The instructional materials for Fishtank Plus 6-8 meet the expectations of alignment and building knowledge but do not meet the expectations for usability. The materials include texts that are well-crafted. The questions and tasks in the materials require careful examination of texts over the course of a school year and relate to the essential questions of each unit. Because a similar topic or theme connects all units, students have opportunities to engage with texts and tasks that promote knowledge-building. 

There is not sufficient support or guidance in the program provided for teachers to implement the program with fidelity. While some guidance is provided, the suggestions are general and leave the implementation and development of additional materials and scaffolds to the teacher.