## Alignment: Overall Summary

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for Alignment to the CCSSM. In Gateway 1, the materials meet expectations for focus and coherence, and in Gateway 2, the materials meet expectations for rigor and practice-content connections.

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## Gateway 1:

### Focus & Coherence

0
7
12
14
13
12-14
Meets Expectations
8-11
Partially Meets Expectations
0-7
Does Not Meet Expectations

## Gateway 2:

### Rigor & Mathematical Practices

0
10
16
18
18
16-18
Meets Expectations
11-15
Partially Meets Expectations
0-10
Does Not Meet Expectations

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## Gateway 3:

### Usability

0
22
31
38
25
31-38
Meets Expectations
23-30
Partially Meets Expectations
0-22
Does Not Meet Expectations

## The Report

- Collapsed Version + Full Length Version

## Focus & Coherence

#### Meets Expectations

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Gateway One Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for focus and coherence. For focus, the materials assess grade-level content and spend at least 65% of class time on major work of the grade, and for coherence, the materials have supporting content that enhances focus and coherence, an amount of content designated for one grade level that is viable for one school year, and foster coherence through connections at a single grade.

### Criterion 1a

Materials do not assess topics before the grade level in which the topic should be introduced.
2/2
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Criterion Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet 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 material assesses the grade-level content and, if applicable, content from earlier grades. Content from future grades may be introduced but students should not be held accountable on assessments for future expectations.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for assessing grade-level content.

The materials are organized by the Domains and Clusters delineated by CCSS. Each Cluster has a Milestone Assessment, and all assessments include multiple choice and/or multiple select. The assessments are aligned to grade-level standards, and examples include:

• In Milestone Assessment 8.EE.B, Question 10 states, “What is the slope of the line represented by the equation $$8x + 2y = 16$$? a) -4;  b) 8 ; c) 4 ; d) -8.”
• In Milestone Assessment 8.F.A, Question 1 states, “The equation of a function is $$y = 8x - 2$$. What is the input when the output is 14? a) 110 ; b) 14 ; c) 1.5 ; d) 2.”
• In Milestone Assessment 8.G.B, Question 9 states, “The diagonal distance between (0, 0) and another point is 15 units. What are the coordinates of the second point? a) (7, 8) ; b) (9, 12); c) (10, 5) ; d) (6, 13).”
• In Milestone Assessment 8.G.C, Question 2 states, “A cone has a radius of 8 feet and an approximate volume of 1,546 cubic feet. What is the height of the cone? Use 3.14 for pi. a) 23.08 feet; b) 23 feet; c) 23.05 feet; d) 23.5 feet.”

### Criterion 1b

Students and teachers using the materials as designed devote the large majority of class time in each grade K-8 to the major work of the grade.
4/4
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Criterion Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for devoting the majority of class time to the major work of the grade. Overall, the materials spend at least 65% of class time on major work of the grade.

### Indicator 1b

Instructional material spends the majority of class time on the major cluster of each grade.
4/4
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for spending a majority of instructional time on major work of the grade.

• The approximate number of days devoted to major work of the grade (including assessments and supporting work connected to the major work) is 122 out of 159, which is approximately 77%.
• The number of lessons devoted to major work of the grade (including assessments and supporting work connected to the major work) is 25 out of 31 lessons, which is approximately 81%.
• The number of weeks devoted to major work (including assessments and supporting work connected to the major work) is 30 out of 36, which is approximately 83%.

A day level analysis is most representative of the instructional materials because this represents the class time that is devoted to major work of the grade including reviews, domain intensives, and assessments. As a result, approximately 77% of the instructional materials focus on major work of the grade.

### Criterion 1c - 1f

Coherence: Each grade's instructional materials are coherent and consistent with the Standards.
7/8
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Criterion Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for coherence. The materials have supporting content that enhances focus and coherence, an amount of content designated for one grade level that is viable for one school year, and foster coherence through connections at a single grade. The materials are partially consistent with the progressions in the Standards.

### Indicator 1c

Supporting content enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for supporting content enhancing focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade.

Examples of connections between supporting content and major work of the grade include:

• 8.G.B.8, Seeking Safe Harbor connects to 8.NS.A as students approximate irrational square roots when using the Pythagorean theorem to calculate the length of missing sides of triangles. In the Practice Printable, Question 1 states, “Point C is located at (4, -3) and Point D is located at (2, 5) Determine the distance between them to the nearest tenth of a unit.”
• 8.SP.A.3, The Slope of Sprouts connects to 8.F.4 as students write an equation for the line of best fit in a scatterplot and interpret the equation in terms of the situation. In the Practice Printable, Question 3 shows a scatterplot of study time and GPA. Students “write a linear equation that models the data” and answer the questions, “What does the slope mean in this context?” and “What does the y-intercept mean in this context?”
• 8.EE.A.2, Ship Shape states, “This activity connects 8.EE.A. to 8.G.C, as it directly relates three-dimentional figures, cubic units and volumes to perfect cubes and cube roots.” In the Practice Printable, an example states, “This sugar cube box is a perfect cube and its volume is 1,728 cubic centimeters. The sugar cubes inside are 1 cm X 1 cm X 1cm. a) How many sugar cubes fit along the length of the box? b) How many sugar cubes fit along the width of the box? c) How many sugar cubes fit along the height of the box? d) How much cardboard is used to make the box?”

### Indicator 1d

The amount of content designated for one grade level is viable for one school year in order to foster coherence between grades.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations that the amount of content designated for one grade level is viable for one year. 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. As designed, the instructional materials, with assessments, can be completed in 128-159 days.

• There are five domains which contain a total of 31 lessons. Lessons are designed to take three to four days each, leading to a total of 93-124 lesson days.
• There are 10 days for Major Cluster Intensives.
• There are 25 assessment days including 10 days for review, five spiral review days in the Distributed Practice Modules, and 10 milestone assessments.

The Scope and Sequence Chart in the Teacher Edition provides pacing information. A lesson is designed for 60 minutes.

### Indicator 1e

Materials are consistent with the progressions in the Standards i. Materials develop according to the grade-by-grade progressions in the Standards. If there is content from prior or future grades, that content is clearly identified and related to grade-level work ii. Materials give all students extensive work with grade-level problems iii. Materials relate grade level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades.
1/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for being consistent with the progressions in the 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. In the Detailed Lesson Plan, prerequisite standards are identified in every Lesson Plan Overview. Examples include:

• 8.EE.C.8a, Show Me the Money identifies “Prerequisite Standards 6.EE.B.5, 7.EE.B.4, 8.EE.B.6” and Cluster Connections including “Direct Connection: In Show Me the Money, students will use their knowledge of linear equations to recognize that the solution to a system of two linear equations in two variables corresponds to the point of intersection (if any) of their graphs. Cross-Cluster Connection: This activity connects 8.EE.C to HSA.REI.C as students will solve systems of equations involving both linear and nonlinear equations.”
• In 8.SP.A.1, Cholera Outbreak!, prior learning is referenced in the pro-tip from Kevin within the Instructions At a Glance section, “Describing bivariate data in a scatter plot is very similar to describing univariate data in a line plot or histogram (Grade 6 and 7).”
• In 8.EE.A.1, The Big Shrink, Instructions At a Glance, the pro-tip from Gladys suggests, ‘Consider using a base of 10 to introduce students to exponent rules, as they've been working with this base since Grade 5.”

The instructional materials do not always attend to the full intent of the grade level standards. Each lesson addresses one grade-level standard with no standards absent from the materials. Lessons are three to four days long, and all students complete the same work. However, there are limited opportunities within each lesson to practice the content of the standards. Opportunities for practice include: Math Simulator, one to four questions; Practice Printable typically has six to ten questions; Clicker Quizzes include six questions; and the teacher can assign a specific domain in Test Trainer Pro. Since all standards are given the same attention, students have limited opportunities to engage in extensive work with grade-level problems to meet the full intent of all grade-level standards. Examples where the full intent is not attended to include:

• In 8.EE.C.8a, Show Me the Money, students have limited opportunity to solve real-world and mathematical problems leading to two linear equations in two variables. In the Practice Printable, there is one problem that has context; the other problems do not include real-world contexts.
• In 8.G.C.9, The Dawn of Anesthesia, students do not have to know the formulas for the volumes of cones, cylinders, and spheres and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems. In the Practice Printable, there is one problem that has real-world context; the other problems do not include real-world contexts.

The Test Trainer Pro and Simulation Trainer are designed to provide additional, grade-level work, but all of the items for these two features are not available for review.

• In Test Trainer Pro, primarily used as a daily warm-up, there is no way for teachers to assign specific content other than a domain of standards.
• In Simulation Trainer, the content matches the lesson, but students can provide any number as an answer, then watch the steps worked out (no words) in a solution video. They’re presented with the same question again and can put in the correct answer, then watch the same solution again. If they get it correct the first time, they also watch the solution video. The next questions are not novel, but the same situation with new numbers. If students miss one, it resets them to the beginning, no matter where they were in the assignment. It is possible that some students would never complete a Simulation Trainer.

The instructional materials relate grade-level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades. In the Detailed Lesson Plan for every lesson under the Lesson Plan Overview, the Cluster Connection —Cross-Cluster Connection— includes an explanation on how prior learning connects to grade-level work. Examples include:

• 8.EE.A.3, Malaria Medicine states, “This activity connects 8.EE to 5.NBT and 6.RP in that students combine their knowledge of powers of 10 with their knowledge of ratios to express one variable as a numerical factor of another variable.”
• 8.EE.A.4, The Great Discovery states, “This activity connects 8.EE.A to 6.NS.B in that students will utilize their skills with decimal operations to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers in scientific notation.”
• 8.NS.A.1, Warp Speed states, “This activity connects 8.NS to HSN.RN.B as students in high school will further explore properties of rational and irrational numbers.”

### Indicator 1f

Materials foster coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the Standards i. Materials include learning objectives that are visibly shaped by CCSSM cluster headings. ii. 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 these connections are natural and important.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for fostering coherence through connections at a single grade, where appropriate and required by the Standards.

There are no student learning targets/objectives labeled as such. However, since each lesson has a specific standard in its title that is also referenced during the lesson, these “objectives” are visibly shaped by the CCSSM cluster headings. Examples include:

• The objective of lesson 8.EE.C.8a states,  “Understand that solutions to a system of two linear equations in two variables correspond to points of intersection of the graphs because points of intersection satisfy both equations simultaneously,” is shaped by 8.EE.C, “Analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of simultaneous linear equations.”
• The objective of lesson 8.G.B.6 states, “Explain a proof of the Pythagorean theorem and its converse,” is shaped by 8.G.B, “Understand and apply the Pythagorean theorem.”
• The objective for lesson 8.SP.A.1 states, “Construct and interpret scatter plots for bivariate measurement data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities. Describe patterns such as clustering, outliers, positive or negative association, linear association, and nonlinear association,” is shaped by 8.SP.A, “Investigate patterns of association in bivariate data.”

Examples of 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 include:

• 8.EE.B.6, Ghost Island connects the major work of 8.EE.B to 8.F.B as students use functions to model relationships and derive linear equations in the form y=mx+b. In the Practice Printable, Question 1 states, “Determine the slope, y-intercept and equation of line n and line p.” A graphic of a coordinate plane with 2 lines is included for reference. Throughout the lesson, especially in the Teacher Instruction portion, there are also connections made to the major work of 8.G.A related to congruence and similarity, specifically similar triangles. For example, “We’ll learn more about similarity later in our geometry unit. But for now, let’s see how that helps us with slope between points on a line. In similar triangles, the ratios between corresponding sides are equal.”
• 8.F.B.5, Twin Tactics states, “This activity connects 8.F.B to 8.EE.B in that students will realize that graphs can look many different ways besides linear and can tell the story between two variables”. The Practice Printable provides students with opportunities to interpret graphs related to linear and nonlinear functions as well as one situation to sketch on a graph.
• In 8.F.A.3, Le Monsieur Chef, 8.F.A and 8.EE.B are connected as students identify linear and nonlinear equations and use the slope and y-intercept to prove linearity by completing tables, graphs, rules and interpreting the data. For example, in Practice Printable Question 3 states, “Determine if each situation can be modeled by a linear equation. If so, write the linear equation that models it. If not, write non-linear. a) On Day 0, there are 500 bacteria in a dish. The number of bacteria doubles every day after that. How many bacteria (y) are there after x days?; b) An online movie club charges a monthly fee of $8.00 and$2.00 per movie downloaded. What is the monthly cost (y) for x movies?”
• 8.G.A.5, Puppy Parallels connects the major work of 8.G.A to the major work of 8.EE.C as students write and solve equations to determine unknown angles. On the Clicker Quiz, Step 2 is as follows: “Subtract each angle from $$180\degree$$ to determine measures of exterior angles.”

## Rigor & Mathematical Practices

#### Meets Expectations

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Gateway Two Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for rigor and practice-content connections. The instructional materials meet expectations for rigor by developing conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, giving attention throughout the year to procedural skills, spending sufficient time working with engaging applications of mathematics, and balancing the three aspects of rigor. The materials meet expectations for practice-content connections as they: identify and use the Standards for Mathematical Practice (MPs) to enrich mathematics content; attend to the full meaning of each practice standard; provide opportunities for students to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others; assist teachers in engaging students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others; and explicitly attend to the specialized language of mathematics.

### Criterion 2a - 2d

Rigor and Balance: Each grade's instructional materials reflect the balances in the Standards and help students meet the Standards' rigorous expectations, by helping students develop conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application.
8/8
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Criterion Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for rigor. The instructional materials develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, give attention throughout the year to procedural skill and fluency, spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of mathematics, and do not always treat the three aspects of rigor together or separately.

### Indicator 2a

Attention to conceptual understanding: Materials develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific content standards or cluster headings.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for developing conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific standards or cluster headings.

Examples of problems and questions that develop conceptual understanding across the grade level include:

• In 8.EE.B.5, Space Race, students work together to answer, “Which ship will get to Candoran first?” “The data provided are the distometer display, which shows a distance-time equation, and the radar display which shows a distance-time graph.”
• In 8.F.A.1, Flight Functions, the Immersion Situation states, “In Flight Functions, Darla Macguire is training to become an air traffic controller. During training she states that a plane can be in two locations at once. Her trainer, Anita, stops her to explain this is impossible and asks her if she knows what a mathematical function is. Macguire states that she does know about functions, and they have a quick discussion. Anita gives her the task to determine which displays are functions before continuing her training. The data provided is an image of the ATC Radar Function Assessment.” In Data & Computation, the teacher asks students several questions, “What is a function? Is there only one output for each input? If you draw a vertical line, is there more than one y-variable for any x-value? What does it mean if there are two output values for an input?” During the Teacher Instruction several examples are provided to identify examples and nonexamples of functions.
• In 8.EE.B.6, Ghost Island, the Practice Printable includes, “Aboard the ship, Isosceles, Captain Mary Read and Sailing Master Bonny Anne are headed to find more treasure. They have departed Isla Fantasma and have set a course. They hope to arrive at Isla Pinos. It is thought to hold the hidden treasure of One-Eyed Whitebeard. Use the readings on the map to help Bonny Anne determine whether the Isosceles is on course to hit Isla Pinos.” Students are given two maps, each showing a triangle - one map is between Fantasma and the Isosceles, the other between Fantasma and Pinos.
• In 8.EE.C.8a, Show Me the Money, the Teacher Instruction includes questions to further students thinking such as, “What information are you given? Can you graph an equation of each offer? Where would you start the graph for the Madison contract? What would be the total earnings for 16 games with Madison? Where would you start the graph for the Tallahassee contract? What would be the total earnings for 16 games with Tallahassee? Do the lines intersect? Where? What can we conclude about which offer would be a better deal for Cage based on his past play record?"

Examples where students independently demonstrate conceptual understanding throughout the grade include:

• In 8.F.A.2, Happy Trails, Practice Printable, Question 2 states, “a) Draw Function D with a rate of change (slope) of and a y-intercept of 1.  b) For Function E, write a linear equation with a greater rate of change (slope) than Function D and a y-intercept that is below the x-axis.  c) Create a table of values that shows Function F is proportional and has a rate of change (slope) of -3.”
• In 8.F.A.3, Le Monsieur Chef, Practice Printable, Question 1d, students answer true/false questions about functions shown on a graph such as “As $$x$$ increases by 1, $$y$$ always increases by 2.”
• In 8.G.A.4, Dakota Jones and the Hall of Records, Practice Printable, Question 2 states, “A transformation is made to $$\triangle$$ABC to form $$\triangle$$DEF (not shown). Then another transformation is made to $$\triangle$$DEF to form $$\triangle$$GHJ. Describe these transformations. Then tell whether ABC and GHJ are congruent, similar, or neither. Explain why.”
• In 8.NS.A.1, Warp Speed, Practice Printable, students show that irrational numbers do not have a fractional equivalent. Students consider 10 terms in a table to determine if they are rational or irrational, then justify their answer by creating a fractional equivalent (or none). Terms include, “$$-72; \frac{25}{\sqrt{4}}; 0.414141…$$; $$\sqrt{121}$$; $$\sqrt{14}$$; -0.3333…; $$\sqrt{50}$$; 1.25; $$\frac{\pi}{2}$$; 0.68.”

### Indicator 2b

Attention to Procedural Skill and Fluency: Materials give attention throughout the year to individual standards that set an expectation of procedural skill and fluency.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for attending to those standards that set an expectation of procedural skill and fluency.

The instructional materials develop procedural skill and fluency throughout the grade level in the Math Simulator, examples in Teacher Instruction, Cluster Intensives, domain-specific Test Trainer Pro, and the Clicker Quiz. Examples include:

• In 8.EE.C.7b, Petunia’s Pickle Problem, there are five examples for the teacher to use during instruction, “Let's see another example. Solve: -3(-4p – 6) + 12 = -15 + 9(1/3p – 1). As always when solving an equation, our goal is to isolate the variable, which in this case is p. To do that, we start by simplifying both the left and the right sides of the equation. We first need to use the distributive property to get our equation in a more usable form. On the left we must remain  aware of our negative values and give our terms the appropriate signs. 12p + 18 + 12 = -15 + 3p – 9. Now we can combine like terms. 12p + 30 = -24 + 3p. Finally we can use inverse operations to get our variable terms on one side and the constants on the other. 19p = -54. Now we divide both sides by 19 to find the value of p. p = -6.”
• In 8.F.B.5, Twin Tactics, Teacher Instruction, “Let’s try another example. As we read each statement, let’s sketch that part of the graph. At the start of a softball game, there were 25 people sitting on bleachers. [Plot the point (0, 25).] Inning 1, there were 45 people on the bleachers. [Plot the point (1, 45).] The number of people on the bleachers remained constant for three more innings. [Plot the point (4, 45).] 0 people left the bleachers in the 5th inning. [Plot the point (5, 35).] A family of 5 sat down during the 6th inning. [Plot the point (6, 40).] There was no movement until the 8th inning when 20 people left. [Plot the point (8, 20).] Inning 9, there was no one sitting in the bleachers. [Plot the point (9, 0).]” WIthin one problem, students have multiple opportunities to sketch segments on a graph that demonstrate the features described.
• In 8.G.B.7, The Road Less Traveled, Teacher Instruction includes engaging situations to practice the procedural steps of Pythagorean Theorem, including the shortest route, a rectangular prism, and a soccer field, “We know this is a rectangular field, so that makes the corners right angles. That means we can use the Pythagorean Theorem. The longest side of a right triangle is always opposite the right angle. We see here that 120 is opposite the right angle, so that will be side c. So we can substitute 96 for a (or b) and 120 for c, and simplify.”

Examples of students independently demonstrating procedural skills and fluencies include:

• In 8.EE.C.7b, Petunia’s Pickle Problem, Practice Printable, students solve multi-step linear equations with rational coefficients in a variety of contexts including finding the length of line segments, the measure of vertical angles, break-even points, and practice without context such as Question 4, “-4x + 15 - x = 2(6 - 2x) - x”.
• In 8.F.B.5, Twin Tactics, the Practice Printable provides 14 questions related to analyzing the functional relationship between two quantities on a graph and 11 more questions to sketch a graph that’s described, such as Question 3, ‘Ben washed dishes when he got home from school. Using the details provided, sketch a graph depicting Ben’s experience. Ben took two minutes to fill the sink to half-full. He then washed the dishes for 8 minutes. He took about 3 minutes to drain half the water out and to fill it back up to half-full with new warm water. It took him four minutes to finish washing the rest of the dishes. Then he drained the water. It took Ben 20 minutes in total from start to finish.”
• In 8.G.B.7, The Road Less Traveled, the Practice Printable provides 12 opportunities for students to use Pythagorean Theorem in a variety of situations including three-dimensional prisms, perimeter, travel routes, and straightforward practice such as Question 1, “For each triangle, find the length of the missing side.”

The instructional materials do not develop procedural skill or provide enough opportunity for students to demonstrate procedural skill with the following standard.

• In 8.EE.C.8b, Mars Rocks!, Teacher Instruction includes two examples for number of solutions, one example of solving a system by substitution, and one example of solving a system by elimination. The Practice Printable provides six problems for students to independently identify the number of solutions and four problems to solve algebraically. Due to limited instruction and practice, students do not develop procedural skill with solving systems of two linear equations in two variables algebraically and estimating solutions by graphing the equations.

### Indicator 2c

Attention to Applications: Materials are designed so that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of the mathematics, without losing focus on the major work of each grade
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for being designed so that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of mathematics. Engaging applications include single and multi-step problems, routine and non-routine problems, presented in a context in which mathematics is applied.

Examples of students engaging in routine application of skills and knowledge include:

• In 8.EE.C.8c, Training Day, Practice Printable, Question 3 states, “The Sno-Cone Casa sells snow cones during the summer months. They charge $4 per snow cone, or there is an option to join the Sno-Cone Club, which charges a one-time fee of$20 and $1.50 for each snow cone. For what number of snow cones (c) is the price (p) the same, whether or not you join the club? What is the price?” • In 8.G.B.7, Road Less Traveled, Practice Printable, Question 4 states, “How long are the poles for the teepee, assuming an extra 3 feet for the top?” Students use an image of a teepee given the diameter of the base and the height. The slant height is a variable, and students use the Pythagorean Theorem to solve. • In 8.F.B.5, Twin Tactics, Practice Printable, Question 3 states, “Ben washed dishes when he got home from school. Using the details provided, sketch a graph depicting Ben’s experience: Ben took two minutes to fill the sink to half full. He then washed the dishes for 8 minutes. He took about 3 minutes to drain half the water out and to fill it back up to half-full with new warm water. it took him four minutes to finish washing the rest of the dishes. Then he drained the water. It took Ben 20 minutes in total from start to finish.” • In 8.SP.A.1, Cholera Outbreak!, Practice Printable, Question 2 states, “A survey group conducted a study to determine if there is an association between the age of a person and the average number of emojis used per text. The survey results are below. a) Create a scatterplot on the graph, using the data in the table. b) What type of association do the two variables seem to have? c) Does there appear to be an outlier? d) Based on the data, what can you say about age and the number of emojis used per text?” Examples of students engaging in non-routine application of skills and knowledge include: • In 8.EE.A.3, Malaria Medicine, Practice Printable, the Introduction Problem states, “How many times as great should the dosage be? Before taking her human malaria studies “underground,” Doctor Sofia Martín was also attempting to cure malaria in horses. As you know, she has been conducting research using mice infected with the dreadful disease. She has determined the correct spiroindolone dose for the mice and has cured many of them. Doctor Martín believes she can use what she knows about the mice to help find the correct dosage for horses. She believes the dosage is proportional to the number of infected cells. Below, find one of her lab reports. Help her determine how many times as great the horse dose will be compared to the dose for mice.” The infected cell count is given in scientific notation. • In 8.EE.C.8b, Mars Rocks!, the last question on the Practice Printable states, "Braydon ran at a rate of 6 mph on his treadmill and then took a walk outside at a rate of 2 mph. He went a total distance of 10 miles and it took him 2 hours. How long did he run on the treadmill and how long did he walk outside?” ### Indicator 2d Balance: The three aspects of rigor are not always treated together and are not always treated separately. There is a balance of the 3 aspects of rigor within the grade. 2/2 + - Indicator Rating Details The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations that the three aspects of rigor are not always treated together and are not always treated separately. Examples of the three aspects of rigor being present independently throughout the materials include: • In 8.SP.A.3, The Slope of Sprouts, students develop conceptual understanding of linear models to solve problems in the context of bivariate measurement data. In the Practice Printable, Question 2 states, “For each problem below, an equation is given that models the linear relationship of two variables. Interpret the slope and y-intercept (if reasonable) within the context of the two variables.” Students are given data: “$$y = 19.35x - 870$$; $$x$$: Temperature ($$\degree F$$), $$y$$: Ice Cream Sales ($)” to “describe the meaning” of the slope and the y-intercept.”
• In 8.G.A.3, Tile Transformation, students use procedural skills to write the coordinate rule for each transformation: dilate, rotate, translate and reflect. In the Practice Printable, Questions 1-9, all involve identifying “what happens to (x, y) for each transformation.” Examples include: “9) Rotate quadrilateral WXYZ $$90\degree$$counterclockwise about the origin. Label the image W'X'Y'Z'; 1) Translate 3 units right, 4 units down. 8) Reflect triangle ABC over the line $$y = -1$$. Label the image A'B'C'. 3) Dilate by a scale factor of $$\frac{1}{2}$$, centered at origin.”
• In 8.G.B.8, Seeking Safe Harbor, students apply the Pythagorean Theorem to determine the distance between the take off and landing points of a helicopter shown on a map. In Practice Printable, Question 4 states, “A medical helicopter flies about 150 miles per hour. Use the map to determine approximately how long it will take the helicopter to reach the hospital from the crash site.”

Examples of multiple aspects of rigor being engaged simultaneously to develop students’ mathematical understanding of a single topic/unit of study include:

• In 8.EE.A.4, The Great Discovery, students use procedural skills and understanding of scientific notation to solve real-world problems. In the Practice Printable, Question 3 states, “A wasp is $$1.39⋅10^{-4}$$ meters long. A pygmy rabbit is $$2.4⋅10^{-1}$$ meters long. How  much longer is the pygmy rabbit than the wasp?” Question 4, “The speed of light is $$3⋅10^6$$ kilometers per second. How far does light travel in an hour?”
• In 8.EE.C.7b, Petunia’s Pickle Problem, students use procedural skills to engage in application problems. In the lesson narrative, “During Petunia’s Pickle Problem, Petunia and her mother, Rosa, make and sell pickles, at times even traveling to sell their pickles. Rosa tells Petunia that it’s important in any business to at least break even, or bring in as much money as they spent. Rosa then asks Petunia to help her figure out how many jars of pickles they must sell to break even. The data provided is Petunia’s notebook, detailing expense and income information, along with the break-even equation she has written.” The resolution video teaches the procedure which is practiced throughout the lesson. Students apply their skill to real-world problems in the Practice Printable, Question 8, “Omarion and Savannah are both saving money for their summer trip. Omarion started with $130 and puts in$10 every week. Savannah started with $55 and puts in$35 every week. a) Write and solve an equation that will determine the number of weeks (w) when Savannah and Omarion have the same amount of savings. b) At that point, how much savings will they each have?”

### Criterion 2e - 2g.iii

Practice-Content Connections: Materials meaningfully connect the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical Practice
10/10
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-
Criterion Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for practice-content connections. The materials: identify and use the Standards for Mathematical Practice (MPs) to enrich mathematics content; attend to the full meaning of each practice standard; provide opportunities for students to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others; assist teachers in engaging students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others; and explicitly attend to the specialized language of mathematics.

### Indicator 2e

The Standards for Mathematical Practice are identified and used to enrich mathematics content within and throughout each applicable grade.
2/2
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-
Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for identifying the Standards for Mathematical Practice and using them to enrich mathematics content within and throughout the grade level.

The materials reference the Mathematical Practices (MPs) throughout the Philosophy and Planning sections, and the materials indicate connections to the MPs. Examples include:

• In the Teacher’s Guide, mathematical practices are addressed in the Major Cluster Curriculum Components, Cluster Intensives, and the Teacher-Created Intensive, which is “Additional math problems developed by MidSchoolMath teachers and leading math experts such as Dan Meyer, Jo Boaler, and MathShell that emphasize the Standards for Mathematical Practice.”
• In the Teacher’s Guide, Practices & Protocols: Standards for Mathematical Practice states, “A primary goal of the MidSchoolMath curriculum structure is to ensure that it supports the Standards for Mathematical Practice, not only in “extra” activities, but embedded in the curriculum pedagogy of each component. Use of the practices can be greatly enhanced by simple instructional moves.”
• In the Teacher’s Guide, Protocols to Support Standards for Mathematical Practice includes, “To support the Standards for Mathematical Practice, MidSchoolMath has compiled a “Top 10” bank to include protocols (or instructional moves) that teachers use to structure learning experiences to deepen the understanding of the SMP. Recommended protocols for each lesson are found in the Detailed Lesson Plans with teacher instructions to implement.” The protocols are directly related to the MPs they best support.
• In the Teacher’s Guide, Detailed Lesson Plans, the Domain Review references, “A Domain Review also supports the Standards for Mathematical Practice,” and “Complete the Domain Review by reading one or more of the Standards for Mathematical Practice and ask them to reflect on their work throughout the day.”
• Each Detailed Lesson Plan, Lesson Plan Overview, includes one to three MPs and describes how the lesson connects to the MPs.
• In addition, each Detailed Lesson Plan includes a specific tip from Jo Boaler that provides guidance about how to connect the MPs with the lesson.

Examples where the MPs are connected to grade-level content include:

• In 8.EE.C.8a, Show Me the Money, Lesson Plan Overview, “MP4: Model with Mathematics. During Immersion and Data & Computation, students analyze equations formed from real-world contexts and connect them with graphical representations. From the unstructured problem, they develop a system of linear equations, and explain how this connects to the real-world context of the problem.”
• In 8.G.A.5, Puppy Parallels, Lesson Plan Overview, “MP7: Look for and make use of structure. During Immersion and Data & Computation, students recognize that the structure of two lines cut by a transversal creates many congruent angles. They analyze the structure of various diagrams and utilize prior knowledge surrounding supplementary angles. During Resolution, students see that the structure of parallel lines with a transversal lends itself to translation to see additional relationships among the angles.”
• In 8.F.A.1, Flight Functions, Lesson Plan Overview, “MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. During Data & Computation, students recognize that a function is a special relationship between two variables and will distinguish between functions and non-functions. Students understand abstractly that a function is a set of input values each with exactly one output value and that it can be represented in multiple ways.”

### Indicator 2f

Materials carefully attend to the full meaning of each practice standard
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for carefully attending to the full meaning of each practice standard. Materials attend to the full meaning of each of the 8 MPs. Examples include:

• For MP1, during the Immersion situations, students make sense of a problem and look for entry points to its solution. For example, in 8.G.A.3, Tile Transformation, the Detailed Lesson Plan states, “MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. In Immersion and Data & Computation, students will use their knowledge of transformations to identify final coordinates for a figure. They will make conjectures about which transformations will give the desired results to Miss Cartesia. Students will devise a plan which will involve a bit of experimentation and revision as they attempt to manipulate the original figure. This is a great lesson to apply Jo Boaler’s tip to consider your teacher messages in influencing student ability to make sense of problems and persevere.”
• For MP2, students make sense of quantities and their relationships in problem situations through contextualizing and decontextualizing. For example, in 8.F.A.1, Flight Functions, the Detailed Lesson Plan states, “MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. During Data & Computation, students recognize that a function is a special relationship between two variables and will distinguish between functions and non-functions. Students understand abstractly that a function is a set of input values each with exactly one output value and that it can be represented in multiple ways.”
• For MP4, students put an authentic problem into their own words and use an appropriate strategy from the math they know to create a path to a solution. For example, in 8.G.C.9, Dawn of Anesthesia, the Detailed Lesson Plan states, “SMP4: Model with mathematics. In Immersion, students determine what they need to know in an unstructured problem and create strategies based on assumptions using Jo Boaler’s recommendation of formalizing a model on a poster to help clarify thinking. Because this is a difficult problem to model and because it has complex elements, such as the spherical bottle, students may initially oversimplify at this stage. In Data & Computation, students have the opportunity to improve their assumptions and model. In Resolution, teachers immediately reinforce student learning with a special modeling exercise from Dan Meyer’s Meatballs problem. Students engage in modeling to determine how many spherical meatballs fit in a cylindrical pot.”
• For MP5, students demonstrate understanding of the benefits and limitations of a variety of tools by choosing the appropriate tool for the purpose - solving problems, calculation, communication, etc. For example, in 8.G.A.4, Dakota Jones and the Hall of Records, the Detailed Lesson Plan states, “SMP5: Use appropriate tools strategically. During Data & Computation, students are instructed to consider the tools needed to come to a conclusion about the Hall of Records. The specific tools used vary from student to student, including but not limited to paper & pencil, trace paper, graph paper, rulers, chart paper, computational software, graphics editing software, presentation and animation software. Students will need various tools to show that similar figures can be created through transformations and used as models to support their claim.”
• For MP6, students attend to precision. For example, in 8.EE.C.8b, Mars Rocks!, the Detailed Lesson Plan states, “MP6: Attend to precision. In Immersion and Data & Computation, students will use their knowledge of linear equations to determine equations of the lines based on the data given. They analyze the graphical information and then use their knowledge of systems of linear equations (either graphical or algebraic) to determine whether or not the exploration vehicle and supply vehicle will meet. Teachers apply Jo Boaler’s teaching idea to reinforce how students attend to precision by presenting the complex situation and asking students: What do you notice? What do you wonder? What is going on?”
• For MP7, students look for or make use of structure while investigating and applying relationships within mathematics. For example, in 8.G.A.5, Puppy Parallels, the Detailed Lesson Plan states, “MP7: Look for and make use of structure. During Immersion and Data & Computation, students recognize that the structure of two lines cut by a transversal creates many congruent angles. They analyze the structure of various diagrams and utilize prior knowledge surrounding supplementary angles. During Resolution, students see that the structure of parallel lines with a transversal lends itself to translation to see additional relationships among the angles.” The prompts provided for teachers include:  “What information do we know? Do you see anything familiar in the diagram? Do you see any straight angles? What commonalities can you see between the angles in the diagram? What ideas do you have about trying to determine the measurements of the angles in the diagram? What do you know about angles formed by two parallel lines cut by a transversal? How can we use this to find all angle measurements?”
• For MP8, students look for generalizations based on regularity in repeated reasoning or attend to the details of the process. For example, in 8.NS.A.1, Warp Speed, Detailed Lesson Plan, “MP8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to notice repeated calculations for general methods and shortcuts. In Data & Computation and Teacher Instruction, students look for patterns and observe how using powers of 10 can help to algebraically convert decimal expansions to their fractional equivalents, paying particular attention to how many digits are repeating in the decimal expansion.”

### Indicator 2g

Emphasis on Mathematical Reasoning: Materials support the Standards' emphasis on mathematical reasoning by:
0/0

### Indicator 2g.i

Materials prompt students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics detailed in the content standards.
2/2
+
-
Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for prompting students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics.

Examples of prompting students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others include:

• In 8.EE.B.5, Space Race, Practice Printable, Introduction Problem, “Which ship will get to Candoran first? Commander K-8 has three teams entering the annual race to Candoran. The teams have been practicing all week and have been keeping track of their practice data. Use the practice data to help Commander K-8 predict who will win the race. Explain your reasoning.” Data for each team is provided with a different representation: equation, table, graph. Practice Printable Question 4, “Compare the proportional relationships (given Bob’s data in a table and Liv’s data in a graph). Which of the two stores charges the least for greeting cards? Explain your reasoning.”
• In 8.EE.C.8a, Show Me the Money, Practice Printable, Introduction Problem, “How could Bailey use a graph to explain Cage’s contract offers? Football quarterback, Tom Cage and his agent, Bailey Simpson, are reviewing recent offers that have come in from two teams, the Kingsboro Kangaroos and the Hartford Hedgehogs. Cage is having difficulty understanding the equations in the contracts, so he asks Bailey to explain to him using a graph. Use the equations to graph the line for each team contract. Then explain what this means for Cage.”
• In 8.SP.A.2, Escape from Mars, Practice Printable, Introduction Problem, “What battery should she take? Team Delta Geologist Kim O’Hara is trying to make it back to Earth. She believes there is an escape pod 59 kilometers away from her base. To get there she must take the exploration vehicle. The battery can only be charged at her home base, and she’s unsure if it will last long enough to make it to the escape pod. Luckily, she found two batteries, but, sadly, she can only take one. She runs tests on both batteries and creates a scatterplot for each, showing the remaining battery life after traveling various distances. For each scatterplot, draw a line of best fit. Then decide which battery O’Hara should take and explain your reasoning.”
• In 8.G.A.2, Knee Replacement, Practice Printable, Question 1 states, “A student claims that any two shapes are congruent if one can be formed from the other by a series of rotations or reflections. Is the student correct? Explain your answer.” Question 2 states, “A transformation is made to triangle ABC to form triangle DEF (not shown). Then another transformation is made to triangle DEF to form triangle GHJ. Describe these transformations. What is the relationship between triangles ABC and GHJ? Explain your answer.” Question 3 states, “Prove that ABCD is congruent to JKLM. Describe the transformations that would be made to ABCD to form JKLM.” Question 4 states, “Are the shapes congruent? How could you use transformations to prove your answer?”
• In 8.G.A.4, Dakota Jones and the Hall of Records, Practice Printable, Question 1 states, “You are given triangle XYZ. You want to use a sequence of transformations to create another triangle that is smaller but not congruent to XYZ. Which transformation must be included in that sequence? Explain why.” Question 2 states, “A transformation is made to triangle ABC to form triangle DEF (not shown). Then another transformation is made to triangle DEF to form triangle GHJ. Describe these transformations. Then tell whether ABC and GHJ are congruent, similar, or neither. Explain why.”
• In 8.G.A.5, Puppy Parallels, Practice Printable, Question 4 states, “Are the shapes congruent? How could you use transformations to prove your answer?” Question 5 states, “Study the diagram. Tell whether each statement is true or false and explain why. Are lines j and k parallel? Explain your answer.” Question 6 states, “Are these right triangles similar? Explain your answer.”
• In 8.F.A.1, Flight Functions, Practice Printable, Question 1 states, “Determine whether each relationship represents a function and explain why or why not.” Question 3 states, “Determine whether each of the following could be a graph of a function, and explain why or why not: A line that gradually increases in a diagonal manner; A horizontal line; A circle, A vertical line.”

### Indicator 2g.ii

Materials assist teachers in engaging students in constructing viable arguments and analyzing the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics detailed in the content standards.
2/2
+
-
Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for assisting teachers in engaging students to construct viable arguments and analyze the arguments of others concerning key grade-level mathematics.

The materials provide guidance for teachers on how to engage students with MP3. In several lessons, the Detailed Lesson Plan identifies MP3 and provides prompts that support teachers in engaging students with MP3. Examples include::

• In 8.SP.A.1, Cholera Outbreak!, teachers apply Jo Boaler’s mathematical practices tip for MP3 by asking: “How do you see this problem? How do you think about it? Instructions note to follow this by having students re-state each other’s reasoning in different ways.”
• In 8.G.1a-c, Artemis Transforms, the final step in Data and Computation has teachers pair students, present their case to each other, and justify their reasoning. Prompts include: “Is the other team’s argument logical? What evidence did they provide? What would have made their argument stronger?”

In most lessons, there are prompts for teachers that can be used for student reflection at the end of the lesson; however, these prompts are optional as the materials state “It is not always necessary for students to respond. The questions can simply be used to cue thinking prior to instruction.” Examples of these include:

• What did you do that was the same?
• What was different?
• What strategy do you think was more efficient? Why?

The materials include 10 protocols to support Mathematical Practices. Several of these protocols engage students in constructing arguments and analyzing the arguments of others. When they are included in a lesson, the materials provide directions or prompts for the teacher to support engaging students in MP3. These include:

• “I Wonder, I Notice (8-10 min): Following a completed whole-class assignment, set ground rules for peer critique, including being thoughtful, specifc [sic], and helpful (≈ 1 min). Choose a student to be “the originator” who is tasked to explain his or her approach and solution to a problem (≈ 2 min), while other students listen only. Then ask other students to ask “the originator” clarifying questions or comments that start with ‘I wonder’ and ‘I notice’ (≈ 5-6 min).”
• “Think-Pair-Share (5-6 min): Ask students to think individually about an idea and make some notes (≈1-2 min). Tell students to pair with a partner and discuss their notes (≈ 2 min). Finally, facilitate whole-class discussion by cold-calling on students to share their ideas. Consider recording ideas on a whiteboard (≈ 2 min).”
• “Lawyer Up! (12-17 min): When a task has the classroom divided between two answers or ideas, divide students into groups of four with two attorneys on each side. Tell each attorney team to prepare a defense for their “case” (≈ 4 min). Instruct students to present their argument. Each attorney is given one minute to present their view, alternating sides (≈ 4 min). Together, the attorneys must decide which case is more defendable (≈ 1 min). Tally results of each group to determine which case wins (≈ 1-2 min). Complete the protocol with a “popcorn-style” case summary (≈ 2-3 min).”
• “Math Circles (15-28 min): Prior to class, create 5 to 7 engaging questions at grade level, place on diferent [sic] table-tops. For example, Why does a circle have 360 degrees and a triangle 180 degrees? Assign groups to take turns at each table to discuss concepts (≈ 3-4 min each table).”
• “Quick Write (8-10 min): After showing an Immersion video, provide students with a unique prompt, such as: “I believe that the store owner should...”, or “The person on Mars should make the decision to...” and include the prompt, “because...” with blank space above and below. Quick writes are excellent for new concepts (≈ 8-10 min).”
• “Sketch It! (11-13 min): Tell students to draw a picture that includes both the story and math components that create a visual representation of the math concept (≈ 5-7 min). Choose two students with varying approaches to present their work (≈ 1 min each) to the class (via MidSchoolMath software platform or other method) and prepare the entire class to discuss the advantages of each model (≈ 5 min).”

### Indicator 2g.iii

Materials explicitly attend to the specialized language of mathematics.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for explicitly attending to the specialized language of mathematics.

The materials use precise and accurate terminology and definitions when describing mathematics, and the materials provide instruction in how to communicate mathematical thinking using words, diagrams, and symbols.

• Each Detailed Lesson Plan provides teachers with a list of vocabulary words and definitions that correspond to the language of the standard that is attached to the lesson; usually specific to content, but sometimes more general. For example, 8.G.2 states “Understand that a two-dimensional figure is congruent to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, and translations; given two congruent two-dimensional figures, describe a sequence that exhibits the congruence between them.” The vocabulary provided to the teacher in 8.G.A.2, Knee Replacement is, “Congruent: Equal in shape and size.”
• The vocabulary provided for the teacher is highlighted in red in the student materials on the Practice Printable.
• Each Detailed Lesson Plan prompts teachers to “Look for opportunities to clarify vocabulary” while students work on the Immersion problem which includes, “As students explain their reasoning to you and to classmates, look for opportunities to clarify their vocabulary. Allow students to ‘get their idea out’ using their own language but when possible, make clarifying statements using precise vocabulary to say the same thing. This allows students to hear the vocabulary in context, which is among the strongest methods for learning vocabulary.”
• Each Detailed Lesson Plan includes this reminder, “Vocabulary Protocols: In your math classroom, make a Word Wall to hang and refer to vocabulary words throughout the lesson. As a whole-class exercise, create a visual representation and definition once students have had time to use their new words throughout a lesson. In the Practice Printable, remind students that key vocabulary words are highlighted. Definitions are available at the upper right in their student account. In the Student Reflection, the rubric lists the key vocabulary words for the lesson. Students are required to use these vocabulary words to explain, in narrative form, the math experienced in this lesson. During “Gallery Walks,” vocabulary can be a focus of the “I Wonder..., I Notice...” protocol.”
• Each lesson includes student reflection. Students are provided with a list of vocabulary words from the lesson to help them include appropriate math vocabulary in the reflection. The rubric for the reflection includes, “I clearly described how the math is used in the story and used appropriate math vocabulary.”
• Vocabulary for students is provided in the Glossary in the student workbook. “This glossary contains terms and definitions used in MidSchoolMath Comprehensive Curriculum, including 5th to 8th grades.”
• The Teacher Instruction portion of each detailed lesson plan begins with, “Here are examples of statements you might make to the class:” which often, though not always, includes the vocabulary used in context. For example, the vocabulary provided for 8.F.A.3, Le Monsieur Chef is “Linear Function,” and “Non-linear Function.” The sample statements provided are, “Remember that a function is defined by the input value resulting in only one output value. In Le Monsieur Chef, we were asked to determine if each equation was a function and if it was linear or non-linear. The chef helped us see that linear equations can all be written in the slope-intercept form or y = mx + b, where b is the y-intercept and starting value and m is the slope and rate of change.”

## Usability

### Criterion 3a - 3e

Use and design facilitate student learning: Materials are well designed and take into account effective lesson structure and pacing.
7/8
+
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Criterion Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for being well designed and taking into account effective lesson structure and pacing. The materials distinguish between problems and exercises, have exercises that are given in intentional sequences, and have a variety in what students are asked to produce. The materials partially include manipulatives that are faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent.

### Indicator 3a

The underlying design of the materials distinguishes between problems and exercises. In essence, the difference is that in solving problems, students learn new mathematics, whereas in working exercises, students apply what they have already learned to build mastery. Each problem or exercise has a purpose.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for providing both problems and exercises that have purpose.

Students engage with problems and exercises through a consistent lesson structure. Students participate in a warm-up in the Test Trainer Pro daily for 10 minutes. The Math Simulator introduces the story and the essential problem with an online video during the Immersion and Data & Computation and Resolution stages. In the Detailed Lesson Plan, the teacher instructional time (8-10 minutes) provides problems for the teacher to use as examples. The student does independent online (3-7) exercises in the Simulation Trainer, with additional repetition if they miss the problems. The Practice Printable can be used as a differentiation tool, as in-class practice, or as homework. The Clicker Quiz consists of six multiple choice questions. At the end of the lesson, there is a section for a Gallery Walk and Reflection of other student work.

### Indicator 3b

Design of assignments is not haphazard: exercises are given in intentional sequences.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for assignments being designed with an intentional sequence.

There is logic to the design because each lesson is one standard; lessons are listed in the order of the standards within each domain. In Planning the Year, the materials state, “The sequence provided in the materials is specifically designed to provide a framework to allow teachers sufficient time for teaching each standard throughout the year. Additionally, the materials are intentionally designed for students to work with more ‘concrete’ forms of mathematics prior to abstract concepts. Finally, the structure of the curriculum is sequenced to allow for completion of topics before associated summative assessments, and sequencing within lessons progresses from conceptual work to practice with exercises.”

### Indicator 3c

There is variety in what students are asked to produce. For example, students are asked to produce answers and solutions, but also, in a grade-appropriate way, arguments and explanations, diagrams, mathematical models, etc.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for requiring variety in what students produce.

Each lesson builds around an essential problem that is the entry point for the content. The problems always include “artifacts” that require students to work with content in a wide variety of ways including breaking codes, planning rations for trips, determining if things will fit, etc. In addition to the essential problem, the program utilizes 10 protocols that generate a variety of responses such as creating arguments, making up their own problems, sketching situations, quick writes, and more. The student reflection, found at the end of each lesson, gives students the opportunity to personalize and be creative in how they explain their understanding.

### Indicator 3d

Manipulatives are faithful representations of the mathematical objects they represent and when appropriate are connected to written methods.
1/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for effective use of manipulatives.

The instructional materials do not include extensive use of manipulatives, and in the online materials, tools used as manipulatives are not available. In some of the lesson material, there are visual models with number lines, graphs, or bars. Students occasionally look at models and create a math equation from the representation. Overall, there are limited opportunities to use manipulatives to develop mathematical understanding.

### Indicator 3e

The visual design (whether in print or online) is not distracting or chaotic, but supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject.
0/0
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 include print materials that are not distracting or chaotic. The student workbook provides space for students to write in the workbook. There are numerous videos in various parts of the lesson which are brief and engaging to students.

However, the Math Simulator can be distracting because students have to rewatch entire videos even if they have answered the questions correctly. The students do not have the ability to fast forward through the videos even though they have seen the video previously.

### Criterion 3f - 3l

Teacher Planning and Learning for Success with CCSS: Materials support teacher learning and understanding of the Standards.
4/8
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Criterion Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 do not meet expectations for supporting teacher learning and understanding of the Standards. The materials contain support for planning and providing learning experiences with quality questions and contain ample and useful notations and suggestions on how to present the content. The materials do not meet expectations for containing: adult-level explanations so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject and explanations of the grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum.

### Indicator 3f

Materials support teachers in planning and providing effective learning experiences by providing quality questions to help guide students' mathematical development.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for supporting teachers with quality questions to guide mathematical development.

There are prompts for teachers embedded throughout each section of the Detailed Lesson Plan. Many of these are generic and repeated in almost every lesson, such as, “What information are we given? What operations were used? Is the math same, just represented in a different way? What visuals did you notice were similar or different?” Some questions are consistently connected to Mathematical Practices, such as, “Would this always be true? Can you think of a situation where this would not work?” In addition, each lesson introduction poses an essential question intended to guide student learning and specific prompts related to that outcome.

### Indicator 3g

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.
2/2
+
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet the expectations for containing ample and useful annotations and suggestions on how to present the content in the student edition and in the ancillary materials.

In the Detailed Lesson Plan pages, there is information that can help teachers understand the materials in order to present the content. In the Teacher Instruction it states, “Lectures can be developed using guidance from the Detailed Lesson Plans.” Each lesson identifies the relevant Mathematical Practices, Cluster Connections, and Common Misconceptions. In the Instruction at a Glance section, the authors give hints to help teachers provide support to students. Also provided in each lesson is a Mathematical Practice TIp from Jo Boaler to offer ideas to instructors.

In the Detailed Lesson Plan, there is a section that provides instructions to use the online Test Trainer Pro as a daily warm up. A video is provided with each lesson which sets a scene in which the essential question is asked. The Math Simulator is a “central component of Core Curriculum MidSchoolMath, designed to provide a strong conceptual foundation of the mathematical standard.”

### Indicator 3h

Materials contain a teacher's edition (in print or clearly distinguished/accessible as a teacher's edition in digital materials) that contains full, adult-level explanations and examples of the more advanced mathematics concepts in the lessons so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject, as necessary.
0/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 do not meet expectations for containing adult-level explanations so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject. While the materials provide support for instruction in each lesson, they do not include adult-level explanations of the grade-level content or advanced mathematics concepts so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject.

### Indicator 3i

Materials contain a teacher's edition (in print or clearly distinguished/accessible as a teacher's edition in digital materials) that explains the role of the specific grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum for kindergarten through grade twelve.
0/2
+
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 do not meet expectations for explaining the role of grade-level mathematics in the context of the overall mathematics curriculum.

The materials do not assist teachers in understanding the role of the specific course-level mathematics in the context of the overall series. There is no explanation of how the topic is developed in previous and future grades, other than a list of prerequisite standards for each lesson.

### Indicator 3j

Materials provide a list of lessons in the teacher's edition (in print or clearly distinguished/accessible as a teacher's edition in digital materials), cross-referencing the standards covered and providing an estimated instructional time for each lesson, chapter and unit (i.e., pacing guide).
0/0
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 provide a list of lessons in the teacher edition, cross-­referencing the standards addressed, and a pacing guide.

Each course in this series includes a document called Planning the Year that provides the standards and pacing (number of weeks) for each lesson. There is additional standards correlation in the Scope and Sequence Chart that lists each Lesson, Domain Review, and Major Cluster Lessons throughout a year.

### Indicator 3k

Materials contain strategies for informing parents or caregivers about the mathematics program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.
0/0
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 include a parent letter that explains the program in both English and Spanish. The how-to-help paragraph suggests that parents have the student log into the program and show the parents their work, “Try your best to listen and not be critique [sic]”, and to expect the math to be different. It also mentions the mindset of being bad at math and changing the mindset by saying they do not understand the concept “Yet”. There is no further communication for parents and no direct discussion of mathematical concepts.

### Indicator 3l

Materials contain explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.
0/0
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 explain instructional approaches used and how they are research-based in the Curriculum Structure. Examples include:

• The Clicker Quiz is “a whole-class, low-stakes test (comprising [sic] of six multiple choice math problems) facilitated through any device to enhance long-term recall of concepts and provide the teacher with real-time class evaluation data. (Research Indicator: ‘The Testing Effect’ demonstrates that learning is higher through repetitive low to no-stakes testing than through studying, and that long term recall is higher.)”
• Information on Cultural Diversity in Math - “Moving from Shallow Notions of Culture to Student-Centered Mathematics Tasks” by Toya J. Frank, Ph.D. is provided online in Resources.
• In addition, Lesson Planning for Remote Situations provides overview and essential considerations in the Resources menu online for teachers, parents, and students.

### Criterion 3m - 3q

Assessment: Materials offer teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the Standards.
6/10
+
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Criterion Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for offering teachers resources and tools to collect ongoing data about student progress on the Standards. The materials include assessments that clearly denote which standards are being emphasized. The materials partially meet expectations for providing: strategies to gather information on students’ prior knowledge; strategies to identify and address common student errors and misconceptions; opportunities for ongoing review and practice with feedback; and assessments that include aligned rubrics and scoring guidance for teachers to interpret student performance and suggestions for follow-up.

### Indicator 3m

Materials provide strategies for gathering information about students' prior knowledge within and across grade levels.
1/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for gathering information about students’ prior knowledge.

• Test Trainer Pro, which is intended to be used daily, automatically gathers information about students’ prior knowledge of Core Skills (from Grades 1 through 4) and the domains within the grade-level standards.
• The Detailed Lesson Plan lists prerequisite standards for each lesson, but does not provide strategies to gather information about knowledge of those standards.
• Assessing prior knowledge is not directly addressed in the Detailed Lesson Plan, but can be elicited through teacher questioning and observation.
• The lesson plan does not include suggestions for responding to answers that demonstrate lack of prior knowledge.
• There are no pre-tests available in the materials.

### Indicator 3n

Materials provide strategies for teachers to identify and address common student errors and misconceptions.
1/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for identifying and addressing common errors and misconceptions.

The Detailed Lesson Plan includes a section of “Common Misconceptions”. In the Teacher Instruction, the teacher is usually prompted to address the misconception by showing students the correct way to do the math with some detail as to why and how. The Teacher Instruction and the Practice Printables sometimes show work with a mistake based on the misconception and ask the students to decide if the example is correct and how they know, then the students work the problem correctly.

While these address common errors and misconceptions, the materials do not mention strategies to identify the common student errors and misconceptions or why students make them.

### Indicator 3o

Materials provide opportunities for ongoing review and practice, with feedback, for students in learning both concepts and skills.
1/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for providing ongoing review and practice with feedback.

Opportunities for ongoing review include:

• The Daily Test Trainer gives students multiple-choice review questions each day.
• Distributive Practice provides two weeks of multiple-choice questions on the computer.
• Game-Based Review incorporates multiple standards.
• The Domain Review provides a short clip of four Immersion Videos from the unit. Students then complete a reflection including Story Recall, Math Concepts, and Math Connections for those four lessons. However, the majority of the materials focus on one specific standard at a time.

Opportunities for feedback include:

• Teacher prompts and questions while students work.
• The Simulation Trainer provides feedback about correct/incorrect and solution videos.
• The domain reflection includes a rubric with clear expectations.
• Students provide peer feedback during a gallery walk of student reflections.
• Formal feedback is not provided, and there is no suggested feedback for assessments related to content.

### Indicator 3p

Materials offer ongoing formative and summative assessments:
0/0

### Indicator 3p.i

Assessments clearly denote which standards are being emphasized.
2/2
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for denoting which standards are emphasized on assessments.

On each Milestone Assessment, the clusters are shown below the title in the digital materials and in the footer of the PDFs, and the standards are shown below the title in the digital materials.

### Indicator 3p.ii

Assessments include aligned rubrics and scoring guidelines that provide sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.
1/2
+
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for interpreting student performance on assessments and making suggestions for follow-up.

The assessments are multiple-choice with an answer key in the Teacher Guide. Each Milestone Assessment has a scoring rubric that is based on the percent of correct answers. The recurring suggestion for following-up with students is for them to review and correct their mistakes. Students who score advanced (80-100%) create a tutoring session for the nearing proficient. The proficient students (60-79%) create a Top-3 Tips sheet for the class. The students who are nearing proficient (40-59%) attend the tutoring session. The novice students attend a reteaching session with the teacher.

Since the questions are all multiple choice, the teacher has a limited perspective of student abilities, and it is challenging to interpret student performance. The multiple-choice aspect of the assessments also limits the ability to measure higher-level thinking.

### Indicator 3q

Materials encourage students to monitor their own progress.
0/0
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 provide very little opportunity for students to monitor their own progress. Students self-assess their understanding of each concept during the Reflection; the Reflection rubric includes Mathematical Representation where a score of 4 (Exceeds Expectations) states, “My mathematical representation shows complete understanding of the math concept.” However, there is no overall progress monitoring completed by students.

### Criterion 3r - 3y

Differentiated instruction: Materials support teachers in differentiating instruction for diverse learners within and across grades.
8/12
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Criterion Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for supporting teachers in differentiating instruction for diverse learners within and across grades. The materials embed tasks with multiple entry-points and provide a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics. The materials partially meet expectations for providing: strategies to help teachers sequence or scaffold lessons; strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners; supports, 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

Materials provide strategies to help teachers sequence or scaffold lessons so that the content is accessible to all learners.
1/2
+
-
Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for providing strategies to help teachers make content accessible to all learners. There are some routines within the materials that help make the content accessible to all learners, but very few specific strategies to support teachers in scaffolding the lesson. For example:

• Each lesson has the same structure.
• The Immersion Video and problem provide an opportunity for students at all levels to engage in the math; however, the materials do not support the teacher with strategies to scaffold the content if students struggle.
• The Exit Ticket provides information to the teacher to determine who might join a small reteaching group, but there is limited guidance about what the teacher should do except help the students do the second side of the Practice Printable.
• The Teacher Guide describes the Top 10 Protocols and states, “For each protocol, take time to imagine the experience of all students in the classroom. For example, having one student present their work to the rest of the class could lead to only one student benefiting while most students are passively listening (or not listening at all).” Despite pointing this out, there are no strategies provided for how to scaffold the lesson to engage all students.
• The Content at a Glance in each lesson includes Pro-Tips from three teachers designed to help teachers scaffold the content such as, “Consider having students draw a visual representation of two expressions, one with no grouping symbols and one with. This will help them see how using grouping symbols can change the value of the expression.”

### Indicator 3s

Materials provide teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners.
1/2
+
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for providing teachers with strategies for meeting the needs of a range of learners. The range of learners is addressed in a limited way, but specific strategies for meeting their needs are not provided. For example:

• The Teacher Guide provides suggestions when planning to teach, “Prep work: Review the Practice Printable Answer Key in the Detailed Lesson Plan. Decide on how you would like to use the Practice Printable (as a differentiation tool, as in-class practice, as homework, etc.). Consider choosing one problem of your choice for students to complete as an exit ticket for the period, with the option of using the results to group students for work the next day.“
• The instruction for differentiation is the same for every lesson, after students complete the first side of the Practice Printable, they answer an Exit Ticket: “Ask students to rate their personal understanding of the problem on a scale of 1 to 3: 1 = I need more help; 2 = I need more time, yet mostly understand; 3 = I’ve got this!” Based on their answer, when the students complete the second side of the Practice Printable, the teacher can assign a challenge for those who answered 3 and create a small reteach group for the students who answered 1, though there are no suggestions about what to do with the group.
• During the Simulation Trainer, it is suggested that students who complete the activity quickly can help the students who are struggling.
• The Teacher can assign a different grade level in the Test Trainer Pro.

### Indicator 3t

Materials embed tasks with multiple entry-points that can be solved using a variety of solution strategies or representations.
2/2
+
-
Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for providing tasks with multiple entry points.

• The opening Immersion Video and problem present a task in each lesson that provides multiple entry points with no clear route to the solution.
• The Math Simulator also provides problems with multiple entry points and a variety of solution strategies, though they only show one in their solution video.
• Beyond the initial task in each of these areas, problems repeat the same situation with new numbers.

### Indicator 3u

Materials suggest support, accommodations, and modifications for English Language Learners and other special populations that will support their regular and active participation in learning mathematics (e.g., modifying vocabulary words within word problems).
1/2
+
-
Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for including support, accommodations, and modifications for English Language Learners and other special populations that will support their regular and active participation in learning mathematics.

• The materials include support, accommodations, and modifications for ELL students through pull-out boxes in the Detailed Lesson Plans.
• There are no strategies provided for making accommodations specifically for students in special populations that would allow them to regularly and actively participate in learning grade-level mathematics.
• There is a box in each lesson called Differentiation Plan with a section for Remediation, but the suggestion is to work on problems together, with the teacher, or each other. This does not provide modifications for additional support and practice for students.

### Indicator 3v

Materials provide opportunities for advanced students to investigate mathematics content at greater depth.
1/2
+
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 partially meet expectations for providing opportunities for advanced students to investigate mathematics at greater depth.

• Materials include little, if any, deeper or more complex mathematics that would challenge advanced learners.
• There is a box in each lesson called Differentiation Plan with a section for Enrichment which suggests that students can move on to the Reflection or offers a problem that lets students apply the content. Some of these promote investigation that would enhance knowledge related to grade-level standards.

### Indicator 3w

Materials provide a balanced portrayal of various demographic and personal characteristics.
2/2
+
-
Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 meet expectations for providing a variety of demographic and personal characteristics.

The actors in the videos are from different races and portray people from many ethnicities in a respectful manner. Names in the story problems include Kolson, Jalil, Misha, and Sonia. The settings span a wide range including rural, urban, international, and space.

### Indicator 3x

Materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.
0/0
+
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 provide opportunities to group students, though they are rarely delineated in the materials. The Immersion Phase allows the teacher to group students many different ways. The second side of the Practice Printable can be done as a small group. The Student Reflection has some protocols that allow for a variety of grouping strategies.

### Indicator 3y

Materials encourage teachers to draw upon home language and culture to facilitate learning.
0/0
+
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Indicator Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 do not present opportunities for teachers to draw upon home language and culture to facilitate learning.

Effective technology use: Materials support effective use of technology to enhance student learning. Digital materials are accessible and available in multiple platforms.
0/0
+
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Criterion Rating Details

The instructional materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 are web-based and compatible with multiple internet browsers and include opportunities for teachers to assess student learning. Although the materials are dependent on a digital platform, students use a limited range of technology within the platform. The materials are not easily customized for individual learners or local use and provide few, if any, opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other through technology.

### Indicator 3z

Materials integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic mathematics software in ways that engage students in the Mathematical Practices.
0/0
+
-
Indicator Rating Details

The digital materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 pose an essential question during an engaging introduction video for every lesson. Students can complete and submit the three components of the essential question (Immersion, Data & Computation, and Resolution) online, and the teacher will have a digital record of completion. These phases often incorporate the Mathematical Practices.

While the program is very technology-dependent, the students use a limited range of technology. The students do not use technology as a math tool. No virtual manipulatives were found. The digital materials include opportunities to assess students' mathematical understanding and knowledge of procedural skills through Test Trainer Pro, the Math Simulator, and the Clicker Quizzes. The Clicker Quiz offers opportunities for whole class discussions of multiple choice questions.

### Indicator 3aa

Digital materials (either included as supplementary to a textbook or as part of a digital curriculum) are web-based and compatible with multiple internet browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.). In addition, materials are "platform neutral" (i.e., are compatible with multiple operating systems such as Windows and Apple and are not proprietary to any single platform) and allow the use of tablets and mobile devices.
0/0
+
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Indicator Rating Details

The digital materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 are web-based and compatible with multiple internet browsers. The materials are platform-neutral and compatible with Chrome, ChromeOS, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox. Materials are compatible with various devices including iPads, laptops, Chromebooks, and other devices that connect to the internet with an applicable browser.

### Indicator 3ab

Materials include opportunities to assess student mathematical understandings and knowledge of procedural skills using technology.
0/0
+
-
Indicator Rating Details

The digital materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 include opportunities for teachers to assess student learning. Examples include:

• Teachers can assign lesson problems and assessments, as well as view assessment analytics.
• The Test Trainer Pro can be assigned by the teacher by domain.
• The Domain Replay gives students a brief review of various concepts.
• The Math Simulator is designed to “provide a conceptual foundation of the mathematical standard.”
• The 6-question Clicker Quiz provides immediate feedback with the multiple choice questions.
• None of the materials allow for teachers to modify questions nor add different questions.

### Indicator 3ac

Materials can be easily customized for individual learners. i. Digital materials include opportunities for teachers to personalize learning for all students, using adaptive or other technological innovations. ii. Materials can be easily customized for local use. For example, materials may provide a range of lessons to draw from on a topic.
0/0
+
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Indicator Rating Details

The digital materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 include Milestone assessments that are “a summative evaluation following each cluster per grade. They are automatically graded, yielding the percentage of items answered correctly. The math items are created to include items of varying difficulty.”

“Test Trainer Pro acts as a low-stakes, formative assessment for students to practice testing under more relaxed and stress-free conditions. It is an adaptive tool and is designed to elicit the largest gains in students' achievement possible in the shortest period of time.”

None of the digital materials are customizable.

The digital materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 provide one lesson for the student to complete for each standard.

Materials include or reference technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other (e.g. websites, discussion groups, webinars, etc.).
0/0
+
-
Indicator Rating Details

The digital materials reviewed for Core Curriculum by MidSchoolMath 5-8 Grade 8 provide few, if any, opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other through technology.

abc123

Report Published Date: 12/29/2020

Report Edition: 2020

All publishers are invited to provide an orientation to the educator-led team that will be reviewing their materials. The review teams also can ask publishers clarifying questions about their programs throughout the review process.

Once a review is complete, publishers have the opportunity to post a 1,500-word response to the educator report and a 1,500-word document that includes any background information or research on the instructional materials.

Please note: Reports published beginning in 2021 will be using version 2 of our review tools. Learn more.

## Educator-Led Review Teams

Each report found on EdReports.org represents hundreds of hours of work by educator reviewers. Working in teams of 4-5, reviewers use educator-developed review tools, evidence guides, and key documents to thoroughly examine their sets of materials.

After receiving over 25 hours of training on the EdReports.org review tool and process, teams meet weekly over the course of several months to share evidence, come to consensus on scoring, and write the evidence that ultimately is shared on the website.

All team members look at every grade and indicator, ensuring that the entire team considers the program in full. The team lead and calibrator also meet in cross-team PLCs to ensure that the tool is being applied consistently among review teams. Final reports are the result of multiple educators analyzing every page, calibrating all findings, and reaching a unified conclusion.

## Rubric Design

The EdReports.org’s rubric supports a sequential review process through three gateways. These gateways reflect the importance of standards alignment to the fundamental design elements of the materials and considers other attributes of high-quality curriculum as recommended by educators.

• Materials must meet or partially meet expectations for the first set of indicators to move along the process. Gateways 1 and 2 focus on questions of alignment. Are the instructional materials aligned to the standards? Are all standards present and treated with appropriate depth and quality required to support student learning?
• Gateway 3 focuses on the question of usability. Are the instructional materials user-friendly for students and educators? Materials must be well designed to facilitate student learning and enhance a teacher’s ability to differentiate and build knowledge within the classroom. In order to be reviewed and attain a rating for usability (Gateway 3), the instructional materials must first meet expectations for alignment (Gateways 1 and 2).

## Key Terms Used throughout Review Rubric and Reports

• Indicator Specific item that reviewers look for in materials.
• Criterion Combination of all of the individual indicators for a single focus area.
• Gateway Organizing feature of the evaluation rubric that combines criteria and prioritizes order for sequential review.
• Alignment Rating Degree to which materials meet expectations for alignment, including that all standards are present and treated with the appropriate depth to support students in learning the skills and knowledge that they need to be ready for college and career.
• Usability Degree to which materials are consistent with effective practices for use and design, teacher planning and learning, assessment, and differentiated instruction.

## Math K-8 Rubric and Evidence Guides

The K-8 review rubric identifies the criteria and indicators for high quality instructional materials. The rubric supports a sequential review process that reflect the importance of alignment to the standards then consider other high-quality attributes of curriculum as recommended by educators.

For math, our rubrics evaluate materials based on:

• Focus and Coherence

• Rigor and Mathematical Practices

• Instructional Supports and Usability

The K-8 Evidence Guides complement the rubric by elaborating details for each indicator including the purpose of the indicator, information on how to collect evidence, guiding questions and discussion prompts, and scoring criteria.

The EdReports rubric supports a sequential review process through three gateways. These gateways reflect the importance of alignment to college and career ready standards and considers other attributes of high-quality curriculum, such as usability and design, as recommended by educators.

Materials must meet or partially meet expectations for the first set of indicators (gateway 1) to move to the other gateways.

Gateways 1 and 2 focus on questions of alignment to the standards. Are the instructional materials aligned to the standards? Are all standards present and treated with appropriate depth and quality required to support student learning?

Gateway 3 focuses on the question of usability. Are the instructional materials user-friendly for students and educators? Materials must be well designed to facilitate student learning and enhance a teacher’s ability to differentiate and build knowledge within the classroom.

In order to be reviewed and attain a rating for usability (Gateway 3), the instructional materials must first meet expectations for alignment (Gateways 1 and 2).

Alignment and usability ratings are assigned based on how materials score on a series of criteria and indicators with reviewers providing supporting evidence to determine and substantiate each point awarded.

For ELA and math, alignment ratings represent the degree to which materials meet expectations, partially meet expectations, or do not meet expectations for alignment to college- and career-ready standards, including that all standards are present and treated with the appropriate depth to support students in learning the skills and knowledge that they need to be ready for college and career.

For science, alignment ratings represent the degree to which materials meet expectations, partially meet expectations, or do not meet expectations for alignment to the Next Generation Science Standards, including that all standards are present and treated with the appropriate depth to support students in learning the skills and knowledge that they need to be ready for college and career.

For all content areas, usability ratings represent the degree to which materials meet expectations, partially meet expectations, or do not meet expectations for effective practices (as outlined in the evaluation tool) for use and design, teacher planning and learning, assessment, differentiated instruction, and effective technology use.

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