Jackie Lain
Learning List
JackieL@LearningList.com
512-852-2131

Increased Achievement. Reduced Costs. Legal Compliance.
Subscribers and Publishers
Submit Instructional Materials for Review
Ratings and
Reviews by
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Alignment
Road Map
Professional
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Helping Students Learn
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• Learning List is a subscription-based, instructional materials review service that empowers districts and schools to select instructional materials and online courses that best meet your students’ needs.

If a district subscribes:
• An unlimited number of employees (and board members) may access the reviews on LearningList.com
• Subscribers can:
(1) Access Learning List’s library of completed reviews;
(2) Request that publishers submit additional products to Learning List for review (unlimited number); and
(3) Upload open-source products for review

• Learning List reviews state-adopted and nonadopted products
• For each product submitted, Learninglist.com features 3 types of reviews:
• Independent alignment report and calculation of the alignment percentage;
• Editorial review;
• Subscriber ratings and reviews

• Purpose: Help districts select TEKS-aligned instructional materials;
Help teachers create TEKS-aligned lesson plans; Help superintendents and board presidents comply with the 100% rule
• For state-adopted products – Learning List.com features TEA’s verification of the publisher’s correlation
• For non-adopted products – Learning List produces an alignment report verifying the publisher’s correlation. Our alignment reports:
– Verify the product’s alignment to the content, context and
cognitive demand of each standard;
– List multiple aligned citations for each standard to help teachers develop TEKS-aligned lesson plans for each instructional material;
– Calculate the % of alignment (independent of the publisher’s calculation);
– Identify the Readiness and Supporting standards

• Purpose: Make legal compliance easy; help districts document legal compliance.
• Identifies complementary products in Learning
List’s library that independently or in the
aggregate address 100% of the TEKS
• Helps superintendents and board presidents
document that the district is providing instructional materials aligned to 100% of the
TEKS for the grade and subject

• Purpose: Help educators select instructional materials best suited to their students’ needs
• Provide information that will help educators distinguish and compare instructional materials to determine which products will be most effective for their students
• Include a list of “references”: districts or schools using the product
• Provide publisher’s answers to the 12 questions districts most commonly ask publishers about their instructional materials

• Purpose: Help subscribers learn from one another’s experiences with each product
• Ratings/Review categories:
– Teacher quality (online courses only)
– Rigor
– Ease of Use
– Student Engagement
– Improved Student Achievement

Teachers or curriculum directors:
• Certified in the grade and subject of the products they review;
• With at least five years of teaching experience;
• Experience aligning to standards
• Cannot have been employed by publisher or K-
12 online content provider for at least prior 2 years
Training provided initially and individualized feedback provided after each alignment verification

• Improve student progress and achievement;
• Achieve district goals (e.g. graduation and dropout rates);
• Stretch dollars;
• Create a more collaborative, efficient and effective selection process; and
• Document compliance with the 100% rule, special program and grant requirements.

Learning List did extensive research into the criteria that distinguishes high-quality instructional materials. These are frequently cited factors your district may want to consider during your selection process:
• Organization and Presentation
• Content and Rigor
• Extended Learning Opportunities
• Assessments
• Technology-based Activities and System Requirements

Instructional material (IM) must be well-organized, with clear, measurable objectives and should link to what students have learned and/or will learn in subsequent grades. When evaluating the organization and presentation of the content, consider whether the IM:
• Has a clear scope and sequence;
• Is vertically aligned;
• Is well written;
• Has a logical progression of content;
• Has clear and measurable objectives; and
• Clarifies relationships between objectives and prior learning
.

When evaluating the content and rigor, consider whether the IM:
• Clarifies what students should know and be able to do as a result of mastering objectives;
• Provides opportunities for differentiated instruction;
• Provides support for English language learners;
• Provides opportunities for inquiry-based teaching and learning;
• Provides opportunities for student collaboration.
• Provides opportunities to develop higher order thinking skills;
• Includes multiple checks for student understanding;
• Includes content that is factually accurate and free of bias; and
• Includes content that is linked to real world needs, problems, or activities.

Effective instructional materials include opportunities for students to practice what they have learned. Consider whether the IM includes:
• Ample practice exercises to facilitate student mastery of learning objectives;
• Practice exercises that extend, reinforce, and scaffold instruction; and
• Specific activities and interventions for struggling students.

If an IM includes assessments, consider whether the assessments:
• Are ongoing (e.g., pre-test, progress checks, summative);
• Are offered at strategic instructional points;
• Are fully aligned with learning objectives;
• Inform and support instructional decision making; and
• Include opportunities for students to perform challenging tasks.

Technology-based activities are most effective when they are:
• Easy to use;
• Purposefully linked to learning objectives;
• Interactive and individualized.
Look carefully at the minimum system requirements:
• Required software and hardware;
• Bandwidth and browser requirements;
• Device compatibility and interoperability with existing student information and learning management systems; and
• “Time on task” requirements for online products.

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