Report Overview
Summary of Alignment & Usability: Paths to College and Career English Language Arts 9-12 | ELA
Product Notes
PCG Education published by Wiley
ELA High School
The Paths to College and Career English Language Arts materials for Grades 9-12 fully meet the expectations of alignment to the standards. The materials include high-quality texts and rigorous tasks that integrate writing and speaking in service of building students’ literacy skills and content knowledge. The text-connected writing, speaking, research, and listening tasks prepare students for increasingly more complex texts and tasks as they prepare for college and career.
9th Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
10th Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
11th Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
12th Grade
View Full ReportEdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.
Usability (Gateway 3)
Report for 9th Grade
Alignment Summary
The Paths to College and Career English Language Arts materials for Grade 9 fully meet the expectations of alignment to the standards. The texts, associated tasks, and activities provided by the materials provide the opportunities for students to become proficient readers, writers, and speakers over the course of the year. Text-connected writing, speaking, research, and listening tasks build students' content knowledge while strengthening their literacy skills to prepare them for increasingly more complex texts and tasks.
9th Grade
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Usability (Gateway 3)
Overview of Gateway 1
Text Quality & Complexity and Alignment to Standards Components
Texts are of high quality and worthy of students’ time and attention. Students are supported in their growth as readers through questions and tasks that build in sophistication throughout the year to help students demonstrate their acquisition of knowledge and skills. There are opportunities for students to engage in evidence-based discussions about the texts and topics under study. The materials provide varied and frequent writing opportunities to build student skills in both on-demand and process writing and require students to support their writing with evidence from the texts they are reading. There are limited opportunities for students to receive explicit instruction in grammar and conventions, though the students are held accountable for this knowledge on the writing rubrics.
Criterion 1.1: Text Complexity and Quality
Anchor texts are of publishable quality and include both rich content and models of high-quality writing. Students read and experience both literary and informational texts in the balance called for in the standards. Texts are of varying levels of complexity that are appropriate for the grade band or appropriate to the demands on the reader or the task. The publisher does not provide text complexity analysis, but does provide some rationale for the placement of the text in this grade level. Anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade level reading proficiency.
Indicator 1A
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 of high interest, thought-provoking, and contain rich language with numerous instructional opportunities for both the instructor and students. Examples include:
- In Module 1, students read St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell. The text is a modern short story about magical thinking that is of high interest for Grade 9 students and is appropriately complex for the grade.
- Within Module 1, students read Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. This collection of letters spans a five year friendship between a young German soldier and the poet. These short texts are well-written and thought-provoking with rich language and vivid imagery.
- In Module 2, students read “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. This short story is a timeless classic. It has well-written, powerful imagery. The theme and structure of the story is often portrayed in modern interpretations.
- In Module 2, students read Oedipus the King by Sophocles. This text is a classic Greek tragedy, and it is often included in grade level anthologies.
- In Module 3, students read “Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior” by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson. The subject is highly engaging, thought-provoking, and worthy of reading given of its treatment of two timely subjects: what we can learn from animals and understanding the characteristics of autism.
- In Module 4, students read large excerpts from Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science by Marc Aronson and Maria Budhos. This text includes meticulous research and offers a way to look at history through a different lens. The text includes primary source materials and is worthy of a close read for students learning to complete research and tell the story of what they find.
Indicator 1B
*Indicator 1b is non-scored (in grades 9-12) and provides information about text types and genres in the program.
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level.
There is a balance of informational and literary texts across the entire year. In almost every module presented throughout Grade 9 materials, students read and experience both literary and informational texts. These texts include, but are not limited to: articles, poems, short stories, plays, magazine excerpts, letters, excerpts from nonfiction text, and excerpts from fiction text.
Literary texts include:
- Excerpts from the anthology St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell.
- Black Swan Green by David Mitchell, this semi-autobiographical text transcends both literary and informational genres.
- Romeo and Juliet, a canonical play by William Shakespeare.
- “The Tell-Tale Heart,” a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe.
- “I Felt a Funeral in My Brain," a poem written by Emily Dickinson.
- Oedipus the King by the playwright Sophocles.
Informational texts include:
- The Letter Collection, Letters to a Young Poet, by Rainer Maria Rilke.
- “True Crime: The Roots of an American Obsession,” by Walter Mosley, an article published by Newsweek.
- “How Bernard Madoff Did it,” by Liaquat Ahamed; this is a New York Times article that explores the Madoff scandal of 2008 that specifically focuses on the review of Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust, by Diana B. Henriques. Students also read excerpts from this informational text.
- Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson.
- Excerpts from Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom and Science by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos, a relevant and recent 2010 nonfiction novel regarding the effects of the sugar industry.
- “Where Sweatshops Are a Dream” by Nicholas Kristof and “Bangladesh Factory Collapse: Who Really Pays for Our Cheap Clothes?” by Anna McMullen.
Indicator 1C
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that texts have 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 Romeo and Juliet; while a Lexile level is not listed for this version of the play, the text acts as a canonical piece of literature for Grade 9 students to study, dissect, and read. While this is non-standard prose and difficult to measure quantitatively, the story is timely for Grade 9 students exploring love relationships and parental controls. Overall, the language is rich with many literary elements including metaphor, imagery, and text construction.
- Students read the play Oedipus the King; the Lexile level for this text is 1010. The language is rich and worthy of repeated, close reading.
- Students read Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior; the Lexile for this text is 1130. While the text’s Lexile level may be higher than what Grade 9 students typically read, the text is used in the second half of the school year, and it is read with a high level of support as a mentor text to prepare students for a research project.
- Students read Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science; the Lexile for this text is 1130. While the text’s Lexile level may be higher than what Grade 9 students are reading, the text is excerpted with sufficient scaffolding and a small part read in class. It is the final anchor text of the year.
- Students read Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” which is at the Lexile level of 820. The quantitative measure is at the top end of the 4-5 band. The text supplies interesting themes and issues worthy of discussion and close reading.
Indicator 1D
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials support 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 read a variety of literary texts with close reading questions that support collaborative conversations. Quick writes at the end of each lesson capture deepening levels of analysis and engagement.
- In Module 2, students read both literary and informational texts to explore issues of human development. They continue discussion-based assessments, quick writes, and reading journals to record independent reading progress.
- In Module 3, students conduct research to develop research skills after examining a mentor text. They develop a line of inquiry, gather and analyze information, then use a writing process to craft a well-supported presentation of research findings.
- In Module 4, students read informational text and craft an argument to process their learning.
Indicator 1E
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 modules from the beginning of the school year to the end of the school year. For example, in Module 1, the Teacher Edition states, “In their study of Romeo and Juliet, students have the opportunity to consider representations of the text across artistic mediums, including contemporary film excerpts and fine art. Students produce writing appropriate to task, and support their claims with evidence from the text. By the module’s conclusion, students have begun to build critical reading, writing, thinking, and speaking habits that lay the foundation for college and career readiness.”
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.
Indicator 1F
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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.
Criterion 1.2: Alignment to the Standards with Tasks and Questions Grounded in Evidence
Text-dependent and text-specific questions are included throughout the modules and include exemplar responses. Students have varied opportunities to demonstrate understanding in each module and 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. There are multiple opportunities for students to engage in evidence-based discussions; however, there are few protocols to support those discussions. Opportunities are presented for students to engage in speaking and listening activities to demonstrate their mastery of content.
Materials require students to engage in both on-demand and process writing across a variety of writing types, include frequent opportunities for students to write evidence-based claims relating to various topics and in response to text sets organized around the topic.
There are limited opportunities for students to receive explicit instruction in grammar and conventions, though the students are held accountable for this knowledge on the writing rubrics.
Indicator 1G
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 9, 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 focusing on a range of text segments from the use of a particular word ranging 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 11, students read St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves by Karen Russell, and they are asked a series of prompts and questions, such as:
- Analyze Claudette’s tone in describing her brothers on page 241.
- How does Claudette describe Mirabella at the ball?
- How does Claudette’s description of Mirabella establish her attitude toward about St. Lucie’s (sic)?
- Explain Mosley’s claim about life in “smaller societies” (par. 8). What is different today?
- What does Mosley mean by “the illusion of understanding” (par. 8)?
In Module 2, Unit 3, Lesson 2, students read “True Crime: The Roots of an American Obsession” by Walter Mosley, and they are prompted to respond to questions, such as:
- What is Mosley referring to by “this” when he writes,”This is because most of us see ourselves as powerless cogs in a geater machine” (par. 5)?
- What images in paragraph five (5) help make meaning of “vulnerability” in paragraph six (6)?
- According to Mosley, how does the sense of “vulnerability” in Western civilization affect people’s decisions?
Exemplar student answers are provided in the Teacher Guide. For example, in Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 4, students read Sugar Changed the World, “The Champagne Fairs,” and “Globalization,” and they are prompted to respond to the following questions. Teachers are provided with exemplar responses, such as:
- How do the author’s descriptions of Europe compare to their descriptions of the Muslim world?
- The authors describe Europe as “violent, ignorant, and divided” (p. 19). Most Europeans could only “count[] on their hands,” in contrast to the educated Muslims who “studied the words of the ancient Greeks” (p. 19). Additionally, Europe was very isolated and “no one ventured far” (p. 19). This description contrasts with the authors’ description of a Muslim world founded on the
physical and intellectual exchange between cultures (p. 18).
- The authors describe Europe as “violent, ignorant, and divided” (p. 19). Most Europeans could only “count[] on their hands,” in contrast to the educated Muslims who “studied the words of the ancient Greeks” (p. 19). Additionally, Europe was very isolated and “no one ventured far” (p. 19). This description contrasts with the authors’ description of a Muslim world founded on the
- How has globalization influenced popular culture?
- Globalization and the spread of ideas have made popular culture, such as “music and comic books” (par. 13), “movies” (par. 14), “clothing” (par.15), and “food” (par.16) available in a variety of countries, not just the one where the popular item started.
Indicator 1H
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials contain 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, in Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 5, the quick write task requires students to “Analyze how Grandin introduces and develops her ideas about visual thinkers and animal behavior.” The activities and questions leading up to this task include:
- How does Grandin explain what it means to be a “visual thinker”(p.16)?
- How does Grandin use the concept of a courtroom to explain visual thinking?
- Why did Grandin focus on animals’ “visual environments” (p. 18)? How does Grandin’s focus help make meaning of the word "gravitated"?
- What connections does Grandin draw between visual thinkers and understanding animal behavior?
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, the Module 3, Unit 1 End-of-Unit Assessment asks students to “Analyze Claudette’s development in relation to the five stage of Lycanthropic Culture Shock.”
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 the Module 3 Module Performance Assessment, students “Identify a specific phrase or central idea in paragraphs 4-9 of Rilke’s 'Letter Seven.' Analyze how that phrase or central idea relates to one or more characters or central ideas in 'St Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves' or Romeo and Juliet.”
Indicator 1I
The instructional materials for Grade 9 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 work in small groups, with partners, and engage in whole group during discussion. There are few teacher supports or guidance for discussions. For example:
- Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 3, students are introduced to the Character Tracking Tool. This tool is used consistently throughout the unit to keep track of evidence relative to character development. Students discuss how Claudette feels about Mirabella’s actions and why she feels this way. This tracking tool helps prepare students for discussion; however, there are no protocols provided or guidance for teachers on hosting the discussion.
- In Module 2, Unit 2, the Teacher Edition lists vocabulary for Oedipus Rex to be shared with students. The list includes: defile, abomination, retaliated, contaminate. Directions state to “provide definitions directly,” but “not to include extended instruction.”
- In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 3, students work in pairs to discuss sets of questions about the text, Animals in Translation. Students are provided with the definition for "stimulus" before beginning. There is no protocol or teacher guidance given during this discussion. At the end of the lesson teachers are directed to "Lead a brief whole-class discussion of student responses."
- In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 9, students work in groups to discuss “The Age of Sugar” from the text, Sugar Changed the World. Teachers are then directed to “Lead a brief whole-class discussion of student responses." There are no protocols or further teacher guidance.
Indicator 1J
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials support 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 2, Lesson 3, student discuss in a whole-group, “How does Rilke use specific words and phrases on pages 9-10 to refine his ideas about being a poet?” Teachers are given guidance that includes, “Student responses may include Rilke’s use of 'burden' and 'greatness' when describing himself as an accomplished poet.”
- In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 1, students read a passage from “The Tell-Tale Heart” and discuss several questions in pairs before sharing their ideas with the rest of the class. Students are prompted to respond to the following questions:
- From whose point of view is “The Tell-Tale Heart” narrated?
- What information does the narrator reveal about himself in paragraph 1?
- Given what the narrator suggests about himself in paragraph 1, what is the meaning of "mad" in this context?
- In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 5, using a completed homework assignment that instructed students to use a source assessment protocol to evaluate two sources. Students form pairs and discuss their assessments of sources and two vocabulary words identified.
- In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 4, Activity 2: Homework Accountability, students are instructed to read “Fortress Europe” and “The Champagne Fairs.” As an assignment, they are to define “globalization.” The word is later applied in Activity 3: Reading and Discussion. In pairs, students answer questions, such as:
- Why did globalization happen?
- Who are the supporters of globalization?
- What does globalization look like in the United States?
Indicator 1K
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials include 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 1, the Module Performance Assessment requires students to use the skills and habits that they have developed over the course of the module to read and analyze an excerpt of a new text, “Letter Seven” of Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet. Students work in small groups to read and analyze paragraphs 4–9 of the letter and identify a specific phrase or central idea that relates to a central idea or characters from either St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves or Romeo and Juliet. Students draft a multi-paragraph response and use the peer review process to revise and strengthen their responses. Students participate in multiple quick writes throughout the unit to prepare for the final process writing:
- In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 1, students are provided with a Short Response Rubric and Short Response Checklist as supports for developing regular habits for short, focused writing projects. Students briefly respond to the following prompt: “Identify two specific word choices in the title and epigraph and explain how these words evoke a sense of place.”
- In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 2, students describe Claudette’s tone in her description of States two and three of Lycanthropic Culture Shock. Students also cite specific evidence to support their response.
- In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 17, students write a multiparagraph response to the following prompt: “Analyze Claudette’s development in relation to the five stages of Lycanthropic Culture Shock.” Students use the End-of-Unit Text Analysis Rubric to guide their writing within the Student Journal.
In Module 4, students read, analyze, and evaluate informational and argument writing and build, through focused instruction, the skills required to craft strong and well-supported argument writing of their own. Through the study of a variety of texts, students learn to think of the products they use and consume everyday as part of a complex web of global production and trade that extends not only to distant lands but to the past as well. This module also focuses on argument writing instruction. Students closely read the supplementary module texts as examples of argument writing, learning the skills and components necessary for strong argument writing. Students use tools to evaluate and synthesize the arguments presented in the module’s supplementary texts, culminating in the development of students’ own evidence-based argument. The End-of-Unit Assessment asks students to use evidence from the module texts to respond to the prompt: "Who bears the most responsibility for ensuring that goods are ethically produced?" For the Module Performance Assessment, students read and analyze several new sources to form an evidence-based argument in response to the following prompt: “Is local food production an example of ethical consumption?” Students participate in multiple quick writes throughout the unit to prepare for the final process writing:
- Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 8, after reading “Where Sweatshops Are a Dream,” students respond to the following prompt: “How does the author use figurative language to advance his purpose in this article?” Students use their annotations to find evidence to support their position.
- In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 14, students use their Argument Outline Tool to record the following prompt in the Question section: “Who bears the most responsibility for ensuring that clothes are ethically manufactured?” Students can use their text, notes, and any previous tools or Quick Write responses to find relevant and sufficient evidence to support their responses.
- In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 21, students respond to the Quick Write, “How do details in this passage shape and refine a central idea of the text?”
Indicator 1L
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the expectation 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/multimodal 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 9 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 address multiple text types and genres through Quick Writes, Mid-Unit Assessments, End-of-Unit Assessments, and Module Performance Assessments. For example,
- In Module 1, Unit 1, The Mid-Unit Assessment is an expository essay that requires students to respond to the following prompt: “Choose and explain one epigraph. Analyze the relationship between that epigraph and the girls’ development in that stage.” The end of unit assessments asks students to analyze Claudette’s development in relation to the five stages of Lycanthropic Culture Shock. In Unit 3, The Mid-Unit Assessment is an expository essay that requires students to respond to the following prompt: “How does Shakespeare's development of the characters of Romeo and Juliet refine a central idea in the play?” The End-of-Unit Assessment asks students to select either Romeo or Juliet to explain how Shakespeare develops the character as a tragic hero(ine).
- In Module 2, within the section, “Using Evidence to Make Claims, Performance Assessment,” students must “identify a central idea shared by one literary text and one informational text [and then] use specific details to explain how this central idea develops over the course of each text, and compare how the author’s choices about text structure contribute to the development of this idea.”
- In Module 3, Unit 1, students write a formal, multi-paragraph response to the following prompts as an End-of-Unit Assessment: “Part 1- How does Grandin develop and refine a central idea in the text? Identify a central idea from chapter 1 and trace is development in the text.” And, “Part 2- Articulate two to three distinct areas of investigation and where they emerge from the text.” In Unit 3, The End-of-Unit Assessment requires students to “write a one-page synthesis of [their] personal conclusions and perspective derived from [their] research. Draw on research outcomes, as developed in the Organizing Evidence-Based Claims Tools, to express [their] perspective on [their] problem-based question.”
- In Module 4, within the section, “Analyzing Text to Write Arguments, Performance Assessment,” students are required to “Choose four of these texts and write a multi-paragraph essay in response to the following prompt, ‘Is local food production an example of ethical consumption?’ Provide evidence from at least four sources in your response.”
Indicator 1M
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials include 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 student analyze and organize texts 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 texts 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 response 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 assigned a Quick Write. The prompt is as follows: “How does Russell develop the pack as a character?” For this specific writing assignment, students were responsible for utilizing discussion questions that act as annotation supports of text utilized during this quick write.
- In Module 2, Unit 3, Lesson 2, students learn how “selecting relevant evidence to support their claim is an important part of the writing.” In this activity, students are given the following statement after reading an excerpt from “True Crime: The Roots of an American Obsession”: “Mosley claims that everybody is guilty of something.” Students then locate two pieces of relevant information to support the claim.
- In Module 3, Unit 1, Lesson 3, students complete the Quick Write focusing on an author's method of reporting research: “How does Grandin introduce and develop her analysis of behaviorism? What connections does she draw between her perspective and her analysis of behaviorism?” In Unit 2, Lesson 1, students shift focus to research development: Writing focuses on annotation of said text, taking notes, and synthesizing information in preparation for writing. Students use the Taking Notes tool which provides an organizer for gathering details and reacting to them followed by the Synthesizing Notes Tool which relates the notes to the inquiry question. The end-of-unit assessment asks students to synthesize their research evidence and support their perspective. In Lesson 2, students draft an introduction to their paper. In Lesson 4, students develop cohesion in writing by focusing on transitions to support relationship between ideas and supporting evidence.
- In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 8, students respond to the following prompt: “How does the author use figurative language to advance his purpose in this article?” Students use their annotations to find evidence to support their position.
Indicator 1N
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 partially meet the criteria that materials include 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 limited 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. The standards are mentioned on the writing rubrics where students are held accountable. However, there is little to no instruction to help them to 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.
Within Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 11, students are assigned to read and analyze Dickinson’s poem, “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain” to demonstrate command of capitalization. Student groups are instructed to answer the following questions before sharing out with the class: “To what extent does Dickinson’s use of capitalization conform to or differ from the conventions of standard English referred to in L.9-10.2? What is the impact of Dickinson’s use of capitalization on the meaning of the poem?”
In Module 3, Unit 3, Lesson 3, students examine citation methods during class then create a works cited page, properly formatted. Other examples include:
- In Lesson 5, students study the difference between objective and subjective language. Students then revise two paragraphs of their research paper to achievement a formal style and objective tone.
- In Lesson 7, students edit their research papers for correct conventions. A mini-lesson demonstrates the use of a semicolon to join independent clauses.
- And, within Lesson 8, students edit their research paper for conventions.
In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 25,students are instructed to employ the MLA citation techniques from their MLA Citation handout to properly credit their evidence sources.
Overview of Gateway 2
Building Knowledge with Texts, Vocabulary, and Tasks
The topical and thematic modules that comprise the materials work to build students' knowledge across topics and content areas. Vocabulary instruction is focused on text-specific words and does not build or measure the acquisition of domain-specific vocabulary. Questions and tasks guide students as they engage in research, and sharpen and employ reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in service of building knowledge.
Gateway 2
v1.0
Criterion 2.1: Materials build knowledge through integrated reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.
Indicator 2A
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 build 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 read contemporary short stories, excerpts from contemporary novels, and the play, Romeo and Juliet. The text set presents the idea of identity and beauty, and it is complemented by film and fine art.
- In Module 2, students continue to develop the skills, practices, and routines of close reading and annotating text. To begin, students read “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe to consider structural choices that assist with the analysis of the central ideas of madness, obsession, and guilt. Students read “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain” by Emily Dickinson and examine the order of events, punctuation, and repetition. Both works allow students to explore the authors' structural choices that contribute to the development of the central ideas.
- In Module 3, students comprehend the process of research by reading the work of Temple Grandin and others who have observed and studied animal behavior. Through their engagement with the mentor texts, students develop a focus and method of conducting their own research.
- In Module 4, students read, analyze, and evaluate informational and argumentative writing. Students read the central text, Sugar Changed the World, and are challenged to think about products that are used in their everyday lives. Students are required to evaluate argumentative writing and analyze authors' use of rhetoric. Supplementary texts are used to help build upon concepts taught within the unit.
Indicator 2B
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 set build upon one another to push students to higher order thinking. For example:
- In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 11, while reading St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, students are asked a series of prompts and questions including:
- Analyze Claudette’s tone in describing her brothers on page 241.
- How does Claudette describe Mirabella at the ball?
- How does Claudette’s description of Mirabella establish her attitude about St. Lucie’s (sic)?
- In Module 2, Unit 3, Lesson 2, while reading “True Crime: The Roots of an American Obsession” by Walter Mosley, the question set prompts students to look at the specific word, "vulnerability," to view all avenues that the word presents:
- What images in paragraph 5 help make meaning of "vulnerability" in paragraph 6?
- According to Mosley, how does the sense of “vulnerability” in Western civilization affect people’s decisions?
- In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 4, while reading Sugar Changed the World, in chapters “The Champagne Fairs” and “Globalization,” students are asked a series of questions including:
- How do the author’s descriptions of Europe compare to their descriptions of the Muslim world?
- What might be National Geographic’s purpose for publishing this article?
Indicator 2C
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 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, students explore the concept of maintaining a secret life. Questions require students to examine parts of a text such as the five stages of Lycanthropic Culture Shock in “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves,” and similarly, Shakespeare’s development of a tragic hero in Romeo and Juliet. At the end of the module, students compare character development across several of the texts they have read throughout the module.
- In Module 2, Unit 2, students read lines 1673-1814 of Oedipus the King. In the End-of-Unit Assessment, students are asked to answer the following question: “How does Sophocles develop tension between Oedipus’s guilt and his innocence?” Using evidence from the reading, students must support their response.
- In Module 3, students examine “Animals In Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior” by Temple Grandin. Students identify two to three distinct areas of investigation and where they emerge from the text. They choose other texts to independently complete an investigation on and present their findings in a formal essay.
- In Module 4, students read “The Sound of Liberty” on pages 83-88 of Sugar Changed the World. Using an Unfolding Analysis Tool, students trace how the authors unfold the series of events of the Haitian Revolution to make connections between key ideas. This tool is used by students to answer the Quick Write question: “How do authors unfold a series of events in order to make connections between ideas in this passage?”
Indicator 2D
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 2, students explore identity through texts that examine human motivations, actions, and consequences. Students build on work from Module 1 as they track character development. Students analyze the effects of an author’s structural choices on the development of central ideas. Students also engage with informational texts about guilt and human fascination with crime, as they continue to develop their ability to identify and make claims. In the Module 2 Performance Assessment, students respond to the prompt: “Identify central ideas shared by one literary text and one informational text. Use specific details to explain how this central idea develops over the course of each text, and compare how the author’s choices about text structure contribute to the development of this idea.” 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. As students work through the units, the Mid-Unit and End-of-Unit Assessments provide feedback. For example,
- In the Unit 1 Mid-Unit Assessment, students write a multi-paragraph response focused on “The Tell-Tale Heart” in which they identify a central idea and discuss how point of view and structural choices contribute to the development of the central idea over the course of the text. Lessons, activities, and questions during the unit build to this task.
- In the Unit 2 End-of-Unit Assessment, students write a multi-paragraph response exploring how Sophocles develops the tension between Oedipus’s guilt and his innocence. Lessons, activities, and questions during the unit build to this task.
- In the Unit 3 End-of-Unit Assessment, students participate in an assessed Fishbowl discussion, in which they consider the claims and ideas developed by the authors in this unit in order to draw connections between these claims and ideas and explore the ways in which they support or challenge one another. Lessons, activities, and questions during the unit build to this task.
In Module 4, students learn new information about the past that may inform the choices they make today. Students consider the ethics and consequences of their decisions to build an understanding of how history helps shape the people, culture, and belief systems of our modern-day world. Students read argument texts to consider the structure, development, and efficacy of arguments. In the Module 4 Performance Assessment, students to respond to the prompt: “For this assessment, you must choose at least four of these texts and write a multi-paragraph argument essay in response to the prompt, ‘Is local food production an example of ethical consumption? Provide evidence from at least four sources in your response.’ As students work through the units, the Mid-Unit and End-of-Unit Assessments provide feedback. For example,
- In the Mid-Unit Assessment, students draft an argument outline for the prompt: “ Who bears the most responsibility for ensuring the clothes are ethically manufactured?” Lessons, activities, and questions during the unit build to this task.
- In the End-of-Unit Assessment, students write a multi-paragraph essay in response to “ Who bears the most responsibility for ensuring that goods are ethically produced?” Lessons, activities, and questions during the unit build to this task.
Indicator 2E
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 Unit 1, Module 1, Lesson 6, students write the definitions of the following words: collaborative, eradication, instinct, ecstatic, goody two-shoes, and origins on their copies of the text or in a vocabulary journal. The Quick Write instructions include “ask students to use this lesson’s vocabulary whenever possible in their written responses.”
- In Module 1, Unit 2, Lesson 1, students write the definitions of the following words: confidence, criticism, tangible, endures, and kinship on their copies of the text or in a vocabulary journal. The Quick Write instructions include “ask students to use this lesson’s vocabulary whenever possible in their written responses and to practice using specific language and domain-specific vocabulary.” Other examples from Module 1 include:
- Within Lesson 3, students write the definitions of the following words: emphasis, earnestly, and reverence on their copies of the text or in a vocabulary journal. The Quick Write instructions include “ask students to use this lesson’s vocabulary whenever possible in their written responses.”
- In Lesson 5, students write the definitions of the following words: hangman, pike, deed, poll, outfox, dimmer, and mangle on their copies of the text or in a vocabulary journal. The Quick Write instructions include “ask students to use this lesson’s vocabulary whenever possible in their written responses.”
- In Module 1, Unit 3, Lesson 1, students write the definitions of the following words: prologue, household, dignity, and mutiny on their copies of the text or in a vocabulary journal. Quick Write instructions include “ask students to use this lesson’s vocabulary whenever possible in their written responses.”
- Within Lesson 7, students write the definitions of fain, compliment, and light on their copies of the text or in a vocabulary journal. Quick Write instructions include ”ask students to use this lesson’s vocabulary whenever possible in their written responses.”
- Within Module 3, Unit 3, during the development of a research paper, students use academic and domain specific vocabulary appropriate to their research topic and when reflecting on the research process.
- Overall, in Module 1, students first attack unusual vocabulary in Lesson 4 by recording in their journals the meaning of words like hirsute, sinewy, barbaridad, and apiary. They are instructed to use some of these words in the Quick Write at the end of the lesson. This strategy is repeated in ensuing lessons as well, with varying numbers of words. Only language standards 4 and 5 are addressed or assessed in 9.1. Vocabulary for domain specific words is assessed in Module 3 as part of the research paper development process.
Indicator 2F
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 1, students complete the following activities:
- Students compose a Quick Write on the following prompt: “Identify two specific word choices in the title and epigraph and explain how these words evoke a sense of place.”
- Students complete a Mid-Unit Assessment that requires the following: “Choose and explain one epigraph. Analyze the relationship between that epigraph and the girls’ development in that stage.”
- Students are required to complete an End-of-Unit Assessment for Module 1: “Write a multi-paragraph response to the following prompt: Analyze Claudette’s development in relation to the five stages of Lycanthropic Culture Shock.”
In Module 3, students complete the following activities:
- Students compose a Quick Write based on the following prompt: “How do the authors unfold a series of events in order to make connections between ideas in this passage?”
- For the Mid-Unit Assessment, students are required to “Write an argument essay that explains who bears the most responsibility for ensuring that clothes are ethically manufactured.” Students are instructed to “use strong and thorough text evidence.”
- Students are required to complete an End-of-Unit Assessment: Students are assessed on the final draft of their research project. They must develop a claim supported by relevant and sufficient evidence. The final draft must be well-organized, demonstrate control of conventions, maintain a formal style, and make effective transitions.
In Module 4, students analyze texts to write arguments. Students complete the following activities:
- Students must compose a Quick Write based on the following prompt: “How do the authors unfold a series of events in order to make connections between ideas in the passage and other sections in the book?”
- As part of the Mid-Unit Assessment, students draft an outline to address the following prompt: “Who bears the most responsibility for ensuring that clothes are ethically manufactured.”
- The End-of-Unit Assessment is the final essay responding to the Mid-Unit Assessment prompt.
Indicator 2G
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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.
Research is found in Module 3 where students conduct 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, etc. Module 3 offers students the opportunity to synthesize their findings through a major process writing: a written argument. Students read “Animals in Translation: using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior” by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson as an exemplar text then develop topics for research and plan projects. Students create a blog post to share findings from research. Students make effective use of multimedia components. Student support materials include graphic organizers to gather notes, record sources, and reflect on quality of information. The “Area Evaluation Checklist” provides a tool for synthesizing information after carefully evaluating the source and determining relevance to the research topic.
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 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.
Examples of research activities in other modules include, but are not limited to, the following:
- In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 3 begins with a sharing of student’s independent reading research. In continuation, Unit 2, Lesson 1 requires students to conduct a brief search into the life of Rainer Maria RIlke and come prepared to share two important facts about him. And, in Unit 3, Lesson 2, students must conduct a brief search into the classical figures of Cupid and Dian and write a paragraph explaining who Cupid and Dian are, as well as their mythological importance.
- In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 13, students conduct a brief search of ancient Greece in preparation for the next unit.
Indicator 2H
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 to read their Accountable Independent Reading (AIR) text several nights a week. AIR is an frequent daily expectation for homework, and 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 what they have read with a classroom or group.
- In Module 2, Unit 1, students are assigned the following homework assignments after being introduced to Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”: Preview the following lesson’s text by annotating paragraphs 8-13 (from “When I had waited a long time, very patiently” to “A tub caught all - ha! ha!”) according to the protocols established in Module 9.1, using the codes “CI,” “SC,” and “POV.” Additionally, continue reading your Accountable Independent Reading text through the lens of the focus standard RL.9-10.4 or RI.9-10.4 and prepare for a 3-5 minute discussion of your text based on that standard.
- In Module 4, Unit 1, as students continue to study Sugar Changed the World, students are instructed to read in class to prepare for discussion with their groups. The Teacher Guide states, “Instruct students to read the first four paragraphs of this passage on pages 88-90, from ‘The leaders of the American Revolution kept close watch’ to ‘the country frightened slave owners; it did not change their views.’"
Overview of Gateway 3
Usability
Materials can be completed over the course of a single year of instruction and include quality review and practice opportunities and a standards alignment for questions, tasks, and assessment items.
The Teacher Guide and Resource Books for each module include a curriculum map, instructional support notes, an explanation of the role of the standards in the overall context of the materials along with information on the instructional approaches included in the program and the research-based strategies that are included. The materials do not provide support for communication with stakeholders to support student progress and achievement.
Included assessments are meaningful, standards-aligned, and offer assistance for interpreting and applying results. Routines and guidance for ongoing monitoring of student progress are included. Independent reading is systematically supported.
Materials provide strategies to meet the needs of most learners, including English Language Learners and students with disabilities, but does not provide support for students performing above grade level. A variety of grouping strategies are included to maximize collaboration and learning.
All digital materials included in the program are web-based, platform neutral, and work with a variety of browsers. Effective use of technology is supported and draws students back to evidence and texts. The materials do not allow for personalization or customization for students using adaptive devices. The materials do not provide a digital collaboration space or students and teachers. The materials can be easily customized for local use.
Criterion 3.1: Use & Design
Materials are thoughtfully designed with an effective lesson structure and pacing that can be completed over the course of a single year of instruction while still allowing for maximum student understanding and opportunity for mastery. Materials include quality review and practice resources that are clearly labeled and supported. A standards alignment for questions, tasks, and assessment items is included with the materials. Materials are designed to support thoughtful engagement with the materials and does not distract students from the content or skills being presented.
Indicator 3A
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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
Indicator 3B
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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. For instance, Module 9.1 has 52 lessons while Module 9.3 has 35 lessons.
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 in 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.
Indicator 3C
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 9.1, Unit 1, on p. 22 students must work to develop their close reading skills as they encounter Karen Russell’s “St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” for the first time. Students consider how Russell’s specific word choices evoke a sense of place, and then complete the lesson with a Quick Write. At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher is directed to distribute copies of the 9.1 Common Core State Standards Tool. Explain that students will work throughout the year to master the skills described in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Students must then work individually to read these standards on their tools and assess their familiarity with and mastery of them.
For example, Module 9.2 continues to explore identity through texts that examine human motivations, actions, and consequences. Students build on work from Module 9.1 as they track character development in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” and the tragedy, Oedipus the King.
In Module 9.2, Unit 2, Lesson 5, students are instructed to respond briefly in writing to the following prompt: "How do the interactions between Oedipus and Teiresias develop an important idea?" Students are then asked to use this lesson’s vocabulary wherever possible in their written responses. Students are reminded to use the Short Response Rubric and Checklist to guide their written responses.
Student resources include clear directions. 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.
Indicator 3D
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the expectations that materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, tasks, and assessment items.
Alignment to the CCSS-ELA is documented in multiple places in the curriculum. CCSS standards 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. The alignment of 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.
Module 4, p. XVII contains the curriculum map for Module 4. This includes the standards being assessed in this module and the mid-unit and end-of-unit performance tasks that will assess these standards. Also, p. 32 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.
Indicator 3E
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 contain a 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.
Criterion 3.2: Teacher Planning
Materials contain a Teacher Guide and Teacher Resource Book for each module. The Teacher Guide includes a curriculum map for each module. These materials support the teacher as they present the content. The Teacher Edition provides instructional notes to support teachers with additional content knowledge and full adult-level explanations to support implementation. Documentation is provided to explain the role of the standards in the overall context of the materials as well as information on the instructional approaches included in the program and the research-based strategies that are included. The materials do not provide support for communication with stakeholders to support student progress and achievement.
Indicator 3F
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s 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.
Indicator 3G
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials contain a Teacher 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’s 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.
Indicator 3H
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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.
Indicator 3I
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials contain 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. The curriculum 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.
Indicator 3J
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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.
Criterion 3.3: Assessment
Materials offer regular and systematic opportunities for meaningful, standards-aligned assessment of student progress. Additionally, support is provided to aid teachers in interpreting student performance results and to provide suggestions for reteaching. The materials include embedded routines and guidance for ongoing monitoring of student progress. Materials also provide support for teachers as they hold students accountable for self-selected independent reading in service of growing strong, confident, and motivated readers.
Indicator 3K
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress.
Students have multiple and 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 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.
Indicator 3L
Indicator 3L.i
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 that lead to preparing students for the Performance Assessment also include standards. For example,
- In Module 2, Unit 1, Lesson 13, the teacher begins the lesson by reviewing the following assessed standards: CCRA.R.9, RL.9-10.2, W.9-10.2.a-f, L.9-10.1, and L.9-10.2. The End-of-Unit Assessment requires students to analyze how Poe and Dickinson develop and refine a central idea (Module 2 Teacher Guide, pg. 134).
- In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 12, teachers review the lesson agenda and standards W.9-10.7 and W.9-10.9. To meet these standards, students use their research evidence and supporting details to write an evidence-based perspective in a one-page synthesis (Module 3 Teacher Guide, pg. 232).
- In Module 1, Unit 3, Lesson 20, students are informed of the following standards for the End-of-Unit Assessment: RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.5, and W.9-10.2.a-f. Students respond to the following prompt within multiple paragraphs: "Select either Romeo or Juliet. How does Shakespeare develop this character as a tragic hero(ine)?" (Module 1 Teacher Guide, pg. 433).
Indicator 3L.ii
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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,
- At the end of Module 1, students complete the Module Performance Assessment. Teachers are provided high performance response indicators with specific examples upon which to gauge student learning: Identify a significant phrase or central idea from Rilke’s “Letter Seven” (e.g., Both Rilke’s “Letter Seven” and Russell’s “St. Lucy Home for Girls Raised by Wolves” deal with the central idea of individual versus group identification. Both authors explore the difficulties people face when they are unable to create their own individual identities). Teachers are also provided with an explanation of the standard-specific demands of the performance assessment as further guidance (Module 1 Teacher Guide, pg. 436-437).
- In Module 3, Unit 2, Lesson 5, students complete a Synthesizing Notes tool (reading important sources closely for selected inquiry questions using annotation and note taking) 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: Identify a specific inquiry question (e.g., How do researchers measure animal intelligence?); Cite an annotation (e.g., An underline beneath the sentence “Certain skills are considered key signs of higher mental abilities: good memory, a grasp of grammar and symbols, self-awareness, understanding others’ motives, imitating others, and being creative” (par.4) (Module 3 Teacher Guide, p. 167).
Indicator 3M
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 reproducable tools, handouts, rubrics, and checklists. For example,
- In Module 2, Unit 2, Lesson 9, teachers are given the following guidance and suggestion for differentiation as students work closely with vocabulary from Oedipus the King: “Students may be familiar with some of these words. Consider asking students to volunteer definitions before providing them to the class; Consider providing students with the following definitions: pre-eminent means “more important, skillful, or successful than others; better than others,” afflicting means “causing pain or suffering to (someone or something),” obstinate means “refusing to change your behavior or ideas,” and concede means “admit that one has been defeated and stop trying to win;” Students write the definitions of pre-eminent, afflicting, obstinate, and concede on their copies of the text or in a vocabulary journal” (Module 2 Teacher Guide, pg. 234).
- In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 21, the following guidance is offered: “Consider drawing students’ attention to their application of standards L.9-10.4.a, b through the process of using context and word parts to make meaning of a word; if students struggle with understanding the complexities of Norbert’s experience, consider providing the following questions: How do Norbert’s experiences connect to the transition from the 'Age of Sugar' into a new “Age”? (Module 4 Teacher Guide, pg. 217).
Indicator 3N
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 readings standards when required for homework. For example,
- In Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 14, students discuss as partners how they applied the following reading standards to their AIR texts for homework for the previous lesson: RL.9-10.2 or RI.9-10.2. Students share how they applied the focus standard (Module 1 Teacher Guide, pg. 139).
- In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 7, students are instructed to read their AIR texts with a focus on a reading standard of their choice and prepare for a 3-5 minute discussion based on the standard (Module 4 Teacher Guide, pg. 86).
Criterion 3.4: Differentiation
Materials provide strategies to meet the needs of most learners, including English Language Learners and students with disabilities, but does not provide support for students performing above grade level. A variety of grouping strategies are included to maximize collaboration and learning.
Indicator 3O
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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 2, Lesson 2, the Teacher Guide states, "Consider providing students with the following definition: roots means 'the parts of a plant that grow underground, get water from the ground, and hold that plant in place.'”
- In Module 3, Unit 3, Lesson 1, the Teacher Guide states, "At this point, there may be some students at different stages of the research process. Some students may need more time or practice in developing a central claim that is supported by research and interesting to write about. Consider using the Organizing Evidence-Based Claims Tools from 9.3.2 Lesson 11 to model how to craft a central claim that is supported by evidence and interesting to write about."
Indicator 3P
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 partially meet expectations that materials regularly provide 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 text. 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 green 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 6, “If students struggle with this analysis, consider asking the following scaffolding questions: How do the police react to the narrator’s behavior? Why does the narrator call the police officers; smiles 'hypnotical'? What does the command 'dissemble no more' suggest about the narrator?”
- In Module 4, Unit 1, Lesson 11, "Consider modeling the first row of the Unfolding Analysis Tool: Connecting Ideas in “Is It Lawful” with students (see Model Unfolding Analysis Tool). Remind students that they will not be able to fill out the “Connections” column for the first paragraph."
Indicator 3Q
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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.
Indicator 3R
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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.
Criterion 3.5: Technology Use
All digital materials included in the program are web-based, platform neutral, and work with a variety of browsers. Effective use of technology is supported and draws students back to evidence and texts. The materials do not allow for personalization or customization for students using adaptive devices. The materials do not provide a digital collaboration space or students and teachers.
The materials can be easily customized for local use.
Indicator 3S
The instructions materials reviewed for Grade 9 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’s 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.
Indicator 3T
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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.
Indicator 3U
Indicator 3U.i
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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.
Indicator 3U.ii
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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, the literacy skills and habits, the 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 instruction, 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.
Indicator 3V
The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 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.