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Report Overview
Summary of Alignment & Usability: Ready | Math
Math K-2
The instructional materials for Ready Grades K-2 meet the expectations for focus and coherence in Gateway 1. All grades meet the expectations for focus as they assess grade-level topics and spend the majority of class time on major work of the grade, and all grades meet the expectations for coherence as they have a sequence of topics that is consistent with the logical structure of mathematics. In Gateway 2, all grades meet the expectations for rigor and balance, and all grades meet the expectations for practice-content connections. In Gateway 3, all grades meet the expectations for instructional supports and usability. The instructional materials show strengths by being well designed and taking into account effective lesson structure and pacing, supporting teacher learning and understanding of the Standards, and supporting teachers in differentiating instruction for diverse learners within and across grades.
Kindergarten
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)
1st 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)
2nd 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)
Math 3-5
The instructional materials for Ready Grades 3-5 meet the expectations for focus and coherence in Gateway 1. All grades meet the expectations for focus as they assess grade-level topics and spend the majority of class time on major work of the grade, and all grades meet the expectations for coherence as they have a sequence of topics that is consistent with the logical structure of mathematics. In Gateway 2, all grades meet the expectations for rigor and balance, and all grades meet the expectations for practice-content connections. In Gateway 3, all grades meet the expectations for instructional supports and usability. The instructional materials show strengths by being well designed and taking into account effective lesson structure and pacing, supporting teacher learning and understanding of the Standards, and supporting teachers in differentiating instruction for diverse learners within and across grades.
3rd 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)
4th 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)
5th 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)
Math 6-8
The instructional materials for Ready Grades 6-8 meet the expectation for focus by assessing grade-level topics and spending the majority of class time on major work of the grade. All grades meet the expectations for coherence in Gateway 1 as they have a sequence of topics that is consistent with the logical structure of mathematics. In Gateway 2, the materials for all grades meet the expectations for rigor and balance, and they meet the expectations for practice-content connections. The materials for all grades were reviewed for Gateway 3 and meet the expectations for instructional supports and usability. The instructional materials show strengths by being well designed and taking into account effective lesson structure and pacing, supporting teacher learning and understanding of the CCSSM Standards, and supporting teachers in differentiating instruction for diverse learners within and across grades.
6th 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)
7th 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)
8th 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 7th Grade
Alignment Summary
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for alignment to the CCSSM. In Gateway 1, the instructional materials partially meet the expectations for focus and coherence. The materials meet expectations for assessing grade-level content and being coherent and consistent with the Standards and spend approximately 65 percent of class time on the major clusters of the grade. In Gateway 2, the instructional materials reflect the balances in the Standards and help students meet the Standards’ rigorous expectations, and they connect the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical Practice.
7th Grade
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Usability (Gateway 3)
Overview of Gateway 1
Focus & Coherence
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for focusing on the major work of the grade and having a sequence of topics that is consistent with the logical structure of mathematics. The materials do not assess topics before the grade level indicated and are coherent and consistent with the standards, and the materials spend approximately 65 percent of class time on the major clusters of the grade.
Gateway 1
v1.0
Criterion 1.1: Focus
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectations for not assessing topics before the grade level in which the topic should be introduced. Overall, the materials assess grade-level content and, if applicable, content from earlier grades.
Indicator 1A
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectations that they assess grade-level content. The program provides two versions (Form A and Form B) of Mid-Unit assessments, Interim assessments, and End-of-Unit assessments for each unit. The assessments are available online and in print format.
Assessments contain grade-level content questions. Examples of questions include the following:
- In Unit 2, End-of-Unit Assessment Form B, Question 15, students analyze multiple representations and identify whether the provided statements a - d are true or false. Students then identify and compare unit rates, and identify whether relationships are proportional relationships (7.RP.1, 7.RP.2a, 7.RP.2b).
- In Unit 4, End-of-Unit Assessment Form A,Question 2, students compare diagrams of a composite shape and a triangle to determine which shape has a greater area (7.G.6).
Overall, assessment items are aligned to Grade 7 standards.
Criterion 1.2: Coherence
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectations for devoting the majority of class time to the major work of the grade. Overall, the instructional materials spend approximately 65 percent of class time on the major clusters of the grade.
Indicator 1B
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for spending a majority of instructional time on major work of the grade. To determine focus on major work, three perspectives were evaluated: the number of units devoted to major work, the number of lessons devoted to major work, and the number of instructional days devoted to major work. Of the three perspectives, the number of instructional days is most representative and was used to determine the score for this indicator.
- Grade 7 instruction is divided into five units. Three and one half out of five units, approximately 70 percent, focus on major work of the grade. Unit 4 is composed of 7.G. The supporting work in Unit 4 Geometry supports the major work of the grade in half of the unit through the use of rational numbers and ratio and proportionality, which are a focus for Grade 7. Unit 5 is composed of additional and supporting standards within 7.SP with only one connection to the major work of the grade.
- Grade 7 instruction is divided into 33 lessons. Twenty-three out of 33 lessons, approximately 70 percent, focus on major work of the grade or supporting work connected to major work. This analysis includes updated lessons 20, 21, 23, 24 and 26, which explicitly connect supporting work to the major work of the grade.
- Grade 7 instruction consists of 165 instructional days. One hundred eight out of 165, approximately 65 percent, focus on major work of the grade or supporting work connected to major work.
Criterion 1.3: Coherence
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for being coherent and consistent with the CCSSM Standards. Overall, the instructional materials have supporting content that enhances focus and coherence, are consistent with the progressions in the standards, and foster coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the standards.
Indicator 1C
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations that supporting work enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade. Supporting standards/clusters are connected to the major standards/clusters of the grade.
Examples of the connections between supporting work and major work include the following:
- Unit 4, Lesson 18, Problem Solving with Angles (7.G.5) is connected to the major work of solving problems with equations (7.EE.4a). Students write and solve equations to find unknown angle measures using properties of supplementary, complementary, vertical, and adjacent angles.
- Unit 4, Lesson 22, Scale Drawings (7.G.1) is connected to the major work of proportional reasoning (7.RP.A). Students use proportional reasoning when they analyze scale drawings.
- Unit 5, Lesson 33, Probability of Compound Events (7.SP.8) is connected to the major work of solving real-world problems with rational numbers involving the four operations (7.NS.3). Students calculate simple and compound probabilities using rational numbers in various forms.
Indicator 1D
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations that the amount of content designated for one grade level is viable for one year. As designed, the instructional materials can be completed in approximately 150 days with 15 additional days for assessment and diagnostics, for a total of 165 days. The suggested amount of time and expectations for teachers and students of the materials are viable for one school year as written and would not require significant modifications. According to the Teacher Guide page A44, each lesson is expected to last between 45 and 60 minutes. Other lesson resources include Fluency Skills Practice, Practice and Problem Solving, Unit Opener Lessons, and Classroom Routine Lessons for the first 5 days, which is included in the total number of days for this program.
Indicator 1E
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for the materials being consistent with the progressions in the CCSSM Standards.
The instructional materials clearly identify content from prior and future grade levels and use it to support the progressions of the grade-level standards. Overall, the materials develop according to the grade-by-grade progressions in the standards. The instructional materials relate grade-level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades. Each unit begins with a Unit Opener progression overview chart. The Learning Progressions set a context for the standards of the lessons based on how the standard builds on prior knowledge, particularly from the previous grades, and how it leads to expectations for the next year. For example, in the Unit 3 Lesson 16 Overview, the Learning Progression states, “In Grade 6, students solved one-step real-world and mathematical problems leading to equations of the form x + p = q. In Grade 8 students will solve real-world and mathematical problems leading to one linear equation and two linear equations in two variables.” Prerequisite skills are connected to new skills and concepts in the Lesson Overview document through Small Group Differentiation and Personalized Learning Lessons. In addition, the introduction of each lesson presents an opportunity to connect students’ prior knowledge to what they are going to learn in the lesson. For example, in Unit 2, Lesson 9, the Use What You Know section reminds students: "In Grade 6, you learned about unit rates.”
In general, the instructional materials attend to the full intent of the grade-level standards by giving all students extensive work with grade-level problems. This is achieved through on grade-level problems in all lessons. In addition to the problems present in the Ready Instruction Book there are on grade-level problems present in the Practice and Problem Solving Book. Additional practice with grade-level content is provided in the Additional Fluency Practice section of the teacher website.
However, there are some standards where students do not have sufficient practice opportunities. For example, in Unit 4, Lesson 22, students reproduce a scale drawing twice, but the materials do not provide opportunities for students to solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric materials and thus do not meet the full intent of Standard 7.G.1. Additionally, lessons in the Proportional Relationship unit do not contain adequate amounts of practice to develop fluency beyond percent increase and percent error. Unit 2, Lesson 13 does not provide sufficient exposure to a variety of multistep ratio and percent problems (i.e., simple interest, tax, gratuities, commissions) as mentioned in Standard 7.RP.3.
Indicator 1F
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations that materials foster coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the standards. Overall, materials include learning objectives that are visibly shaped by CCSSM cluster headings and problems and activities that connect two or more clusters in a domain, or two or more domains in a grade, in cases where these connections are natural and important.
Instructional materials are clearly shaped by the CCSSM cluster headings. The units are divided into grade-level domains. Grade 7 standards are clearly identified in the Table of Contents and in the Ready Mathematics Standards Correlations pages, which identify the lessons that address specific standards. Instructional materials shaped by cluster headings include the following examples:
- Unit 3, Lesson 16, Solve Problems with Equations is shaped by 7.EE.B, solve real-life and mathematical problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations.
- Unit 5, Lesson 30, Understand Probability Concepts is shaped by 7.SP.C, investigate chance processes and develop, use, and evaluate probability models.
- Unit 4, Lesson 19, Understand Conditions for Drawing Triangles and Lesson 25, Understand Plane Sections of Prisms and Pyramids are shaped by 7.G.A, draw, construct, and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationships between them.
Instructional materials include problems and activities that serve to connect two or more clusters in a domain or two or more domains in a grade, in cases where the connections are natural and important. At the end of every unit there is a Performance Task and/or Interim Assessment that connects two or more clusters in a domain. For example:
- Unit 4, Performance Task connects 7.G.A, draw, construct and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationships between them, connects with 7.G.B, solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume, and 7.RP.A, analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems.
- Unit 1, Lesson 8, Solve Problems with Rational Numbers and Unit 3, Lesson 16, Solve Problems with Equations, connect with 7.NS.A, apply and extend previous understandings of operations with fractions to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers, and 7.EE.B, solve real-life and mathematical problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations.
Overview of Gateway 2
Rigor & Mathematical Practices
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for aligning with the CCSSM expectations for rigor and mathematical practices. The instructional materials attend to each of the three aspects of rigor individually, and they also attend to the balance among the three aspects. The instructional materials emphasize mathematical reasoning, identify the Mathematical Practices (MPs), and partially attend to the full meaning of each practice standard.
Gateway 2
v1.0
Criterion 2.1: Rigor
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for reflecting the balances in the Standards and helping students meet the Standards’ rigorous expectations, by helping students develop conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application. The instructional materials partially develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, give attention throughout the year to procedural skill and fluency, spend sufficient time working with engaging applications, and reflects a balance in treating the three aspects of rigor separately and together.
Indicator 2A
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 partially meet expectations that the materials develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific standards or cluster headings. While some lessons develop conceptual understanding, there were many instances where the materials miss opportunities to develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts. Examples include:
- Unit 3 Lesson 15 Writing Linear Expressions is composed of a hands-on activity to create expressions for perimeters of rectangles, but the hands-on activity does not enhance the understanding of expressions. Students use a string to model the perimeter of a desk and then use the length of that string as a measure against which to compare equivalent methods of finding perimeter. The algorithm is taught directly instead of a conceptual model. Conceptual understanding of how quantities are related is not developed in this lesson.
- Unit 1 Lesson 2 Understand Subtractions of Positive and Negative Numbers shows moving from subtraction to adding the opposite but does not use properties of operations to help students see this connection. For example, students "Compare: How are the expressions 8 - 15 and 8 + (-15) alike?" However, the materials do not connect to the expression 15 + ? = 8 to further develop conceptual understanding of the additive inverse.
- In Unit 2 Lesson 11 Equations for Proportional Relationships, students use multiple representations (tables, graphs, and equations) to model a proportional relationship. Students use the provided models in order to answer questions in regard to the proportional relationship by following a procedure to solve problems.
The materials include some problems and questions that develop conceptual understanding throughout the grade level. Examples include:
- Concept Extension provides additional ways to support the development of conceptual understanding. In Unit 1 Lesson 7 Add and Subtract Rational Numbers, students model subtraction of positive and negative numbers with a number line.
- Unit 4, Lesson 19, Understand Conditions for Drawing Triangles: In the Reason and Write section of the lesson, students create a triangle from specifically given conditions and solve for the third unknown angle. Students explain their reasoning and sketch and label two different triangles to justify their answer.
- Unit 5, Lesson 26, Understand Random Samples: In the Reason and Write section of the lesson, students demonstrate their understanding of a random sample by selecting a topic and population from a given list. The directions state, “Describe the attributes of the people that should be represented in a random sample of your population. Then describe how you would create a random sample of the population to participate in the survey. Explain how you know that the sample is representative of the population.”
Indicator 2B
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for giving attention throughout the year to individual standards that set an expectation of procedural skill.
The instructional materials attend to procedural skills in the following ways: lessons that address specific standards, activities, and problem sets. Many of these opportunities are provided by the Additional Fluency Practice book for Grade 7. In the Practice and Problem Solving book, the development of procedural skills happen daily. In addition, the resources include math games for centers, unit practice, skills practice, and fluency repeated reasoning practice are included in the units.
- In Unit 3 Lesson 15 Writing Linear Expressions, students write linear expressions and apply operations to generate equivalent expressions (7.EE.1).
- In Unit 4 Lesson 18 Problem Solving with Angles, students write equations to find unknown angle measures using properties of supplementary, complementary, vertical, and adjacent angles (7.EE.4a).
- In Unit 1 Lesson 5 (7.NS.2d) Terminating and Repeating Decimals, there are problems included in the guided and independent practice that develop procedural skill. In these problems, students convert between decimals, fractions, and decimals and fractions.
Indicator 2C
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Mathematics Grade 7 meet the expectation that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of mathematics without losing focus on the major work of the grade. Overall, the materials have opportunities for students to apply mathematical knowledge and/or skills in a real-world context.
During Independent Practice students often engage with problems that include real-world context and present opportunities for application. The Practice and Problem Solving workbook contains additional routine application problems, and Mid-Unit, Interim, and Unit Assessments often include problems that are contextual. For example:
- In Unit 1 Lesson 8 Independent Practice Problem 4 states, “Ally, Barbara, and Katherine will share the cost of a vacation rental for a week. Ally agrees to pay 30 percent of the cost. Barbara agrees to pay 0.45 of the cost. Katherine will pay the remaining balance. If the rental cost is $960, how much will Ally, Barbara, and Katherine each pay towards the week’s rent?” Students apply their knowledge of rational numbers to find the amount each person will pay of the total.
- Unit 4 Lesson 20 Practice and Problem Solving Book Problem 6 presents a flag in a geometric pattern of triangles and rectangles in three colors. The problem states, “What percentage of the total area of the flag is white?” Students apply both geometric and ratio reasoning to find a solution to the problem.
- The Unit 2 Performance Task begins, “You have been asked to make snack mix for a school event. Below are the main ingredients for two popular recipes. The amounts are for one serving.” Students are given two recipes and information on the cost of ingredients with several constraints. The task continues, “The total number of guests has not been determined, but you need to get some estimates of what the costs might be.” Students are given instruction on what to do, including choosing a recipe and explaining why it was chosen, finding the amounts of ingredients for different numbers of people, and making a shopping list for the maximum amount of people. Students are provided with some guidance to Reflect on Mathematical Practice, a Word Bank, and some Models.
Indicator 2D
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Mathematics Grade 7 meet the expectations for balance. Overall, the three aspects of rigor are not always treated together and are not always treated separately.
In the Teacher Resource Book Program Overview Built for Rigor and Engagement outlines how the materials balance conceptual understanding, procedural skills and fluency, and application. The consistent structure of the lessons presents opportunities to “Understand,” where they develop conceptual understanding, followed by the sections Think It Through, Connect, and Apply, where they explore different procedural skills and application of the mathematics of the lesson. In addition, the Practice and Problem Solving book includes problems that present further opportunities to engage with the three aspects of rigor.
Students engage in the three aspects of rigor independent of each other. For example:
- Unit 2 Lesson 10 Understand Proportional Relationships is designed to develop conceptual understanding. Lesson 10 develops this understanding by having students connect tables and graphs to proportional relationships.
- In Unit 3 Lesson 15 Practice and Problem Solving Problem 3, students select all equivalent expressions to a given expression. Students use their understanding of equivalence and procedural skill to find all possible equivalent expressions.
- Unit 5 Lesson 26 Practice and Problem Solving Problem 6 states: “Evan surveyed his classmates to make a prediction about seventh-grade students. Look at his results in the table. Write two statistical questions that Evan could have asked to get his survey results. Then explain why Evan could not have asked a non-statistical question to get his results.” Students apply their understanding of statistics and relationships between variables in a table to identify plausible questions that are answered by the data in the table.
Balance is displayed in each unit with multiple lessons where two or three aspects of rigor are interwoven.
- In Unit 1 Lesson 3, students make connections between addition and subtraction of integers. Students solve contextual problems. At the end of this lesson, there is an opportunity for students to build fluency with integer operations as well as engage in contextual problems with integers.
- Unit 3 Lesson Practice Problem 15 states: “Market and More is having a cereal sale. Every box of cereal is $0.60 off the regular price. Jane has $10, and she wants to buy four boxes of the same cereal. She uses the inequality below to determine the regular price of cereal that she can afford. Solve the inequality and explain what the solution means. 4(r - 0.6) ≤10.”
- In Unit 4 Lesson 22, students apply their understanding of proportional relationships and scale drawings to determine the length of a boat. “Justin made a scale drawing of a sailboat he saw at a harbor. The length of the actual boat is 24 feet, and the mast is 20 feet high. In Justin’s sketch, the boat is 2 centimeters longer than the mast. What is the length of his sketch?”
Criterion 2.2: Math Practices
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for meaningfully connecting the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical Practice. Overall, the materials identify and partially attend to the full meaning of the MPs, emphasize mathematical reasoning by prompting students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others, assist teachers in engaging students in constructing viable arguments and analyzing the arguments of others, and attend to the specialized language of mathematics.
Indicator 2E
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations that the Standards for Mathematical Practice (MPs) are identified and used to enrich mathematics content within and throughout the grade level.
The Teacher Resource Book identifies MPs the for each lesson in the Table of Contents and in the CCSS Focus section as part of the Lesson Overview. SMP TIPs are found in the Teacher Resource Book throughout the lessons, and these tips highlight the integration of particular MPs within the lessons. Some examples of where the MPs are identified and used to enrich the mathematics content include:
- Unit 2 Lesson 9 Overview identifies MP 7. The SMP Tip for MP 7 states, “Students use structure when they explain how dividing 1 ½ by 2 is the same as multiplying 1 ½ by ½, because division by a number and multiplication by its reciprocal are equivalent operations.”
- Unit 3 Lesson 20 Area of Composite Figures. The SMP Tip for MP 1 states, “The Try It problem provides an opportunity for students to persevere in solving a problem and to reason abstractly. They will need to use the given measures to establish the length and width of the rectangle and the base and height of the triangle. They will then need to decide how to use those measures to find the area of the figure. (SMP 1)"
- In the Unit 1 End-of-Unit Performance Task, students model the mathematics of the task by using a number line to solve a multi-step problem that involves addition and subtraction of positive and negative numbers. (MP 4)
There are some instances where the MPs are overidentified. Unit 5 Lesson 29 Overview notes that MPs 1-7 are all present in the lesson. SMP2- Reason Abstractly and Quantitatively is identified in this lesson, but it is not evident where this practice occurs in the lesson. MP5 - Use appropriate tools strategically is also identified as being in the lesson, but there is no mention of mathematical tools in the lesson, and students are not directed to use or discuss them throughout the lesson.
The Mathematical Practices Handbook describes each of the MPs for students and provides students with questions to elicit thinking and discuss with a partner.
Indicator 2F
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 partially meet expectations that the instructional materials carefully attend to the full meaning of each practice standard. Overall, the materials attend to the full meaning of most of the MPs, but there are two MPs for which the full meaning is not addressed.
Examples where the full intent of an MP is met include:
- MP 1: In Unit 3 Lesson 16, students solve problems using equations. The SMP Tip states: “As students solve a variety of problems, they develop skills in making sense of problems and persevere in solving them. Encourage them to read the problem carefully, list the information given, and state what they need to find out. Then help them decide how they can apply the math they already know to solve it. (SMP 1)”
- MP 2: In Unit 2 Lesson 11, students represent proportional relationships between the number of cars on a rollercoaster and the number of people who can ride the rollercoaster, through graphs and equations. The SMP Tip states, “Students contextualize the equation y = 6x to understand that 6 represents 6 people per car. When working with the various models, reinforce this contextualization by asking students what different components represent in a problem. (SMP 2)”
- MP 7: In Unit 5 Lesson 31, students complete trials of simple probabilities to develop an understanding of the structure of problems. The SMP Tip states, “Students use repeated trials to understand and explain simple probabilities. Allow time for students to repeat this and similar experiments to help them develop strong mental models for probability. (SMP 7)”
- MP 8: In Unit 1 Lesson 1, students look for repeated reasoning when they use related addition problems to solve subtraction problems. In Unit 4 Lesson 24, students work with formulas to find surface areas and look for repeated reasoning when solving other surface area problems.
The instructional materials do not attend to the full meaning of MPs 4 and 5.
- MP 4: The materials provide few opportunities for students to choose, construct, and implement models to enrich the mathematics. In Unit 1 Lesson 2, students work with subtracting and adding positive and negative numbers. The SMP Tip states: “Using a number line to model problems with mathematics helps students grasp the reason behind the rules. Throughout the lesson, help students see connections among the number lines, numerical expressions, and situations described in the problems. (SMP 4)” However, students do not choose the model, nor do they determine the labels of numbers on the given number line.
- MP 5: The materials provide few opportunities for students to choose tools strategically and independently. The Ready Instruction Book states that SMP 5 is identified in Lessons 15 and 17 through 33. In Lessons 31, 32, and 33, there are no opportunities for students to engage with MP5. In Unit 5 Lesson 27, the SMP Tip states: “When students use dynamic graphing software of graphing calculators to create box plots, they are learning to use appropriate tools strategically. The tools allow them to focus on the distribution of data rather than the creation of box plots. (SMP 5)” However, students do not identify and choose tools to enrich the mathematics they are learning; the tool is given to them.
Indicator 2G
Indicator 2G.i
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for prompting students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others. Overall, the materials offer students multiple opportunities to construct viable arguments and/or analyze the arguments of others.
Examples where students are prompted to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others include:
- In the Unit 2 Performance Task, students are shown the work of another student in order to identify the mistake made in the work. Later, students reflect on the mathematical practices: “Argue and Critique - How did you discover and explain Raj’s mistake?”
- In Unit 3 Lesson 16, students construct viable arguments by refining a set of directions for solving two-step equations. The prompt states, “Talk about how you would find the correct answer, and then identify what Lonnie might have done incorrectly.”
- In Unit 5 Lesson 26, students compare sampling methods, and create a plan of their own to gather a random sample. Students critique the reasoning of others as they note the good ideas as well as the problems with each plan presented. Students construct arguments as they defend their own plan for creating a random sample.
Indicator 2G.ii
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for assisting teachers to engage students in constructing viable arguments and analyzing the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics detailed in the content standards. The materials provide teachers with SMP TIPs to help facilitate students to construct arguments and/or analyze the arguments of others.
Examples where teachers are supported to help students construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others include:
- In Unit 1 Lesson 1, teachers are directed to have students explain solutions to problems. The SMP Tip states: “Asking students to share their thinking provides them with an opportunity to practice critiquing the reasoning of others by rephrasing, asking for clarification, or identifying misconceptions.”
- In the Unit 4 Performance Task, teachers invite students to present solutions and choose a Reflect on Mathematical Practices question to answer. Teachers encourage students to explain how their solution is alike or different from other students’ solutions.
- In Unit 5 Lesson 29, students compare two companies' data shown in both dot and box plots. Students give an explanation of which brand seems to be more consistent in its performance. The SMP Tip states, “Asking students to reason inductively about the data and make plausible arguments that take into account the context from which the data arose develops their ability to justify conclusions, communicate them to others, and respond to the arguments of others. (SMP 3)”
Indicator 2G.iii
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectations for explicitly attending to the specialized language of mathematics. Overall, the materials for both students and teachers have multiple ways for students to engage with the vocabulary of mathematics.
- Lesson Vocabulary is identified at at the beginning of every lesson and used correctly to refer to mathematical terms and topics. For example, Unit 2 Lesson 9 includes a definition of a complex fraction in the teacher materials as well as the student materials. Complex fractions are defined as “a fraction where the numerator is a fraction, the denominator is a fraction, or both the numerator and the denominator are fractions.”
- Each lesson has an English Language Learners section in the Teacher Resource Book that contains some ways to support vocabulary development for all students. Some examples are:
- Unit 1 Lesson 1 directs teachers to use the number line to review and reinforce the meaning of the phrases, "opposite sides of the number line" and "distance from 0." Teachers review the meaning of "integer" and have students locate 3 to 4 integers and name their absolute values.
- In Lesson 5, teachers discuss the meanings of terminating decimals and repeating decimals. Students describe the meaning of each term in their own words.
- Teachers pose questions to students and attend to precision using appropriate terminology. For example, Unit 4 Lesson 22 teachers pose the following question, “Why do you multiply the numerator and denominator by 5?”
- In the Teacher Instruction Book, mathematical vocabulary is defined in the Find Out More section.
- Teachers are prompted in the Teacher Resource Book to have students use precise mathematical language. For example, in Lesson 17, the materials state, “In words, describe what the solution set is and what it means in context of the problem.”
- In the Student Practice and Problem Solving Book, mathematical terms are defined, along with a picture example in small square sections labeled “Vocabulary."
Overview of Gateway 3
Usability
Criterion 3.1: Use & Design
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectations for being well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing. The instructional materials distinguish between problems and exercises, have exercises that are given in intentional sequences, have a variety in what students are asked to produce, and include manipulatives that are faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent.
Indicator 3A
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation that the underlying design of the materials distinguishes between problems and exercises.
Students engage with problems and exercises through a consistent lesson structure. Use What You Know presents problems where students connect prior knowledge to the new concepts. Find Out More introduces the lesson followed by Model It, Picture It, Connect It, and Try It. This sequence repeats during Learn About as students engage with exercises during modeled and guided instruction. During Independent Practice, students complete problems and apply their learning. Additional problems and exercises are provided in the Practice and Problem Solving Book. For example:
- In Unit 2, Lesson 10, Understand Proportional Relationships, students compare, apply, and analyze proportional relationships during Guided Practice using both graphs and tables. During Independent Practice students use their understanding of proportional relationships to complete a task to generate one table of data that compares side length and perimeter and another that compares side length and area. They analyze the data using both ratios and graphs to determine if the data are proportional.
- In Unit 3, Lesson 16, Solve Problems with Equations, students are provided with models and strategies for solving problems and then practice solving problems using the models.
- In Unit 5, Lesson 27, Making Statistical Inferences, students compare and analyze forms of random samples to develop a definition of a random sample. During Guided and Modeled Instruction, they see models of different ways to represent distributions of data (tables, line plots, box plots) that represent their random samples.
Indicator 3B
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation that the design of assignments is not haphazard; exercises are given in intentional sequences. Students are presented with a problem at the beginning of each chapter to introduce new concepts and build upon prior knowledge.
The Ready lesson structure is consistent across the series. Within each unit, concept development is sequential. Understand lessons expose students to a concept for the first time and have a heavier emphasis on developing conceptual understanding. There are consistent sections within these lessons that scaffold student learning. Find Out More activities engage students in whole-class examples within a lesson. Learn About reinforces the mathematical concept of the lesson through pictures, models, examples of possible solutions, and independent practice. Practice provides ongoing practice of newly-learned mathematical concepts and skills as students explain and reflect.
The Ready progression chart shows what students learned in previous grades, what they will learn in their current grade, and how this will relate to future grades. In the Teacher Resource Book at the beginning of each lesson, the Learning Progression restates what had been taught in the previous grade, what is taught in the current grade, and what will be taught in the next grade. Lessons are designed using a scaffolded approach that begins with teacher-guided instruction, moves to working with partners, and concludes with completing problems independently. For example, in Unit 1, the lessons are sequenced to build understanding of operations with integers. Lesson 1 builds understanding of addition of positive and negative integers. In Lesson 2, students build understanding subtracting integers, and in Lesson 3 they do both addition and subtraction with integers. Lesson 4 finishes the sequence with dividing and multiplying integers. Each lesson includes opportunities for students to apply their knowledge about integers to solve real-world problems.
Indicator 3C
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations that there is a variety in what students produce.
Students respond and produce solutions in a variety of ways. Students provide evidence through drawings, representations, and written explanations. Students analyze and defend the work of others, and they justify their conclusions with verbal statements and mathematical reasoning.
In Picture It, Model It, Connect It, and Try It, students represent the problems in drawings and make connections between the drawings and the equations. In Pair/Share students discuss approaches to solving problems with another student, promoting students to justify their work and reason through the work of others. Question types vary and include multiple choice, true/false, draw a model, short answer, solve, explain, find the mistake, and multi-step performance tasks. For example: Iin the Practice and Problem Solving Book Lesson 19 Problem 6 students draw the rectangle on the coordinate grid. In Problem 1 students complete a table. For example:
- In Unit 2, Lesson 11, Math Discourse, the teacher poses the following question for students: “How do you think the graph of this proportional relationship might be like other graphs? How might it be different? Explain.”
- In Unit 3, Lesson 16, Problem 5, students are given the side lengths (as an algebraic expression) of an isosceles triangle, as well as the perimeter. Students draw and label the triangle, write an equation, solve the equation, and find the length of all three sides based on the given information.
- In Unit 4, Lesson 21, Reflect, students “Use your own words to explain how to find the circumference of a circle with a radius of 4 inches. Include a drawing in your explanation.”
- In Unit 5, Lesson 31, Think/Pair Share, students individually solve the problems using the information provided and then discuss their solutions with a partner. Students discuss the following: “Would you get the same prediction if you wrote the probability as 1/5 instead of 4/20? Why or why not?”
Indicator 3D
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for providing manipulatives that are faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent and when appropriate are connected to written methods.
In the Hands-On Activities found within each lesson, students use a variety of manipulatives including number cubes, coins, painter’s tape, index cards, and integer chips. For example:
- Unit 1, Lesson 3 presents numerous opportunities for students to use manipulatives:
- In the Hands-On Activity, students use red and yellow integer chips to review addition of integers.
- In the Unit 1, Game in the Practice and Problem Solving Book, students plan an Operation Game involving integers. They use two number cubes to show representations of negative and positive numbers.
- Students walk on a large number line on the floor to model integer addition during the lesson.
- Students engage with visual models using a number line and integer chips to model subtraction.
- In Unit 5, Lessons 31 and 32, students use manipulatives to collect and represent data:
- In Lesson 31, students collect their own data by rolling number cubes. They gather the results into a frequency table.
- In Lesson 32, Modeled and Guided Instruction, students use a coin-toss simulation to create an experimental and theoretical probability model for determining the gender of a baby and explain the connection between the different probabilities.
A detailed Manipulative List is included in the Program Implementation section. For Grade 7 these include centimeter cubes, two or more color counters, number cubes, algebra tiles, tangrams, pan balance, etc. These are used throughout the series to represent mathematical ideas and connect to written methods.
Indicator 3E
The visual design of the instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 is not distracting or chaotic and supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.
The format of each lesson is consistent in both the Teacher Resource Book and Student Instruction Book. The pictures within the Student Instruction Book and the Interactive Tutorials on the Ready Teacher Toolbox are colorful, engaging, and represent items that are relevant to students.
Interactive tutorials are available for each lesson on the Online Teacher Toolbox. The interactive tutorials provide students with on-level or prerequisite skills needed for that lesson with animation that engages the students with real-world situations. While students wait for the video to load, comments by the characters provide insight into the lesson and help capture students’ attention. For example, Lesson 19 in the student book shows a picture of a fence built with a diagonal board on it. This graphic enhances the student's visual understanding of the context of the problem to solve.
The students have adequate white space to work within the Student Instruction Book and Practice and Problem Solving Book. Each lesson for the teacher and student has a consistent layout throughout the series. The pictures match the concepts addressed.
The student materials are clearly labeled as guided instruction and independent work, and the problem sets provide consistent numbering for each section.
Criterion 3.2: Teacher Planning
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectations for supporting teacher learning and understanding of the Standards. The instructional materials support through: planning and providing learning experiences with quality questions; containing ample and useful notations and suggestions on how to present the content; containing full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced mathematics concepts; and containing explanations of the grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum.
Indicator 3F
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectations that materials support teachers in planning and providing effective learning experiences by providing quality questions to help guide students' mathematical development. Support is provided in the following ways:
Step by Step in each lesson organizes content into chunks for student learning and includes guiding questions, key points, and teacher prompts. For example, Lesson 24 Picture It provides teachers with guidance and questions: “What shapes make up the greenhouse? You may need to prompt students by saying: Let’s start with rectangles, how many rectangles do you see?” In Lesson 24, teachers are provided Pair/Share questions to use: “How could you check to see if your answer is reasonable?” Teachers are directed to have students discuss their solutions to these questions with a partner or in a group.
The Mathematical Discourse section in each lesson includes questions to engage students and advance their mathematical understanding. In Lesson 11, Equations for Proportional Relationships, the Mathematical Discourse, Question 2 states, “How do you think ratios and proportions are related? Do you think they are similar or different, and in what ways?” The step-by-step directions include, “In problem 6, ask students to explain how they used the equation to find the amount of seltzer.”
Indicator 3G
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations that they contain a teacher edition with ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials. Where applicable, materials include teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.
The instructional materials provide resources to support teacher planning.
- The Teacher Resource Book provides a separate pacing guide for the year, month, week, and day.
- The Unit Overview page includes lesson titles, page numbers, the primary and supporting standards, and content objectives. Two Common Core correlation charts, Ready Instruction Correlation and Interim Assessment Correlation, are included.
- The Cognitive Rigor and Ready Chart lists specific questions identified as DOK level 3.
The Teacher Resource Book contains components to assist with lesson delivery.
- At a Glance explains what students will be doing during each component of the lesson.
- Step by Step organizes the lesson into chunks and provides guiding questions.
- SMP Tips highlight specific Standards for Mathematical Practice.
- Mathematical Discourse includes questions to engage students and advance their learning. Possible answers and key ideas to listen for in student responses are included.
- Try It Solutions provide complete explanations and, in some cases, multiple solutions.
- Concept Extensions, ELL Support, and Visual Models provide support, suggestions, and strategies to engage students with activities that support varied abilities.
- Solutions in the Independent Practice section includes a correct response, at least one possible solution method, and the DOK level for the problems.
- Quick Check and Remediation includes an exit slip to monitor understanding. A chart includes error analysis and remediation suggestions.
- Hands-On Activity extends the concepts and skills, using manipulatives and a collaborative group approach.
- Challenge Activity extends the learning of those students who have mastered the skills and concepts.
The Teacher Toolbox found online contains the following technology components to assist with lesson delivery:
- Interactive Tutorials are referenced as part of Day 1 instruction for most lessons and provide interactive video clips for delivery of student mathematical learning.
- i-Ready Door 24 Plus is a free iPad app for fact fluency practice but is not explicitly included in the Teacher Resource Book for instruction. i-Ready (available for additional purchase and used by most Ready users) is an Online Diagnostic and Instruction component.
Indicator 3H
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for containing a teacher edition in print and online that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced mathematics concepts in the lessons so that teachers can improve their knowledge of the subject, as necessary.
In each lesson, information is provided for the teacher to understand and make connections between the mathematical content and practices, errors or misconceptions that may arise, and the rationale behind specific lesson parts. For example:
- In Unit 4, Lesson 24, the Learning Progression states, “Earlier in Grade 7 students continued their work from Grade 6, solving real-world and mathematical problems involving surface area of two- and three-dimensional objects composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, cubes, and right prisms. In this lesson, students use formulas and write equations to calculate the areas of rectangles and triangles that compromise the three-dimensional figures.”
- In Unit 2, Lesson 11, the SMP TIP for MP1 states, “When students understand what the data in a table represent they are making sense of the problem. Encourage students to question what different values in a representation mean, and use other models to check their understanding.”
Throughout Ready Grade 7 there is guidance for teachers that identifies and connects the underlying mathematics of a lesson. These are written in adult language.
Indicator 3I
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for containing a teacher edition (in print and in the online Teacher Toolbox) that explains the role of the specific grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum.
Each unit begins with a Lessons Progressions Chart. This chart lists lessons that students are building upon. These lessons come from previous grades and from Grade 7. For example, Unit 3, Lesson 17 builds upon Grade 6, Lesson 20 and Grade 7, Lessons 12 and 16. The chart also identifies the standards the lesson is preparing for: Standard 7.EE.4b, and Standard 7.EE.3.
Each Lesson Overview includes a Learning Progression section. This section begins with an explanation of how the lesson builds on prior knowledge from Grade 6. The Learning Progression explains the lesson's overall connection to previous Grade 7 lessons and lessons in Grade 8, including the mathematical content of the lesson.
Indicator 3J
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 provide a list of lessons in both the printed and digital versions of the Teacher Resource Book that cross-reference lessons and standards and provide an estimated instructional time for each unit, chapter, and lesson.
- Pacing for Ready Mathematics includes a pacing guide detailing the number of days expected for each lesson and unit for the entire year.
- The Table of Contents contains a list of CCSS and SMPs for each lesson. In addition, each lesson overview contains the domain, cluster, and standard for the lessons in the unit.
- In the Teacher Guide for the Practice and Problem Solving Book, there is a Correlation Chart on pages A13-A16 that lists the CCSS, organized by domain, and the corresponding Ready Practice and Problem Solving Lesson.
- A Unit Correlations chart lists the five units of study and which CCSS are present in the Game, Unit Practice, and Performance Task for each unit. The correlation chart is also included in the online tool box in the Program Implementation section called Ready Mathematics Standards Correlations.
Indicator 3K
The Ready Grade 7 instructional materials contain strategies for informing parents or caregivers about the mathematics program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.
Each lesson contains a Family Letter included in the Practice and Problem solving book. The letter includes a brief overview of the lesson as well as an example of a problem that students encounter in that lesson. The letter is provided in English and Spanish. For example, in Lesson 8, Solve Problems with Rational Numbers, the Family Letter contains an explanation and examples of real-life situations using rational numbers, related vocabulary, and a worked problem.
Indicator 3L
The Ready Grade 7 instructional materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of research-based strategies.
The Teacher Resource Book contains the following explanations of the program instructional approaches:
- “Answering the Demands of the Common Core with Ready” details how the program addresses the shifts in the standards.
- “Supporting Research” provides the instructional methods used by Ready, examples of where these methods are found in the program, and research that supports these methods.
- “Cognitive Rigor and Ready” provides a table that combines the hierarchies of learning of Webb (Depth of Thinking) and Bloom (Types of Thinking) and provides a table that charts where higher-complexity items can be found within lessons.
- References are provided at the back of the Teacher Edition. This list details key research reports on math instruction and learning.
Criterion 3.3: Assessment
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 partially meet the expectations for offering teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the Standards. The instructional materials provide opportunities for identifying and addressing common student errors and misconceptions, ongoing review and practice with feedback, and assessments with standards clearly denoted. The instructional materials do not consistently provide strategies for gathering information about students’ prior knowledge or include aligned rubrics and scoring guidelines that provide sufficient guidance to teachers.
Indicator 3M
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 partially meet expectations for providing strategies for gathering information about students’ prior knowledge within and across grade levels.
Prerequisite skills are listed for each unit and lesson. At the beginning of each unit in the Student Instruction Book, students check off skills they already know in the “Self Check.” Filling out the checklist is explicitly called for in the “Step By Step” section at the beginning of the unit in the Teacher Resource Book. Prerequisite support lessons are provided for the teacher within each lesson to review prerequisite concepts or fill in gaps in student knowledge.
There are no pretests included within the program to gather information about students’ prior knowledge. The i-Ready Diagnostic is an optional component available at an additional cost.
Indicator 3N
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for providing strategies for teachers to identify and address common student errors and misconceptions.
The Quick Check and Remediation at the end of a lesson presents a question to monitor understanding of the content of the lesson. This section includes a chart of incorrect answers, common errors, and remediation suggestions.
Lesson Quizzes provide teachers with a Common Misconceptions and Errors section that describes common misconceptions and errors.
Within lessons themselves, directions instruct teachers to watch for specific errors and misconceptions, and suggestions are provided to address these. For example, in Unit 4, Lesson 24, the Error Alert states, “Students who wrote 36 may have divided the surface area by 6 to come up with the area of a face and stopped there.”
Indicator 3O
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for providing opportunities for ongoing review and practice, with feedback, for students in learning both concepts and skills.
Over the course of each lesson, responsibility for the learning process transfers from the teacher to the student. Students move from scaffolded support within the Guided Practice to independent problem solving within the Independent Practice. With guidance from the Teacher Resource book, feedback is provided to students throughout the lessons from the teacher. Feedback can be given in the Mathematical Discourse section in each lesson. Written feedback can be provided through the rubrics and student quizzes.
Indicator 3P
Indicator 3P.i
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for offering ongoing formative and summative assessments that clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.
- Standards are clearly noted within assessments found in the Mathematics Assessments Teachers Guide.
- An Interim Assessment, providing standards correlations for each item, is located in the Interim Assessment - Teacher section of the Mid-Unit and End-of-Unit Resources tab at the end of each unit.
- Unit Assessments provide standards correlations for each item. Unit Assessments and correlations are found in the Unit Assessment Answer Key - Teacher section of the Mid-Unit and End-of-Unit Resources tab at the end of each unit.
- Lesson quizzes and quick checks are provided for most lessons. These quizzes assess the specific standards being taught in the lesson.
Indicator 3P.ii
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 partially meet expectations for the inclusion of rubrics and scoring guidelines that provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.
Scoring rubrics are provided throughout the course. Rubrics can be found within lessons for student answers, in quizzes, and Interim Assessments. Within lessons, rubrics and scoring guidelines provide guidance for teachers to follow-up, and throughout Ready, there is guidance for teachers on behaviors to look for, error alerts, and misconceptions. However, the lesson quizzes, Mid-Unit and Unit Assessments, Interim Assessments, and the Assessment Books provide little guidance for teachers on how to interpret student performance or suggestions for follow-up. For example, scoring rubrics are provided for Unit Performance Tasks, but follow-up suggestions based on scoring criteria are not provided.
Indicator 3Q
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 encourage students to monitor their own progress.
- There is a Self Check for students at the beginning of each unit. It is to be marked both before and then again after the unit.
- There is a red pictorial reminder at the end of each lesson labeled Self Check that states, “Go back and see what you can check off on the Self Check on page ….”
Criterion 3.4: Differentiation
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectations for supporting teachers in differentiating instruction for diverse learners within and across grades. The instructional materials provide a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics. The instructional materials also consistently provide: strategies to help teachers sequence or scaffold lessons; strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners; tasks with multiple entry points; support, accommodations, and modifications for English Language Learners and other special populations; and opportunities for advanced students to investigate mathematics content at greater depth.
Indicator 3R
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for providing strategies to help teachers sequence or scaffold lessons so that the content is accessible to all learners.
- Each lesson follows a gradual release model in which scaffolded support is withdrawn as students gain mastery. Each lesson consists of four components: Introduction, Modeled and/or Guided Instruction, Guided Practice, and Independent Practice.
- Lessons are sequenced to build conceptual understanding, using concrete and pictorial representations to more abstract representations.
- The marginal notes in the Teacher Resource book often suggest ways to support students as a whole and subgroups of students who might need extra support. Notes include sections on vocabulary, concept extensions, visual models, hands-on activities, real-world connections, and challenge activities.
- Some lessons contain a Differentiated Instruction page which contains an Intervention Activity, On-Level Activity, and a Challenge Activity.
Indicator 3S
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for providing teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners.
The Teacher Resource Book contains the following support:
- Each lesson includes a section called Small Group Differentiation that consists of two subsections: Reteach and Teacher-led Activities. (Some lessons have both subsections while others have one.) Specific lessons from earlier in the material, as well as the previous grade-level material in the series, are identified and can be used to review or fill in gaps in student knowledge. Every lesson also contains a Personalized Learning-Independent section.
- The marginal notes in the Teacher Resource Book suggest ways to support students as a whole and provide specific strategies for subgroups of students who might need extra support. This includes sections on vocabulary, concept extensions, visual models, hands-on activities, real-world connections, and challenge activities.
- Some lessons contain a Differentiated Instruction page that includes an Intervention Activity, On-Level Activity, and a Challenge Activity.
- The student Practice and Problem Solving book includes three levels of problems (basic, medium, challenge) that include verbal, visual, and symbolic representations.
Indicator 3T
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for embedding tasks with multiple entry-points that can be solved using a variety of solution strategies or representations.
The lesson structure introduces students to different strategies and representations for solving problems, and the embedded tasks use multiple representations (drawings, charts, graphs, numbers, or words) and different solution strategies that provide multiple points of entry to tasks. For example:
- In Unit 1, Lesson 5, Terminating and Repeating Decimals, students explore equivalent forms of unit fractions, fractions, and decimals. During Modeled and Guided Instruction students look at situations where representing fractions as decimals is more efficient, study models for dividing fractions to find decimals, and analyze patterns to understand decimals that terminate and those that repeat. During Independent Practice, students identify equivalent fractions and decimals, complete a table, and describe the patterns they see in repeating decimals.
Performance Tasks on Interim Assessments and Practice and Problem Solving include opportunities to engage with tasks with multiple entry points. For example:
- In the Unit 3 Performance Task, students are given information on the cost for printing 500 calendars and the ideal price point between $10 and $12. To complete the task, students need to decide on an appropriate selling price, write an equation to find the amount of money the shelter receives for each calendar it sells, show the amounts received for different numbers of calendar sales, and finally, determine the number of calendars sold to pay for the printing costs and explain. Students can use any method to solve the task, and there are multiple entry points for students to solve the problem. Furthermore, students need to justify their selling price and explain why they used the model they did.
Indicator 3U
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for suggesting support, accommodations, and modifications for English Language Learners and other special populations that will support their regular and active participation in learning mathematics.
- ELL strategies can be found throughout the curriculum to build language development and understanding. For example, the Unit 5, Lesson 31, Experimental Probability, “Find Out More” section includes three prompts for teachers to support English Language Learners and an explanation of everyday and academic vocabulary: “Everyday terms have a different meaning in the mathematics classroom. Write the word ‘trial’ on the board, and ask students to explain what they know the word means in everyday speech. Explain that the word means something different in mathematics. Give several examples of different types of trials such as rolling a number cube and spinning a spinner.”
- Performance tasks found at the end of every unit provide students with a graphic organizer to help build vocabulary.
- In each lesson, there are tips for using visual models in order to provide support, suggestions, and strategies to engage students with activities that support varied abilities.
- Some lessons include a Differentiated Instruction section that includes an Intervention Activity, an On-Level Activity, and a Challenge Activity.
- Small Group Differentiation guidance is also included in the Lesson Pacing Guide. For example, in Unit 2, Lesson 9, Ratios Involving Complex Fractions, Small Group Differentiation identifies Grade 6 Lessons 1 and 2 as prerequisite lessons.
Indicator 3V
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet expectations for providing opportunities for advanced students to investigate mathematics content at greater depth.
Materials offer the following instructional support for advanced learners:
- Each lesson of the Teacher Resource Book includes a Challenge Activity that provides students who have mastered the concepts and skills of the lesson with a more sophisticated problem. For example, in Unit 3, Lesson 15, Writing Linear Expressions Challenge Activity, students find the percent discount when given the sale price and the original price of a shirt.
Indicator 3W
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 meet the expectation for providing a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics.
- The names of characters and the context of real-world situations in problems represent a variety of cultural groups.
- Interactive Tutorials found in the online Teacher Toolbox represent students of both genders and various ethnicities.
- Cartoon characters presented in the student edition represent students of both genders and various ethnicities.
Indicator 3X
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.
The following strategies are found in the Teacher Resource Book:
- Each lesson provides teachers with a lesson plan that includes teacher-led activities for whole-group instruction and small-group instruction.
- Throughout the curriculum there are ample opportunities for students to Pair/Share with step-by-step directions for teachers.
- The Online Teacher Toolbox provides math games at the end of each unit with recommended grouping strategies.
Indicator 3Y
The instructional materials reviewed for Ready Grade 7 provide limited support for teachers to draw upon home language and culture to facilitate learning.
The online Teacher Toolbox provides an English and Spanish version of the family letters in the Practice and Problem Solving book. However, the English Language Learner strategies contained within most lessons do not provide guidance for teachers on how to engage students with different levels of language acquisition or how to integrate home language into daily classroom activities.
Criterion 3.5: Technology
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 integrate technology in ways that engage students in the Mathematical Practices. The digital materials are web-based and compatible with multiple internet browsers, but they do not include opportunities to assess student mathematical understandings and knowledge of procedural skills. The digital materials do not include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students, and the materials offer some opportunities for customized, local use. The instructional materials do not include opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other.
Indicator 3AA
The Ready Grade 7 digital materials are web-based and compatible with multiple internet browsers. The Teacher Resource Book, Teacher Toolbox, and Student Books are platform neutral and can be accessed on tablets and mobile devices. The i-Ready Door 24 Plus is used for fact fluency, and practice is only available for iPads.
Indicator 3AB
The instructional materials for Ready Grade 7 do not include opportunities to assess students’ mathematical understanding and knowledge of procedural skills using technology.
i-Ready is an online diagnostic and monitoring tool (available for additional purchase and used by most Ready users). i-Ready has two components. i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive diagnostic, and i-Ready Standards Mastery is designed to provide information about mastery of individual grade-level standards.
Indicator 3AC
The Ready Grade 7 digital instructional materials cannot be customized for individual learners or users. An additional purchase of i-Ready (available for additional purchase and used by most Ready users) does provide adaptive diagnostic and growth measures to support personalized instruction.
There are limited opportunities for the teacher to customize lessons for local use. In the digital material, Prerequisite Lessons can be accessed as well as teacher-led activities for small-group differentiation. The Tools for Instruction digital materials can be used for additional instruction and/or review of prerequisite concepts.
Indicator 3AD
The Ready Grade 7 instructional materials do not provide opportunities for teachers to collaborate with other teachers or for students to collaborate with other students.
Indicator 3Z
The Ready Grade 7 instructional materials include Interactive Tutorials that are animated interactive lessons. These tutorials include integrative technology such as interactive tools and virtual manipulatives/objects to engage students in the Mathematical Practices as they model the mathematical content of the lesson.