Indicator 1a

Indicator 1a Materials assess the grade-level content and, if applicable, content from

earlier grades.

Scoring

2 points

● Materials assess grade-level standards or include

above-grade assessment items that could be

removed or modified without impacting the

structure of the materials.

● Above-grade items are mathematically reasonable.

● For Grades K-5, no topics are explicitly assessed

from (i), (ii), or (iii) below.

0 points

● Materials include above-grade assessment items

that, if removed or modified, would impact the

structure of the materials.

OR

● Above-grade items are not mathematically

reasonable.

OR

● For Grades K-5, topics are explicitly assessed from

(i), (ii), or (iii) below.

About this indicator:

What is the purpose of this Indicator?

This indicator, along with indicator 1b, determines the shift of Focus. In order to maintain Focus, materials assess

grade-level standards. Assessments are determined by the publisher and are series-specific. Content from future

grades may be introduced, but students should not be held accountable on assessments for future expectations.

Indicator 1a is focused on the assessments embedded in materials for K-8 grade-level standards which define

what students should understand and be able to do in their study of mathematics .1

Research or Standards connection:

● Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM)

● K-8 Publishers' Criteria for the CCSSM (Summer 2012)

● Student Achievement Partners (SAP) Instructional Materials Evaluation Tool for K-8 Mathematics

● Achieve EQuIP Rubric for Lessons & Units

Resources:

● Video: "The Balance Between Skills and Understanding" (The Hunt Institute)

● SAP Coherence Map

● Institute for Mathematics Education Progressions Documents

1 "Common Core State Standards for Mathematics" http://www.corestandards.org/Math/

Indicator 1a Guiding Question:

Do assessments address grade-level standards?

Evidence Collection

Look at all interim, unit, and/or summative assessments. Look at scoring rubrics, if available, to determine

acceptable responses for the items. If all questions are on grade level, provide evidence of assessment items

that are representative of the materials.

For Grades K-5, do the assessments include items addressing the following topics:

(i) Probability, including chance, likely outcomes, and/or probability models?

(ii) Statistical distributions, including center, variation, clumping, outliers, mean,

median, mode, range, and/or quartiles; and statistical association or trends,

including two-way tables, bivariate measurement data, scatter plots, trend

line, line of best fit, and/or correlation?

(iii) Similarity, transformations, and/or congruence?

Identify above-grade-level assessment items. For each item, answer the following questions:

● What above-grade-level standard does the item align to? Please explain.

● What instructional activities, including span of time, are associated with the assessment item?

● If you remove or modify the above-grade-level item and any associated activities, would this impact the

structure of the materials? Please explain.

● Is the above-grade-level item mathematically reasonable? Please explain.

Mathematically Reasonable:

For this indicator, mathematically reasonable consists of two criteria: number of grade-levels above the current

one and time of year when the item occurs. For example, assessing standards that are one grade level above

the current one could be mathematically reasonable, or assessing above-grade-level standards at the end of

the academic year could be mathematically reasonable. To determine if an above-grade-level item is

mathematically reasonable, consider the following questions:

● How many grade levels above is the assessment item?

● What time of year do students encounter the assessment item?

Cluster Meeting

Discuss evidence of grade-level assessment items that are representative of the materials.

Discuss all above-grade-level assessment items and any additional information:

● Which assessment items are mathematically reasonable? Please explain.

● Which assessment items, if removed or modified, would impact the structure of the materials? Please

explain.

Gateway 1: Focus & Coherence

Criterion 1.1 Materials assess grade-level content and give all students extensive work with

grade-level problems to meet the full intent of grade-level standards.