K-2nd Grade - Gateway 3

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades K-2 of Takeoff by IXL do not meet the expectations of providing explanations of the instructional approaches of the program for MLLs and identification of the research-based strategies. The Additional resources section of each grade level do not outline the instruction approaches of the program for MLLs, nor the identification of the research-based strategies for supporting MLLs.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades K–2 of Takeoff by IXL partially meet the expectation of including guidance for intentional and flexible grouping structures for MLLs to ensure equitable participation. The materials include some guidance for intentional and flexible grouping structures for MLLs; however, they do not include guidance to ensure equitable participation for MLLs in group work.

For example, in Grade 2, Unit 6, Measuring length, Lesson 6.8. In this lesson, teachers are advised to strategically group beginning MLLs who understand measurement concepts with peers who have stronger language skills but may need mathematical support. This guidance reflects an intentional approach to grouping based on complementary strengths and provides an opportunity for peer-supported interaction during discussion and written work.

While this example demonstrates some guidance for intentional grouping structures for MLLs, this type of guidance is isolated and not representative of the curriculum as a whole. Across the vast majority of lessons and units in the grade band, teacher guidance related to grouping MLLs is limited and inconsistently provided. When present, grouping guidance appears within lesson-level Language tips rather than as part of a consistent framework across units and lessons; the materials do not provide overarching guidance to support teachers in forming flexible groups based on language proficiency, home language, or task demands. Additionally, the materials do not offer strategies for monitoring group interactions to ensure that MLLs are active and valued contributors. As a result, the materials lack sufficient guidance to ensure equitable participation for MLLs in group work.

In summary, the materials include limited examples of guidance for intentional and flexible grouping structures for MLLs. However, this guidance is inconsistent and does not extend to ensuring equitable participation across lessons and units.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grades K–2 of Takeoff by IXL do not meet the expectations of offering assessment accommodations that allow MLLs to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment. The materials do not provide guidance for teachers to account for varied levels of English language proficiency without changing the content of the assessment, yet still allowing MLLs to show grade-level mastery regardless of language ability.

Across the assessment system, there is no teacher-facing guidance that explains how accommodations should be selected or implemented for MLLs. In the Additional resources section of both the grade level and unit level, the materials do not include guidance on assessment accommodations specific to MLLs, nor do they address how the in-lesson linguistic suggestions in Language tips should be maintained, adapted, or extended into the assessment process. 

The primary accommodations available to MLLs are the translation and audio support tools embedded in the quizzes, tests, and skill practice sessions. Quizzes, tests, and online practice sessions are available in more than 100 languages, and audio support is available in over 70 languages. These features allow students who are literate in their home language to access written translations of assessment items, and they allow students who are not literate in their first language to hear the assessment content read aloud in their first language. These translation and audio features can reduce linguistic barriers and, when appropriately used, help assessments more accurately measure mathematical understanding rather than English language proficiency. Additionally, all quizzes and tests can be printed in Spanish. Supplementary resources include multilingual glossaries available in the Additional resources section for each grade level, offering key mathematical terms in multiple languages. 

However, these features are presented as optional platform functionalities rather than as part of a coherent accommodation strategy for MLLs. The materials do not provide guidance to help teachers determine which students would benefit from written translation, first-language audio, or English audio support, nor do they explain how these supports should be matched to students’ English language proficiency levels. Additionally, the materials do not guide teachers to consider MLLs’ literacy and formal educational background in their home language. Teachers must independently enable these features through profile and settings without instructional guidance on how or when to do so. While the platform also allows teachers to assign extended time to individual students, there is no guidance on how this support might be used intentionally for MLLs during assessments.

In summary, while the assessment system includes translation and audio features that could support MLL access, the materials do not offer guidance for using these accommodations in a way that accounts for varied levels of English language proficiency or ensures that MLLs can demonstrate their knowledge without altering assessment content.