1st Grade - Gateway 1
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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 materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectations for Gateway 1. Although there are some questions that align to and/or assess standards that are beyond Grade 1, the inclusion of these questions is either mathematically appropriate or, where not appropriate, their omission would not significantly alter the structure of the materials, and these materials spend the majority of the time on the major clusters of each grade level. Teachers using these materials as designed will use supporting clusters to enhance the major work of the grade. Although materials do not relate grade-level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades, the materials develop according to the grade-by-grade progressions in the Standards. Students are given extensive work on grade-level problems, and connections are made between clusters and domains where appropriate. Overall, the materials meet the expectations for focusing on the major work of the grade, and the materials also meet the expectations for coherence.
Criterion 1.1: Focus
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 JUMP Math meet the expectations for not assessing topics before the grade level in which the topic should be introduced. Although there are some questions that align to and/or assess standards that are beyond Grade 1, the inclusion of these questions is either mathematically appropriate or, where not appropriate, their omission would not significantly alter the structure of the materials.
Indicator 1a
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 1 meet the expectation for assessing the grade-level content and, if applicable, content from earlier grades. The Sample Unit Quizzes and Tests included in the Teacher Resources Part 1 Section I and Teacher Resources Part 2 Section Q, along with the answer keys and "Scoring Guides and Rubrics," were reviewed for this indicator.
The assessments are mostly aligned to the standards of the grade level, and assessment questions that are above grade-level/non-aligned can easily be modified or omitted without making a significant impact on the integrity of the materials.
Assessments containing off grade-level material include the following:
- On the Teacher Resources Part 1 Unit 5 Test for Lessons 1 to 12, problem 4 asks students to compare objects to a meter stick. Comparing length to a benchmark (meter stick) more closely aligns to 2.MD.1. In the Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 2 Test for Lessons 28 to 43, question 9 asks students to add 2 digit numbers with 2 digit numbers (not a multiple of 10). Adding 2 digit numbers more closely aligns to 2.NBT.5.
- On the Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 3 Test for Lessons 66 to 73, question 3 asks students to add nickels and question 4 asks students to add coins to equal $0.14, which more closely aligns to 2.MD.C.8.
Some assessments contain bonus questions. The rubric indicates that these questions should be marked correct or incorrect and not be assigned a point value. The bonus questions include items that might assess standards that are above grade level, and in addition, the standard is not identified on the rubric.
- On the Teacher Resources Part 1 Unit 6 Quiz for Lessons 48 to 49, the bonus problem requires students to solve an addition problem with 4 addends. Grade 1 Operations and Algebraic Thinking standards are limited to 3 addends.
- On the Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 1 Quiz for Lessons 24 to 27, the bonus problem requires students to solve an addition problem with 3 addends with one of the addends being 107. Grade 1 Operations and Algebraic Thinking standards are limited to addition and subtraction problems within 20.
- On the Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 2 Quiz for Lessons 32 to 35, the bonus problem requires students to solve an addition problem with 4 addends. Grade 1 Operations and Algebraic Thinking standards are limited to 3 addends.
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 meet the expectation for having students and teachers using the materials as designed devoting the large majority of class time to the major work of the grade. Students and teachers using the materials as designed devote approximately 85 percent of class time to 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 1 meet the expectations for spending the majority of class time on the major clusters of each grade. Overall, approximately 85 percent of class time is devoted to major work of the grade.
The materials for Grade 1 include 12 Units. In the materials, there are 151 lessons, and of those, 13 are Bridging lessons. According to the materials, Bridging lessons should not be “counted as part of the work of the year” (page A-56), so the number of lessons examined for this indicator is 138 lessons. The supporting clusters were also reviewed to determine if they could be factored in due to how strongly they support major work of the grade. There were some connections found between supporting clusters and major clusters.
Three perspectives were considered: 1) the number of units devoted to major work, 2) the number of lessons devoted to major work, and 3) the number of instructional days devoted to major work including days for unit assessments.
The percentages for each of the three perspectives follow:
- Units– Approximately 75 percent, 9 out of 12;
- Lessons– Approximately 86 percent, 119 out of 138; and
- Days– Approximately 85 percent, 128 out of 150.
The number of instructional days, approximately 85 percent, devoted to major work is the most reflective for this indicator because it represents the total amount of class time that addresses 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 1 meet the expectations for coherence. The materials use supporting content as a way to continue working with the major work of the grade and include a full program of study that is viable content for a school year including 150 days of lessons and assessment. Students are given extensive work on grade-level problems. Materials develop according to the grade-by-grade progressions in the Standards, but materials do not relate grade-level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades. These instructional materials are visibly shaped by the cluster headings in the standards, and connections are made between domains and clusters within the grade level. Overall, the Grade 1 materials support coherence and are consistent with the progressions in 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 1 meet the expectations that supporting content enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade. When appropriate, the supporting work enhances and supports the major work of the grade level.
Examples where connections are present include the following:
- 1.MD.C supports 1.OA.A and 1.OA.C.
- In Teacher Resources Part 1 Unit 6 Lesson 23, students create picture graphs from data given in tally charts and solve one-step word problems from data in tally charts.
- In Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 6 Lesson 24, students answer questions about picture graphs and ask questions about data presented in various ways.
- 1.MD.B supports 1.NBT.1.
- Students practice reading and writing numbers in the context of telling time in Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 4.
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 meet the expectations for having an amount of content designated for one grade level that is viable for one school year in order to foster coherence between grades. Overall, the amount of time needed to complete the lessons is approximately 150 days which is appropriate for a school year of approximately 140-190 days.
- The materials are written with 12 units containing a total of 150 lessons.
- Each lesson is designed to be implemented during the course of one 45 minute class period per day. In the materials, there are 150 lessons, and of those, 12 are Bridging lessons. Twelve Bridging lessons have been removed from the count because the Teacher's Edition states that they are not counted as part of the work for the year, so the number of lessons examined for this indicator is 150 lessons.
- There are 12 unit tests which are counted as 12 extra days of instruction.
- There is a short quiz every 3-5 lessons. Materials expect these quizzes to take no more than 10 minutes, so they are not counted as extra days of instruction.
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 1 partially meet the expectation for being consistent with the progressions in the Standards. Overall, the materials address the standards for this grade-level and provide all students with extensive work on grade-level problems. The materials make connections to content in future grades, but they do not explicitly relate grade-level concepts to prior knowledge from earlier grades.
The materials develop according to the grade-by-grade progressions in the Standards, and content from prior or future grades is clearly identified and related to grade-level work. The Teacher Resources contain sections that highlight the development of the grade-by-grade progressions in the materials, identify content from prior or future grades, and state the relationship to grade-level work.
- At the beginning of each unit, "This Unit in Context" provides a description of prior concepts and standards students have encountered during the grade levels before this one. The end of this section also makes connections to concepts that will occur in future grade levels. For example, "This Unit in Context" from Unit 2, Number and Operations in Base Ten: Using Place Value to Add and Subtract, of Teacher Resources Part 2 describes how students described two digit numbers in Kindergarten and how it was extended in Teacher Resources Part 1 of first grade. "In this unit students use the place place value representation to add and subtract (1.NBT.4,5,6)." Students build on understandings of addition and subtraction from Kindergarten (K.OA.1,2). Students use of place value continues in Grades 2 and 3 (2.NBT.7 and 3.NBT.2).
There are some lessons that are not labeled Bridging Lessons that contain off grade-level material. For example, Lesson 17 of Unit 4 in Teacher Resources Part 2 addresses area and is better aligned to 3.MD.5.
The materials give all students extensive work with grade-level problems. The lessons also include "Extensions," and the problems in these sections are on grade-level.
- Whole class instruction is used in the lessons, and all students are expected to do the same work throughout the lesson. Individual, small-group, or whole-class instruction occurs in the lessons.
- The problems in the Assessment & Practice books align to the content of the lessons, and they provide grade-level problems that "were designed to help students develop confidence, fluency, and practice." (page A-47, Teacher Resources)
- In the Extension problems, students get the opportunity to engage with more difficult problems, but the problems are still aligned to grade-level standards. For example, the problems in Lesson 27 of Unit 3 in Teacher Resources Part 1 engage students in using 5 to double, but these problems still align to 1.OA.1.
The instructional materials do not relate grade-level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades. Examples of these missing explicit connections include:
- Every lesson identifies "Prior Knowledge Required" even though the prior knowledge identified is not aligned to any grade-level standards. For example, Lesson 54 of Unit 3 in Teacher Resources Part 2 identifies knowing "add by counting and drawing objects and know the meaning of the addition sign and the equal sign" in order for students to accomplish the goal of the lesson, which is determining the total in an addition sentence using pictures and models.
- There are 13 lessons identified as Bridging Lessons; most of these lessons are not aligned to standards from prior grades but state for which grade-level standards they are preparation. For example, Lesson 1 of Unit 1 in Teacher Resources Part 1, which has students counting, is preparation for 1.OA.5.
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.
Grade 1 materials meet the expectations for fostering coherence through connections at a single grade level, where appropriate and required by the Standards. Overall, the materials include learning objectives that are visibly shaped by the CCSSM cluster headings, and the materials connect two or more clusters in a domain or two or more domains in a grade when appropriate.
Overall, units are organized by domains and are clearly labeled. For example, Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 3 Operations and Algebraic Thinking: Problem Solving with Pictures, Models and Equations and Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 5 Geometry: Reasoning with Shapes are shaped by the Operations and Algebraic Thinking domain. Throughout the course, all standards are addressed, and within lessons, goals are written that are shaped by the CCSSM cluster headings.
- The Teacher's Guide connects every lesson to a CCSSM standard.
- Generally, lesson objectives make connections to CCSSM cluster headings.
- In Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 3 Lesson 54, the goal is "Students determine the total in an addition sentence using pictures and models" which aligns to cluster heading 1.OA.D.
- Each standard is addressed during the course.
The instructional materials do include some 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.
- Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 2 Lesson 29 connects 1.NBT.B to 1.NBT.C. Students subtract tens from tens.
- In Teacher Resources Part 2 Unit 6 Lesson 20 students are sorting shapes into categories connecting domains 1.MD and 1.G.
- In Teacher Resources Part 1 Unit 3 Lesson 27 students solve word problems involving doubling numbers connecting 1.OA.A and 1.OA.B.