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Where aligned instructional materials and practice meet

Classroom Strategies

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Explore classroom guidance, techniques, and activities to help you meet the needs of ALL students.

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Why Re-Humanize Assessment?

What We Pay Attention to Matters

Meeting the Needs of Every Student No Matter What

Tools and Resources

About the topic

Discover new tools and materials to integrate into you instruction.

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most recent articles

Top Posts of 2020

Meeting the Needs of Every Student No Matter What

Small Pivots to Access Complex Text Across the Curriculum

Materials Adaptation

About the topic

Find instructions and recommendations on how to adapt your existing materials to better align to college- and career-ready standards.

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most recent articles

Which Types of Content Are Key in Content-Focused Professional Learning in Mathematics?

Teacher working at a laptop

Which Types of Content Are Key in Content-Focused Professional Learning in ELA/Literacy?

Mistakes Tell Us What Students Are Ready to Learn

Standards-Alignment Information

About the topic

Learn what it means for instructional materials and assessment to be aligned to college- and career-ready standards.

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most recent articles

What to Consider if You’re Adopting a New ELA/Literacy Curriculum

Not Your Mom’s Professional Development

Reaching New Heights

Research and Reflections

About the topic

Delve into new research and perspectives on instructional materials and practice.

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most recent articles

Group of students talking.

Building a Culture of Advocacy

Students reading and taking notes

Knowledge-Building Model Lessons for Middle and High School

What Principles Must Underlie Successful Personalized Learning?

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Classroom Strategies

About the topic

Explore classroom guidance, techniques, and activities to help you meet the needs of ALL students.

See all posts

most recent articles

Why Re-Humanize Assessment?

What We Pay Attention to Matters

Meeting the Needs of Every Student No Matter What

Tools and Resources

About the topic

Discover new tools and materials to integrate into you instruction.

See all posts

most recent articles

Top Posts of 2020

Meeting the Needs of Every Student No Matter What

Small Pivots to Access Complex Text Across the Curriculum

Materials Adaptation

About the topic

Find instructions and recommendations on how to adapt your existing materials to better align to college- and career-ready standards.

See all posts

most recent articles

Which Types of Content Are Key in Content-Focused Professional Learning in Mathematics?

Teacher working at a laptop

Which Types of Content Are Key in Content-Focused Professional Learning in ELA/Literacy?

Mistakes Tell Us What Students Are Ready to Learn

Standards-Alignment Information

About the topic

Learn what it means for instructional materials and assessment to be aligned to college- and career-ready standards.

See all posts

most recent articles

What to Consider if You’re Adopting a New ELA/Literacy Curriculum

Not Your Mom’s Professional Development

Reaching New Heights

Research and Reflections

About the topic

Delve into new research and perspectives on instructional materials and practice.

See all posts

most recent articles

Group of students talking.

Building a Culture of Advocacy

Students reading and taking notes

Knowledge-Building Model Lessons for Middle and High School

What Principles Must Underlie Successful Personalized Learning?

Achieve The Core

Standards-Alignment Information

Learn what it means for instructional materials and assessment to be aligned to college- and career-ready standards.

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Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

What to Consider if You’re Adopting a New ELA/Literacy Curriculum

Recommendations for how to search for a new ELA/literacy program
04/03/20, Student Achievement Partners
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Not Your Mom’s Professional Development

What needs to change in professional learning design
03/06/20, Rachel Etienne
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Reaching New Heights

A Framework for Examining Cognitive Complexity in Mathematics
01/06/20, Shelbi Cole, Ph.D, Ted Coe, Ph.D
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Top Posts of 2019

Read the most popular posts of the year!
12/12/19, Student Achievement Partners
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

2019 Blog Contest

Creating Equity in the Classroom
11/18/19, Student Achievement Partners
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 1

Most Misunderstood Math Standards in Grade 1

Are these instructional mistakes happening in your classroom?
09/23/19, Angie Miller
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Are We Teaching Fractions Correctly?

Exploring evidence-based fraction instruction that supports a strong foundation in future mathematics
09/16/19, Jennie Beltramini
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 2

Most Misunderstood Math Standards in Grade 2

Are these instructional mistakes happening in your classroom?
08/02/19, Angie Miller
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

On Curriculum: How Pinterest and TpT Exacerbate Inequity

The danger of fragmented materials and the power of a cohesive, knowledge-building ELA curriculum
06/26/19, Jon Gustafson
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Connecting the Dots

Making a Match Between Assessment Texts and Materials in ELA
05/10/19, Katie Keown, Laura Hansen, Carey Swanson
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

A Switch to Standards-Based Learning

How the standards can support instruction and feedback
04/04/19, Karen Hernandez
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Top Blog Posts of 2018

Here are our top 25 most-visited posts of 2018.
12/20/18, Student Achievement Partners
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 5

Most Misunderstood Math Standards in Grade 5

Are these instructional mistakes happening in your classroom?
10/31/18, Rebecca Few
Standards-Alignment Information
Part 4

Most Misunderstood Math Standards in Grade 4

Are these instructional mistakes happening in your classroom?
10/04/18, Rebecca Few
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

The Connection Between Math Materials and Assessment

What happens when curricula and summative assessments don't match?
09/28/18, Shelbi Cole, Anna Schattauer Paillé
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Doing Better: Aligned Instructional Practice

An overview of the Instructional Practice Guide suite of tools
09/19/18, Destiny Eldridge, April Pforts
Standards-Alignment Information
Part 3

Most Misunderstood Math Standards in Grade 3

Are these instructional mistakes happening in your classroom?
09/13/18, Rebecca Few
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Considering Reading Instruction with the End in Mind

Meet students not only where they are, but also where they're going.
07/30/18, Carey Swanson
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 8

Most Misunderstood Middle School Mathematics Standards in Grade 8

Are these instructional mistakes happening in your classroom?
07/26/18, Brian Dean
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 7

Most Misunderstood Middle School Mathematics Standards in Grade 7

Are these instructional mistakes happening in your classroom?
06/27/18, Brian Dean
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 6

Most Misunderstood Middle School Mathematics Standards In Grade 6

Are these instructional mistakes happening in your classroom?
06/01/18, Brian Dean
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

The Role of Educators in Summative Assessment: The Life Cycle of a Question

An inside look at the development of summative assessments
05/02/18, Laura Hansen
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

English Language Arts Practices

How do we determine that students are increasing their literacy skills as they progress across grade levels?
03/06/18, Ben Dickson
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Understanding vocabulary standards: Building students’ skills

Differentiation between the vocabulary standards in the Reading and Language Strands
01/22/18, Vincent Segalini , Melissa Beck
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Materials Alignment Quick Check

Introducing a new evidence catcher to facilitate instructional materials decisions
12/27/17, Meredith Liben, Susan Pimentel
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Most-Read Articles of 2017

12/15/17, Student Achievement Partners
Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

The Math Gap Between High School and College

Educators at the high school and college levels aren't talking to each other. Should they be?
12/13/17, Lane Walker
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part 2

Addressing unfinished learning in the context of grade-level work

Not all unfinished learning should be treated the same way
12/06/17, Christina Allison
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

A Five-Course Meal Complete with Strategies for Assessment

Concrete strategies to help classroom educators get involved with assessment design
11/21/17, Bryan Drost
Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Don’t be afraid to ask…

Advice for where to ask--and find answers--to your education questions
11/05/17, Student Achievement Partners
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 1

Designing Shifts-Aligned Interventions in the Math Classroom

Avoid common pitfalls when it comes to supporting students with unfinished math learning
11/01/17, Astrid Fossum
Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

The Instructional Practice Toolkit: An Introduction

Learn how the Instructional Practice Toolkit can help teachers make connections between planning, instruction, and student outcomes.
09/22/17, Rachel Etienne
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Assessing Grammar and Language Convention Skills

New guidance explains how to assess writing skills through embedded-error passages and multiple-choice items
09/18/17, Laura Hansen, Katie Keown
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

State of Our Classrooms: Instructional Materials

Findings from a 2017 survey about instructional materials usage among educators
08/07/17, Janelle Fann
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Lessons Learned from a High School Mathematical Modeling Lesson

A high school algebra teacher creates a lesson to engage her struggling students through real-world application
06/21/17, Lane Walker
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

I have an assessment dream: Leading to conquer the big, bad ELA test

A curriculum director explains how to help educators see the potential of aligned assessment
05/31/17, Bryan Drost
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

“We’re the best. Just trust us!”

Finding unbiased information about instructional materials.
05/30/17, Janelle Fann
Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

The Power of Strong Assessments — The Danger of Bad Ones

Avoid sabotaging the Shifts with standardized testing
05/25/17, Lane Walker
Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

A Case for High-Quality Instructional Materials

Because we don’t want to confuse the math teachers…and other reasons we need high-quality instructional materials
04/12/17, Lane Walker
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

STEM Integration in Algebra: A Bridge to Opportunity

Relating mathematical thought processes to those in 21st Century careers
04/04/17, Lane Walker
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Forming a United Whole – The Coherence Map

A K-12 STEM District Supervisor Explains How He Used the Coherence Map to Improve His District's Math Curriculum
03/13/17, Joshua Zagorski
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

The Wild West of Open Literacy Materials

Identifying and using high-quality, ELA Open Educational Resources successfully
02/21/17, Sarah Tierney, Tracey Waters
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 6

Math in Focus: The Search for an Aligned Math Program

One district’s implementation of a new elementary math program
02/10/17, Kathryn Lemerich
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part 4

Using an EdReports Review to Improve My Math Curriculum

A 5th grade teacher explains how she made small adjustments to improve the Everyday Math Curriculum after identifying its weaknesses.
01/26/17, Ingrid Beaty
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

The Essential Elements of an ELA Curriculum

Standards co-author Susan Pimentel explains how the elements of a high-quality ELA program contribute to student learning. She pinpoints where many current programs are missing the mark.
01/19/17, Susan Pimentel
Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Using Mini-Assessments in a Professional Learning Setting

How a math coach used mini-assessments to spark conversations with her teachers
01/10/17, Michelle Douglas-Meyer
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Most-Read Articles of 2016

12/21/16, Student Achievement Partners
Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Taking Ownership over Assessments – A Case Study in Kentucky

Assessments should align to good standards-based instruction. Instruction shouldn’t align to a bad assessment.
12/06/16, Jenni Aberli
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Introduction to EdReports

Identifying excellence in instructional materials
11/28/16, Mia Peterson
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Which text set approach is right for you?

Compare the features of popular text set sources
11/02/16, Shannon Garrison
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Putting Focus into Practice: The Case of Word Problems in Grades K–2

Standards co-author Jason Zimba explains how word problems can build understanding of addition and subtraction.
10/18/16, Jason Zimba
Classroom Strategies, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Introduction to Argument Writing

A long-time middle school teacher and writing expert explains how to design strong writing instruction
10/14/16, Joey Hawkins
Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Training Materials for the ELA/Literacy IMET

New training modules on the IMET’s Non-Negotiables and Alignment Criteria
10/12/16, Student Achievement Partners
Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Assessment Item Alignment Modules

Learn how examining assessment items can be a source of professional development and deepen your understanding of the Shifts
09/19/16, Shelbi Cole, Katie Keown
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

The Rectangle Area Formula—How Does Your Curriculum Introduce It?

Standards co-author Jason Zimba unpacks the rectangle area formula and highlights problems with the way textbooks sometimes introduce the formula to students.
09/15/16, Jason Zimba
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 2

Adapting Journeys Common Core

A veteran Journeys user shares recommendations to improve basal lessons and better support teachers and students.
09/07/16, Karen Vogelsang
Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part 2

Piloting New Curriculum Options with Educators

Learn about OUSD’s piloting process and find out what teachers thought of three popular ELA/literacy programs
09/01/16, Student Achievement Partners
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Lessons from the Fordham Assessment Review

One of the reviewers explains how the assessment review was conducted and what the findings mean for educators and students.
08/23/16, Amy Youngblood
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Sitting Beside the Learner: The ‘Me’ in Assessments

Common Core-aligned assessments must capitalize on teacher-student relationships
08/15/16, Bryan Drost
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 1

Designing a Review Driven by Local Needs

How the Oakland Unified School District designed a teacher-centered materials review selection process
07/27/16, Student Achievement Partners
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part 5

Putting the Math Practices into Practice

A K-12 math team collaborated in creating tools about the practices to enhance understanding and planning
06/29/16, Wichita Public Schools - Mathematics Department
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources, Uncategorized
Part 4

A Recommendation to Fellow Publishers

The President of Core Knowledge challenges fellow publishers to complete an alignment rubric
06/23/16, Linda Bevilacqua,
Standards-Alignment Information
Part 5

Unlocking the Power of Aligned Materials

How the Louisiana DOE is developing PD and looking for connections to help all districts maximize the impact of standards-aligned materials
06/14/16, Student Achievement Partners
Standards-Alignment Information
Part 3

How Core Knowledge Supports CCSS-Aligned Instruction

Core Knowledge's approach to literacy instruction
05/25/16, Linda Bevilacqua
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part 3

CCSS-Aligned Materials for ELL Students

Where to Find High-Quality Curricular Materials for ELLs in the Public Domain
05/11/16, Diane Staehr Fenner
Standards-Alignment Information
Part 1

Common Confusions about CCSS-Aligned ELA Materials

Core Knowledge's Linda Bevilacqua explains where purchasers can improve their CCSS understanding to make better decisions
04/22/16, Linda Bevilacqua
Classroom Strategies, Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 1

A Teacher’s Thoughts on the Core Knowledge Language Arts Curriculum

First grade teacher, Adrienne Williams, describes the strengths and challenges of Core Knowledge Language Arts.
04/07/16, Adrienne Williams
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Choosing Wisely: A Strategic Approach to Curriculum in Duval County

An interview with Dr. Nikolai P. Vitti, Superintendent of Duval County Public Schools
12/21/15
Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

A Publisher’s View on the Changing Instructional Materials Landscape

An interview with Anne Schreiber, Senior VP of Learning Strategies, Renaissance Learning
12/14/15, Anne Schreiber
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Training Materials for the Math IMET

New training modules on the IMET’s Non-Negotiables and Alignment Criteria
12/08/15, Student Achievement Partners
Classroom Strategies, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 2

SMP 1: Make Sense of Problems & Persevere in Solving Them

Well-designed materials help students tackle challenging math problems
11/24/15, Sarah Galasso
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Creating a Coherent Math Curriculum

The Coherence Map can help you uncover gaps in understanding and find resources to supplement your instructional materials.
10/29/15, Student Achievement Partners
Standards-Alignment Information
Part 1

The Standards for Mathematical Practice & Instructional Materials

What to look for in instructional materials that align to the SMPs
10/20/15, Sarah Galasso
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 4

K-12 OER Collaborative’s Request for Proposals

Learn how the Collaborative is planning on creating and vetting materials.
09/30/15, Karl Nelson, Jennifer Wolfe
Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 4

Collaborative Learning and Updating Materials

Developing a process for teachers to adapt instructional materials in mathematics
09/22/15, Illustrative Mathematics
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information
Part 2

What Needs to Change in Instructional Materials: Math

A panel of experts met to pinpoint the biggest problems with today’s math textbooks: here’s what they found
08/28/15, Marni Greenstein
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part 4

Publishing Review Results

Why Louisiana chose to share all its curricular reviews online and where you can see the findings
08/13/15, Student Achievement Partners
Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Traditional Reviews vs. the IMET

What are the differences between a traditional review and an IMET review? A teacher who’s done both explains.
08/12/15, Julie Spykerman
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Teachers Create Lessons and Adaptations to Strengthen ELA Learning

Common Core-aligned resources for popular read-alouds, basal stories, and anthology selections
08/06/15, Student Achievement Partners
Standards-Alignment Information
Part 3

ELA in the Common Core Classroom

A North Carolina literacy coach explains what the CCSS ELA Shifts mean for classroom materials
07/31/15, Tanji Reed Marshall
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part 2

Mathematics in the Common Core Classroom

A Kentucky teacher explains what the CCSS Math Shifts mean for classroom materials
07/28/15, Jana Bryant
Standards-Alignment Information
Part null

Building a Review Team that Represents Students and Supports Teachers

How Milwaukee built a review team that reflected the needs of the teachers and students
07/24/15, Tracy Stevenson-Olson
Materials Adaptation, Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Lament of a Review Team Member

Conducting a review was harder than expected, but it illuminated how critical this information is for publishers
07/07/15, Silas Kulkarni
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Introduction to the Publishers’ Criteria for ELA/Literacy

Sue Pimentel, one of the lead writers of the Common Core, introduces the Publishers’ Criteria
07/02/15, Susan Pimentel
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part 3

Working with Publishers

How Louisiana communicated its alignment concerns to publishers
06/30/15,
Materials Adaptation, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Using What You Have

An introduction to supplementing and adapting instructional materials
06/26/15,
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

Reviewing Is a Journey and the Benefits Aren’t What We’d Expected

Educators from Granite Falls uncovered benefits to reviewing that they hadn’t anticipated
06/16/15, Karin Manns
Research and Reflections, Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

How Reviewing Materials Changed My Classroom Practice

A teacher explains the unexpected connection she uncovered between materials reviews and the classroom
06/05/15, Tresa Watson
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources
Part null

When to Use the IMET

When is the right time to use the IMET? Whether you’re purchasing, supplementing, designing, or simply building capacity, the IMET can help.
05/28/15, Catherine Schmidt
Standards-Alignment Information, Tools and Resources

Why Not Just Crosswalk?

Reviewing instructional materials for CCSS alignment means looking for evidence of the Standards and the Shifts
05/22/15, Marni Greenstein

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