7th Grade - Gateway 1
Back to 7th Grade Overview
Note on review tool versions
See the series overview page to confirm the review tool version used to create this report.
- Our current review tool version is 2.0. Learn more
- Reports conducted using earlier review tools (v1.0 and v1.5) contain valuable insights but may not fully align with our current instructional priorities. Read our guide to using earlier reports and review tools
Loading navigation...
Focus & Coherence
Gateway 1 - Meets Expectations | 92% |
|---|---|
Criterion 1.1: Focus | 2 / 2 |
Criterion 1.2: Coherence | 4 / 4 |
Criterion 1.3: Coherence | 7 / 8 |
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 meet the expectation for focus and coherence to the CCSSM. For focus, the instructional materials meet the criteria for the time devoted to the major work of the grade. There are some above grade-level topics included in the assessment but they do not impact the structure of the materials. For coherence, the materials are explicitly shaped by the CCSSM with enough work to be viable for one school year. All students engage in extensive practice with grade-level problems and supporting content engages students in the major work of the grade. Natural connections are made between clusters and domains, but there is a lack of clear grade-to-grade progressions. Overall, the materials meet the expectations for focus and coherence with the CCSSM.
Criterion 1.1: Focus
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 assess a few topics that are above grade-level. However, the affected assessments and their accompanying lessons can be modified or skipped without impacting the underlying structure of the instructional materials. Moreover, there is a variety of included assessment types that cover all of the CCSSM. Overall the instructional materials meet the expectation for focus within assessment.
Indicator 1a
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 meet the expectations for assessment because above grade-level assessment items and their accompanying lessons, can be modified or omitted without significantly impacting the underlying structure of the instructional materials. For this indicator, the four quarterly benchmark tests were reviewed first, then for a more in-depth look at each CCSSM indicator, the chapter tests, extended response tests, and performance tasks were examined.
- The instructional materials offer multiple tiers of assessment on their ConnectEd website. These include pretests, diagnostic tests, chapter quizzes, chapter tests, performance tasks, extended response tests, quarterly benchmark tests, standardized test practice as well as SBAC and PARCC practice test question. Furthermore, a test generator is included so that educators can create their own assessments to suit their needs.
- The first quarterly benchmark test assesses the following Grade 7 standards: 7.RP.1, 7.RP.2, 7.RP.3, with some elements of 7.NS.3, 7.EE.2 and 7.EE.3. The standards are primarily covered in chapters 1-2. The listed CCSSM are covered on the assessments. One above grade-level topic is assessed. Questions 8 and 21 are questions about slope. Slope is first introduced in Grade 8. The Grade 7 standard that leads to slope is 7.EE.2.B and it reads "Identify the constant of proportionality (unit rate) in tables, graphs, equations, diagrams, and verbal descriptions of proportional relationships." These two concepts are closely related, and the lesson offers an explanation of that relationship thus the inclusion of this Grade 8 topic is mathematically reasonable.
- The second quarterly benchmark test assesses the following Grade 7 standards: 7.NS.1, 7.NS.2, 7.NS.3, 7.EE.1, 7.EE.2 and 7.EE.3. The standards are primarily covered in Chapters 3-5. The listed CCSSM are covered on the assessments. One above grade level topic is assessed. Questions 10 and 24 are questions about arithmetic sequences. Arithmetic sequences are formally addressed in high school. HSF.BF.A2 says, "Write arithmetic and geometric sequences both recursively and with an explicit formula, use them to model situations, and translate between the two forms." The corresponding lesson on sequences is in chapter 5, lesson 2. The questions are more closely related to identifying a pattern, and students are asked to understand the vocabulary "arithmetic sequence" and find the nth term which reasonably extends the Grade 7 standards. This lesson could be skipped without affecting the other lessons in the chapter. The affected questions on the test could be skipped or explained, or a teacher could use the test generator to create a test without sequences.
- The third quarterly benchmark test assesses the following grade 7 standards 7.G.1, 7.G.2, 7.G.3, 7.G.4, 7.G.5, 7.G.6 7.EE.3 and 7.EE.4. These standards are primarily covered in Chapters 6 - 8. The stated CCSSM are covered on the assessments, with one above grade-level topic assessed. Question 9 requires knowledge of cross sections of a cylinder. The standard 7.G.3 states “Describe the two-dimensional figures that result from slicing three-dimensional figures, as in plane sections of right rectangular prisms and right rectangular pyramids.” The standard does not mention cylinder, and in Grade 7 students are just learning to find area and circumference of circles. The chapter tests do not include questions covering cross sections of cylinders thus there was no significant impact on the structure of the materials.
- The End of the Year benchmark test covers many of the grade 7 standards covered on the prior benchmark tests, and 7.SP.1, 7.SP.2, 7.SP.3, 7.SP.4, 7.SP.5 7.SP.6, 7,SP,8 and 7.SP.9. These standards are primarily covered in chapters 9 - 10. All of the listed CCSSM are covered on the assessments with no new above grade-level items.
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 7 meets the expectation that the majority of class time is spent on the major work of the grade. The materials spend about 66 percent of class time on major work. Even when the lessons primarily focus on supporting clusters they incorporate major work standards. Overall, the instructional materials meet the expectation that materials spend a majority of class time on major work.
Indicator 1b
Instructional material spends the majority of class time on the major cluster of each grade.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 7 meet the expectation for focus by spending a majority of class time on the major clusters of the grade. To determine this three perspectives were evaluated: 1) the number of chapters devoted to major work, 2) the number of lessons devoted to major work, and 3) the number of days devoted to major work. The number of days devoted to major work represents a true reflection for this indicator because it specifically addresses the amount of class time spent on concepts. Overall, the materials spend 66 percent of instructional time on the major clusters of the grade. The Grade 7 materials have 10 chapters that contain 72 lessons. (The inquiry labs were considered as part of the lesson that they supported.) A total 158 days (optional projects not included) of class time was scheduled for the lessons.
- Six out of 10 chapters (or 60 percent) focus exclusively on the major clusters of Grade 7, while the other four chapters have a mix of major and supporting clusters.
- Each chapter is made up of lessons, when examining the individual lesson 64 percent of class time is spent on the major clusters of the grade. The lesson breakdown is as follows:
- Chapter 1: Nine out of nine lessons are on major clusters (7.RP.1, 7.RP.2, 7.RP.3 and 7.EE.3).
- Chapter 2: Eight out of eight of the lessons are on the major clusters (7.RP.2, 7.RP.3, 7.EE.2 and 7.EE.3).
- Chapter 3: Five out of five of the lessons are on the major clusters (7.NS.1, 7.NS.2, 7.NS.3 and 7.EE.3).
- Chapter 4: Eight out of eight of the lessons are on major clusters (7.NS.1, 7.NS.2, 7.NS.3, 7.RP.3 and 7.EE.3)
- Chapter 5: Eight out of eight lessons are on the major clusters (7.EE.1, 7.EE.2 AND 7.NS.3).
- Chapter 6: Eight out of eight lessons are on the major clusters (7.EE.3 and 7.EE.4).
- Chapter 7: Six out of six of the lessons are supporting clusters (7.G.1, 7.G.2, 7.G.3 and 7.G.5).
- Chapter 8: Eight out of eight of the lessons are on supporting clusters (7.G.4 and 7.G.6).
- Chapter 9: Seven out of seven of the lessons are on supporting clusters (7.SP.5, 7.SP.7, and 7.SP.8)
- Chapter 10: Five out of five lessons are on supporting clusters (7.SP.1, 7.SP.2, and 7.SP.4).
A pacing guide is provided with the materials and gives the number of days each chapter and lesson should take. When calculating the number of days, 66 percent of the class time is spent on the major clusters, 32 percent of the class time is spent on supporting clusters. The breakdown of the number of days spent on the major clusters of the grade are as follows:
- Chapter 1: Nine lessons should take 16 days.
- Chapter 2: Eight lessons should take 16 days.
- Chapter 3: Five lessons should take 14 days.
- Chapter 4: Eight lessons should take 15 days.
- Chapter 5: Eight lessons should take 17 days.
- Chapter 6: Eight lessons should take 18 days.
- Chapter 7: Six lessons should take 15 days. This chapter is considered supporting clusters, but in lesson 1, 2 and 3 about 25 percent of the problems involve using the properties of angles and triangles to find angle measures that have embedded equations. These problems incorporate 7.EE.4. In lesson 4 the problems use proportions to solve scale problems. These problems incorporate 7.RP.2 Therefore, approximately three and a half days are spent on major work.
- Chapter 8: Eight lessons should take 19 days. This chapter is considered supporting clusters, but the area, surface area, and volume problems supply problems that incorporate rational numbers thus incorporating 7.NS.A. Therefore, approximately nine and a half days are spent on major work.
- Chapter 9: Seven lessons should take 15 days. This chapter is considered a supporting cluster, but in lesson 1 students write probabilities as a percent, prep for 7.RP.3, so half of this lesson is considered major work. Lesson 4 simulations require students to use ratio and percents to solve real-world problems (7.RP.3), so half of this lesson is considered major work. Lesson 5 students are expected to find the percent of an event occurring incorporating 7.RP.3 so half of this lesson is considered major work. Therefore, approximately two days are spent on major work.
- Chapter 10: Five lessons should take 13 days. Five of the lessons are supporting clusters. However, in lesson 1 students express probability as a percent (7.RP.3). This same lesson has students use a probability to make predictions of future events. In doing this students have to set up and solve a proportion so they are engaged in (7.RP.A). Therefore, one day is 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 7 meets the expectations for being coherent and consistent with the standards. The materials include content that is shaped by the CCSSM clusters with enough work to be viable for one school year. All students engage in extensive practice with grade-level problems and supporting content engages students in the major work of the grade. Natural connections are made between clusters and domains. However, the materials fail to note grade-to-grade progression. Overall the materials meet the expectation for being coherent and consistent 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 7 meets the expectation for the supporting content enhancing focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade. Overall, the lessons that focus on supporting content also engage students in major work where natural and appropriate.
- In chapter 7, lesson 1 uses vertical and adjacent angles to find missing angle measures. In example 3 and the corresponding practice problems, one of the angles is labeled with an algebraic expression. As a result, students will need to set up and solve an equation to find the missing angle measure. Thus, students are simultaneously practicing 7.G.3, a supporting cluster, and 7.EE.4.A, a major cluster.
- Chapter 7, lesson 4 uses proportional reasoning to solve problems involving scale.Thus, they are simultaneously engaged in 7.G.1, a supporting cluster and 7.RP.1, a major cluster.
- Chapter 8, lesson 5 involves finding the volume of a pyramid. This is supporting cluster 7.G.6. In example 3 and the corresponding practice problems, students use the formula to find the height of a pyramid. To do this students need to solve an equation. Thus, students are also practicing 7.EE4.B.
- Chapter 9, lesson 1 involves finding the probability of a simple event. In doing this students are expected to relate this information as a ratio and a percent. This supports major work 7.RP.3.
- In chapter 9, lesson 2 example 3, students use theoretical and experimental probability to predict future events. In doing this students have to set up and solve a proportion, so they are engaged in 7.RP.A.
- In Chapter 10, lesson 1 students express probability as a percent. This supports major work 7.RP.3. This same lesson has students use probability to make predictions of future events. In doing this, students have to set up and solve a proportion so they are engaged in 7.RP.A.
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 7 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. The instructional material are designed to take 158 – 168 days. Many additional resources can be found on the accompanying website. Overall, the amount of content that is designated for this grade level is viable for one school year.
- Included in the materials is a yearlong pacing guide. According to that pacing guide, completing the work in the student edition would take 158 days. That includes time for a chapter opener, a mid-chapter quiz, a chapter review, and a chapter test. Ten extra days could be spent on the five unit projects.
- All of the CCSSM were developed to give students the practice they need to be prepared for Grade 8.
- There is guided practice, independent practice and common core spiral review for each lesson. Also included in the lessons are Real-World Link, H.O.T. Higher Order Thinking, and Power-up Common Core Test Practice which are more rigorous than the independent practices.
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 7 partially meet the expectations for the materials to be consistent with the progressions in the standards. The materials give all students extensive work on grade-level problems. Content from prior and future grades is identified but not explicitly stated. The materials attempt to relate grade level problems to prior knowledge but they fail to mention grade to grade progressions. Overall the instructional materials partially meets the expectation to be consistent with the progressions in the standards.
- The materials do an excellent job of giving all ability levels an opportunity for learning grade-level standards. The materials provide exercises for all levels of complexity and recommended homework options that are organized for students who are approaching, on level, or beyond level. The materials connect classwork to the homework assignments for all ability levels. For example, the materials use a variety of practice with “Power Up” activities for performance task problems and common core test practice for a challenging review structure. The materials suggests that students from all three levels are encouraged to try these higher order thinking problems, so students who need interventions still get to engage with the full depth of the grade-level standards.
- Below grade-level work is listed as preparation for a standard. For example, chapter 3, lesson 1, is listed as prep for 7.NS.3. Though it is identified, it is not clear from which grade it comes from, and knowing this would help a teacher adjust pacing.
- Lessons that are above grade-level are identified as extensions. For example, chapter 10, lesson 3 is labeled as an extension of 7.SP.1. The topic of this lesson, misleading graphs, is an extension of the standard and therefore it is correctly identified.
- In the teacher edition a graphic is presented under coherence. It show Previous, Now and Next. "Previous" lists what topics students learned that lead up to the current topic. "Now" lists what topics the students are learning now. "Next" lists what related topics the students will be learning. Although, there is an attempt to be coherent across the grade levels there are no references to other grades' standards within the materials.
- In Grade 7, the CCSSM have one cluster that states “apply and extend” past knowledge to current learning. 7.NS.A says “Apply and extend previous understandings of operations with fractions to add subtract multiply and divide rational numbers” In chapter 3, students extend their understanding of integers for Grade 6 to using a number line to add, subtract, multiply and divided integers. In chapter 4, students combine their understanding of integers and fractions to add subtract multiply and divide all rational numbers.
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 7 meet the expectation for fostering coherence through connections at a single grade. The materials include learning objectives that are clearly shaped by the CCSSM clusters, and the materials incorporate natural connections between domains, where those connections are natural and important.
- At the beginning of the teacher edition there is an index of the CCSSM and the corresponding chapters and lesson where those standards can be found.
- Each unit in the materials correlates to a Grade 7 CCSSM domain. The units are broken into chapters that focus on standards in that domain. The chapters are broken into lessons that incorporate aspects of each standard. As a result, each lesson's title, objective, and essential question is clearly shaped by the CCSSM cluster headings.
- The student edition gives a table of the Grade 7 CCSSM and students are given the chance to track their knowledge of the CCSSM through-out the year.
- In addition to the connections noted in criteria 1c there are several examples of connecting two or more domains. In Grade 7 some of these examples include: chapter 1, lesson 2 connects 7.RP.1 and 7.NS.3 where students will connect complex fractions to unit rates while dividing fractions. Chapter 2 connects 7.RP.A and 7.EE.3 where students will solve percent problems with proportions while they solve multi-step real-life and mathematical problems. Chapter 7, lesson 7 connects 7.RP.3 with 7.NS.2 and 7.NS.3 where students convert between measurement systems by setting up a proportion and using the operations of rational numbers to solve them.