The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that anchor/core texts are of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading.

Anchor texts are of publishable quality. Each anchor text contains content worthy of study and provides a foundation for learning across a unit. Texts provide models of extraordinary writing. All texts presented are thought-provoking, of high interest, and contain rich language with numerous instructional opportunities for both the instructor and students. Examples include:

• In Unit 1, students read The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley. This text is a high-quality text that allows students to analyze ideas and delineate arguments.
• In Module 2, Unit 2, students read The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s play is a timeless classic that provides rich language and gives students the opportunity to discover the use of various literary elements.
• In Module 2, students read “Ideas Live On” by Benazir Bhutto. A well-written speech, Bhutto’s writing is well-paired with Thoreau's Civil Disobedience. Both pieces use rhetoric to develop central ideas.
• Within Module 3, Unit 1, students read Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond. This high-quality, non-fiction text discusses the causes for resource and wealth inequality across the world. Students will consider the author’s purpose and analyze text structure.
• In Module 4, Unit 2 students read “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol. This short story is a Russian fable that is high interest reading and exemplifies how structure and and narrative style can impact the development of theme(s).
• In Module 4, students read A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. This classic play conveys various themes through complex characters, settings, contrasts, and other literary devices.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level.

The balance of informational and literary texts across the entire year reflects the requirements of the standards. In almost every module presented throughout the materials, students read and experience both literary and informational texts; these texts include articles, poems, short stories, plays, magazine excerpts, letters, excerpts from nonfiction text, and excerpts from fiction text, among others.

Literary texts include:

• The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, the canonical play by William Shakespeare
• “A Daily Joy to Be Alive,” a poem by Jimmy Santiago
• A Streetcar Named Desire, the canonical play by Tennessee Williams
• Excerpts from the novel, The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri
• “The Overcoat,” a short story by Nikolai Gogol

Informational texts include:

• “Civil Disobedience,” an essay by Henry David Thoreau
• “Bridging the Gender Divide,” a scholarly article by Kirrin Gill
• Excerpts from the document, “Investing in Development: A Practical Plan to Achieve the Millennium Development Goals” by Jeffrey Sachs
• “Ideas Live On,” a speech by Benazir Bhutto
• "Economic Impacts of Broadband," a scholarly article by Christine Zhen-We

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for texts having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis.

Materials offer a range of texts that are of varying levels of complexity. Overall, a large number of texts are on grade level, based on Lexile level and themes throughout each text. While there are texts that are above grade level based on Lexile level, these texts are paired or greatly scaffolded for student comprehension. The texts that are considered below grade level based on Lexile level are rich in theme and worthy of study. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Students read “Civil Disobedience,” which has a Lexile level of 1340. The text contains ideas and themes still pertinent today, and the essay provides the reader with an opportunity to build on their analysis of complex claims developed in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, read earlier in Grade 12, including exploring the idea between the individual and the state.
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X, as told to Alex Haley, has a Lexile level of 1120L. The text is appropriate for Grade 12 and requires students to be familiar with historical subject matter. The text’s meaning is complex and has moderately complex text structure.
• Students read the narrative essay,“Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit" by Leslie Marmon Silko. This text examines how Silko develops and weaves together ideas, events, and individuals as she reflects on her childhood and explores the influences of family and culture on the formation of her identity. The text has a moderately complex structure and meaning.
• Students read the play, A Streetcar Named Desire, by Tennessee Williams. This text includes complex text meaning and poetic dialogue. The text requires cultural knowledge and addresses mature themes.
• “The Overcoat,” published in 1842, is a short story by Nikolai Gogol, a Ukrainian-born Russian writer. “The Overcoat” contains surreal, exaggerated, and supernatural elements. The text has a complex structure and uses symbols and imagery throughout.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ literacy skills (understanding and comprehension) over the course of the school year through increasingly complex text to develop independence of grade level skills (Series of texts should be at a variety of complexity levels).

Throughout the school year, students read poems, short stories, articles, and excerpts of longer texts with guided instruction and consistent discussion in pairs, small groups, and whole class. Each module contains tasks which require students to use selected works to cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says. Texts move from mostly literary texts in the first module to exclusively informational texts in the third module as students complete their own research project. More complex texts are read in smaller chunks in class, with as little as three or four paragraphs for an instructional lesson, with time and attention given to the complexities of the text substance and structure. Students build strength of analysis and comprehension with common texts then build stamina through independent reading. Students complete independent reading of self-selected texts throughout the school year. A reading journal logs student interaction and occasional analysis of independent texts. Examples include:

• In Module 1, students engage with autobiographical nonfiction to explore the craft of personal narrative before beginning work on their own personal narrative essays in response to a prompt.
• In Module 2, students read both literary and nonfiction texts to analyze how authors use rhetoric and structure in texts dealing with concepts of government and power.
• In Module 3, students engage in an inquiry-based iterative process for research. Building on work with evidence-based analysis in Modules 1 and 2, students explore topics that may elicit multiple positions and perspectives, gathering and analyzing sources to establish a position of their own and crafting an argument-based research paper.
• In Module 4, students work with literary texts, including drama, poetry, short fiction, and a novel to explore how authors treat similar central ideas and themes via character development and interaction.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 partially meet the criteria that anchor texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for purpose and placement in the grade level.

The publisher does not provide text complexity analysis, but does provide some rationale for the placement of the text in this grade level. An overview to the curriculum maps lists what students will do throughout the module from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year. For example, in Module 3 the Teacher Edition states, “The first unit begins with a close reading of a 2007 speech by Benazir Bhutto titled “Ideas Live On” in which students consider how Bhutto uses rhetoric to develop her point of view, and how she develops her ideas about the relationship of government to ideas about the relationship between the individual and the state and the role of individual conscience in ethical decision-making. In the second unit, students continue to work with these ideas in William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, as they analyze Shakespeare's structural choices and use of powerful rhetorical language to develop central ideas, advance the plot, and create aesthetic impact.”

However, there is no information identifying quantitative measures of complexity nor is there a specific qualitative analysis of any of the texts included. There is information at the beginning of each unit to explain the tasks and purposes of each text.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade level reading proficiency. Each lesson follows a standard structure: overview and identification of targeted content standards, homework check, class reading and collaborative conversations, quick write to process information, and closing activity to prep homework; the majority of the activities are based solely on the text(s) in question. Students interact with texts in multiple ways, including the following: teacher read-alouds, independent reading, anchor text readings and annotations, anchor text small group readings, whole group readings and discussion questions, paired readings, vocabulary journals and annotations, and research-based texts of student choice.

Students engage in a range of text types, both literary and informational. More complex texts are chunked with guiding questions that lead students through analysis with talk partners. Less complex texts ask students to do more independent processing. Students self-select resources to read in support of research and novels for independent study. The lesson structure remains consistent throughout the year so that students develop fluency with analytic practices.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text).

In Grade 12, text-dependent and text-specific questions are included throughout the modules. Each module is divided by units of study with individual lessons. Each unit is centered around a direct quote that functions as the theme of the unit. Questions require repeated close reading that focus on a range of text segments, from the use of a particular word to reading and surveying a segment of text. Students also practice analyzing the overall tone, theme, or effect across an entire text. Students are required to go back into the text and read closely in order to determine what the text says explicitly while responding to questions that require students to provide evidence for inferences drawn from the text. Text-dependent questions build upon one another, providing opportunities for students to engage deeply with texts through close reading. Teachers are provided with exemplar student responses for questions and tasks.

In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 3, students read the text, The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. Students are required to support their inferences with textual evidence for the following text-specific questions:

• What changes come over Malcolm X when he returns from Boston?
• What does Malcolm X identify as the root of this change?
• Why does Malcolm X characterize the interaction with Mr. Ostrowski as “the first major turning point of [his] life” (p.39)?
• How does Malcolm X characterize what his life would have been like if Mr. Ostrowski had encouraged him to be a lawyer?
• Why might Malcolm X look negatively on this lifestyle?

In Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 9, students read the text, The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri. Students are required to support their inferences with textual evidence for the following text-specific questions:

• What do the descriptions of Gogol’s birthday parties suggest about the relationship between Gogol and his parents?
• How does the change in setting affect Ashoke and Ashima?
• In what ways do the visit to Calcutta and the return to Pemberton Road impact the relationships in the Ganguli family?

Exemplar students answers are provided in the Teacher Guide. For example, in Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 8, students read pages 243-249 of the text, Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond, and discuss questions. Teachers are provided with exemplar responses, such as:

• What factors promote potential diffusion of new technologies across societies? Student responses may include:
  • Trade and travel can promote the diffusion of new technology because societies may “see or learn of the invention and adopt it” (p. 244), as in the case of “transistors from the United States to Japan in 1954” (p. 245).
  • War or conflict can promote technology diffusion because societies “find themselves at a disadvantage vis-à-vis the inventing society” (p. 244), as in the case of muskets among New Zealand’s Maori tribe. Diamond describes how, during the Musket Wars, those Maori tribes who did not adopt muskets were “subjugated by tribes already armed with them” (p. 245); thus, the “musket technology” (p. 245) spread for survival purposes.
  • Societies “embedded in the major continents” (p. 246) with shared boundaries or common trade routes diffuse technology more easily, as in the example of centrally located medieval Islam, which “acquired inventions from India and China and inherited ancient Greek learning” (p. 246).
• What factors counteract potential diffusion of new technologies? Student responses may include:
  • Geographical isolation counteracts potential diffusion. For example, the “Tasmanians had no contact with other societies for 10,000 years and acquired no new technology other than what they invented themselves” (p. 246).
  • Fads counteract potential diffusion, as in the example of the Japanese samurai suppressing the adoption of guns. The “samurai-controlled government began by restricting gun production” and then added subsequent restrictions until “Japan was almost without functional guns” (p. 247). Additionally, fads can persist when the culture is isolated. One example is that of “Aboriginal Tasmanians, who abandoned even bone tools and fishing to become the society with the simplest technology in the modern world” (p. 247). If Tasmania were not geographically isolated, this fad may not have persisted.
• How does the statement “technology begets more technology” relate to the “autocatalytic process” (p. 247)?
  • Diamond suggests that the “autocatalytic” nature of invention is one that “speeds up at a rate that increases with time, because the process catalyzes itself” (p. 247). Therefore, “technology begets more technology” because as simpler technologies are invented they pave the way for new and more complex technologies to be invented (p. 247).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials containing sets of sequences of text-dependent/text-specific questions with activities that build to a culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding.

Students have varied opportunities to demonstrate understanding in each module. Students prepare for the culminating task in multiple ways that integrate skills, such as close reading, annotating, reading independently and in small groups, hosting whole class and small group discussions in multiple formats, and asking and answering questions.

Every lesson culminates in a Quick Write assessment task. This assessment provides information about students understanding of the lesson objectives and texts. Teachers are provided with high performance response criteria. Lessons contain sets of high-quality, text-dependent/specific questions that build to the culminating task. For example, Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 2, students respond to the following Quick Write: “How does Diamond demonstrate the validity of researching Yali’s question in the except?” The activities and questions leading up to this task include:

• How does Diamond’s response to the first “objection” on page 17 support his decision to research Yali’s question?
• Explain how the following statement is relevant to Yali’s question and Diamond’s research: “Sound evidence for the existence of human differences in intelligence that parallel human differences in technology is lacking” (p.19).
• How does Diamond’s point of view affect his claim that ”New Guineans are smarter than westerners” (p.20)?

Each unit includes a Mid-Unit Assessment and an End-of-Unit Assessment that connect to the Module Performance Assessment. These unit assessments give teachers feedback as students work towards the Module Performance Assessment. For example, in Module 3, Unit 1, students explore a research topic of their choice. In Lesson 27 of this unit, students complete the End-of-Unit Assessment by “writing about their evidence-based perspective in a two-page synthesis, using their research evidence and details for support.” Students use the “Organizing Evidence-Based Claims Tool” and their discussion notes from previous lessons and activities to completes this assessment.

Each module includes a Module Performance Assessment that serves as a culminating task. The lessons and activities that are completed within the units of study lead to preparing students for the Performance Assessment. Supporting lessons contain text-dependent and text-specific questions, tasks, and assignments. Thinking, speaking, writing, and listening skills are the focus of key ideas and details in the modules. Writing and reading are integrated throughout the tasks. Text-dependent questions scaffold throughout the modules to help students become equipped to respond to the culminating tasks. Students demonstrate understanding through written expression, oral discussions, and presentations within groups. For example, in Module 4, students choose between two options for the Performance Assessment; option one is performed in two parts. In part one, students will write a narrative using key scenes and information from the text. Part two asks the student to write a commentary “on how the narrative choice you made shapes or re-shapes the character’s identity and explain how your choices impact the original text.” For option two, students are directed to “make an evidence-based claim about the role of place or culture in creating an identity. Discuss the role of place or culture in creating and identity using textual evidence for support.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 partially meet the criteria that materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions (small groups, peer to peer, whole class) that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

There are multiple opportunities for students to engage in evidence-based discussions; however, there are few protocols to support those discussions. Students discuss in partners, work in small groups, and engage in whole group during discussion. There are few teacher supports or guidance for discussions. For example:

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 19, student pairs read pages 268-269 of The Autobiography of Malcolm X and answer the following questions before sharing out whole class: “To what effect does the author use the word 'Nation' instead of 'Nation of Islam' (p. 268)? How did '[the] Nation flourish' (p. 268)? What does the word flourish mean in this context? What ideas might prompt Malcolm X to argue for keeping 'black money within the black communities' (p. 268)? What does the author communicate about the Nation of Islam in the first five paragraphs of this passage (from 'In 1961, our Nation flourished' (p. 268) to 'Akbar also has broken with this father (p. 269))?” There is no further protocol or teacher guidance to help host this discussion.
• In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 13, students will participate in a jigsaw discussion. Students are asked to work in pairs to answer their focus question. Each pair is given a different focus question. After answer the questions, the pairs will meet with another pair to form a group of four. They will then discuss each focus question and how each pair responded to it. The teacher is given possible student responses; however, there is little guidance or support on how to effectively host a jigsaw discussion.
• In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 10, after participating in whole class discussion about their responses to a Pre-Discussion Quick Write where they considered agreement, disagreement, evidence, and reasoning, students are asked to work in pairs to discuss how their opinions were challenged or verified and to identify new connections. There is no indication that the students are required to use academic vocabulary or any of the vocabulary listed at the beginning of the lesson in the discussion. There is no further protocol or teacher guidance to help host this discussion.
• In Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 2, students work in pairs to read from the text, “The Over Coate” from The Collected Tales of Nikolai Gogol, and are asked for volunteers to define the words "accosted" and "Sybarite". Students write the definitions on their copies of the text or in the vocabulary journal.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ listening and speaking (and discussions) about what they are reading and researching (shared projects) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

Opportunities are presented for students to engage in speaking and listening activities for the texts they are reading and for the chosen area of investigation that they want to research. Students further demonstrate their speaking and listening skills through creating and sharing inquiry questions and engaging in discussion regarding self created inquiry questions.

Throughout the modules, students are given opportunities to respond to higher order questions by utilizing textual evidence. Furthermore, students are directed to read and annotate with their peers, take notes, and respond to their peers’ questions and thoughts. Students collaborate with others and revise writings, as needed. Teachers are provided with exemplar answers as models, as well as student look-fors. For example:

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 26, students form pairs to discuss questions such as:
  • Why does Malcolm X consider everything he does as “urgent” (385)?
  • How does the style in the first two paragraphs of this excerpt contribute to the power of the text?
  • What does Malcolm X described as “almost impossible” (p.387)?
  • How does his use of style to refine this description contribute to the power or beauty of the excerpt?
  • How does Malcolm X describe racism in the last paragraph? What effect does he hope he has had on racism?
• In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 4, students form groups. Students annotate as they read their assigned parts of the play together. Students summarize the events that occurred and answer questions presented that build on complexity including, “What is the meaning of the phrase ‘put it by’ that Casca uses on lines 232 and 239?” In the Quick Write that occurs later students must respond to the following questions: “Analyze how Shakespeare’s choice to relate events through Casa in Act 1.2, lines 22-334, affects the plot of the drama.”
• In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 15, students work in small groups to brainstorm questions for an area of investigation (research). In the small group, each student presents his or her area of investigation. The group is responsible for creating questions for the presenting student. The brainstorming process continues until each member of the group has presented and received a list of inquiry questions.
• In Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 3, students work in pairs to discuss questions, such as:
  • What does Akaky Akakievich’s behavior on the way to the party suggest about his developing character?
  • How does the new overcoat impact Akaky Akakievich’s relationship with his co-workers?
  • Why is the “important person” not specifically named in the text?

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g. multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

There are regular, on-demand writings called Quick Writes that include a rubric and a writing checklist. These are used consistently throughout lessons and build to the unit assessments. Each unit includes a mid-unit and end-of-unit assessment, which provide students an opportunity to develop process writing habits that include using evidence from text analysis and information from research or inquiry projects. Graphic organizers, rubrics, and exemplar responses are provided for written responses throughout the units.

In Module 2, the Unit 2 Mid-Unit Assessment has students write a multi-paragraph analysis in response to the following prompt:“Is Caesar’s death a 'sacrifice' or a 'butchery'? Students are given this prompt at multiple times during the unit to begin making notes of details that they may want to use when it is time to write the above analysis. Then, the Module Performance Assessment has students completing a multimedia research journal. Students are assessed on final multimedia narrative presentations and on their response to audience questions following the presentations. Students participate in multiple quick writes throughout the unit to prepare for the final process writing:

• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 3, students are asked, “How do paragraph 24-28 refine central ideas introduced earlier in the text?” Student use textual evidence to justify their response. A High Performance Response is included in teacher resources.
• In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 22, students respond to the following prompt: “Explain how the title The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is appropriate for the play, or propose a new title and explain why it is more appropriate.“ Students use textual evidence to support analysis and inferences drawn from the text. A rubric and a High Performance Response is included in teacher resources.

In Module 4, the Module Performance Assessment gives students two options. Option 1: Choose a key scene or critical moment form one of the module texts. Rewrite they key scene or critical moment so that the character(s) make a choice that differs from the one made in the actual text. The scene should have a narrative arc and the content should remain consistent with the original text. Option 2: Select one or two of the module texts and make an evidence-based claim about the role of place or culture in creating an identity. Discuss the role of place or culture on your identity. Students participate in multiple quick writes throughout the unit to prepare for the final process writing:

• In Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 4, students work on a Quick Write: “How do two central ideas interact in the 'fantastic ending' of 'The Overcoat'?" Students use textual evidence to respond to this prompt. After a whole group discussion, students are then given opportunities to revise their responses. Students are to use the Short Response Rubric and Checklist to guide their written responses.
• In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 9, students respond to the Quick Write: “Choose either Stanley or Stella. To what extent does Williams provide a resolution for this character?” Students use the Short Response Rubric and Checklist to guide their written response. A High Performance Response is included in teacher resources.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 partially meet the criteria that materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. (Writing opportunities incorporate digital resources/multi-modal literacy materials where appropriate. Opportunities may include blended writing styles that reflect the distribution required by the standards.)

The distribution of writing assignments for Grade 12 can be found in the four modules and the Curriculum Map details what types of writing are available. Students focus on developing expository writing in Modules 1-3 and argumentative writing in Module 4. Students do not have the opportunity to practice different types of writing that are required by the standards; the range of practice does not address enough variety of text types. There is a lack of instruction given to students for the various modes of writing within the instructor’s manual; no other instruction is given on using this text as an exemplar or model for students to practice writing.

While there were multiple modes of writing practice that take place, the argumentative module is the only module available focused on the incorporation of multi-modal literacy materials where appropriate. The only essays recorded throughout Grades 9-12 that students are required to complete are expository essays, essays that are based in the identification and explanation of central ideas, multi-paragraph essays with no identified genre of writing, series of quick writes with no identified genre of writing, personal narrative essays, and argumentative essays. However, textbooks only have students practicing expository essays, essays that are based in the identification and explanation of central ideas, multi-paragraph essays with no identified genre of writing, and series of quick writes with no identified genre of writing with minimal practice of research based argumentative writing, usually located within Module 4. Overall, while students are practicing modes of writing, students are not provided enough opportunities to address different text types of writing that reflect the standards.

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 12, students choose a narrative technique for composing a personal narrative essay (structured in paragraphs).
  • Prior to this in Lesson 2, students are presented the Narrative Writing Rubric and Checklist.
  • Lesson 18 provides further instruction in narrative writing where students learn about sequencing events and drafting the essay using The Autobiography of Malcolm X as a model for narrative structural techniques.

• In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 7, students receive instruction on maintaining a formal style and objective tone in academic writings, such as argumentative essays. Using the text, Guns, Germs, and Steel, students learn how to write in first person point of view to “develop their perspectives or as a rhetorical strategy to suggest shared beliefs between the author and reader.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support sophisticated analysis, argumentation, and synthesis.

Instructional materials include frequent opportunities for students to write evidence-based claims relating to various topics and in response to text sets organized around the topic. Students are asked to analyze text, develop claims, and support those claims with evidence from the text. There are opportunities to practice and demonstrate literary analysis, understanding of author’s craft, and synthesis of information from class discussions. Tools, such as graphic organizers are provided to help students analyze and organize text to be used in later writing. The checklists and rubrics also include criteria for using evidence which asks students to support explanations/claims with evidence from the text by using accurate quotations, paraphrases, and references.

Opportunities for writing to sources include informal writing with Quick Writes,within the units and formal writing in the form of Module Unit Assessments and the culminating Module Performance Assessments. High Performance Responses are also included. These responses provide examples for the teacher and list criteria that students can refer to when writing. For example:

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 4, students are given the following prompt for a Quick Write: “Analyze how two central ideas in this chapter interact and build on one another.” Students find evidence in the annotations that they made within the text, The Autobiography of Malcolm X.
• In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 3, students are given the following prompt for a Quick Write: “How does Shakespeare use rhetoric to develop a central idea in the play?”
• In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 24, students engage in an activity where they develop counterclaims using the “Forming Counterclaims Tool,” which also requires them to revisit the claims they crafted in the previous lesson for their area of investigation or research topic.
• In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 7, students respond to the following Quick Write: "Select either Mitch or Blanche. How does this character exercise power in Scene Nine and to what extent is he or she successful in doing so?" Students are instructed to look at their annotations to find evidence and use the lesson vocabulary wherever possible in their written response.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 partially meet the criteria for materials including instruction and practice of the grammar and conventions/language standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application in context.

There is little explicit instruction over the course of a year's worth of material. There is no increasingly, sophisticated context; instead, there are irregular attempts to address grammar and convention instruction in some modules for each grades. The standards are always mentioned on the writing rubrics, where students are held accountable. However, there is little to no instruction to help them satisfy the standard prior to mid-point or final writing assessments. Overall, coverage of the language standards primarily focuses on word meanings with few opportunities for explicit instruction. Examples include:

• In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 1, students answer the following text-specific question for the language standard determining multiple meanings of words: “What is the effect of the Cobbler’s use of the multiple meanings of the word cobbler in line 11?” The language standard for understanding figurative language is fulfilled with the following text-specific question: “What does Flavius’s metaphor in lines 73-80 suggest about his attitude toward Caesar?”
• In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 11, students are asked to write a multi-paragraph response to the following prompt: “Is Caesar’s death a ‘sacrifice’ or a ‘butchery’?” Students are then reminded to use “standard grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.”
• In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 3, the Teacher Edition states, “ Consider explaining to students that there are different kinds of citation styles, but for the purpose of the research-based paper in an EKA or humanities class, MLA is the preferred style. Inform students that different disciplines have different preferred citation styles.”
• In Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 2, the Teacher Edition states, “Consider drawing student’ attention to their application of standard L.11-12.4.a through the process of determining the meaning of words through context."

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic/topics or themes to build students’ knowledge and their ability to read and comprehend and analyze complex texts proficiently.

Texts are organized into modules. There are four modules that explore a particular literary element or idea. Students’ ability to read and comprehend complex texts is supported by engaging in analysis, participating in evidence-based discussions, and writing to inform in the first two modules. In the third module, students learn the principles of research. In the last module, students study argumentation techniques to write their own arguments. Repeated reading for different purposes and to develop vocabulary with increasingly complex texts continues throughout the year.

Each module is divided into units. Each unit is entitled with a quotation from a text included as student reading. The quotation serves as the theme that builds students’ knowledge while enhancing their ability to read and comprehend complex texts proficiently. The texts are connected by cohesive topics throughout the modules. The units within the module focus on a theme that can be supported in the various texts and demonstrated in the tasks and activities. Students are given numerous opportunities to independently practice with the texts and to build understanding.

• In Module 1, students practice reading and writing personal narratives. Within Unit 1 of this module, students read The Autobiography of Malcolm X. In Unit 2, students read “Yellow Woman and a Beauty of the Spirit” by Leslie Marmon Silko. Both of these texts allow students to build their skills and knowledge on the topic through reading closely for textual details, analyzing the impact of the author’s style and content, and engaging in productive discussions.
• Module 2 focuses on “Exploring complex ideas through craft and structure.” Module 2 Unit 1’s theme is expressed through the following statement: “A free and enlightened state.” Students must read “Ideas Live On, “ “Civil Disobedience,” and Julius Caesar. Texts within this unit are cohesively connected and work to build toward completion of the End-of-Unit task where students discuss and respond to one of the three prompts:
  • Is democracy “the last improvement possible in government"?
  • What is the role and responsibility of government?
  • Who should have the power to make decisions in a society?
• In Module 3, students study the idea of researching multiple perspectives to develop a position. To address this concept, in Unit 1, students read Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond as a springboard or seed text for conducting inquiry-based research. In Unit 2, students further explore researching from multiple perspective in order to write argumentatively using the following model texts: “Empowering Women in Smart Economics” by Ana Revenga and Sudhir Shetty, “Poverty Facts and Stats” by Anup Shah, “Evidence for Action: Gender Equality and Economic Growth” by John Ward, Bernice Lee, Simon Baptist, and Helen Jackson, “How Many Americans Live in Poverty?” by Pam Fessler, and “Human Capital Investment in the Developing World: An Analysis of Praxis” by Adeyemi O. Ogunade. Students build their knowledge and deepen their understanding of researching to include multiple perspectives.
• Module 4 focuses on “Analyzing the Interaction of Central Idea and Character Development.” The theme of this module addresses the following concept: “I continually find myself in the ruins of new beginnings.” The units are well-scaffolded to build towards the performance assessment task and the Unit 1 End-of-Unit task. Students are given two options. For instance, option 2 is an argumentative prompt that asks, “To what extent are individuals free to shape their own identities?” Students must use evidence from two texts they have read in the units. In order to be able to respond to this prompt, students closely read, collect, and organize evidence to support claims. Students are also given opportunities for independent practice with the texts.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced higher order thinking questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language (words/phrases), key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts in order to make meaning and build understanding of texts and topics.

In each lesson, text-based questions build from comprehension to deeper analysis questions exploring how the text works and what the text means. Students explore author’s craft, as well as key details. Students examine the effectiveness and impact of an author’s purpose, word choice, and use of figurative language, in order to derive meaning from texts. Key ideas, craft and structure are present within each question set. Question sets build upon one another to push students to higher order thinking. For example:

• In Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 24, students read and annotate the text, The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Students answer questions, such as:
  • How have vivid pictures of experiences, events, setting, and /or character contributed to your experience reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X?
  • How does the use of precise words and phrases in the second example in each of the previous sets convey experiences, characters , or settings more effectively than the first example in each set?
  • What effect do the details in this example have on the reader?
• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 7, students are asked, “What does Thoreau mean when he says that those who serve that state with the consciences resist it?” and “How does this sentence develop a central idea?”
• In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 13, students are asked a series of questions that build towards higher levels of analysis, such as:
  • To what does the phrase, "a dream of who I can be" (line 6) refer?
  • What choice does the speaker identify in Stanza 1? Why must the speaker make this choice?
  • What do the speaker’s statements in Stanza 3 suggest about why he does "live" (line 17)?
  • What central ideas emerge in Stanzas 1-3?
  • How does the imagery in Stanza 5 relate to the imagery in Stanzas 1 and 4?
• In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 8, students are asked, “What does Blanche’s response to Stanley on page 156 imply about the meaning of the phrase ‘interfere with your privacy’ in his context?” and “How do Blanche’s monologues on pages 156 and 157 impact Stanley’s reactions to her?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent and text-specific questions and tasks that require students to build knowledge and integrate ideas across both individual and multiple texts.

Materials contain text-dependent questions that support student analysis across the text. The questions provided are scaffolded and offer opportunities to raise the level of rigor in the classroom through deeper analysis and textual evidence to justify students’ responses. The texts are organized in a manner that poses thought-provoking questions to students from the beginning to the end of the lesson. The questions also provide opportunities for each student to demonstrate these skills using one text or multiple texts. Module 3 focuses on research-based questions that extend beyond the classroom.

In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 18, students receive ongoing instruction in crafting narrative essays using The Autobiography of Malcolm X as a model for how to develop a sequence of events and create suspense. The following questions are presented to students:

• What can an author do to build suspense?
• Review pages 149-152 and identify how the author uses techniques to create suspense. How might an author sequence events to show growth in a character?
• Review pages 165-171 and identify specific ways in which the author sequences events to demonstrate Malcolm X’s growth.

In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 14, students are asked to review their homework assignment from the previous lesson which was to develop two to three discussion questions focused on how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text in the Homework Accountability section. Teachers are given possible student questions such as, “How does Thoreau develop his claims about taxation? What criticism does Thoreau make of Webster in part 3, paragraph 16?” These text-dependent and text-specific questions are then posed to the class.

In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 1, students engage in focused annotations using the questions as follows about Guns, Germs, and Steel: “What historical factors prompt Yali to ask his questions about 'cargo'? Considering Diamond’s explanation of Yali’s question, what might 'disparities' mean? How is Yali’s question on page 14 relevant to a 'larger set of contrasts within the modern world'?"

In Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 3, students are asked review their responses to the previous night’s homework assignment, in the homework accountability section, which states, “Read pages 410-420 of ‘The Overcoat’ and annotate for the development of central ideas. Students work in pairs to share annotations and justify their responses to the central ideas.” In the Reading and Discussion activity, students are asked to respond to a number of higher order questions that build from previous questions and discussions in this lesson. Some questions include:

• How do the events before and after the theft of Akaky Akakievich’s overcoat relate to two central ideas?
• What does Akaky Akakievich’s behavior on the way to the party suggest about his developing character?
• How does the new overcoat impact Akaky Akakievich’s relationship with his co-workers?
• How does Akaky Akakievich’s experience at the party and immediately afterward further develop two central ideas in the text?
• How does the interaction between Akaky Akakievich and the important person in this excerpt contribute to the development of a central idea?

Questions based on the text build knowledge across the individual text through text-dependent and text-specific questions.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that the questions and tasks support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic through integrated skills (e.g. combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).

Each module includes a Module Performance Assessment that serves as a culminating task in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic through integrated skills. The lessons and activities that are completed within the units of study lead to preparing students for the Performance Assessment. Supporting lessons contain text-dependent and text-specific questions, tasks, and assignments. Thinking, speaking, writing, and listening skills are the focus of key ideas and details in the modules. Writing and reading are integrated throughout the tasks. Text-dependent questions scaffold throughout the modules to help students become equipped to respond to the culminating tasks. Students demonstrate understanding through written expression, oral discussions, and presentations within groups. Each unit also includes both a Mid-Unit Assessment and an End-of Unit of Unit Assessment that connect to the Module Performance Assessment. These unit assessments give teachers feedback as students work towards the Module Performance Assessment.

In Module 1, students read and analyze two nonfiction personal narratives that serve as the basis for narrative writing instruction throughout the module. After analyzing authors’ use of style, structure, and content to develop complex ideas, experiences, and characters, students apply their understanding of these narrative techniques as they write personal narrative essays in response to a prompt. At the end of this module, students produce final drafts of their personal narratives suitable for use in the college application process. The Module 1 Performance Assessment requires students to prepare for and participate in a simulated college or career interview. As students work through the units, the Mid- and End-of-Unit Assessments provide feedback. For example,

• In the Unit 1 Mid-Unit Assessment, “Students write a multi-paragraph response to the following prompt: Determine the author’s purpose and analyze how the structure, style, and content contribute to the power or beauty of the text.”
• In the Unit 2 End-of-Unit Assessment, “Students write a multi-paragraph response to the following prompt: Analyze the effectiveness of the structure Silko uses in her exposition, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.”
• In the Unit 3 End-of-Unit Assessment, students complete the final drafts of their narrative essays.

In Module 3, students engage in an inquiry-based, iterative research process that serves as the basis for a culminating research-based argument paper. During the research process, students gather and analyze information from vetted sources to establish a position of their own and generate a written evidence-based perspective about a specific problem-based question. Students create multimedia journal entries reflecting upon the research process. In the Module 3 Performance Assessment, students edit their multimedia journals into a 5–10 minute podcast narrating their research process and findings, which they present to an audience of peers, school leaders, and community members. As students work through the units, the Mid and End-of-Unit Assessments provide feedback. For example,

• In the Unit 1 Mid-Unit Assessment, students respond to the following prompt, citing textual evidence to support analysis and inferences drawn from the text: Choose an excerpt from Guns, Germs, and Steel. Identify one of Diamond’s supporting claims; evaluate whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient and the reasoning is valid to support that claim.
• In the Unit 2 End-of-Unit Assessment, students are assessed on their final drafts of their research-based argument papers. The final draft should present a precise claim supported by relevant and sufficient evidence and valid reasoning. The draft should be well-organized, distinguish claims from alternate and opposing claims, and use transitional language that clearly links the major sections of the text and clarifies relationships among the claims, counterclaims, evidence, and reasoning. Finally, the draft should demonstrate control of the conventions of written language and maintain a formal style and objective tone.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 partially meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, consistent approach for students to regularly interact with word relationships and build academic vocabulary/language in context.

There is not a long-term plan for the development of academic vocabulary with the intention of employing skills and strategies that will allow the student to develop the skills needed to accelerate vocabulary learning in their reading, speaking, or writing tasks. There are no checks for proficiency that occur regularly throughout the modules. There is greater emphasis on developing vocabulary with multi-meaning and nuanced words than on domain-specific words such as those found in discipline development.

• In Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 13, students build their vocabulary skills with the following words related to The Autobiography of Malcolm X: hermit, Faustian, machinations, emulate, piratical, and opportunist. English Language Learners receive additional support for the following words in this portion of the text: riffling, fugitive, pillaging, and dyed-in-the-wool.
• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 8, for homework, students were asked to read Part 1, paragraph 7 of "Civil Disobedience". Then they are instructed to write a paragraph in response to the following prompt: "How does this paragraph develop Thoreau’s point of view of the relationship between the individual and the state?" Students are then told to “use this lesson’s vocabulary where possible in your written responses.” The next day the teacher is asked to “instruct students to share and discuss two of the vocabulary words they identified for homework.”
• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 10, students work with the following vocabulary from paragraph 13 of Thoreau’s "Civil Disobedience": eradication, contemplations, gross, insurrection, sets at naught, penitent, scourge, homage, meanness, immoral, and unmoral. English Language Learners build their skills with the following words: engage, pursuits, inconsistency, allegiance, furnished, unjust, and indifference.
• In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 7, students engage with the following vocabulary from an excerpt of Guns, Germs, and Steel: prestige, cachet, vested interests, perverse, uniformly, ideological, heretics, stifles, plausible, benign, tacitly, speculation, prevalent, and myriad. Additional vocabulary support for English Language Learners include the following: cumbersome, porters, counterproductive, entrenched, and laundry.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials contain a year long, cohesive plan of writing instruction and practice which support students in building and communicating substantive understanding of topics and texts.

Module 1 introduces expository/informational writing in a series of lessons intended to develop close reading habits paired with evidence-based writing. Modules 2 and 3 extend and deepen the expository/informational writing skills and habits. Module 4 is dedicated exclusively to argument writing. Most lessons end with a Quick Write, on-demand assessment, which provides the opportunity to respond to text, often following a text-based discussion in class. Quick Write activities in all instances act as major process writing assignments. Mid-unit and end-of-unit writing assignments allow extended writing. In Module 3 students research to support exploration of topics.

• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 16, students are instructed to write a multi-paragraph response to the following prompt: “What does Thoreau mean by ‘a better government’?”
  • Teachers are then directed to distribute and review the End-of-Unit Text Analysis Rubric and Checklist.
  • Students are required to use the given rubrics to guide their written responses. However, no other instruction or direction for teachers or students is available to assist in the writing of this essay.

• In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 13, students complete a brief Quick Write which addresses the following prompt: “Explain how one of the author’s counterclaims contributes to the persuasiveness of the text.” For this writing task, students are required to provide evidence from their annotations of the text, Guns, Germs, and Steel.

• In Module 3, Unit 1, Lessons 25 and 26, students prepare presentations wherein they “refine and synthesize their claims and evidence” for their area of inquiry. Another example of students responding to a prompt includes the following: “Explain how you addressed the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases in revising your presentation outline.”

• In Module 4, Unit 2, students are given a homework assignment where they are asked to review two writing prompts--narrative or argumentative--and select one for which they will write a response.
  • The narrative writing task asks students to compose a commentary on how the narrative choices made shape or reshape the character’s identity and explain how their choices impact the original text.
  • The argumentative writing task asks students to discuss the role of place or culture in creating an identity using textual evidence for support.
  • Additionally, students must take notes on their selected writing assessment to prepare for the Performance Assessment that they will complete the next day. Rubrics are available for student self-assessment. Again, there is no evidence of teacher or student guidance through the writing process except for the rubrics provided.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials include a progression of focused, shared research and writing projects to encourage students to develop and synthesize knowledge and understanding of a topic using texts and other source materials.

Module 3 is dedicated to conducting a sustained research project. Students practice the skills and concepts of research throughout all modules via extension questions with each text. Students are presented with questions regarding historical figures in specific texts. Module 3 offers students the opportunity to synthesize their findings through a major process writing, a written argument.

Students examine mentor texts and determine qualities of well-researched, evidence-based writing. Students also develop their own line of inquiry and present their findings in a culminating task. Students also practice the research process through Accountable Independent Reading (AIR), which pushes students to discuss the text and relate it to with what they are doing within their personal lives; students must go outside of their regular assigned tasks to meet with a school librarian to identify a text that peeks their interest(s). Students synthesize knowledge gained through AIR with current assignments and projects.

Students are presented with graphic organizers that provide students a method of recording information, and rubrics make expectations for quality quite explicit. The use of rubrics encourages synthesis of knowledge and understanding of said topic(s). Overall, students will research an area of investigation by generating inquiry-based questions, evaluating sources (self-selected texts), analyzing the claims of authors, and developing their own claims and counterclaims throughout.

In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 17, students complete a homework assignment whereby they read Act 5, Scene 1, lines 1-71 of Julius Caesar. Students briefly research Octavius as a historical figure to identify three important facts about his relationship with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 9, students focus on an area of investigation (a focus on specific aspects of an issue). Students explore the area of investigation through a pre-search activity to determine the availability of source materials and to identify multiple perspectives on the topic. Students explain how source materials are related to their area of investigation. In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 15, student generate specific inquiry questions for their chosen area of investigation. Students develop a research plan and vet their inquiry questions in a small group discussion before finalizing the questions. In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 27, students write an “an evidence-based perspective that synthesizes the evidence collection and research” completed in preceding lessons. In Unit 2 of this Module, students complete the writing project begun in Unit 1 by creating an outline, identifying and organizing claims, counterclaims, and evidence, engaging in the writing process (i.e., drafting), and writing cohesively within and between paragraphs.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

Students read independently and regularly for homework. Students’ independent reading is often completed as assigned homework. Students do have some opportunities to read independently in class. The reading assignments, inside and outside of class, often require that students annotate the lesson’s text. The assignments extend the day’s lesson or prepare students for the following day. This includes finding new words and using context clues to draw meaning. There is a Homework Accountability activity in the next day’s lesson following the assignment.

Additionally, students are assigned several nights a week to read their Accountable Independent Reading (AIR) text. AIR is an frequent daily expectation for homework; through protocols built into the lessons, students engage in accountable talk in pairs and with their teacher about their independent reading texts. In the Teacher Resource Book, teachers are instructed to use the school librarian or media specialist to help students locate quality high-interest texts. The accountability for independent reading can be seen in the follow-up activities which usually require students to share with a classroom or group what they have read.

In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 3, students are instructed to complete the following for homework: “Read Act 1.2, lines 188-224 of Julius Caesar and respond to the following questions: How does Caesar describe Cassius in lines 204-207? What do lines 204-217 suggest about the characters both Caesar and Cassius?” Furthermore, students are asked to read Act 1.2, lines 225-334 of Julius Caesar. Students should then box any unfamiliar words and define them. Students will demonstrate accountability the next day as they share responses with their groups.

In Module 4, Unit 2, in the homework section, students are to read and annotate pages 188-201 of The Namesake. Additionally, students are to respond briefly in writing to the following prompts: “How do the Gangulis’ various reactions to Ashoke’s death further refine one or more of the text’s central idea?” and “What draws Gogul to Bridget? What does this relationship suggest about Gogul’s state of mind?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing.

The materials are designed in a consistent manner throughout each of the four modules. The four modules make up one year of instruction. Each module is arranged into units comprising one or more texts. The texts in each module share common elements in relation to genre, author’s craft, text structure, or central ideas. Each unit in a module builds on the skills and knowledge students develop in preceding unit(s). The number of lessons in a unit varies based on the length of the text(s). Each lesson is designed to span one class period. Within the units, each lesson is constructed in a similar manner, including a lesson introduction, homework accountability, reading and discussion, quick write assessment, homework, and closing.

The curriculum provides a full year of modules and units, including the following:

• Curriculum Map
• Module Overview
• Unit Overview
• Formative and Summative Assessments, including a Module Performance Assessment
• Lesson Plans
• Instructional Notes and Differentiation Considerations
• Tools and Handouts
• Rubrics and Checklists.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the expectations that the teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.

Each module makes up a year of instruction. Each lesson suggests the proportion of a class period to spend on specific activities. However, teachers are reminded to move at the pace they think is best given their students’ needs and the literacy skills demanded by the standards.

The module overview, the curriculum map, and module-at-a-glance calendar provide an exact number of lessons per module, the standards associated with each lesson in the unit, and the year-end task associated with each module.

The program suggests that when students are engaged in substantive, evidence-based discourse and are making meaning of the text, it is not necessary to push forward to the next question or task. Teachers are directed to make decisions regarding what is most appropriate for their students as the students grow in their understanding and capacity for independent work.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet expectations that the student resources include ample review and practice resources, clear directions, and explanation, and correct labeling of reference aids (e.g., visuals, maps, etc.).

Materials include, but are not limited to, graphic organizers, text-dependent questions, reference charts, anchor charts, unit assessments, supporting excerpts or texts, close read guides, jigsaw question strips, essay rubrics, reference aids, model writings, entrance and exit tickets, vocabulary words list and definitions, and writing prompts.

In Module 12.3, Unit 2, Lesson 2, p. 309, students were asked to review their previous night’s homework. The students were asked to search for another source to gather stronger or more relevant evidence for a supporting claim. They were then asked to record this evidence and reasoning on the Additional Evidence Tool. Then students are asked to use this tool to discuss in pairs the resource and the evidence they found and recorded. Teachers are directed to post exemplary responses of the Model Additional Evidence Tool, if needed.

In Module 12.2 , Unit 2, Lesson 7, students are asked to briefly respond in writing to the following prompt: “How do two central ideas develop and interact over the course of the passage?”

Students are asked to use their Short Response Rubric and Checklist to guide their written responses. Teachers are also directed to an exemplar response, if needed.

Activities that are completed with teacher guidance have directions included in the teacher lesson plan notes. Resources that are completed independently or in small groups without direct teacher guidance include clear directions and explanations so that the task can be completed.

Reference aids, such as handouts, are clearly and correctly labeled as such at the top and in the teacher’s materials.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the expectations for materials including publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items.

Alignment to the CCSS is documented in multiple places in the curriculum. CCSS are documented on the 9-12 Grade Curriculum Map, at the module level, at the unit level, and in the teacher's notes for each lesson. Alignment for all assessments are also provided in the Curriculum Overview.

The grade-level curriculum map lists all assessments and which standards are being assessed. This map also includes a chart that illustrates which standards are being assessed in each module.

At the beginning of each module, there is a Unit-at-a-Glance chart that provides teachers with an overview of standards taught and assessed in each lesson. At the beginning of each module there is a module overview which includes a description of assessments which include the performance task, Mid-Unit Assessments, and End-of-Unit Assessments. This overview includes standards being assessed in each assessment. The performance task, mid-unit assessment, and end of unit assessment for each module includes alignment documentation of the standards addressed.

Grade 12, Module 2, p. XIV contains the curriculum map for Module 3. This includes the standards being assessed in this module and the mid and end-of-unit performance tasks that will assess these standards.

Grade 12, Module 2, p. XXXV contains the standards map. Assessed standards are standards that are assessed in Unit and Module Performance Assessments. Addressed standards are standards that are incorporated into the curriculum, but are not assessed. Standards marked with an asterisk (*) are year-long standards included in each module.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 contain visual design (whether in print or digital) that is not distracting or chaotic, but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.

The material design is simple and consistent. All modules are comprised of materials that display a simple design and include adequate space to capture thoughts as needed. The font, size, margins, and spacing are consistent and readable. All modules include graphic organizers that are easy to read and understand. There are no distracting images, and the layout of the student consumables is clear and concise.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials contain a Teacher Edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

Materials contain a Teacher Guide and Teacher Resource Book for each module. The Teacher Guide includes a curriculum map for each module that includes:

• Number of Lesson in the Unit
• Literacy Skills and Habits
• Assessed and Addressed CCSS
• Assessments

At the beginning of each Module, there is an overview with that list the texts, number of lesson in Module, Introduction, Literacy Skills and Habits, English Language Arts Outcomes, including Year-Long Target Standards, Module-Specified Assessed Standards, Addressed Standards, Module Performance Assessment, List of Texts, and Module-at-a-Glance Calendar.

Each lesson begins with an Introduction that provides the teacher with an objective and rationale. An overview of the selection is given, as well as the assignments that will be completed by students. Each Assessment, whether question or task, comes with answers. There is also a High Performance Response which tells students what students who excel at the assessment or task should have in their work. The Teacher Guide also provides vocabulary words with part of speech and definition. Step-by-step instructions are given for each activity with colored font that indicates instructional notes for the teacher.

The Teacher Resource Book contains copies of the texts studied in each lesson. Any rubrics or checklist that are used in the lesson are also included. Additionally, the Teacher Resource Book contains the mid-unit assessment and the end-of-unit assessment with necessary rubrics to grade the assignments.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literacy concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

Materials include a Teacher’s Edition that has a section for each lesson labeled “Instructional Notes” that provide easy to follow recommendations with scaffolding ideas, differentiated assignments with possible responses, and reading activities with answers that students may give.

The Teacher Edition uses Learning Sequence symbols to assist teachers with interpreting how to read the material. The symbols and codes are explained so that teachers will know the following:

• Percentage of time the lesson should take
• Plain text to indicate teacher’s actions
• Bold text to indicate the questions teachers should asks students
• Italicize text to indicate a vocabulary word
• An arrow pointing right to indicate teacher action
• Two arrows in the form of a circle to indicate possible student response to teacher
• The letter “i” lowercase in a circle to indicate the instructional notes for the teacher which are in orange font

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition that explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum.

The series in Grades 9-12 follow the same format in providing a teacher’s edition that explains the role of the specific ELA/literacy standards in the context of the overall curriculum. This information is repeated in the materials in several locations.

First, there is a Curriculum Map across Grades 9-12 that addresses the four modules in each grade by listing each unit, along with the addressed standards and the assessed standards.

Secondly, the Year-long Target Standards are listed in each grade after the first module. Teachers are made aware that the standards will be “strong focus in every English Language Arts module and unit in Grades 9–12."

Finally, the standards are listed next to activities within each lesson. Some of theses activities even require that students explain how their work for a particular lesson addresses a specific standards.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials contain a explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research based strategies.

Materials reviewed for Grades 9-12 meet the expectations for materials containing explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identifying research-based strategies.

In Grades 9-12, the instructional approaches of the series follow the Universal Design for Learning. Each unit of instruction contains the following principles:

• Provide multiple means of representation
• Provide multiple means of action and expression
• Provide multiple means of engagement

In the preface under “Structure of the Module” for Grades 9-12, the publisher adds, “Each module comprises up to three units and provides approximately eight weeks of instruction. Each unit includes a set of sequenced learning experiences that scaffold knowledge and understanding of the concepts and skills demanded by the CCSS. Module 1 at each grade level establishes the foundation of instructional routines used throughout the year. Paths to College and Career reflects the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to support:

• English language learners (ELL)
• Students with disabilities (SWD)
• Accelerated learners
• Students performing below grade level

Lessons are not scripts but rather illustrations of how instruction might be sequenced. Each module is adaptable and allows for teacher preference and flexibility to meet both students’ needs and the requirements of the instructional shifts and the standards”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 do not meet the criteria that materials contain strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents or caregivers about the ELA/literacy program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

There is no information or activity that includes stakeholders. Students are instructed to work in groups or pairs to discuss material and standards. Even with the AIR (Accountable Independent Reading), students are asked to contact a librarian or media specialist, but this is only for selecting a text, not sharing or informing stakeholders of the information or assignment.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress.

Students have multiple, varied opportunities to demonstrate understanding in each module. Students prepare for culminating tasks in multiple ways that integrate skills, such as close reading, annotating, reading independently and in small groups, hosting whole class and small group discussions in multiple formats, and asking and answering questions.

Every lesson culminates in a Quick Write assessment task. This assessment provides information about students understanding of the lesson objectives and texts. Teachers are provided with High Performance Response criteria. Lessons contain sets of high quality text-dependent/specific questions that build to the culminating task.

Each unit also includes a Mid-Unit Assessment and an End-of-Unit Assessment that connect to the Module Performance Assessment. These unit assessments give teachers feedback as students work towards the Module Performance Assessment.

Each module includes a Module Performance Assessment that serves as a culminating task. The lessons and activities that are completed within the units of study lead to preparing students for the Module Performance Assessment. Supporting lessons contain text-dependent and text-specific questions, tasks, and assignments. Thinking, speaking, writing, and listening skills are the focus of key ideas and details in the modules. Writing and reading are integrated throughout the tasks. Text-dependent questions scaffold throughout the modules to help students become equipped to respond to the culminating tasks. Students demonstrate understanding through written expression, oral discussions, and presentations within groups.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that assessments clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.

Each unit includes a Mid-Unit Assessment and an End-of-Unit Assessment that connect to the Module Performance Assessment. These unit assessments denote the standards being emphasized.

Each module includes a Module Performance Assessment that states the standards. The lessons and activities that are completed within the units of study lead to preparing students for the Performance Assessment also include standards. For example,

• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 16, the teacher begins the lesson by reviewing the following assessed standards: RI.11-12.2, RI.11-12.3, W.11-12.2.a-f, L.11-12.1, and L.11-12.2.a, b. The End-of-Unit Assessment requires that students write a multi-paragraph response analyzing “a better government” in Henry David Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” (Module 2 Teacher Guide, pg. 174).
• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 28, teachers review the lesson agenda and standard W.11-12.3.e. To meet this standard, in addition to standards W.11-12.3.f, W.11-12.4, and W.11.12.5, students write Common Application essay that addresses a specific task, purpose, and audience (Module 4 Teacher Guide, pg. 315).
• In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 14, students are informed of the following standards for the End-of-Unit Assessment: CCRA.R.9, RL.11-12.2, W.11-12.1.d-e, W.11-12.2.a-f, L.11-12.1, and L.11-12.2. Students choose one of two prompts to write an analysis: Prompt 1: What does it mean to be “in the ruins/of new beginnings” (lines 20-21) for the speaker in “A Daily Joy to Be Alive” and a character from A Streetcar Named Desire? Prompt 2: To what extent are individuals free to shape their own identities? Use evidence from A Streetcar Named Desire and “A Daily Joy to Be Alive” to support your argument? (Module 4 Teacher Guide, pg. 433).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that assessments provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow up.

High performance indicators and exemplar responses are provided throughout materials, including End-of-Unit Assessments, Module Performance Assessments, and other assessment tools. These indicators provide some guidance for teachers for interpreting student performance. For example,

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 25, students complete a Quick Write (Determine two central ideas present in pages 367-370 and analyze how they interact and build on one another) that serves as the assessment for this lesson. High Performance Response indicators with examples provide some “look fors” for teachers as they assess student learning: Determine two central ideas present in pages 367-370 (e.g., racial identity, systemic oppression); Analyze how these ideas interact and build on one another (e.g., In this passage, Malcolm X develops the central idea of racial identity by stating that he now believes “some American whites do want to help cure the rampant racism” (p. 369) in America). This statement demonstrates a change from what he has previously thought about white people being unable to help black people in America in their struggle to overcome racism (Module 1 Teacher Guide, p. 284).
• At the end of Module 2, students complete the Module Performance Assessment. Teachers are provided high performance response indicators with specific examples upon which to gauge student learning: Develop a response to one of the Performance Assessment prompts (Is democracy “the last improvement possible in government” (Thoreau, part 3, par. 19)? What is the role and responsibility of government? Who should have the power to make decisions in a society?); Support the response with effective selection, organization, and analysis of content from all three Module 2 texts (see examples for responses to the prompt “Is democracy ‘the last improvement possible in government’?”). Teachers are also provided with an explanation of the standard-specific demands of the performance assessment as further guidance (Module 2 Teacher Guide, pg. 412-414).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials should include routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress.

Throughout lessons, Instructional Notes offer recommendations, background information, optional or differentiated activities, or optional reading and discussion questions for teachers to consider. Some Instructional Notes provide specific Differentiation Considerations, which suggest visuals, tools, practices, models, or adaptations for students who may need extra support to achieve lesson goals. The Teacher Resource Books also include supporting materials that might be required for lessons such as reproducible tools, handouts, rubrics, and checklists. For example,

• In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 12, the following guidance is offered: “Remind students that although counterclaims require students to approach the issue from an opposite or divergent perspective, the process for writing a claim and a counterclaim is the same. Using relevant and sufficient evidence is as important in writing a counterclaim as it is in writing a claim; To support students’ understanding, consider additional modeling on how to choose the most effective evidence for the type of counterclaim they formulated; Circulate around the room to monitor student progress” (Module 3 Teacher Guide, pg. 258-259).
• In Module 4, Unit 2, Lesson 4, teachers are given the following guidance as students work closely with the Narrative Writing Rubric and Checklist and the Peer Accountability Tools: “This collaborative feedback and discussion provides students with a crucial opportunity for oral processing of their ideas and supports their engagement with standard SL.11-12.1, which addresses the clear, persuasive expression and exchange of ideas; Consider checking in with students on an individual basis during the review and revision process to formatively assess their application of narrative writing techniques, and offer targeted feedback for revision“ (Module 4 Teacher Guide, pg. 150).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials indicate how students are accountable for independent reading based on student choice and interest to build stamina, confidence, and motivation.

Opportunities for students to engage in independent reading occur throughout the modules and lessons, with students being held accountable through Accountable Independent Reading (AIR) texts focused on specific reading standards when required for homework. For example,

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 28, in the closing activity students are instructed to find an appropriate text (or “just the right book” per their independent reading level) to read outside of class. This is the expectation for AIR. These selection support the the narrative writing work that follows (Module 1 Teacher Guide, pg. 320).
• In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 1, students discuss as partners how they applied the reading standards to their AIR texts for homework for the previous lesson. Students share how they applied the focus standard and follow this with sharing and discussing the vocabulary words they identified for homework (Module 2 Teacher Guide, pg. 190).

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners so the content is accessible to all learners and supports them in meeting or exceeding the grade-level standards.

Materials provide structured lessons with supports noted within each lesson. The Teacher Guide includes Differentiation Considerations noted in green ink and indicated with a distinct icon. For example,

• In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 18, “If students struggle, consider posing the following question: 'How do you know when a character has grown from his or her experiences?' Student responses may include: The character thinks or acts differently. The character may say that the event 'changed' him or her. The character may use figurative language to explain the growth, such as 'my whole world shifted' or 'I was a new person'. The character may reflect on his or her past actions or experiences and share differences or contrasts.”
• In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 4, “As students begin drafting their research papers in this lesson, it may be necessary to review some of the building blocks for effective writing, including parts of speech, complete sentences, and sentence complexity.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 partially meet expectations for materials regularly providing all students, including those who read, write, speak, or listen below grade level, or in a language other than English, with extensive opportunities to work with grade-level text and meet or exceed grade-level standards.

All students engage in the same complex texts. Scaffolds are provided so that all students can access the complex texts and meet or exceed grade-level standards as they build strength in reading. Students select texts for Accountable Independent Reading (AIR) which provides opportunities to build stamina at the student’s reading level.

While materials provide structured lessons with supports noted within each lesson, teachers are not directed or given guidance to support ELL students. The Teacher Guide includes Differentiation Considerations noted in red ink and indicated with a distinct icon that may help support these students, however more guidance may be necessary for English Language Learners. For example,

• In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 4, “To support comprehension, consider asking student pairs to paraphrase the first two sentences of paragraph 1 before discussing the related questions.”
• In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 6, “If students struggle, consider posing the following scaffolding question: How does the polka music, the 'Varsouviana,' relate to Blanche’s story on page 115?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 do not meet the criteria that materials regularly include extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.

While the materials are rigorous, there are not extensions or advanced opportunities provided within materials. Support for instruction includes differentiation for students who need extra support, but does not explicitly address students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

Materials offer a range of opportunities for students to collaborate while reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students work independently, in pairs, in small groups, and in large groups throughout the lessons. Grouping suggestions are explicitly stated within materials.

Grouping strategies mentioned in the “Teacher Flexibility to Scaffold Students to Independence” within the Teacher Guide include structuring collaborative conversations in pairs and small groups. In most lessons, students discuss homework in pairs or in small groups with occasional whole class discussions. In the Reading and Discussion sections of each lessons, students collaborate in pairs and small groups as they prepare to present in whole groups.

The instructions materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet expectations that digital materials (either included as supplementary to a textbook or as part of a digital curriculum) are web-based, compatible with multiple Internet browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.), “platform neutral” (i.e., are compatible with multiple operating systems such as Windows and Apple and are not proprietary to any single platform), follow universal programming style, and allow the use of tablets and mobile devices.

The curriculum modules can all be downloaded from the Wiley: Paths to College and Career Website. This includes the Teacher Guide, Teacher Resource Book, and Student Journal. Module download was tested with multiple internet browsers and operating systems and is compatible with Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome browsers, and Windows, Android, and Apple platforms.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning, drawing attention to evidence and texts as appropriate.

Materials offer web addresses where appropriate and include film segments during multiple lessons. Some texts are accessible online to build background knowledge and can be used to supplement the anchor texts. Text sets include a variety of options beyond print, such as videos, audio, images, and timelines.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 do not meet the criteria that digital materials include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students, using adaptive or other technological innovations.

Digital materials can not be personalized or edited. There is no evidence of adaptive or other technological innovations.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that materials can be easily customized for local use.

The Module Overview provides a map of the entire module. This give teachers the information needed to make decisions about adapting or changing activities to customize for local use. The overview includes an introduction, literacy skills and habits, outcomes, and standards addressed. This also includes a description of the final Module Performance Assessment and a Module-at-a-Glance Calendar that shows key features of the units. Materials also include a Unit Overview that gives recommended actions for preparing for instructional, materials required, and recommended technology. Lessons also include percentage of time estimates for each section of the lesson, to better help teachers plan and adjust for customizing. Each of these overviews allows teachers to plan and adjust materials as necessary.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 do not meet the criteria that materials include or reference technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other (e.g. websites, discussion groups, webinars, etc.).

There are no opportunities provided for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other within materials.