9th Grade - Gateway 3

The materials provide information for students and families to support learning. Students interact with the Unit Introduction activities at the beginning of each unit to understand the Essential Question, Unit Goals, and Academic Vocabulary. A downloadable Home Connection letter is available to inform parents and caregivers about the program in English and Spanish. 

Materials contain strategies for informing students, parents, or caregivers about the ELA program. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Each unit includes a Home Connection letter that briefly explains the unit’s theme; the Essential Question; all texts, authors, and genres; performance tasks and performance-based assessments; and the standards addressed in the unit. The letter also includes a Talk it Over With Your Student section that includes questions parents/guardians can ask their student about the Essential Question, texts they can read together, and the texts students are reading at school. 

• In the Program Overview, the document, Distance Learning Tips for Parents/Guardians, is included, which provides helpful tips, such as designating a learning space, establishing a daily routine, and setting clear learning expectations. 

Materials contain suggestions for how parents or caregivers can help support student progress and achievement. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 4, Star-Crossed Romances, the Home Connection letter includes questions for parents/guardians to ask students: “What are some of the ways you could answer the question Do we determine our own destinies? How did Romeo and Juliet’s actions bring about their dire fates? Should we always listen to others when making important choices? Why do you think stories of ill-fated romances are so popular in the media and in books and film?”

The materials offer accommodations for assessments that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills; however, a clear, comprehensive list of possible accommodations is not provided for the teacher. In the Assessment tab, the assessments have a brief overview to explain each option. The Interactive Student Edition includes a link to the performance task. While the Academic Vocabulary section will read the vocabulary and definitions to the student, no clear text-to-speech accommodations are included in the materials. Different types of assessments are provided, and most of them are available online, as a PDF, or in a print version. When printed, assessments download into Microsoft Word. The print can be enlarged by zooming on a computer screen, placing texts in Microsoft Word, or enlarging or changing the font. In the PDF version, students may mark and annotate the text with the tools provided.

Materials offer accommodations that ensure all students can access the assessment (e.g., text-to-speech, increased font size) without changing the content of the assessment. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Many of the assessments can be downloaded into Microsoft Word in order to print. For example, Selection Tests, Extension Selection Tests, Unit Tests, and other beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year tests are available for download with printing as an option. Teachers may increase the size of the font for the students before printing the test. Next-Generation Practice Tests and Next-Generation Performance Tasks can be completed online.

• Some assessments refer directly to previously-read texts. In those assessments, audio versions of the texts are available in the Interactive Student Edition. 

• Customizable test prep banks are available for reading, language, editing, and writing. Teachers may choose to use questions from a provided multiple-test bank from each section.

• In the Interactive Student Edition, students click on a link to the Performance-Based Assessment for each unit. Students can zoom in and out using their mouse or fingers. Students can also open and print rubrics for different tasks. 

• Examview is available for teachers to set up on computers, allowing them to create their own assessments. Teachers can modify or adapt assessments for students who struggle. 

Materials include guidance for teachers on the use of provided accommodations. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Assessments can be assigned online, as a PDF, or printed. The materials provide information for each option for the teacher. For example, the PDF version states: “PDF format allows students to use the Interactive PDF Tool to annotate and complete the assignment.” 

• In the Getting Started section, a video and accompanying handout (Customize Worksheet and Assessments) are provided with step-by-step directions to customize assessments: “Now, let’s look at the flexible and customizable assessments. You can administer the assessments in print and online via Savvas Realize. All assessments are in editable Microsoft® Word format as well as in ExamView and Realize TestNav for even more customization options. You can also create assessments from scratch to meet your needs.”

The materials provide a variety of approaches to learning tasks over time and a variety of ways that students are expected to demonstrate their understanding. The materials include teacher prompts and questions in the margins of the Teacher’s Edition. For all texts in each unit, students interact with texts in multiple ways, including comprehension questions, various writing tasks, small-group discussions, individual research, and group projects. Students complete peer- and self-reflections during writing tasks for culminating writing drafts. Students rate themselves on unit goals at each unit’s beginning and end. An Evidence Log is also included in which students connect their learning on each text, examine their changing perspectives, and provide evidence of learning. 

Materials provide multi-modal opportunities for students to question, investigate, sense-make, and problem-solve using a variety of formats and methods. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher’s Edition, teachers are provided questions and prompts throughout each unit to incorporate into and facilitate whole-group and small-group discussions.

• In the Student Edition, at the end of most Whole-Group Learning texts, students complete a Comprehension Check that includes Research to Clarify and Research to Explore prompts to expand their thinking and knowledge based on the text. Student instructions state: “Research to Clarify: Choose at least one unfamiliar detail from the text. Briefly research that detail. In what way does the information you learned shed light on an aspect of the story? Research to Explore: Choose something from the text that interests you, and formulate a research question. Write your question here.”  

Students have opportunities to share their thinking, to demonstrate changes in their thinking over time, and to apply their understanding in new contexts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In each unit, students use the Evidence Log to make connections to the text and provide evidence from the text and any additional notes or ideas. Throughout the Teacher’s Edition, teacher instructions prompt students to add evidence to the Evidence Log. Sections of the log include “My Initial Position,” “Connection to the Prompt,” “Evidence from the Text,” “Additional Notes/Ideas,” “How does this text change or add to my thinking?” and “My position.” Student Edition directions are open-ended. 

Materials leverage the use of a variety of formats and methods over time to deepen student understanding and ability to explain and apply literacy ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Most texts follow a similar pattern that uses a variety of learning formats and methods. While reading most Whole-Class or Small-Group text, students use the following modes of analyzing the text: Making Meaning may include First Read, Close Read, Analyzing the Text, and a specific text-analysis skill; Language Development may include Concept Vocabulary, Word Study, and a specific language skill; and Effective Expression may include Writing to Sources, Speaking and Listening, and Research.

Materials provide for ongoing review, practice, self-reflection, and feedback. Materials provide multiple strategies, such as oral and/or written feedback, peer or teacher feedback, and self-reflection. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:  

• The Teacher’s Edition directions for the Evidence Log state: “Support students in completing their Evidence Log. This paced activity will help prepare them for the Performance-Based Assessment at the end of the unit.”

• In Small-Group Learning, students may write about the texts they have read. During the writing process, in the Reviewing and Revising section, students use a checklist to peer review. Also, a Peer Review is included in each Performance Task: Writing Focus. Student Edition directions state: “Exchange essays with a classmate. Use the checklist to evaluate your classmate’s [writing].” 

• In the Teacher’s Edition, the margins provide review and practice activities suggestions. 

Materials provide a clear path for students to monitor and move their own learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Student Edition, Unit Introduction, Unit Goals are included in Reading, Writing and Research, Language, and Speaking and Listening. Students rate themselves on a scale from one to five to determine how well they already meet the goal. Examples of Unit Goals include, but are not limited to: “Reading: Evaluate written arguments by analyzing how authors state and support their claims. Writing and Research: Write an argumentative essay in which you effectively incorporate the key elements of an argument.”

• In the Student Edition, Unit Reflection, students respond to prompts about their learning, such as, “Reflect on the Learning Strategies: Write a reflection on whether you were able to improve your learning based on your Action Plans. Think about what worked, what didn’t, and what you might do to keep working on these strategies. Record your ideas before a class discussion.”

The materials provide guidance for grouping students in a variety of ways across each unit. Units follow the structure of Whole-Class Learning, with some informal peer groupings; Small-Group Learning entirely focused on collaborative work; and Independent Learning, which concludes with the Learn From Your Classmates discussion. Teachers receive optional suggestions for student-to-student interaction in the Teacher’s Edition and general guidance on forming small groups. 

Materials provide grouping strategies for students. Materials provide for varied types of interaction among students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Survival, Performance Task: Speaking and Listening, Present an Argument, students are in groups and use the following instructions: “Plan With Your Group,” including assigning roles: “Use a chart like this one to organize your script. Assign roles for each part of the presentation, note when each part begins, and record what the presenter will say.”

• In Unit 3, The Literature of Civil Rights, Whole-Class Learning, students read "Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.” by Robert F. Kennedy and complete a Speaking and Listening task: “Adapt your newspaper report as a newscast that might have aired on national television. You may deliver your newscast live to the class. Alternatively, you may work with a partner to record it and present or post it.

Materials provide guidance for the teacher on grouping students in a variety of grouping formats. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Teacher’s Edition, a box at the start of Small-Group Learning states: “Forming Groups: You may wish to form groups for Small-Group Learning so that each consists of students with different learning abilities. Some students may be adept at organizing information, whereas others may have strengths related to generating or synthesizing information. A good mix of abilities can make the experience of Small-Group Learning dynamic and productive.” 

• In the Teacher’s Edition, a note is provided in the Make It Interactive section for the Close Read of students’ Independent Learning task: “Group students according to the selection they have chosen. Then, have students meet to discuss the selection in-depth. Their discussions should be guided by their insights and questions.”

• In the Student-Centered Unit Structure handout, the material list how students process the text during Whole-Class learning. Students process the text “through effective expression activities where students work in groups, communicating their own ideas and listening to the ideas of others.” 

The materials include a balance of representations of people with various demographics and physical characteristics in images and information. A variety of texts with authors from a variety of genders, races, and ethnicities are included. In the About the Author section for each text, important background information for authors of a variety of race and/or ethnicities are provided. People of various demographics are depicted positively, without obvious or blatant stereotypes. The texts are written by authors of different backgrounds and feature protagonists of diverse races, ethnicities, countries of origin, gender expressions, and people with developmental disabilities. The materials balance positive portrayals of demographics or physical characteristics and avoid stereotypes or language that might be offensive to a particular group. Notes in the Teacher’s Editions provide ways to highlight positive portrayals in texts. No evidence was found showing students can succeed in the subject.

Materials and assessments depict different individuals of different genders, races, ethnicities, and other physical characteristics. Depictions of demographics or physical characteristics are portrayed positively across the series. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• In Unit 2, Survival, Small-Group Learning, students read “The Value of a Sherpa Life” by Grayson Shaffer. In the Teacher Edition, the Insight box states that “reading ‘The Value of a Sherpa Life’ will help students consider the relationship between social status and survival. When an entire group of people is undervalued, such as the Sherpa guides of Nepal, their deaths occur more frequently than do the deaths of people who are more greatly valued by society.”

• In Unit 6, World’s End, Small-Group Learning, students read a collection of three poems, including “A Song on the End of the World” by Czeslaw Milosz. The poems are written by an African-American woman, a Native-American man, and a former Lithuanian who defected to the United States. The Teacher’s Edition states that two poems “present a specific cultural and personal context as it relates to the end of the world.”

Materials and assessments balance positive portrayals of demographics or physical characteristics. Materials avoid stereotypes or language that might be offensive to a particular group. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, American Voices, Whole-Class Learning, students read “The Immigrant Contribution” from A Nation of Immigrants by John F. Kennedy. In the Teacher’s Edition, the Insight box states that “although his terminology reflects a different time period, his ideas about expanding the rights and opportunities of ‘the Negro’ quickly became part of a progressive policy.^”

• In Unit 3, The Literature of Civil Rights, Whole-Class Learning, students read “I Have a Dream” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which includes his realistic portrayal of African-American lives: “But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.” 

Materials provide representations that show students that they can succeed in the subject, going beyond just showing photos of diverse students not engaged in work related to the context of the learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• No evidence found.

The materials provide some guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon students’ home language to facilitate learning. The Professional Development Center contains multiple short videos and documents regarding differentiation. In many of the videos and documents, the importance of understanding a student’s identity and using their home language is conveyed, and a few strategies are suggested. General resources in the online platform, such as Every Teacher’s Toolkit by Karen Kawaguchi, provide teacher tips for enhancing cultural responsiveness and home-language validation. In the Teacher’s Edition, a few Personalize for Learning boxes suggest connections between Spanish and English cognates. Spanish is the only language offered in supplemental materials, like the online Spanish Resources library, with texts translated into Spanish. 

Materials provide some suggestions and strategies to use the home language to support students in learning ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Professional Development Center contains a section for differentiation. In this section, a video titled “How to Differentiate Learning for English Learners” with Jim Cummins is included that suggests strategies for scaffolding, such as using graphic organizers, visuals, and rephrasing to help students better understand. This video discusses how important it is that educators understand each student’s identity. Another video titled “Leveled Texts for ELLs” with Elfrieda “Freddy” Hiebert suggests strategies for scaffolding grade-leveled texts for ELL students instead of providing an alternate text. 

• The online materials contain a myPerspectives+: English Learner Support section that includes the digital text, Every Teacher’s Toolkit by Karen Kawaguchi, that includes strategies for language learners, including definitions and suggestions for two areas: “Culturally and linguistically responsive teaching” and “Validate Home Languages.” Both sections include details on how to help strengthen student skills in areas such as academic vocabulary, grammar, and presentation skills.

Materials present multilingualism as an asset in reading, and students are explicitly encouraged to develop home language literacy and to use their home language strategically for learning how to negotiate texts in the target language. Teacher materials include some guidance on how to garner information that will aid in learning, including the family’s preferred language of communication, schooling experiences in other languages, literacy abilities in other languages, and previous exposure to academic or everyday English. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the online materials, the Spanish Resources Library contains Spanish versions of texts for use in Small-Group Learning and Independent Learning for each unit. A video introduction to the unit in Spanish and stand-alone Spanish grammar and writing worksheets are also included. Teacher Resources in this section include an answer guide for the grammar worksheets. 

• In the Professional Development Center, a section for differentiation is included in the document “Differentiation in Middle School: Teaching English to Diverse Learners.” One suggestion states, “Encourage students to draw on their multilingual repertoires as a stepping stone to English (e.g., initial writing or note-taking in L1 as a means of transferring knowledge and skills from L1 to English).” 

• In Unit 4, Star-Crossed Romances, Introduction, Personalize for Learning, the English Language Support box offers support for cognates. Instruction states: “Many of the academic words have Spanish cognates. Use these cognates with students whose home language is Spanish.” The materials list two words and state, “Not all English learners will recognize and use these cognates automatically. Help students build their cognate awareness by pointing out that these cognates share the same root in both English and Spanish.”

The materials include teacher guidance to facilitate learning and content that support linguistically and culturally diverse students. The FrontMatter highlights the importance of allowing students to use their personal experiences when completing tasks: “Students are encouraged to draw upon their prior experiences, diverse identities, varied experiences, and the richness of their cultural backgrounds.” The Professional Development Center also includes information to help teachers engage with culturally diverse students. Some unit topics and texts allow for open-ended, relevant personal connections. Before each text in Whole-Class Learning and Small-Group Learning, the Jumpstart box offers suggestions for discussion topics related to the text. Other texts or activities include teacher notes that explain how to offer instruction to a range of students. Spanish language tools for some Small-Group Learning and Independent Learning texts are available in student materials. A home-school connection letter is available in English and Spanish. No evidence was found of prompts where students are encouraged to share how they (or their parents) do things at home or use the information to solve personal problems.

Materials make connections to the linguistic, cultural, and conventions used in learning ELA. Materials make connections to the linguistic and cultural diversity to facilitate learning. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Frontmatter pages at the start of the Teacher’s Edition describe the program’s culturally responsive foundation: “Ernest Morrell, Ph.D., helped inform the development of myPerspectives to ensure the program fosters a polyvocal classroom that encourages students to talk with each other, learn from each other, and more importantly, bring knowledge from their different backgrounds and cultures to enrich critical literacy in the classroom. The texts, essential questions, and learning tasks encourage discussions that allow students to draw upon their prior experiences, diverse identities, varied experiences, and the richness of their cultural backgrounds.”

• In Unit 4, Star-Crossed Lovers, Whole-Class Learning, Anchor Text, students read The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, Act I by William Shakespeare. In the Teacher’s Edition, the Jumpstart box states: “Many things divide people: genetics, culture, geography, values, and generations. Sometimes the differences between people arise from social interactions. Do our differences define who we are, or are the qualities we have in common more important? Engage students in a discussion about how the differences between people affect relationships to set the context for The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.”

Materials include teacher guidance on how to engage culturally diverse students in the learning of ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Professional Development Center, Engagement, the video “Multiliteracies and Multicultural Education” provides information on the importance of supporting other cultures in the classroom. Jim Cummins, Ph.D., discusses how “when we tap into students’ cultural backgrounds, we’re tapping into their knowledge base.”

• In the Professional Development Center, myPerspectives in Action, the video, “Facilitating Small Group Learning with Diverse Learners,” provides information about how two teachers, an ELA teacher, and a Special Education teacher, encourage and support all students to engage in small group discussions about a poem they are reading. 

• In Unit 4, Star-Crossed Lovers, Performance Task: Writing Focus, Teacher’s Edition, an Author’s Perspective box gives guidance for teaching writing: “Transfer of First Language: English learners’ home languages are valuable cognitive tools that can be tapped to help them improve the quality of their first drafts. Having students write in their home language often produces higher quality writing than when students write only in English because it helps them capture, express, and organize their ideas. Translation software can be useful as a starting point to help students move from their home language draft to an English draft. Obviously, the machine-translated draft will require editing, but this can be done collaboratively with help from the teacher and/or the student’s classmates. After students have produced their initial drafts in English, teachers can work with them on the revision process, focusing on such key areas as organization, paragraph formation, and coherence. As students revise with teacher input, teachers should encourage them to pay special attention to cognates and genre rules.”

Materials include equity guidance and opportunities. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Professional Development Center, the document “Differentiation in Middle School: Teaching English to Diverse Learners” by Jim Cummins, Ph.D., is provided. The document states four essential instructional strategies. One of the strategies is Connect to Students’ Lives and Affirm their Identities: “Connecting instruction to students’ lives by evoking personal and intellectual responses to texts represents not only a form of differentiation but also affirms students’ identities. Students who feel that their voices are heard, and their culture and identity validated in the classroom are much more likely to engage academically than those who feel ignored or devalued.”

Materials include opportunities for students to feel “acknowledged,” such as tasks based on customs of other cultures; sections provided in multiple languages, such as the glossary, digital materials, family letters; etc. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Spanish language resources are available for teachers. Translations are provided for Small-Group Learning and Independent Learning reading selections. Audio summaries of texts are provided in the digital materials. The Teacher’s Edition notes, “Audio summaries are available online in both English and Spanish in the Interactive Teacher’s Edition or Unit Resources. Assigning these summaries prior to reading the selection may help students build additional background knowledge and set a context for their first read.” Spanish grammar and writing worksheets are also available for students, though they are not available in other languages. 

• In the online Interactive Student Edition, students can highlight any word or words and view a translation in one of 104 languages, such as Pashto, Hmong, Haitian Creole, or Filipino. Thirty-five languages (including Portuguese, Slovak, Afrikaans, and Arabic) have the additional layer of that text being read aloud in the target language. Some audio translations do not have the speaker speaking the language correctly.

Materials include prompts where students are encouraged to share how they (or their parents) do things at home or use information to solve personal problems, etc. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• No evidence found

The materials integrate technology in ways that engage students in grade-level standards. Students can access all the materials through the online Interactive Student Edition, which contains various interactive tools. Students can highlight, annotate, and translate the text into various languages, many of which can also be read aloud to them in that language. Students can respond to prompts by typing in text boxes or charts. Students navigate the Interactive Student Edition by clicking on labeled tabs that take them to various sections of the textbook. Digital tools are available that allow teachers to view and respond to student responses and customize the materials to meet the needs of students. Teachers can assign work through the online platform and access other digital resources like the Hook and Inspire pages for anchor texts, which have links to supplemental videos and texts.

Digital technology and interactive tools, such as data collection tools, simulations, and/or modeling tools, are available to students. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Interactive Student Edition, students can adjust the font size using a button at the top of the page. Students may also search using the magnifying glass at the top of the page. 

• In the Interactive Student Edition, students can read and listen to the texts, type their responses to questions, and plan their writing. Students can submit their work via this platform, allowing teachers to see all student responses immediately. 

Digital tools support student engagement in ELA. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Interactive Student Edition contains links to the Unit Introduction, Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group Learning, Independent Learning, Performance-Based Assessment, and Unit Reflection. A drop-down menu provides access to the table of contents, bookmarks, annotations, highlights, notebook, and glossary. 

• In each Unit Performance-Based Assessment, students can click on a notebook icon to open a text box to write ideas they are going to use for their multimedia presentation. 

• In the Interactive Student Edition, materials are organized to keep students on track and to support their work. For example, a header bar shows where students are in the lesson and unit. Comprehension Checks are displayed in the right-hand column, keeping the text center for reference.

Digital materials can be customized for local use (i.e., student and/or community interests). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Table of Contents can be customized for a variety of purposes in both the Teacher’s Edition and Student Edition: “You can customize the program by rearranging the Table of Contents, creating your own tests, and uploading your own resources to match your curriculum.” Students may customize the table of contents by clicking on the three vertical dots next to the table of contents. Teachers may then move items, remove items, or add files, links, titles, or notes for students. 

• In the Interactive Student Edition, students can select any text and make personal customizations, such as translating the words, highlighting in one of four colors, circling the text, underlining it, or adding a note.

• In the Hook and Inspire section, teachers can choose from various resources, such as videos, articles, and extension activities that can be customized. The landing page includes ways teachers can support students’ learning “into,” “through,” and “beyond” the Whole Class Learning Anchor Texts. The page states, “Hook and inspire your students with these ideas. Build your own Playlist of media, short texts, novel connections, and extension activities to enrich your teaching.” In Unit 6, World’s End, “There Will Come Soft Rains” by Ray Bradbury, the following “into” resources are provided: “What Would Happen If Every Human Suddenly Disappeared? (myPerspectives Video Library): Play this video to introduce students to the idea of an Earth without people; Dropping the Bomb—Hiroshima (BBC): Introduce the concept of nuclear annihilation, the core background event of the story, with this video from the BBC; ‘Sunday Passage: Ray Bradbury:’ Introduce students to Ray Bradbury with this brief feature that aired on CBS Sunday Morning to memorialize the author’s death in 2012.; ‘USA vs. USSR Fight! The Cold War’(myPerspectives Video Library): Use this video to provide students with information about the Cold War, the concerns of which were part of Bradbury’s motivation for writing this story; ‘A Day Made of Glass, Unpacked:’ Start a conversation about the idea of the ‘smart’ house with this video.”

• In the Interactive Student Edition, the Small-Group Learning section includes a chart of learning strategies. Each section of the chart includes a box where students can add their own ideas. For example, the Support Others section includes the following chart topics: “Build off ideas from others in your group. Invite others who have not yet spoken to do so.” A blank Support Others box is available for students to type further ideas. 

The materials include digital technology that provides opportunities for students to collaborate with their teachers and peers. The Interactive Student Edition prompts students to discuss tasks with classmates and record their collective notes in the digital notebook. Students can save their work on the online assignments, and teachers can review and provide feedback to students. The materials also include a discussion board that teachers and students allow for digital conversations. The connected Savvas Realize platform allows tasks to be assigned, completed, scored, and tracked digitally by teachers. Teachers can provide feedback to students while they are working on assignments. Teachers can also use Google Classroom for student assignments, allowing them another opportunity to provide feedback and collaborate with students. The Collaboration Center includes videos referencing how students can collaborate with email, text messaging, and shared documents.   

Materials include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Savvas Realize platform, MyPerspectives connects to Google Classroom to allow tasks to be assigned and completed. Students can annotate PDFs or attach separate files. Teachers can view completion rates, score tasks, and see standards mastery for students. Teachers can also select assignments for individual students or sub-groups of the class.

• Teachers may assign activities through the online platform. The materials state, “A direct link to the Interactive Student Edition. Student work is saved, and teachers may review it at any time. If work is completed offline, work will sync up when online again.”

• In the Table of Contents, Getting Started, Program Overview, a tab for Digital Resources is available. The On-Demand Training page includes a Digital Tour handout and a video. Digital Tools in a Discussion Board  “facilitate collaboration and real-time peer-to-peer sharing of ideas.” In addition, there is an EssayScorer that allows teachers to provide immediate feedback to students for revising and editing.  

• In the Collaboration Center, videos are provided that model how to collaborate. Some videos reference online tools students can use for collaboration. For example, the Build Consensus video discusses collaboration using shared documents, text messaging, and email. The teacher can assign these videos to students. 

The materials incorporate a visual design in print and digital editions that support student learning, make the organizational structure clear, and communicate clearly. Each of the four sections (Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group Learning, Independent Learning, and Performance Based Assessments) are color-coded and match the color coding in the Teacher Edition. Charts, diagrams, photos, illustrations, and icons are included thoughtfully on the pages. The table of contents, glossary, index, and other resources are clearly labeled and easy to find. The layout for each selection is consistent so students can find the information they need. 

Images, graphics, and models support student learning and engagement without being visually distracting. Images, graphics, and models clearly communicate information or support student understanding of topics, texts, or concepts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Interactive Student Edition, the pages have a colored band at the top containing a heading and any pictures or illustrations accompanying the text. The stories typically do not contain any illustrations or pictures other than what is on the colored band at the top of the page. Each text is represented with an image that repeats at the top of the text itself, in tables of contents, and alongside activities referring to that text.

• In the print/PDF Student Edition, pictures are typically at the top of the first page of text, without many additional pictures or illustrations throughout each passage. The PDF has wide margins and sometimes provides additional information in the margins. Icons in the margins refer students to external tools they can use, such as a pencil and paper icon to represent Evidence Log and a spiral-bound book icon for Notebook. 

Teacher and student materials are consistent in layout and structure across lessons/modules/units. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In each edition, all units follow the same order of sections that are clearly color-coded: Whole-Class Learning is blue, Small-Group Learning is turquoise, Independent Learning is purple, and Performance-Based Assessment is orange. The opening page of each unit contains clearly labeled links to the Unit Introduction, Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group Learning, Independent Learning, Performance-Based Assessment, and Unit Reflection. The links are color-coded to match the section colors and are consistent across the materials. There is a photo on the left side of the page that connects to the unit theme. 

• In the Teacher’s Edition, Introduction of each unit, a Pacing Plan is provided at the bottom of the pages with a timeline for the entire unit, a numbered square for each day, a blue, turquoise, purple, or orange line denoting the section of the unit, and the names of the texts or tasks associated with the section.

• In the Teacher’s Edition, each text displays the same four Planning pages that include a summary of the text, Lesson Resources (a table laying out the text’s Making Meaning, Language Development, and Effective Expression tasks), Reading Support (a text complexity rubric), and Standards Support Through Teaching and Learning Cycle, which details a cycle of Identify Needs, Decide and Plan, Teach, and Analyze and Revise.

• In the Interactive Student Edition in Whole-Class Learning, Small-Group Learning, and Independent Learning, at the top of the first page of each text, links are clearly labeled and include information about the author, background, and standards addressed in each text. A sidebar contains links to the table of contents, bookmarks, annotation and highlights, notebook, and glossary. They are clearly labeled and accessed the same way throughout the materials. 

• In the Interactive Student Edition, the Performance-Based Assessments have clearly labeled parts, including links to the Academic Vocabulary, Word Network, and Rubric sections.

Organizational features (Table of Contents, glossary, index, internal references, table headers, captions, etc.) in the materials are clear, accurate, and error-free. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the print Student Edition, the header on most pages (except for pages with texts) includes the unit Essential Question.

• The Interactive Student Edition contains clickable nested links showing navigation within the unit (e.g., Unit 1 American Voices > Whole-Class Learning > American History), and the right side of the screen has an expandable menu to navigate within the text (e.g., Making Meaning, Language Development, Effective Expression).

The materials include several layers of support for teachers to understand and use the program’s embedded technology. The Getting Started with myPerspectives digital page contains links to two resources: MySavvasTraining.com and Savvas Realize. The website, MySavvasTraining.com, presents high-level videos and handouts on topics such as accessing student data, downloading assignments in order to modify them and creating playlists of learning material. The Savvas Realize section focuses on the technical aspects of the assignment platform, such as demonstrating how to assign content to students, managing discussion boards, and using the Realize Reader digital textbook. The video and/or printable handout, Digital Resources, explains the embedded technology available to teachers and students. The documents almost always contain step-by-step directions and screenshots/images to help the teacher use technology with this program. 

Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the Table of Contents, Getting Started, teachers can access videos and PowerPoint presentations about the different aspects of the program, such as the Table of Contents, the Student Edition, and assessments. One of the Program Overview videos in Digital Resources is a 12-minute video with information about how to utilize and navigate the online program, customize instruction, save time with digital tools, and engage students. A printable handout with the same information is available.

• In the Table of Contents, Getting Started, Teacher How-To Resources, a document is provided to understand how to use the resources, such as Google classroom assignments, customize worksheets and assessments, share playlists, and ExamView: Getting Started. The documents provide step-by-step directions for teachers to utilize online materials and technology. 

• In the Table of Contents, Getting Started, Savvas Realize is the online platform for managing classes, assigning and turning in tasks, and examining data. The Savvas Realize training site provides technical support to teachers in the following categories: 

  • Assignments > Realize Reader Assignments: “Savvas Realize Reader gives you access to digital textbooks and assignments in an engaging, interactive learning environment. Realize Reader content can also include video, interactive charts, graphs, drag-and-drop activities, and a notebook service, in addition to basic features, such as annotations, highlights, and bookmarks.” Directions follow for accessing the Realize Reader content through Realize, via the Realize Reader app, or downloading for offline use.

  • Discussions > Manage Active Discussions: “Discussions enable you to facilitate class and group discussions on important academic and social topics. Students can reflect on learning, share ideas and opinions, or ask and answer questions. You can create, monitor, and reply to discussions, and students can participate in discussions you create. In addition, you can choose whether or not to score discussions.” Directions follow, showing teachers how to select a discussion and then add a comment, attach a file, or edit comments.

  • Data > Results by Assignment: “The Results by Assignment page includes data for class and individual student test scores, progress, and usage.” Directions follow on how to “View Class Results by Assignment,” including Scores Data, Progress Data, and Usage Data.

• In the Table of Contents, MySavvasTraining.com provides different sections for program-level overviews of structure and features and includes video tutorials with accompanying handouts. The categories include:

  • Getting Started > Digital Tour: Technological features are highlighted, including the Discussion Board feature (“to facilitate collaboration and real-time peer-to-peer sharing of ideas”), the EssayScorer tool (“provides immediate feedback to students for revising and improving their writing, giving them additional practice and saving you time”), and content creation tools (“you can customize the program by rearranging the Table of Contents, creating your own tests, and uploading your own resources to match your curriculum.”

  • Assessments and Reporting > Assessments: This video describes assessments overall, including those with embedded technology: Next Generation Practice Tests and Performance Tasks “give students the opportunity to practice formats like drag and drop so that they are prepared for online interactive testing,” and the Data tab on Savvas Realize organizes “student and class data that shows standards mastery on assessments and online activities, as well as overall progress. You can dig deeper with additional data points to reveal more detailed information on student mastery, progress, and usage. You can also view data for individual students from the class assignment list.”

  • Additional Resources > Revision Assistant for Teachers: A 24-page guide shows teachers how to set up, launch, and use Revision Assistant, which is “an online revision tool that helps students to improve their writing. It provides instant, differentiated feedback aligned to genre-specific rubrics and allows students to share their work and revisions with their teacher.”