationships between quantities)-Vocabulary and representations (ratio tables, linear/nonlinear equations, scatter plots, two-way tables) are directly related to the progressions document. This is a direct of functions to bivariate data (SP) in Module 6 and volume & area (G) in Module 5.
  • 8.SP (focus on bivariate data (both linear & nonlinear))-Vocabulary and representations (scatter plots, two-way tables) are directly related to the progressions document. The Grade 8 curriculum deeply connects bivariate data to linear equation relationships (EE/F).
  • 8.G (focus on congruence, similarity, Pythagorean Theorem, and volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres)-Vocabulary and representations (rigid motions, geometric figures) are directly related to the progressions document.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the expectation of giving all students extensive work with grade-level problems. Overall, the materials do not consistently give students of varying abilities extensive work with grade-level problems.

• The materials provide students with extensive grade level problems.
• Modules contain a large mix of tasks that are grade level appropriate.
• There are occasional comments within the teacher material to help teachers best reach low-level, high-level, English language learners and students with disabilities.
• The same comments can be found in the online "how to implement" Guide.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the expectations of relating grade level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades. Overall, materials only generally relate grade level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades.

• Teacher materials include a module overview that includes a narrative explaining how grade-level standards are introduced and what students will be doing in developing concept understanding. The connection to prior grade-level standards and how they progress into current grade-level standards is included.
• Notes for discussion in individual teacher lessons will also reference prior knowledge at various times.
• There are no explicit connections made for the students in the student material.
• However, some of the narrative reminds students of previously learned material within the grade when it is expected to be recalled.

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.

• Both teacher and student materials occasionally end with a lesson summary that reviews the student outcomes. They are written in language that can be easily aligned to learning objectives (CCSSM standards) and cluster headings
• Most of the standards are clearly connected to their cluster headings in these modules. However, in module 4 standards 8.EE.5 and 8.EE.6 do not explicitly connect for the teacher or the student to their cluster heading. Lessons and tasks do not require students to demonstrate how they "understand the connections between proportional relationships, lines and linear equations" although all are addressed. The lessons and tasks do not connect these concepts beyond what naturally occurs with lessons following one another.
• There are some standards within a cluster that are taught in a module different than the majority of the standards in a cluster. For example, expressions (8.EE.2) is in module 7 rather than module 1 with the other standards in this cluster. This standard is about square and cube root symbols and evaluation, and it is taught alongside 8.NS.1 and 8.NS.2, which are about rational and irrational numbers and their approximations.

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, in cases where these connections are natural and important. Overall the materials foster coherence through connections at the Grade 8.

• In module 6, lessons 8-12 have students work with scatter plots and linear models of association in bivariate measurement data (8.SP.1-3) by discussing proportional relationships, lines, linear equations and linear functions (8.EE.5-8, 8.F.3-4).
• In module 7, topics A and B, have students work with radicals and integer exponents (8.EE.2) with specific attention to irrational numbers (8.NS.1-2). Students continue this work to Pythagorean Theorem problems (8.G.6-8).
• Teacher notes do not refer to 8.G.A in addition to 8.EE.B.6, but the broad connection exists.