The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic/topics (or, for grades 6-8, topics and/or themes) to build students’ ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently.

The Grade 6 materials are organized around the theme of change. Each unit takes on a facet of this theme: Unit 1–Stories of Change, Unit 2–The Power to Change, Unit 3–Changing Perspectives, and Unit 4–A Change of Scene. Within each unit, texts are also connected to appropriate topics, such as opinions on homework and teen technology use, as well as poets and authors. The texts included follow a logical sequence that scaffold students toward reading increasingly more difficult texts independently including stories, dramas, poetry, literary nonfiction, historical, scientific, and technical texts. The Planning the Unit page of the materials provides the rationale for the goal of the unit and details the scaffolding that will be used to help students increase their skills by the end of the unit and ultimately by the end of the year.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, students explore the theme of “Stories of Change.” Students read a series of literary texts, including short stories, personal narratives, and a myth to develop an understanding of how stories are created to reflect the concept of change. The Planning the Unit page states that in the first half of the unit, students read texts that reflect personal narratives and by the second half of the unit, they focus on more imaginative narrative writing skills in order to produce their own short stories.
• In Unit 2, the texts center on the theme of “Changes in Characters.” Students review this theme through a film, a poem, a narrative, and a novel. The Planning the Unit page states that the first half of the unit begins with students analyzing how internal and external forces cause characters and people to change. In the second half of the unit, students apply close-reading strategies while reading informational texts from multiple genres, including essay, memoir, and biographical film. Students practice the crucial skills of conducting research to compare and contrast different authors' presentations on changes in characters. The students focus on writing with clear development and organization.
• In Unit 3, the theme, “Changing Perspectives,” is tied to the skill of argument writing. Students read a variety of texts, including news articles, opinion pieces, letters, and informational texts organized around controversial topics, such as homework and teen technology use, from different perspectives, for example that of a teacher and a student, in order to examine each key component to an effective written argument.
• In Unit 4, the texts are organized around the theme, “A Change of Scene.” In Activity 4.5, students read two texts about Pat Mora. Then in the Knowledge Quest section, the students “think about the ways personal stories can inspire, challenge, and ultimately change a person.” In Activity 4.14, students read Act II from the play, The Miracle Worker by William Gibson. The students are focused on the language and imagery in the play. Then they reread and analyze the scene, watch the film clip, and compare the two texts. In the Embedded Assessment 2, the students “work collaboratively to prepare and present a scene from William Gibson’s play, The Miracle Worker.” This is a culmination of the skills work and texts from Unit 4, and connects to the theme, “A Change of Scene.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts.

The Grade 6 SpringBoard materials provide text-dependent questions and activities to build students’ comprehension and knowledge over the school year. The texts, including, but not limited to, poems, novels, photos, and graphs, require students to carefully analyze the text for use of language, key ideas, details and craft, and structure. The tasks and questions are sequenced over the course of an activity, unit, and school year to progress from more literal and scaffolded tasks, to more rigorous and independent ones. In the Teacher Wrap, teachers are provided with guidance, instructions, scaffolds, and suggestions for the planning and implementation of questions and tasks to utilize in class. Teachers are provided with formative and summative tasks that show mastery of the concepts included in each unit.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, in the Planning the Unit section, the materials state that students “...will analyze stories about change as well as write your own ideas and stories about change.” In Activity 1.12, students read a short story “Thank You M’am” by Langston Hughes, and answer the question, “ How does dialogue between Roger and Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones differ from standard English? Use the examples in paragraphs 28 and 32 to explain why the author would not want to use standard English in these sentences?” In Activity 1.14, students read the myth, “Orpheus and Eurydice” by Bob Blaisdell. When the students complete the Return to the Text questions, they answer the question, “How does the author’s language in the final paragraph set a mood for a resolution?” Then in Activity 1.16, students read the short story, “The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean Myers, and answer the question, “Explain how the author uses language to create a mood during the first half of this story.”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.5, students “...evaluate how the plot of Walk Two Moons evolves and affects the characters.” The first question is a Quickwrite, “How can going on a physical (external) journey change your emotional (internal) self?” Then students complete a graphic organizer to explore “How the characters respond to change” by “...record[ing] episodes that lead to character changes in Walk Two Moons.” Finally, students explore the two kinds of journeys by brainstorming events from the physical (external) and the emotional (internal) journey that the characters experience. Students also are asked, “Which journey in Walk Two Moons is the main plot of the novel? What are the subplots? How are the subplots related to the main plot in terms of time? Why are the plots structured in this way? Explain your reasoning.”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.9, students look at a photo alongside the poem, “Since Hannah Moved Away” by Judith Viorst, and answer the question, “The person in this photo laments about a move, as does the poem’s speaker and Sal from Walk Two Moons. What does it mean to lament?”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.10, students look at a model argumentative letter. In particular, they examine the structure of the argument. For example, “What does paragraph 2 say about students having access to the internet from the home instead of the school?” and “How does the author use paragraphs 3 and 4 to develop and strengthen the argument?”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.2, students read several limericks by Edward Lear and examine language, word choice, key details, craft, and structure by responding to the following questions: “What does the title of the collection tell you about the theme of the limericks? Which details in the limericks relate to the title? How do meter and rhythm affect the mood of these limericks? Read the seventh limerick. How do context clues help you figure out the play on words in the last line? After reading all seven limericks, would you call their writing style formal or informal? Also, what is the writer's attitude toward the subject of each limerick? Do all the limericks have the same tone? Explain your answer.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts.

In the SpringBoard Grade 6 materials, the majority of the questions and tasks in the materials support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. The teacher materials found in the Teacher Wrap section provide teachers with guidance on sequencing questions and tasks, as well as guidance on scaffolding and differentiation. The materials provide opportunities for students to integrate knowledge over a single text and multiple texts in each unit. Students are also provided with the opportunity to analyze their independent reading selections with the texts read in class through the Independent Reading Checkpoints and in some cases, the opportunity to analyze primary and secondary sources on the same topic. By the end of each unit and the program, students are integrating their learning from all the activities associated with that unit.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.9, Independent Reading Checkpoint, students analyze across multiple texts when connecting their Independent Reading Selection to the texts read in class. Students respond to the following prompt: “Write a summary about how the theme of change is presented in your independent reading book. Explain the significance of these changes using text evidence to support your explanations. Tell how the theme of change in your book compares to the theme of change in at least one of the assigned texts you read.”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.6, students focus on Sal’s description of the singing tree in the novel, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, noting the time, the mood, and the details about the setting. Then, students respond to “What do the details about the tree tell you about the theme or central idea of the novel?”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.9, students compare the development of a theme in two different texts. “What theme is developed in both ‘Since Hannah Moved Away’ by Judith Viorst and Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech? How is the theme developed differently in each text?” This question requires students to analyze themes across two texts.
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.4, students read “A High School Student’s Perspective on Homework” by Amedee Martella to examine the claims the author makes and identify the evidence used to support the claims. Students respond to the following questions: “What is the author's claim in this article? How do you know? The following claim is made in ‘A Teacher's Defense of Homework:’ ‘Homework isn't very beneficial for younger kids.’ How does ‘A High School Student's Perspective on Homework’ support this claim?”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.4, students read multiple poems by Pat Mora, specifically “I Can Dance,” “Ode to Teachers,” and Dumped,” and answer the following questions: “Looking at the three poems by Pat Mora, what kinds of experiences does she write about? What themes are present in all three poems? Use evidence from the poems to support your inference.”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.5, students use primary and secondary sources about the poet, Pat Mora, to analyze across texts. Students respond to several questions, including: “Think about what you learned about Mora from her letter and this article. How does Mora use her own experiences to inspire future writers?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that the questions and tasks support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic (or, for grades 6-8, a theme) through integrated skills (e.g., combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).

The Grade 6 SpringBoard materials provide culminating tasks for each activity and/or unit that are multifaceted and require students to demonstrate mastery of multiple Grade 6 standards. Culminating tasks include, but are not limited to, writing a narrative, writing an argumentative letter, engaging in a debate, and writing and performing a scene. The tasks require students to engage in integrated reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Tasks leading up to the culminating tasks are varied and provide teachers with ongoing formative and anecdotal readiness information. Teachers are prompted in the Teacher Wrap to actively engage with students as they work independently, in pairs, or in groups. The teacher provides scaffolded support such as guiding questions, as needed, to help students access readiness. The culminating tasks build to give students the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge about the topic or topics of the unit and/or activity.

Examples include but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, Embedded Assessment 2, students complete a culminating task for Unit 1 by writing a short story. “Write a story using dialogue, vivid verbs, and figurative language that captures a real or imagined experience using characters, conflict, and a plot with exposition, climax, and resolution.” Throughout Unit 1, students are taught each element and practice to prepare for the culminating tasks. Teachers are equipped with information on whether students are ready to complete the culminating tasks. Students work in writing groups formed with three students “so that they can share and respond to each other’s drafts, as they serve in reader, listener, and writer roles and offer praise and suggestions to their peers."
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.19, students complete a culminating task for the activity by synthesizing the story of Temple Grandin. In this activity, students watch film clips and read two texts about Temple Grandin. After each text, students engage in text-dependent questions, discussion, and writing to explore each one. For example, after reading an excerpt from the autobiography, “Animals in Translation,” students answer the question, “How does Grandin change as the result of her new school?” After reading “Hampshire School for Wayward Wizards,” students work with a partner to answer text-dependent questions. In the Teacher Wrap, the teacher is prompted to “Move from pair to pair and listen in as students answer the text-dependent questions.” There are suggestions for scaffolding the text-dependent questions if the teacher notices that students are struggling. Finally, students consider all the information about Temple Gandin to complete a writing task, “How did animals help Temple Grandin deal with the challenges of autism?”
• In Unit 3, Embedded Assessment 1, students research and debate a controversy. Students demonstrate their knowledge about a controversial topic through reading and researching, writing their plan for their argument, orally debating, and listening and responding to the opposing side.
• In Unit 4, Embedded Assessment 2, students “Work collaboratively to prepare and present a scene from William Gibson's play The Miracle Worker.” Students demonstrate their knowledge about drama through reading and analyzing the play, writing notes and annotating the scene, orally performing the scene, and listening and responding to the group members throughout the project process.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts.

The Grade 6 SpringBoard materials include a cohesive year-long vocabulary plan that is included in the Vocabulary, and Word Connection sections of the materials. Additionally, the words are listed for each activity in the unit. The vocabulary listed is connected to the texts or the tasks in each unit and is hyperlinked to the text. Students engage in vocabulary instruction through direct teaching, using context, and completing a task such as graphic organizers. One graphic organizer used throughout the materials is the QHT framework which is Q—words you have questions about, H—words you’ve heard before, but not sure about the meaning, and T—words you could teach. Students encounter the vocabulary before, during, and after reading and vocabulary spans across multiple texts and/or tasks. Lists of Academic and Literary terms are provided in the Planning the Unit section of each unit. The vocabulary in each unit is embedded in reading, speaking, and/or writing tasks, and builds over the course over the unit.

Some examples are as follows:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.2, the following vocabulary words are listed: “Academic: sequence; Literary: internal, external response; [Content/Text Specific] Terms: jalopy, gasping, strained, murmured, savoring, period, vital, language barriers, social isolation, inhibit.” Students then read “The Circuit.” Before reading, teachers give students these instructions: “As you read the story, underline details you learn about the main characters and mark places in the text where you see changes in their attitude or behavior. Circle unknown words and phrases. Use context clues to determine their meaning or use a dictionary. Some unfamiliar words in this story might be Spanish words.” QHT is introduced and students complete the graphic organizer for this strategy while reading the text. In Word Connections, students complete the following task: “Roots and Affixes: The Greek root chron in chronological means ‘time.’ Chronological means ‘ordered by time.’ Other English words having to do with time also contain this root. Based on this new knowledge, determine the meaning of the words chronicle, chronic, chronology, and synchronize.” In Working From the Text, Vocabulary, students “Return to the story and review the words and phrases that you underlined. Use these annotations to work with your class to create a sequence of events.” Students then complete a graphic organizer for the internal and external conflicts within the text.
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.4, Vocabulary section, students learn about the vocabulary words, “Terms: Compare and Contrast.” Students then read Chapters 1–4 from Walk Two Moons. In Novel Student, Question 2, students “Take a closer look at the two main characters in Walk Two Moons by using the following graphic organizer to note all the ways the author uses characterization. You will use these notes to compare and contrast the characters.” Students then complete the graphic organizer comparing and contrasting the characters. Under Vocabulary, the terms compare and contrast are explained. Students revisit these terms several times over the course of the school year, including in Activity 2.17, Independent Reading Link, when they compare and contrast themes within the text from Activity 2.17 and their independent reading selection.
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.1, Vocabulary section, students learn about the word controversy and its definition. They answer the question “Why do we have controversy in a society?” During Embedded Assessment 1, the students “Work collaboratively to research one side of a controversy…”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.6, Vocabulary section, students conduct research and receive the following vocabulary words, “Academic: evaluate, annotate.” In Vocabulary, explanations of both terms are provided. Students then respond to the following questions, “Evaluate your sources by determining their reliability, credibility, and usefulness. Can you trust the source of information? Why or why not? How does the source address your research question(s)? Does the source have a bias toward or against a person or topic? Annotate your sources as you read to make sure that you understand what you are reading. For paper sources, mark the text with pencil and highlighters. If you are working digitally, use the tools available in PDF or word-processing software. Your annotations will help you set up your double-entry journal.” Students revisit these two terms in Activity 4.8, reflecting on their command of the terms.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan to support students’ increasing writing skills over the course of the school year, building students’ writing ability to demonstrate proficiency at grade level at the end of the school year.

The Grade 6 SpringBoard materials support students’ growth in writing skills over the course of the school year and include writing instruction aligned to the standards. The materials include well-designed lesson plans, models, and protocols for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development. Students complete relevant and authentic writing tasks such as, but not limited to, writing a narrative, an argumentative letter, and a literary analysis. Students are provided with ample direct instruction, practice, and application of writing skills that gradually move towards student independence. In the Teacher Wrap, teachers are provided with instructions on leading students to establish a Reader/Writer Notebook to record learning and ideas for their writing and to monitor their own progress and Portfolios to provide a place for storing writing tasks which show growth throughout the year. Each unit contains two Embedded Assessments, most of which are writing prompts. Students are provided the writing prompt at the beginning of the unit for Embedded Assessment 1 and midway through the unit for Embedded Assessment 2. Each activity in the unit helps teach writing skills through analyzing texts and writing prompts scaffold students toward their full length writing in the Embedded Assessment.

Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.1, Teacher Wrap, teachers are instructed: “This is the time to create the Reader/Writer Notebook for students to keep all writing ideas and vocabulary notes for later reference. The notebook, coupled with the Portfolio, is an important tool for recognizing progress.”
• In Unit 2, Activities 2.1-2.13 provide students with instruction and prompts to prepare them for writing a literary analysis for Embedded Assessment 1. In each of the activities, students are provided with texts to model their writing after, and/or are provided brainstorming and reflective prompts to provide scaffolding and support such as, but not limited to the following: use a double-entry journal to practice recording textual evidence to support analysis about character, plot, subplot, and setting; prepare for a Literature Circle discussion by practicing the skills of questioning the text, examining how language impacts meaning, summarizing, and connecting; after reading the novel, students collaboratively discuss their ideas from their extended close reading and analysis of the novel, which prepares them to write a response for Embedded Assessment 1. Students are also provided a detailed rubric with questions prompting them to monitor their own progress during the writing process.
• In Unit 3, Embedded Assessment 2, students complete the following task: “Think about a topic (subject, event, idea, or controversy) that you truly care about and take a position on it. Write an argumentative letter to convince an audience to support your position on the topic.” Students will experience the following stages of writing with this task: planning/prewriting, researching, drafting, evaluating, revising, checking and editing for publication. In the Teacher Wrap, teachers are provided with the following suggestions: “Portfolio: This would be a good time for students to review their work for the entire unit and choose work to move to their Portfolios. Students should also reflect on their skills and set goals for improvement.”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.6, students write an informational text using research they have gathered about a poet. Students are reminded to utilize writing skills they have honed throughout the year including: answering their own research questions, evaluating the credibility of sources, integrating examples from multiple sources, avoiding plagiarism, using academic vocabulary and formal style, and revising/editing as needed. In addition, the provided scoring guide can be downloaded for easy access. Based on the progress through the writing tasks, teachers can monitor student understanding of the steps contained in the writing process.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials include a progression of focused research projects to encourage students to develop knowledge in a given area by confronting and analyzing different aspects of a topic using multiple texts and source materials.

The Grade 6 SpringBoard materials provide students opportunities to conduct multiple short and long research projects spread across a school year and include a progression of research skills appropriate for Grade 6. The materials support teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge on a topic through embedding research in multiple activities in both the student text and the Teacher Wrap. The materials provide many opportunities for students to apply reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills to synthesize and analyze per their readings. The research topics align with the unit’s topic and to the tasks that students are engaging in during the lessons. For example, the students research how animals help people after reading several texts on Temple Gardin. The tasks allow students to conduct research both independently, and with a partner or group and require them to synthesize information gathered.

Some examples of “short” projects include:

• In Unit 2, Activity 2.18, students complete a short research project on the topic of “animals helping people” after reading “Dogs Make Us Human” by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson. The teacher first ascertains the students’ knowledge about conducting research, and if needed, provides the steps of research from the Teacher Wrap. Then students conduct a KWHL (Know-Want to Know-How to Find the Information-Learn) with a partner and then use the chart to guide their research. Finally, students write a summary of their research.
• In Unit 3, Embedded Assessment 1, students participate in a research task that involves writing and speaking. They complete the following task: “Work collaboratively to research one side of a controversy that is affecting your school, community, or society. Then participate in a modified debate in which you argue your position and incorporate a visual display with appropriate headings and labels and/or multimedia for support.” To further the research process, in Activity 3.12, students engage in a lesson on citing evidence. In this activity, students learn to cite sources through direct quoting and paraphrasing. After practicing these skills, students are asked to “Find a credible digital or print source of this information and paraphrase the information you find…” Students also are instructed to revisit their body paragraphs and “Cite sources from your research as needed to strengthen your argument.”

An example of a “long” projects is:

• In Unit 4, Embedded Assessment 1, students synthesize their research of a poet’s life journey. This is a longer research project that covers five days of instruction. In Activity 4.5, students learn how to create a bibliography to cite sources. In Activity 4.6, students work with their group to conduct the research and gather information about a famous poet. They are given guidance through a note catcher that has them gather facts, examine bias, record bibliography information, etc. In Activity 4.7, students work with their group to synthesize their findings and create a multimedia presentation.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 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.

In the SpringBoard materials, students have frequent opportunities to engage in independent reading through scaffolded lessons and self-selected materials. Most texts are organized with built in supports/scaffolds to foster independence. Each activity includes supports/scaffolds called Learning Strategies, such as marking the text, rereading, and using graphic organizers. As indicated in the Teacher Wrap, texts are often scaffolded through completing first reads by the teacher or in small groups or pairs. Students then have the opportunity to independently read the text while responding to text-dependent questions. The text-dependent questions and the Learning Strategies scaffold student understanding in order to foster independence. In each unit, the Planning the Unit section provides a suggested independent reading list of both literature and informational texts which complement the themes and skills found within the unit. The Instructional Pathways section of the materials provides embedded independent reading in each of the units called Independent Reading Links and individual activities with two Independent Reading Checkpoints per unit. In these checkpoints, students are given a prompt for discussion, writing, or an oral presentation and are required to record them in their Reader/Writer Notebook.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.3: Planning for Independent Reading, the activity provides detailed guidance for independent reading for both students and teachers regarding the selection of texts, goal setting, and tracking progress. Students create a section in their Reader/Writer Notebooks for Independent Reading which they use throughout the course to document their learning from independent reading selections. In this activity, they learn the process of completing notes in their Reader/Writer Notebooks.
• In Unit 2, Planning the Unit, teachers are given a list of both literature and informational text that could be used for independent reading. These titles connect to the theme of the unit. The chart also lists the author and Lexile for each title and teachers are encouraged to provide student choice for independent reading. Some examples of texts for Unit 2 include, but are not limited to, Ruby Holler (660L) by Sharon Creech, Hoot (760L) by Carl Hiaasen, The Call of the Wild by Jack Londen (1080L), and Animals in Translation (1130L) by Grandin, Temple, and Catherine Johnson.
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.3, students are given an Independent Reading Link assignment to “Find a claim stated in one of the texts you are reading independently. Decide if it is debatable and write the opposing claim…”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.7, in the Teacher Wrap section, teachers are given instructions on ways to support students at various levels of independence. For example, the teacher is provided with guiding questions before, during, and after reading. The teacher is also prompted to listen during class discussion and “...determine if students are ready to move to the text-dependent questions.”
• In Unit 4, students choose independent reading for the first half of the unit based on a poet. Students select poems the poet has written, as well as things written about the poet, such as articles and biographies. In Activity 4.7, Independent Reading Checkpoint, students prepare a short presentation on their poet for a small group of classmates.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials are well-designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing.

The materials for Grade 6 consist of four units containing 15-19 activities. The units are “Stories of Change,” “The Power to Change,” “Changing Perspective,” and “A Change of Scene.” Each unit has several suggested Instructional Pathways for teachers to consider in personalizing instruction to meet the needs of all students. The Instructional Pathways include English Language Arts Pathway, Language Development Pathway, and Flexible Pathway, which includes Close Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop, and Flexible Novel Units. Lessons are designed for a 50-minute time frame. The instructional activities are designed to follow the same lesson structure of “Plan, Teach, Assess, Adapt.” In several units, students are engaging with the concepts multiple times from initially using models for instruction to finally completing tasks independently.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Instructional Pathways, teachers are provided with several Instructional Pathways depending on students’ needs. For example, one possible Instructional Pathway integrates “digital assessments, Language Workshops, Close Reading Workshops, and Writing Workshops” into a 36-39 day unit for a 50-minute instructional period.
• In Unit 2, Instructional Pathways section, the directions specify that teachers should allot 34.5-38.5 class periods (50 minutes) for the unit. A table is provided for each activity which indicates the number of class periods needed to complete the activity. Activity 2.2 indicates two class periods are needed. This is an appropriate pacing for students to watch film clips from Up to “Analyze the effect of internal and external forces on a character,” learn elements of writing in the informative mode, and “Respond to an informative writing prompt using clear organization and details from a film to support the topic.”
• In Unit 3, Planning the Unit section, teachers are provided an instructional sequence section that offers an overview of the unit. For example, the text states that in the first half of the unit, students will “define argument and controversy before exploring current social issues.” Then students read to identify arguments and complete an instructional sequence on citations. Finally, the teacher provides instruction on rhetorical appeals, and the students compose an argumentative letter.
• In Unit 4, Instructional Pathways section, the table specifies to allot 37-40 class periods (50 minutes) for the unit. A table is provided for each activity which indicates the number of class periods needed to complete the activity. Embedded Assessment 2 indicates seven class periods are needed. This is an appropriate pacing for students to “Work collaboratively to prepare and present a scene from William Gibson's play The Miracle Worker.” Students are guided through the steps of Planning, Analyzing, Preparing, Rehearsing, Evaluating, and Performing the play. There is also a short reflection following the performance.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that the teacher and student can reasonably complete the content within a regular school year, and the pacing allows for maximum student understanding.

The suggested amount of time and expectations for teachers and students of the materials are viable for one school year as written and do not require significant modifications. Instructional Pathways are provided for each unit which include a core English Language Arts Pathway, a Language Development Pathway, and Flexible Pathways. The four English Language Arts units total 137.5-150.5 days of instruction for class periods of 50 minutes. This allows teachers the flexibility to utilize the supplemental lessons that are available for Close Reading, Language Workshops, Foundational Skills Workshops, and Writing Workshops where needed. A balance of time is spent on activities and assessments to allow for maximum student understanding. In the Teacher Wrap, there are specific time recommendations for each part of the activity. Each of the four units contains 15-19 activities and two Embedded Assessments. Thus allowing a teacher to complete an activity in a 50 minute class period. Considering all the resources a teacher could reasonably complete the main activities and complete several of the additional workshops in a school year.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In the Grade 6 Language Workshop Activity 5, students are completing a Close Read Activity of the anchor text, “Oranges” by Gary Soto. The Teacher Wrap section for activity five states that the lesson will take one 50 minute class period.
• In Unit 1, Instructional Pathways, English Language Arts Pathway, a total of 36-39 days are suggested for the unit. Thirty-one days are suggested for the 17 activities and one Language Checkpoint, and six days are suggested for the Embedded Assessments 1 and 2. For the Language Development Pathway, Language Development Workshops are suggested in addition to or in place of activities for a total of 36-49 suggested days. Close Reading, Foundational Skills, and Writing Workshops are also suggested and detailed pacing information is provided for each.
• In Unit 4, in the Teacher Wrap, Activity 1.4, the suggested pacing for “Personal Narrative: Incident Response Reflection” is located in the left margin and suggests two 50-minute class periods to complete the task.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria 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.)

The Grade 6 materials from the English Language Arts program and the additional Workshop resources have an instructional sequence that allows teachers and/or students to practice skills with ample opportunities for scaffolding as the activities progress. Each unit and workshop are designed with the end in mind and sequenced with activities and Embedded Assessments. They follow the “Plan-Teach-Assess-Adapt” phases in order to provide teachers opportunities to measure student progress and provide differentiated instruction as needed. Every unit begins by “Previewing the Unit” where students engage in exploring the Learning Targets, Making Connections, Essential Questions, and Developing Vocabulary. Every unit ends with an Embedded Assessment and written reflection. All illustrations, photographs, diagrams, and other visual representations are correctly labeled.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.8, students plan a narrative through prewriting: “Use the reporter's questions (who, what, when, where, why, and how) to fill in the details of the narrative plan.” Then, students plan by completing the provided mind map organized by cause, incident, and effect. Finally, students brainstorm information about the characters by specifically writing about what the character says, does, and thinks. In addition, students share what others say about the character, descriptions about the character, and language techniques.
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.2, students watch four clips from the film Up by Pixar. Before viewing the clips, students are provided with the Learning Targets and Preview sections which provide context about the film. Students complete a detailed graphic organizer for each of the four film clips noting the internal and external forces that cause change in Carl’s life in each clip. Students use these understandings to draft an informational text which explains “how Carl Fredricksen's life changes due to internal forces in the film Up.”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.9, unpacks Embedded Assessment 2, giving students a preview of the second half of the unit on argumentative writing. Each activity in the second half of the unit focuses on elements of argumentative writing, including: identifying claims, rhetoric and appeals to pathos and logos, citing evidence, and writing an introduction and conclusion. The prompt for Embedded Assessment 2 allows students to choose a topic that they are passionate and directs them to “Write an argumentative letter to convince an audience to support your position on the topic.” Clear directions within the assessment lead students through the steps of Planning and Prewriting, Researching, Drafting, Evaluating and Revising the Draft, and Checking and Editing for Publication. A brief reflection follows. The rubric for the assessment is provided on the page and provides clear explanations of score points for students.
• In Writing Workshop Activity 2, students participate in the writing process as a class. Students select a topic. After students are instructed on the RAFT (Role, Audience, Format, and Topic) strategy, they plan, prewrite, draft, share, revise, edit, and publish their choice of RAFT activity. For Activity 3, they complete this entire process independently.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials include publisher-produced alignment documentation of the standards addressed by specific questions, task, and assessment items.

Alignment documentation is provided for each unit, activity, and assessment within the Teacher Wrap. The Scope and Sequence documents and the Grade 6-12 English Language Arts Standards Correlations documents are provided in the Teacher Resources. In every activity (in the English Language Arts program and the workshops), CCSS are listed for the teacher, and for the student in a student-friendly format. Assessments are correlated to CCSS through rubrics or metadata information. Metadata information includes the difficulty level of the question, DOK (Depth of Knowledge), Bloom's Taxonomy level, and the Common Core Standard associated with the assessment.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.13, the students are provided with the Learning Target, “Explain how a character responds to change.” The Teacher Wrap displays “RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes, as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves towards a resolution.”
• In the 6-12 ELA Standards Correlations document states that Reading Literature Standard 6.1 can be found in the English Language Arts book for the following questions and steps of activities: Unit 1, page 14, Working from the Text, Step 10; Unit 1, page 32, Returning to the Text, Question 1; Unit 2, page 116, Novel Study, Steps 1–2; Unit 2, page 123, Novel Study, Steps 1–3; Unit 2, page 164, Working from the Text; and Unit 4, page 297, Returning to the Text, Question 2. Links that lead directly to the page within the materials are also provided.
• In the Scope and Sequence document, every activity is listed for the English Language Arts program with the focus standards and additional standards addressed in the activity. For example, in Unit 1, Activity 1.11, the focus standard provided is W.6.9a, and the additional standard addressed is W.6.10.
• In the SpringBoard digital platform, there are assessments including quizzes that align with CCSS. For each question, there is metadata available that provides the difficulty level of the question, DOK, Bloom's Taxonomy level, and the Common Core Standard associated with that assessment. For example, on the National Grade 6 Activity 1-10 Quiz — Digital, the first question is considered medium difficulty, a D2-Skills and Concepts, B2-Understand and CCSS L6.6.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 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.

The materials include annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the Teacher Wrap. The Teacher Wrap has several sections which aid teachers in presenting content, including Teacher to Teacher and Plan-Teach-Assess-Adapt. The annotations are accurate, understandable, and give teachers assistance with presenting content. SpringBoard Digital offers embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.6, students analyze narratives by reading Gary Soto’s “The Jacket.” In the Teacher Wrap, Teach section, teachers receive detailed guidance on presenting content, including instructions on conducting vocabulary development, the first read, scaffolding text dependent questions, the second read, and Language and Writer’s Craft. For example, the Teacher Wrap states, “Returning to the Text: During the second reading, students will be returning to the text to answer the text-dependent comprehension questions. You may choose to have students reread and work on the questions in a variety of ways: independently, in pairs, in small groups, together as a class.”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.2, students mark a sample paragraph about the film Up to analyze the topic sentence, details and examples from the film, the author’s commentary, and transition words. In the Teacher Wrap, teachers receive the following suggestion to present the content, “Teacher to Teacher: Consider using the SpringBoard Digital edition of the book to model marking the sample paragraph.”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.2, Teacher Wrap, Assess section, the instructional suggestions provided to the teacher are as follows: “Review students' Check Your Understanding responses to confirm that students are excited about the hot topics and able to articulate why the topics interest them. Also, review what students say they learned about paraphrasing to ensure that they truly understand the concept.”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.10, Teacher Wrap, Teach section, teachers introduce four drama games to students. “Read the Learning Targets and Preview with students. Then explain the new strategy drama games. Drama games provide students with the opportunity to create meaning kinesthetically. As students play various games, speaking and listening skills are reinforced and students develop a deeper understanding of a concept. Collaborative skills are also reinforced as students learn that the games will only work with the cooperation of others.” Detailed instructions for presenting each game, including grouping strategies, are provided in the Teacher Wrap.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials contain a teacher’s edition that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced literacy concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.

Grade 6 SpringBoard materials include a teacher's edition introduction, Teacher Wrap section for each activity, and a resource list at the end. These materials support teachers as they plan, teach, and assess. The introduction gives teachers an overview of the features and what their purposes are. The Teacher Wrap provides parallel support for teachers as students engage in the activities, including, but not limited to, explaining the standards, giving teachers guidance on specific parts of the text on which to focus, and providing ideas and recommendations for support. The resources section provides teachers with more support including a list of the different strategies used in the activities. The teachers receive a definition of the strategy, as well as its purpose. These materials in tandem provide teachers with the knowledge and explanation to support all students.

Some examples include:

• The Teacher Edition Introduction provides an overview of all the features available in the materials. This introduction includes, but is not limited to, Instructional Pathways that guide teachers in different activities to include based on student needs, and Leveled Differentiated Instruction which provides the verbiage to support students of various needs. All of these features are further explained in the Teacher Wrap section which is a parallel feature for each activity in the unit. For example, in Unit 1, Activity 1.12, the learning targets are written in student-friendly language, while the Teacher Wrap has the College and Career Readiness Standards. In this same activity, students read the short story “Thank You M’am” by Langston Hughes. The teacher is prompted to have students pay attention to the “...words and expressions in the story that expands on standard English such as ‘No’m.’” Explain that Langston Hughes is using variations from standard English to express the story in the truest way he can.”
• A list of resources for the teacher including an Independent Reading Log, a list of Reading Strategies, a Graphic Organizer Directory, and a Glossary is included at the end of the Teacher Edition and is also listed in the Teacher Wrap. In the Reading Strategy section, the materials list all of the strategies including reading, writing, and speaking that students will use and then give the definition and the purpose of each strategy. For example in Unit 4, Activity 4.3, students use the learning strategy “Choral Reading.” In the Resources: Reading Strategies section, Choral Reading is listed along with the definition “Reading aloud one’s own text or the text of others…” and its purpose is “To share one’s own work or the work of others, build fluency and increase confidence in presenting to a group.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 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 Grade 6 materials provide explanations for the role of the course content in the overall materials in the Scope & Sequence Document, Introduction to SpringBoard English Language Arts, Planning the Unit, and the Teacher Wrap. Detailed standards information is provided for each activity, assessment, writing prompt, and for many text-dependent questions. Additionally, the Introduction to SpringBoard English Language Arts provides connections across multiple grade levels through Advanced Placement (AP) and SAT Connections. The Grade 6–12 Standards Correlations document also traces how each standard is represented throughout the sequence of courses from Grade 6 to Grade 12.

Some examples include:

• In Introduction to SpringBoard English Language Arts, the materials state, “SpringBoard offers core instructional materials in print and digital form that are aligned to College and Career Readiness Standards, Advanced Placement (AP) coursework, and the SAT Suite of Assessments.” Furthermore the materials note, “SpringBoard English Language Arts focuses on the same essential knowledge and skills that are the center of the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing sections of the SAT Suite of Assessments”
• In the Planning the Unit section before each unit, a detailed list of AP and SAT Connections is provided. This list helps to contextualize the role of the standards across multiple grade levels. For example, in Unit 3, the following SAT Connections are provided in the Planning the Unit section: “In this unit, students will practice many important skills that will help them succeed on the SAT and other college readiness exams, including:

Correctly using punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive and parenthetical sentence elements as well as recognizing and correcting cases in which restrictive or essential sentence elements are inappropriately set off with punctuation. (LC 3.11)”

• In each activity, the Teacher Wrap specifies both Focus Standards and Additional Standards covered. Standards are also specified for Scaffolding Text Dependent Questions and writing prompts embedded within the materials. This helps contextualize the standards within each activity. For example, in Unit 1, Activity 1.15, in the Teacher Wrap, the following Additional Standards are listed: “RL.6.2, W.6.10, L.6.3a, L.6.4a, L.6.4b, L.6.4c.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.

Explanations of both the instructional approaches used within the text, as well as the research-based strategies incorporated, are located in the Teacher Edition. From these explanations, it is clear that the SpringBoard English Language Arts curriculum has considered not only the ways to evaluate students, but also the building of necessary skills for student success. The instructional design rationale is based on research-based strategies by leaders in the field of education.

Some examples include:

• In the Teacher Edition, on page xxi under Assessments, it states that the units provide effective scaffolding for students completing the Embedded Assessments. In addition, teachers may assign short quizzes throughout the unit and longer assessments that mirror the types of questions students will be required to answer on other standardized tests like the SAT. On this same page, the research-based strategy is described as assessment for learning.
• In the Teacher Edition, on page xvii, it states that this curriculum uses The Writing Revolution’s method, which is a part of the Hochman Method, to teach the foundational elements of writing. Specifically, the SpringBoard English Language Arts curriculum uses the Focus on the Sentence tasks to blend grammar with reading.
• In the Teacher Edition, Closing Pages, the Learning Strategies Charts include the name of the learning strategy, the definition of the strategy, and the purpose of the strategy. For example, on page 394, the RAFT strategy is listed in the chart. The definition provided is as follows: “Primarily used to generate new text, this strategy can also be used to analyze a text by examining the Role of the speaker, the intended Audience, the Format of the text, and the Topic of the text.”
• In the Teacher Edition, in the Introduction: Teacher Edition Features section, the materials note that “Springboard uses the widely respected Wiggins and McTighe Understanding by Design model. The program back maps from a defined set of essential skills and knowledge shown to propel students on their path to college and career.”
• In the Teacher Edition, in the Introduction: Teacher Edition Features section, the program’s authors explain that the “Springboard’s lesson design also takes into account the work of the American Institutes of Research in its focus on students moving through multiple levels of cognitive engagement.” The lesson design also pulls in the research of Charlotte Danielson’s research on teaching instruction, Marzano and Pickering’s research on academic vocabulary development, and Robyn Jackson’s research on active instruction.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials regularly and systematically offer assessment opportunities that genuinely measure student progress.

The Grade 6 SpringBoard units build to Embedded Assessments that direct the instructional pathway and give teachers a clear destination. Each task leading up to the Embedded Assessments provides teachers with a multitude of ways to measure students’ progress towards mastery of the standards required for the Embedded Assessment. Students are assessed in multiple ways including speaking, listening, reading, writing, and language tasks. These activity assessments include anecdotal evidence from the teacher for monitoring discussion and task completion, text-dependent questions, Check for Understanding tasks, Focus on the Sentence tasks, completion of graphic organizers, and completion of writing prompts. Each assessment is designed to prepare students for upcoming lessons and assessments since the SpringBoard materials are designed with the “end in mind” and are based on what students will need to be college and career ready and successful in their next grade level.

Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, Embedded Assessment 2, students “Write a story using dialogue, vivid verbs, and figurative language that captures a real or imagined experience and includes characters, conflict, and a plot with exposition, climax, and resolution.” This assessment is graded using a standards-aligned rubric to measure the students’ development of ideas, structure, and use of language. Throughout the unit, the students engage in multiple tasks that indicate their readiness, as well as mastery of standards needed, for the Embedded Assessment. For example, In Unit 1, Activity 1.5, after reading an excerpt from the novel Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen, students answer text-dependent questions focused on the character’s point of view. In Activity 1.13, students dig into the elements of storytelling such as exposition, setting and conflict and then use a Plot Diagram to identify the elements using a fairy tale. In Activity 1.17, they create a draft of a short story.
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.7, students participate in Fishbowl discussions, so the assessment that is included requires teachers to listen to student discussions to ensure they are analyzing key details from the novel and using appropriate speaking and listening skills. In the Teacher Wrap, teacher guidance includes the following tasks to ensure students’ understanding: “Have students reflect on the discussion activity by answering the Check Your Understanding questions.” In the Assess section, the materials include the following suggestions for teachers: “Monitor the fishbowl discussions and assess students' ability to provide detail from the text and personal commentary in response to the questions. Also, review students' responses to the Check Your Understanding questions to gauge students' ability to self-assess their effectiveness in discussions and to see how well they can connect their learning from this activity to the Essential Question.”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.7, students examine and work with different graphs. The lesson includes multiple points for assessing students' understanding. At the end of Activity 3.7, students complete a Check for Understanding task by answering “Why are visual displays, such as charts and graphs, helpful in trying to convince an audience? Which of the visual displays that you viewed was most effective? Why?” Later in the unit, students complete a culminating Embedded Assessment that requires them to “...incorporate a visual display with appropriate headings and labels...for support.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that assessments clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.

The materials include both formative and summative assessments, including end of unit assessments, embedded assessments, and activity quizzes. Standards are clearly denoted for each assessment. The standards are divided into Focus Standards—those that are emphasized and are always included—and Additional Standards when applicable. Assessments include a list of correlated standards and standards for individual items are located in the Assessments tab. Other locations of standards include the following: on the actual Assessment (End of Unit Assessments and Activity Quizzes) and in the Teacher Wrap (for Embedded Assessments).

Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.14, students complete a Narrative Writing Prompt during which they write a new opening for “Orpheus and Eurydice” by Bob Blaisdell. These standards are listed in the Teacher Wrap for the writing prompt: W.6.3a, W.6.4, W.6.3d, and L.6.3a.
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.9, students read “Since Hannah Moved Away” by Judith Viorst and answer text-specific questions. The focus standard numbers and their associated full text are listed under the poem and in the Teacher Wrap: RL.6.2, RL.6.5, RL.6.6, and RL.6.9. Additional Standards are listed without their associated full text: RL6.10, L.6.5a, and L6.6.
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.7, students answer three questions aligned to standard RI 6.7 during the Activity Quiz. The Activity Quiz includes a link to the full text of the standard.
• In Unit 4, Embedded Assessment 2, the Teacher Wrap includes the following Focus Standards and their associated full text: RL.6.5, SL.6.1a, SL.6.2, and SL.6.6. The Additional Standard, L.6.6, is listed without its associated full text.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials should include routines and guidance that point out opportunities to monitor student progress.

The materials include routines to monitor student progress. Questions after reading, activity quizzes, and discussion questions all offer teachers the opportunity to gauge student progress throughout each unit. These monitoring suggestions are provided in the Teacher Wrap.

Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.5, the Teacher Wrap provides teachers with guidance to monitor student understanding of the lesson content. “Teacher to Teacher: Focus on the Sentence tasks provide a quick opportunity to formatively assess students' understanding of a text, concept, or skill while also providing practice with writing academic sentences. In addition to checking the content of students' responses, make sure to observe whether they are able to construct grammatically correct sentences that follow conventions of punctuation and capitalization. If students need additional support and practice recognizing and correcting sentence fragments, guide them through Language Checkpoint 1.5: Punctuating Complete Sentences.”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.6, students write about how the setting of Sharon Creech’s novel Walk Two Moons relates to the theme or central idea. In the Teacher Wrap, teachers receive the following guidance to ensure students are progressing toward the goals: “Review students' responses to the writing prompt to ensure that they understand how a novel's setting relates to its theme and to check that they have met all the criteria of the writing prompt in their paragraphs. Also, review their Check Your Understanding responses to see if they are able to combine simple sentences to create compound sentences.”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.13, students read Act II from The Miracle Worker by William Gibson and answer text-specific questions afterwards. In the Teacher Wrap, teachers receive this guidance to monitor student progress: “Move from pair to pair and listen in as students answer the text-dependent questions. If students have difficulty, scaffold the questions by rephrasing them or breaking them down into smaller parts. See the Scaffolding the Text-Dependent Questions boxes for suggestions.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 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 grade-level standards.

The materials include strategies to meet the needs of all learners in meeting the grade-level standards. In the Planning the Unit section, the materials provide multiple Pathways to incorporate the core ELA activities with additional Foundational Skills, Language, Close Reading, and Writing Workshops to support the needs of a range of learners. The Planning the Unit section also includes an Independent Reading List to provide options for independent reading based on topic, student choice, and text complexity. The Teacher Wrap includes strategies for scaffolding activities in the Scaffolding Text-Dependent Questions, Leveled Differentiated Instruction, and Adapt sections. Additionally, the Teacher Wrap provides specific guidance on how to adjust tasks to meet students on the following levels—Developing, Expanding, Bridging, Support, and Extend.

Some examples include:

• In the Planning the Unit section, there is a Spanish cognates list for every unit to support ELL students whose first language is Spanish. For example in Unit 1, the list includes, but is not limited to the following words: coherence/cohencia and theme/tema.
• In the Planning the Unit section, there are a few customized pathways for teachers to follow based on students’ needs. For example, the Language Development Pathway includes additional activities that include the Language Workshop and Foundational Skills Workshop. For example, in Unit 2, the Language Development Pathway includes, but is not limited to, a Language Workshop 2A.1 Genre Focus and the option to complete the Embedded Assessment 1 collaboratively.
• In the Teacher Wrap, there are specific prompts to scaffold text-dependent questions for each Activity. For example, in Unit 3, Activity 3.4, Question # 3 asks students “What makes the author an authority figure on homework?” In the Teacher Wrap, prompts that teachers may use for students who are struggling include “How old do you think the author is? What do the author’s parents do for a living? Why is this important?”
• For many Activities, the Teacher Wrap includes a section called Leveled Differentiated Instruction that offers support to the teacher to differentiate a task based on students’ Developing, Expanding, Bridging, Support, or Extend levels. For example, in Unit 3, Activity 3.10, students complete a two-column graphic organizer on “Times I Was Persuasive” and “Outcomes.” For Developing, the teacher guidance states, “Guide students to revise their list to be sure it includes words such as can, has and to.” For Bridging, the teacher is to “Guide students to revise their list to be sure it includes words such as probably, certainly, definitely, should/would, and might and phrases such as in my opinion. For Extend, the teacher should “Invite students to create a poster that advertises a favorite food, sport. Challenge them to say how their poster is like an advertisement and why advertising is a powerful form of persuasion.”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.9, the Teacher Wrap provides teachers with guidance to ensure all students can successfully address the writing prompt. The Adapt section states, “If students need additional help explaining the theme, review how to write an effective theme statement and provide a model (e.g., ‘In the story ‘The Southpaw,’ Judith Viorst expresses the idea that if you want something in life, you have to be willing to fight for it.’). Then have students respond to the prompts.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria 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.

The SpringBoard instructional materials include multiple opportunities and support for English Language Learner (ELL) students. The materials include a Cognate Directory in the Planning the Unit section in order to provide support for students whose first language is Spanish. Teachers have the option to substitute Language Development Pathway units for Instructional Pathway units. While the Language Development Pathway includes many of the activities from the core ELA Pathway, this supplemental support also includes additional embedded language in the form of Language Workshops to support ELLs. Additionally, Foundational Skills Workshops are suggested for small groups of students who need support for and practice with fundamental reading skills. The Leveled Differentiated Instruction section of the Teacher Wrap provides detailed guidance for supporting English Learners at World-class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) levels—Beginning, Developing, Expanding, Bridging—as well as differentiation for a level called Support. This guidance includes both accommodations and modification of work for students at varying levels where appropriate. Furthermore, in the Teacher Wrap, the Plan-Teach-Assess-Adapt sequence Adapt section provides strategies for students who need additional scaffolding or support. For activities with Returning to the Text questions, a section on Scaffolding Text-Dependent Questions is provided in the Teacher’s Wrap. This section gives guidance on scaffolding vocabulary or concepts for students for each of the Returning to the Text questions.

Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, Teacher Wrap, the materials provide teachers with strategies to help English Language Learners. During Activity 1.3, teachers help students choose stories that are an appropriate language proficiency reading level. Teachers may use the Narrative Analysis and Writing graphic organizer to help students understand the traditional structure of a narrative, as they work to complete Activity 1.4. Students may use sentence frames when completing the writing prompt for Activity 1.5.
• In Unit 2, Planning the Unit, the materials provide the following guidance: “If your class includes Spanish speakers, consider adding the following cognates to your classroom Word Wall. For English Language Learners whose primary language is not Spanish, consider using an online translator or dictionary to support comprehension of vocabulary terms.”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.5, the Teacher Wrap section includes the following considerations for teachers of English Language Learners: “If your class includes Spanish-speaking students who are at an early stage in their English language development, you may find it useful to have them look up the vocabulary terms from this activity using the Spanish/English glossary in the Resources section of the student edition.”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.7, the Teacher Wrap section suggests the following to provide adaptations for students who have barriers in the learning process: “To help students who are not quite clear on how to create a multimedia presentation, create a model of a multimedia presentation plan and use the think aloud strategy to explain your process and choices.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials regularly include extensions and/or more advanced opportunities for students who read, write, speak, or listen above grade level.

Within each unit, the Teacher Wrap includes suggestions for Leveled Differentiated Instruction. The Extend level provides ways “to stretch students who are ready for a challenge.” The teaching model provided in the Teacher Wrap follows a plan, teach, assess, and adapt structure. There are sometimes suggestions for ways in which teachers can engage their students in a greater challenge, within the Adapt section of the Teacher Wrap. SAT and AP connections for all students are provided in the Planning the Unit section. Occasionally, the Suggestions for the Independent Reading List provide suggestions for students who read above grade level. The materials also state that the Flexible Pathways offer opportunities to extend learning, but explicit directions on how to utilize the workshops provide more advanced opportunities for students above grade level are not provided.

Some examples include:

• In the Introduction to SpringBoard English Language Arts, the materials state, “flexible activities from SpringBoard's Close Reading Workshop, Writing Workshop, or Flexible Novel Units that enable teachers to extend, support, or customize instruction.” However, it is unclear in the materials how these Workshops are intended for extending instruction for advanced students as explicit instructions are not provided.
• In the Introduction to SpringBoard English Language Arts, the materials provide an overview of the support offered in the Leveled Differentiated Instruction section of the Teacher Wrap; “The suggestions provide the tools that learners at various levels of language proficiency need to successfully participate in class.” Support is provided for the WIDA levels Beginning, Developing, Bridging, and Expanding, as well as two additional levels labeled Support and Extend. The Extend level is defined as, “Extend suggests ways to stretch students who are ready for a challenge.”
• In Unit 1, the Leveled Differentiated Instruction in the Teacher Wrap includes Extend suggestions three times. In Activity 1.4, the Level Differentiated Instruction section suggests students use the Narrative Analysis Graphic Organizer to analyze the text’s structure. The Extend suggestion states “Challenge students to write about how the author’s reflection on the incident reveals the story’s theme.” In Activity 1.9, the Extend suggestion states, “In conversations today, challenge students to use descriptive words that mean the same thing as says or said.” In Activity 1.14, to Extend, teachers “Challenge students to read another version of “Orpheus and Eurydice” and then write a short paragraph that tells how it is the same as and different from the version in their Student Reader.”
• In Unit 2, Embedded Assessment 1, the Teacher Wrap provides an extension for students who are prepared. The materials state, “To extend this assignment for students who are prepared, you could assign a multiparagraph essay in response to any of these prompts.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

The Grade 6 SpringBoard materials provide multiple, but strategic collaborative grouping settings in every unit. Students are placed in pairs, triads, small or large group settings to maximize their learning opportunities. For example, there might be discussion before writing, or collaborative work before independent work. The Teacher Wrap gives specific instructions on how to group the students, and materials needed for the task. The Resource section at the end of the textbook lists the Collaborative Strategies included in the materials with the definition and purpose of the strategy.

Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.2, students “Role play with a partner, the jobs the narrator and his father do.” In the Teacher Wrap, it states to “Read aloud the Gaining Perspectives paragraph with students. Then assign partners and allow time for them to conduct their role plays and write their summaries.”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.2, students complete a graphic organizer within a triad setting. In the Teacher Wrap, the materials state the following: “For the next three clips, have students work in groups of three, with each student only completing one column for each clip. Then have group members share and discuss what they write for the corresponding column before reviewing the graphic organizer as a class.”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.5, students complete a Think-Pair-Share to respond to quotes from Bernard M. Baruch. Afterward, they complete a quickwrite based on the quotes. Collaborative Strategies in the Resource section of the materials includes the following information about Think-Pair-Share: “Definition: Pairing with a peer to share ideas before sharing ideas and discussion with a larger group. Purpose: To construct meaning about a topic or question; to test thinking in relation to the ideas of others; to prepare for a discussion with a larger group.”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.9, students work in collaborative groups to engage in activities about tone, point of view, and conflict and plot. The Teacher to Teacher section of the Teacher Wrap gives specifics on how to set up the grouping for this activity. “Plan to arrange your room to accommodate the literacy centers and groups. You may want to divide your room in half and set up four literacy centers on each side. This will keep the groups small and minimize disruptions as groups work and rotate.” Further instructions include how to place the materials, what students need with them, and other resources such as dictionaries that may be useful as students rotate through the centers.