8th Grade - Gateway 1
Back to 8th 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 | 85% |
|---|---|
Criterion 1.1: Focus | 2 / 2 |
Criterion 1.2: Coherence | 4 / 4 |
Criterion 1.3: Coherence | 6 / 8 |
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation for alignment to the CCSSM. For focus, the instructional materials meet the criteria for the time devoted to the major work of the grade. Also, the majority of the chapters and the respective days allocated in the timeline align to the major work of this grade. For coherence, supporting work is clearly connected to the focus of the grade and is done so in a meaningful way. Coherence is also evident in the instructional materials including problems and activities that serve to connect two or more clusters in a domain and that connect two or more domains in a grade. Overall the Grade 8 materials meet the quality expectations for focus on major work and coherence.
Criterion 1.1: Focus
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for assessing grade-level content. In each of the assessments included in each unit, only Grade 8 content is assessed. Prerequisite skills from previous grades are assessed in the "Are you Ready" assessments. However content from future grades is not assessed.
Indicator 1a
The Grade 8 materials reviewed meet the expectations for assessing grade-level content. The materials also include assessment items for previously learned material to determine if students have the needed prerequisite skills. Overall the instructional materials only assess the grade-level content for Grade 8 and prerequisite skills and not content from future grades.
- Each unit includes module quizzes, assessment readiness review, end-of-unit review and a performance task. In all of these assessment materials, only Grade 8 material was assessed.
- Each module has an "Are You Ready" assessment. This looks at skills from previous grades that will be needed in order to complete the module successfully.
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. Eighty-five percent (85%) of the lessons and 83% of the teaching days address 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 large majority of class time on the major work of each grade. Eighty-five percent (85%) of lessons are spent on the major work and, based on the pacing guides in the teacher edition, 123 of the 148 teaching days (83%) are spent on the major work of the grade.
Criterion 1.3: Coherence
Coherence: Each grade's instructional materials are coherent and consistent with the Standards.
The instructional material reviewed for Grade 8 partially meets the expectations for coherence and consistency with the Common Core Standards. Clearly, the majority of the chapters and the respective days allocated in the timeline align to the major work of this grade. Supporting work is clearly connected to the focus of the grade and is done so in a meaningful way. Coherence is also evident in the instructional materials. This includes problems and activities that serve to connect two or more clusters in a domain and that connect two or more domains in a grade. The weak aspect of the materials is that it only partially meets the expectations for consistency with the progressions in the standards. Overall the Grade 8 material partially meets the expectations for the coherence criterion.
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 meet the expectations for the supporting content, enhancing focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade.
The unit titled "Relationships in Geometry" has many modules where there are examples of support for the major clusters. Overall, the supporting units and the individual lessons support focus and coherence to the major work of the grade level.
- Unit 1 contains work with irrational numbers that supports the major work with the Pythagorean Theorem.
- Unit 2 (module 5, lesson 30 and unit 6 (modules 13 and 15) contain work with bivariate data that supports the major work with expressions and equations.
- In Unit 6, students will be using the major work 8.EE and 8.F while learning about statistics. Students will use their knowledge of solving equations, slope, dependent and independent variables, and functions.
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 partially 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. With only 150 days of lessons in the materials, there needs to be additional material other than unit tests to ensure sufficient materials. Overall, the amount of content that is designated for this grade level is short of the amount of material needed to make it truly viable for one school year.
- According to the pacing guide, there is a suggested 149 days of lessons for a 45-minute class. There is guided practice and independent practice for each lesson. There is also a quiz and a formative assessment check for each module. All of this is included in the pacing guide.
- A summative end of the unit test is not included in the pacing guide. If you allowed one day per unit this would bring the total to 155 days.
- There are many references in the teacher's guide to online resources that provide more practice opportunities, however those resources are not accessible in the basic program.
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 partially meet the expectations for the material to be consistent with the progressions in the standards. The strongest point is that at the beginning of each module there is a section called "Unpacking the Standards." Although there is a page with the progressions listed, there are no references to other grades' standards anywhere within the lessons. Overall, the materials in Go Math-Grade 8 to some extent identify the progressions from prior grades in the standards.
- At the beginning of the book there is a pre-assessment that identifies and reviews Grade 7 standards.
- In the beginning of each module there is a section called "Unpacking the Standards." This puts the standards into student-friendly language and provides examples of what they will be learning.
- Unit 1 in the teacher edition lets the teacher know what students should know before each lesson.
- There are no references to other grades within the lessons.
- There is a page with progressions that shows Grades 6, 7 and 8.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 minimally meet the expectation of giving all students extensive work with grade-level problems. Overall, the materials give students of varying abilities some, but not extensive work with grade-level problems.
- The lessons are broken down into 5 sections: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.
- There are tips and ideas for differentiating and extending the material.
- The teacher edition includes references to online additional resources, including Math on the Spot, which is a video available by scanning the QR code in the student edition. Although the teacher edition does not contain all of these resources, access to some of it is available without any separate purchase.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 partially meet the expectation of relating grade level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades. Overall, materials only generally relate grade level concepts to prior knowledge from earlier grades.
- Students are assessed on prior knowledge at the beginning of each module.
- The section for teachers called Math Background explains concepts of the unit for teachers.
- The Grade 8 standards are unpacked, but there is no connection or explanation of how they relate to Grade 7, even when the cluster says apply and extend previous understanding.
- At the front of each unit there is a "Before this Unit," "In this Unit," and "After this Unit" section at the bottom of the page. This is a good reference within the Grade 8, but does not refer to previous work, nor does it extend to future work beyond Grade 8.
- The publisher does print the progressions of the CCSSM in the teacher edition. The document only has the progressions for Grades 6, 7 and 8. However, it does not show within the materials how the content is related.
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 and essential questions that are visibly shaped by CCSSM cluster headings.
- Unit 2 containing modules 6 (functions), 5 (writing linear equations), and 7 (solving linear equations) align with 8.F.B and 8.EE.B, both of which are major work clusters of Grade 8.
- There are also specific "cluster connection" identifiers in the teacher edition, such as those on pages 19, 55 and 87.
- In unit 3, module 7, teacher edition, pages 195-97, MPs are clearly explained along with the domains and strands of the focus work.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 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.
- There is a natural connection between 8.EE.B and 8.F. Students must use their knowledge of solving equations to solve questions pertaining to functions.
- Grade 8 also used previous work of Grade 7 of proportional relationships. These connections occur naturally with the progressions of mathematics.
- Unit 3, module 7 (solving equations) gives the CCSSM, the mathematical practice(s), the essential question and questioning strategies, along with an activity that connected fractions and percents, which are major work of the grade level.
- In Unit 5, students need to use 8.EE to complete the work within 8.G.
- On page CC1-CC5 of the teacher edition, there is a CCSSM chart. It clearly states the standard, provides a description and also tells when it is taught and when it is reinforced.