Overview of Mathematics Review

Overview of Mathematics Assessment Review

The assessment reviews include evidence-informed progress monitoring and screening tools that can be used to identify and monitor students who are below grade level or struggling in mathematics.  The list is intended to assist educators and families in becoming informed consumers who can select assessment tools that address their specific needs.

The list displays ratings on technical rigor along with basic technological and cost requirements.  The ratings and information are based on materials submitted to and rated by Technical Review Committees at the National Center on Intensive Intervention (NCII) at the American Institutes of Research.

Using these reviews, each rating for which there was data was given a score by CDE of:

• 0: There was “unconvincing evidence” of these aspects of the assessment.
• 1: There was “partially convincing evidence” of these aspects of the assessment.
• 2: There was “convincing evidence” of these aspects of the assessment.

Scores were then averaged across K-5, 6-8 and HS grade bands where appropriate.  A score of N/A signifies that data was unavailable regarding that aspect of the assessment.

Overview of High-Quality Instructional Materials for Mathematics Review

All instructional materials reviews were completed using the information provided by EdReports which contracts with independent reviewers (trained, expert educators) to review K-12 mathematics curricula using a rubric designed to identify high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials. Materials go through three consecutive gateways to assess for (1) focus and coherence, (2) rigor and mathematical practices, and (3) instructional supports and usability. Only programs which have met expectations for all three gateways on EdReports will be found in the Mathematics Assessment and Curriculum Database. If instructional materials are not on this list, it is possible they did not pass the gateways on EdReports. Alternatively, it may mean that the materials have not been reviewed by EdReports. As new materials are reviewed by EdReports, and pass all three gateways, the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) resource bank will be updated.

Users who have previously used EdReports will likely be familiar with the “Meets” (indicated in green), “Partially Meets” (indicated in orange), and “Does Not Meet” (indicated in red) rating system for instructional materials. In addition to these scores, EdReports also produces a detailed report for each set of instructional materials they review. Each EdReports review includes a set of narrative (unscored) indicators in the report. These indicators have been evaluated but are not graded or included in the final score, and therefore, have no impact on whether the instructional materials “pass” EdReports. They remain unscored for a variety of reasons, including that needs differ across the country, especially regarding technology and multilingual learner (MLL) support. This information has been compiled by CDE to provide further insight into the accessibility and technology features within sets of high-quality instructional materials. CDE staff have translated the narrative indicator into scores as optional support to schools and districts to inform selection of mathematics materials. For more detailed information, please see the corresponding EdReports evaluation. 

Using EdReports, each narrative indicator is given a score by CDE of:  

• 0: Materials “do not provide” or “do not include” the guidance or supports for the indicator. 
• 1: Materials “partially provide” or “provide some of” the guidance or supports for the indicator. 
• 2: Materials “provide” the guidance or supports for the indicator. 

Scores were then grouped by CDE based on the nature of the criterion into accessibility and technology scores.

Please note that EdReports has used two different rubrics for evaluation which resulted in the difference in total points available.

• Instructional materials whose report was released in or before March 2021 were evaluated using EdReports Rubric Version 1.0.  
• Instructional materials whose report was released in or after April 2021 were evaluated using EdReports Rubric Version 1.5. 

Different indicators were used in both rubrics, so if certain indicators are of higher importance to your district, be sure to consider those specifically when reviewing curriculum. 

Scores displayed in the resource bank were averaged across K-5 and 6-8 grade bands. Detailed information about the scores for each grade level can be found in the program-specific pages.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q1. Are Colorado schools and districts required to use materials from this list? 

A1. No. The one caveat would be if a district applied for the ESSER Instructional Materials grant for K-8 mathematics. A list of eligible mathematics materials at that time was provided to applicants with a requirement to use eligible materials in order to receive funding.

Q2. What about <insert name of textbook here>? Why aren't they on this list? 

A2. The materials listed above are those that meet the specified criteria on EdReports. CDE is not reviewing the materials themselves or passing further judgment on them. To learn more about other materials, including ones that narrowly missed inclusion on this list, see the full list of reviews on EdReports. 

Q3. What about the quality of materials that EdReports chooses not to review? Not all math materials are textbooks or the kind of resource that appears on EdReports. 

A3. There are doubtless many materials that are not reviewed by EdReports, and some of those materials may be high-quality. For example, researchers may design a single task, lesson, or unit, but not scale that effort to be a full- or multi-year textbook. Others may be from small publishers that have not yet gotten attention from EdReports. If you have questions about materials not on this list, you can contact CDE's mathematics specialists (see contact info below) for help in assessing the quality and reputation of the materials. 

Q4. What if my school or district wants to conduct its own reviews? 

A4. There are resources for conducting your own review of mathematics materials on the page Tools for Curriculum Evaluation and Adoption. 

Resources

• CDE's fact sheet for HB23-1231 (PDF)
• Subscribe to the CoMath Listserv for information to support quality mathematics education in Colorado and updates regarding House Bill 23-1231.

For further assistance, please contact mathacceleration@cde.state.co.us.