Glencoe Math

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6-8 vary in alignment scoring. Grade 6 materials are not found to focus on the major clusters of the grade level. The materials include a few missed opportunities to make connections between mathematical domains; however, the lessons do provide a coherent trajectory of learning. Materials reviewed for grades 7 and 8 are found to appropriately focus on the major clusters of the grade level and the lessons in these grades include numerous connections between mathematical topics. Grades 7 and 8 were reviewed for rigor and MPs. All three aspects of rigor: procedural, conceptual, and application, are present in these lessons; however, they are not found to be balanced. Procedural problems are abundant, but opportunities for conceptual understanding are lacking. Students are often directed to use a given procedure to use on application problems. The MPs are often mislabeled and over-labeled in Grades 7 and 8. The lessons are found to lack a structure allowing students to determine their own solution path, present their arguments, and justify their conclusions.