Kindergarten Report Overview

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten partially meet expectations for Alignment to NGSS, Gateways 1 and 2. Gateway 1: Designed for NGSS; Criterion 1: Three-Dimensional Learning partially meets expectations. The materials include three-dimensional learning opportunities and opportunities for student sensemaking with the three dimensions. The summative assessments inconsistently measure the three dimensions for their respective objectives, and the formative assessments rarely measure the three dimensions of their respective objectives to support learning. Criterion 2: Phenomena and Problems Drive Learning partially meets expectations. Phenomena and problems are present and are connected to DCIs and consistently presented to students as directly as possible. The materials consistently elicit but inconsistently leverage student prior knowledge and experience related to the phenomena and problems present. Phenomena and problems inconsistently drive learning and use of the three dimensions at both the learning sequence and learning opportunity level.

The instructional materials reviewed for Kindergarten partially meet expectations for Gateway 2: Coherence and Scope. The materials do not connect units and chapters in a manner that is apparent to students, but student tasks increase in sophistication within and across units. The materials represent the three dimensions across the series with numerous minor errors. The materials only include scientific content appropriate to the grade level. Further, the materials include all DCI components and all elements for physical science; life science; earth and space science; and engineering, technology, and applications of science. The materials include all of the SEPs at the grade level and all of the SEPs across the grade band. The materials include all grade-band crosscutting concepts and provide repeated opportunities for students to use CCCs across the grade band. The materials inconsistently include NGSS connections to Nature of Science and Engineering elements associated with the SEPs and/or CCCs.