1st Grade - Gateway 3
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Usability
Gateway 3 - Does Not Meet Expectations | 50% |
|---|---|
Criterion 3.1: Use & Design | 3 / 8 |
Criterion 3.2: Teacher Planning | 5 / 8 |
Criterion 3.3: Assessment | 4 / 8 |
Criterion 3.4: Differentiation | 5 / 10 |
Criterion 3.5: Technology Use |
The materials for Grade 1 do not meet expectations for use and design that facilitates student learning. Because the materials are designed as more of a detailed information is not present for all aspects of lesson planning and support. In order to meet expectations for knowledge-building, the science and social studies units that must be taught alongside the English language arts units may present a challenge for completion within a typical school year. Materials lack a set of student materials that provide support for the lessons.
The materials provide an alignment document to delineate the standards met in each unit.
Criterion 3.1: Use & Design
Use and design facilitate student learning: Materials are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing.
The materials for Grade 1 do not meet expectations for use and design that facilitates student learning. Because the materials are designed as more of a detailed information is not present for all aspects of lesson planning and support. In order to meet expectations for knowledge-building, the science and social studies units that must be taught alongside the English language arts units may present a challenge for completion within a typical school year. Materials lack a set of student materials that provide support for the lessons.
The materials provide an alignment document to delineate the standards met in each unit.
Indicator 3a
Materials are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing.
The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing.
The instructional materials in Grade 1 provide a framework for lesson planning instead of a detailed lesson plan for most of the lessons. These frameworks provide guidance for the teacher in what material to teach and key questions to ask, but do not provide pacing for individual lesson for the teacher. These Frameworks, when combined with the Publisher’s Document on Planning an Effective Lesson allow the teacher to have the materials to effectively structure lessons with appropriate pacing in his/her classroom. Additionally, a limited number of lessons have suggested lesson plans, that include pacing and a structure that serve as an example of how a teacher can develop the lesson frames into step-by-step lessons for use in the classroom. Grade 1 instruction is broken up into blocks of 45 minutes of Literacy, 45 minutes of science or social studies, 30 - 40 minutes of Word Study, and 45 minutes of Writer’s Workshop. In addition to those blocks, there is a 60 minute Guided Reading block for targeted reading instruction in comprehension, fluency, and word-work based on student needs. Time is also set aside for Independent Reading for 35 minutes a day by the end of the year.
According to the Publisher, the lessons are meant to be frameworks. While the lessons provide the main components of the lessons, the detailed planning is left up to the teachers. The goal is for teachers to internalize the content and adapt it to meet the needs of the students. The Publisher suggests that teachers take the following steps when planning a lesson:
- Look at the lesson objective, target task, and standards. Write an exemplar student response to the target task.
- Pick a focus for the lesson
- Decide on class structures
- Determine how to launch the text, including what background knowledge students need
- Determine how to engage with the text while reading
- Figure out what structures will be in place to help students make sense with what they have learned
- Plan for feedback and how to gather data
- Determine all accommodations and modifications
Lesson objective, reading materials required for the lesson, standards covered, target task, vocabulary, key questions, criteria for success, mastery response, and notes provide the basic framework for teachers. These lessons do not provide any suggested timing or pacing for the lesson, but they allow for flexibility to meet the meets of the individual classroom. For example, in Science and Social Studies, Unit 3, Lesson 15, the objective states that students will be able to explain how Diego’s early life influenced his career and what lessons we can learn from him, by identifying and describing the connection between events and pieces of information in a text. The target tasks asks the student how did Diego’s early life influence his career and a mastery response is provided.
Indicator 3b
The teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.
The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that the teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.
The total number of lessons in both Literature and Science and Social Studies may be completed in a typical 180 day school year in a traditional school setting. The lesson framework provides the outline for core instruction; however, many of the lessons within the framework need to be developed through teacher design which. In addition to pacing, the daily schedule sample, which is found in the Literary Blocks description in the Publisher’s Document, has an eight hour school day, which is not the norm in every school and may change the actual number of days needed for instruction.
The Literature Units have approximately 120 lessons and days of instruction and the Science and Social Studies Units have approximately 144 lessons and 156 days of instruction days of instruction. According to the Publisher’s Document, classroom instruction while using this program should include 45 minutes of Literature, 45 minutes of Science and Social Studies, 30 - 40 minutes a day of word study, 35 minutes of independent reading, and 60 minutes of guided reading.
Indicator 3c
The student resources include ample review and practice resources, clear directions, and explanation, and correct labeling of reference aids (e.g., visuals, maps, etc.).
The materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet the criteria that the student resources include ample review and practice resources, clear directions, and explanation, and correct labeling of reference aids (eg. visuals, maps, etc.)
The lesson frameworks do not supply student materials or reference aids. The books that students use are purchased individually for the students to annotate throughout the year.
Indicator 3d
Materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items.
The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items.
Standards are included for each lesson. There is an overview in each unit summary that lists all of the standards covered in the unit. This overview is not separated by lesson, which does not allow the teacher to easily locate specific standards and when/where they are taught in the lesson framework. Both the Literature and Social Studies and Science Units provide a Standards Map within the Unit Overview that indicates which standards are taught within each unit. In this course overview, each unit is labeled and the literature, informational, writing, speaking & listening, and language standards are identified for each unit they are in.
Unit Summaries list out the standards for the entire unit, but do not specify which lessons, questions, or tasks. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening standards are identified. Lessons list the individual standards covered; however, in some lessons, all standards are not identified.
While questions and tasks are not labeled by standard, assessment questions are labeled by the standards. For example, in Literature, Unit 3, students are asked to retell what happened in one or two stories from the unit using transition words such as first, next, then. This is tagged to standards RL1.2, L1.1, L1.2, and W1.1. In Science and Social Studies, Unit 4, students are asked to write what they learned about Ancient Egypt. This is tagged to standards RI1.3, W1.2, and L1.6.
Indicator 3e
The visual design (whether in print or digital) is not distracting or chaotic, but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.
Criterion 3.2: Teacher Planning
Teacher planning and learning for success with CCSS: Materials support teacher learning and understanding of the Standards.
The materials partially support teacher planning and learning for success with the standards. While support is provided for some pieces of the learning process (e.g., guides for writing, guidelines for teaching vocabulary), there is a lack of explicit and lesson-specific support for some lessons. There is also limited support to link teachers to research on best practices for the ELA classroom and the research base that the program. There is limited guidance for communications with families to provide a home/school partnership to support the standards within and across units.
Indicator 3f
Materials contain a teacher's edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the expectations that materials contain a teacher's edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. While there is no traditional “Teacher’s Edition” within the materials, the online framework lays out every Grade Level with a Course Summary and Course Map and every Unit with a Unit Summary as well as standards, unit preparation, and lessons.Each Lesson contains an objective, specific text(s) needed, standards covered, target task, key questions, and in some lessons notes for the educator.Although each lesson is not scripted, there are publisher materials that provide guidance for teachers on how to present content to students. For example there are guidelines for teaching vocabulary and giving feedback. There is also a guide to informational writing, literary analysis writing, and narrative writing. These explain how to present the content. However, these guidelines are not for specific units or specific vocabulary words, and the teachers need to create the lessons based on the guidelines. There are also Match Minis, which provide further assistance for teachers on how to present material and use techniques to develop lessons.
While there is a myriad of materials to assist and guide the teacher to develop well-structured lessons, this design could be challenging for new or inexperienced educators to navigate without targeted professional development.Also, there is limited evidence of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.
- Planning a Lesson Guideline specifically states that the intent is to provide a “skinny” framework that provides frameworks rather than detailed lesson plans. It further explains that the main components of the lessons are provided but that detailed planning is left up to the individual teacher.
- Literature Unit 2, Intellectual Prep, Internalizing the Standards specifies that the teacher will:
- Identify focus for writing about reading.
- Identify the lesson the author is trying to teach in each text, and brainstorm ways the lesson connects to scholars’ own lives.
- Literature Unit 5, Intellectual Prep, Building Background Knowledge makes the teacher responsible for determining what and how to build the necessary connections for students:
- Find resources to help engage in discussions surrounding family types that are not covered in the unit. Plan ways to introduce and facilitate conversations to build understanding and learning, especially of family types that may be present within the classroom.
- Science and Social Studies Unit 3, Intellectual Prep, Internalizing the Text and Standards requires teachers to determine and plan information for building student background and projects for students to complete:
- Read all author’s notes or background information to build a deeper understanding of the different contexts/settings for each biography. Plan book previews that clearly communicate necessary information to scholars. When necessary, pull in information from additional sources.
- Brainstorm and plan for projects to help scholars deepen understanding of unit content and materials. Consider completing a project after each “bend” of the unit: one project on painters, one on musicians, and then one on dancers.
Indicator 3g
Materials contain a teacher’s edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literacy concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.
The materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literacy concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.The materials do not contain a traditional teacher’s edition, however their online instructional guide provides teachers with a framework for teaching thematic units and lessons. Publisher documents provide guidance for teachers to design instruction and prepare lessons including explanations of some of the literacy concepts utilized in the program. Within the units, the Intellectual Prep contains a Content Knowledge and Connections section which provides further guidance for teachers. In some units this section provides guidance in a literacy concept such as poetry or mythology however in others it is more connected to understanding a thematic concept such as bullying.
- Feedback as a Teaching Tool provides detailed explanations of the approach to writing instruction and examples of how to implement the literacy concept of revising writing. Some examples include:
- Students need help with revision, and thus feedback from teachers or peers is essential. Ways to provide writing feedback are:
- Have students do multiple drafts of written responses to questions while applying feedback
- Share exemplary work with students and help them identify key features to replicate
- Share examples of student work with common errors and collectively correct them before all students revise their writing to address similar errors
- Rigorous Discussion Guidelines informs the teacher: Rigorous discussion explicitly increases student thinking by challenging students to test out their ideas, build on those of their peers and craft persuasive arguments. The length and format of a rigorous discussion can and should vary, however, a rigorous discussion should always require students to evaluate and test their initial thinking by considering the ideas and evidence presented by others. A well executed discussion leads students to a deeper and more nuanced understanding of a single task and its application to other tasks. Further, rigorous discussion engages the entire class for an extended period of time. During the discussion the teacher’s voice is not central and there is clear evidence of academic ownership by students. The following guidelines explain what a teacher can do to use discussions effectively to promote learning. Teachers are not expected to use all these strategies at once but will tailor their activities based on the focus of the discussion and the grade level of the students.
Indicator 3h
Materials contain a teacher’s edition that explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum.
The materials reviewed for Grade 1 meets the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition that explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum. While there is not a traditional Teacher’s Edition included with this program, Fishtank ELA K-2 includes an electronic overview of the curriculum which includes standards charts and unit progressions. The Publisher’s Document entitled K2 Literature Overview provides a direct explanation of how the standards are tied to the lessons in the unit.
- K2 Literature Overview Publisher’s Document, First Grade Literature explains the role of the standards in the course. It statesThe key standards-based comprehension focuses and strategies for First Grade Literature are:
- Describing characters, setting and major events using key details
- Retelling stories
- Understanding of the central message or lesson.
The document explicitly states that: Asking and answering questions, using context clues, and illustrations are strategies that spiral from year to year as text-demands increase. Therefore, they are not priority standards but should still beintroduced and reinforced over the course of the year.
- Connections to the overall curriculum are included within the same document explaining:
- A focus on describing characters, settings, and events rather than identifying them as the Grade 1 standards required. This is done to meet Grade 1 standards and to prepare for Grade 2 standards.
- A focus on retelling stories including events and being able to explain the central message without having to identify it on their own to meet the standards as required for Grade 1 and prepare for Grade 2.
Indicator 3i
Materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.
The materials reviewed for Grade One partially meet the criteria that materials contain a explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research based strategies. The publisher materials include a document specifically dedicated to the explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and when they should be implemented. Some of the strategies included are, Think Aloud, Mini Lesson, Turn & Talk, Stop & Jot, Annotation, Discussion, Vocabulary, and Writing about Reading.While there is a clear explanation of instructional approaches, what appears to be lacking is an overview of the research that led to the design of those instructional strategies.
- Examples of the Instructional Strategies explained include but are not limited to
- Think Aloud, “The purpose of a think-aloud is to give scholars a glimpse into the teacher’s brain so that scholars can visualize the types of behaviors good readers engage in while reading.”
- Turn and Talk: “Turn and Talks are a low-risk oral language strategy that provide scaffolded opportunities for all students to formulate and build upon each other's ideas."
- Mini-lessons: “Short lessons, between five and ten minutes, that have a narrow focus on a strategy or skill that students need in order to access the text or target task question.”
Indicator 3j
Materials contain strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the ELA/literacy program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.
Criterion 3.3: Assessment
Assessment: Materials offer teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the Standards.
The materials offer regular assessments that allow teachers to accurately assess student progress and to determine how students are progressing in their mastery of the standards and other content. However, there is limited support to guide teachers in their interpretation of assessment results to redirect, reteach, and support students who have not reached mastery and minimal guidance for monitoring of student progress.
The materials provide a systematic approach to supporting students in reading independently and assuring that students are achieving a volume of reading both at school and at home.
Indicator 3k
Materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectation that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress.
Each unit contains a Unit Assessment that assesses focus standards for the unit with most also containing an extended response that assesses both literature standards and writing standards. Assessments at times include reading a text that has not been studied to analyze the transfer of skills.
Included within lessons are Target Tasks, which are often writing prompts that focus on the lesson objective. Target Tasks can be utilized as formative assessments to regularly measure student progress. Some lessons include key questions, which provide an opportunity for assessing student mastery. Additional lessons include projects and writing that function as assessments of student mastery of both content and literary standards. Examples of formative assessments opportunities include:
- In Literature Unit 3, Lesson 6, key questions are asked including why did the wolf say the first little pig wasn’t very smart and why did the cops show up.
- In Science and Social Studies, Unit 5, Lesson 20, the Target Task asks how Cesar Chavez was able to motivate others to work together to fight for a better future and what lessons can we learn from him.
Indicator 3l
The purpose/use of each assessment is clear:
Indicator 3l.i
Assessments clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectation that assessments clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.
Assessments included with each unit specify the standard being assessed. Each question on the assessment is labeled with the coordinating standard number(s).
Examples of assessment questions and the corresponding labeled standards include:
- In Science and Social Studies, Unit 1, students are asked to pick one continent from the unit and explain why it is special by using three or four details, which is labeled RI.1.1, L.1.1, L.1.2, and W.1.2.
- In Literature Unit 2, students are asked to share a lesson they learned from a story in the unit, which is labeled RL.1.2, L.1.1, L.1.2, and W.1.1.
- In Science and Social Studies, Unit 3, students are asked to pick three vocabulary words from the unit and draw a picture of the word and use it in a sentence, which is labeled L.1.6 and R.1.1.4.
- In Literature Unit 4, students are asked to listen to a story and describe the setting using at least three details, which is labeled RL.1.3 and RL.1.7.
Indicator 3l.ii
Assessments provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet the expectation that assessments provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow up. The Literature Unit Assessments do not provide scoring guidelines or answer keys and there is no guidance given for interpreting student performance and/or offering suggestions for follow up. The Science and Social Studies Unit Assessments provide answer keys, but no guidance for interpreting student performance and/or suggestions for follow up.
Indicator 3m
Materials include routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet the expectation that materials should include routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress.
Although a limited number of lessons provide guidance within the lesson on developing routines and guidance for monitoring student progress through the collection of data, the publisher provides multiple documents that include both general and specific routines and protocols for gathering information on student progress to drive instruction and adjust, as needed. These documents provide the teacher with the rationale on why gathering data is essential and the process by which to gather data. They explain that the teachers use the information gathered to make individual classroom decisions to maximize instruction.
The Teacher Feedback as a Teaching Tool provides guidance on collecting information in a variety of teaching areas. For example, the information to gather in reading includes:
- Ask questions to help students make connections, revisit misunderstandings and uncover deeper meaning of text
- Listen to students read aloud or whisper read in a group to identify moments for correction
- Conference with students to provide guidance on specific reading skills
- Monitor annotations to ensure students are noticing key moments
- Use short comprehension questions mid - reading to monitor comprehension
- Point out moments of misanalysis or misunderstanding and ask students to re-read
The Planning a Lesson Document includes a place for teachers to plan for feedback and gather data. However, it does not provide a specific protocol for doing so. Suggestions for ways to gather the data are included within this guidance. It tells teachers to plan for how to give feedback and gather student data. It also gives questions to consider such as how will the teacher circulate to give feedback and check for understanding and what type of data will be gathered. However, no answers are provided.
In the Rigorous Discussion Guide there is information on how data should be gathered to drive instruction. This includes:
- Tracking data from the discussion such as actively monitoring individual student readiness to transition to the written synthesis task
- Using data to inform current class including celebrating multiple strategies used by students to arrive at the same outcome
- Steps to take after the discussion including using data to inform future classes, though no specifics on how to do this is provided.
Indicator 3n
Indicate how students are accountable for independent reading based on student choice and interest to build stamina, confidence, and motivation.
Criterion 3.4: Differentiation
Differentiated instruction: Materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so that they demonstrate independent ability with grade-level standards.
The materials do not meet expectations for providing support for differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all learners. While generalized support and suggestions for grouping strategies for students with disabilities, students for whom English is a second language, and students performing above grade level is described in supporting documents, specific supports within each lesson or unit are not provided.
Indicator 3o
Materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of range of learners so the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding the grade-level standards.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meets, the expectation that materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of range of learners so the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding the grade-level standards. The publisher document for Instructional Strategies states that, “The manner in which skills and strategies are introduced, practiced, and reinforced depends on the demands of the text, the target task, the scope of the week, and student needs. Each day there is a Guided Reading Block that provides the opportunity for targeted comprehension, fluency, or vocabulary instruction based upon student needs. The materials also include a guide for Supporting Students in ELA Instruction that provides instructional methods for all types of supports from standard to intensive. Although the lesson frameworks are written in one manner with material for all learners, Publisher’s Documents explain the approach to meeting the needs of diverse learners and provide strategies for meeting these students needs. The Supporting Student Needs in ELA instruction provides specific guidance in how to meet the needs of learners while still requiring students to meet the standards. The document explains specifically the publisher’s practice of supporting learners while still requiring students to perform at grade-level standards: “While the curriculum requires a lot from our students, the teacher has an important role to play in supporting students when they struggle and ensuring that students don’t struggle unproductively. Teachers need to provide supports that never remove the most important thinking and meaning-making, while ensuring that students can access those thinking tasks.” Examples include:
- Publisher’s Document, “Supporting Student Needs in ELA Instruction”
- Supports for all students:
- Build excitement and enthusiasm for the text and task
- Build strong reading and writing habits
- Preview genre knowledge
- Circulate and provide feedback during reading and writing for individuals and the group
- Identify and/or preteach ~2 key vocabulary words
- Provide essential background knowledge via other texts or preview
- Least Intensive support for many students
- Check in with the student more frequently to ensure they are reading and/or writing appropriately during independent work
- Preview the most important ~3 polysemous words or Tier 2 words from the text individually or in a small group with quick connotative definitions and example sentences
- Teach the student additional literal comprehension annotation strategies to use during homework and/or independent reading
- Prompt the student to verbally share a plan for writing before writing
- More Intensive supports for some students:
- Create additional stopping points to pause the student’s’ reading and ask questions to build comprehension
- Create an opportunity, in a small group or individually, for the student to read the text and build comprehension before the lesson
- Provide an accommodated copy of the text that includes definitions, pictures, or synonyms for key vocabulary and/or idioms (ELs at ELD level 1-2, sometimes level 3)
- Provide a chance for the student to orally plan with a teacher or peer before writing
- Provide check-lists and/or exemplar texts for reference while writing
- Segment the text based on importance and guide the student to read some parts more closely than others
- Most Intensive supports for a few students:
- Provide a read-aloud support to the student before the lesson for independently read sections of texts, either by reading together before the lesson or sending home a read-aloud resource
- Provide a graphic organizer for the student to organize their written responses
- Shorten the section of text the student is expected to read
- Supports that should rarely be used unless specified by an IEP
- Modify the lesson’s key or guiding question to make easier
- Excuse the student from some or all of a challenging assignment
- Scribe the student’s written responses (in early childhood this is more common)
- Additional supports are suggested to use in helping students gain maximum understanding:
- Provide students with cues to help them engage in productive struggle. Example:
- When else: Ask questions that point students towards a known piece of knowledge or skill they can employ to begin the task. For example, “When else have you seen an author use clues to show us how the character is feeling? How could we use that here?”
- Probe for and uncover student thinking errors to clarify what needs to be retaught. Example:
- Compare two responses: Ask a question that prompts students to compare two possible answers in order to elicit more precise understanding or to push their skills to the next level. For example, “Tara said the narrator is reliable because he was there, but Noah said the narrator is unreliable because he is a small child; who is correct?”
- Prompt students to correct their own errors or refine thinking. Examples:
- Provide a rule and toss it back: Ask students to take a rule and use it to refine thinking to be more precise or accurate. For example, “In addition to the beginning of sentences, we also use capitals for proper names of people, places, ideas and specific things. Given that, are there any other places we need a capital letter in our writing?
- Remediate student error without doing all the thinking
- Eliminate a false choice: Ask a question that rules out an easily eliminated false choice in order to help students focus their thinking on the more important moment of understanding, “We know this character is not called Cinderella, but that was true in some of the other Cinderella stories we read. How else could we determine if this is a Cinderella story?”
Indicator 3p
Materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level, or in a language other than English, with extensive opportunities to work with grade level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 partially meet the expectation that materials regularly provide all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level, or in a language other than English, with extensive opportunities to work with grade level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards.
The Publisher’s Document explicitly states that the teachers need to provide supports that never remove the most important thinking and meaning-making, while ensuring that students can access those thinking tasks. It explains that the goal is to support students while still requiring students to perform at grade-level standards. Teachers can use the supports outlined in this document to help students who are English Language Learners work with the grade level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards.
Indicator 3q
Materials regularly include extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.
The materials reviewed for Grade 1 do not meet the expectation that materials regularly include extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level. Extension and/or advanced learning opportunities were not evident within the materials. There was little to no guidance for students who quickly master content and could benefit from challenging experiences to expand their learning.
There are no extensions or advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.
Indicator 3r
Materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectation that materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies. The materials allow for a multitude of grouping strategies including shared reading, partner reading, small group reading, and guided reading groups.
- Examples of grouping strategies include:
- Examples of grouping strategies:
- In Shared Reading, “Every student has a copy of the text or can see the text and a fluent reader (teacher or student) reads the text aloud and students read along at the same time, stopping periodically to monitor comprehension.”
- In Partner Reading, “Partner reading is a cooperative learning strategy in which two or more students work together in a structured manner to read and engage with a text.”
- In Small Group Reading, “Small-group reading is done when a teacher pulls a sub-set of students during class to re-teach or review a targeted concept.”
- In Guided Reading, “Students are placed into groups using data from the STEP reading assessment. Teachers plan group rotation and adjust frequency based on individual data.
Criterion 3.5: Technology Use
Effective technology use: Materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning. Digital materials are accessible and available in multiple platforms.
The materials do not meet overall expectations for technology use. While the materials and platform are teacher-friendly and easily navigated, there is no support in the materials themselves to support or teacher use of technology, including digital collaboration, local customization, and personalization of learning.
Indicator 3s
Digital materials (either included as supplementary to a textbook or as part of a digital curriculum) are web-based, compatible with multiple Internet browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.), “platform neutral” (i.e., are compatible with multiple operating systems such as Windows and Apple and are not proprietary to any single platform), follow universal programming style, and allow the use of tablets and mobile devices.
Indicator 3t
Materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning, drawing attention to evidence and texts as appropriate.
Indicator 3u
Materials can be easily customized for individual learners.
Indicator 3u.i
Digital materials include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students, using adaptive or other technological innovations.
Indicator 3u.ii
Materials can be easily customized for local use.
Indicator 3v
Materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.