MIDAS

Math Techbook - Grade 8

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Core Code Alignment

Mathematics
Secondary Mathematics (7-12)
07080000080: 8th Grade Mathematics

Recommendation

Recommended Primary

Evaluation

Discovery Education has designed materials that relate math standards and skills to the real world making math applicable to the classroom and students lives. Each unit is properly paced and provided with materials that check for understanding along the way. The materials are appealing and engaging. It is easy for teachers, students, and even parents to use. Discovery Education provides a parent letter at the beginning of each unit that helps parents understand what their child is learning and how to help them at home. The only downfall was the lack of intervention support not found in the materials.

Educators Using These Materials

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Rubric : Mathematics 2025

Compliance with State Law (Required)

Item	3 - Extensive	2 - Adequate	1 - Inadequate	0 - None
Sensitive Materials and Prohibited Submission 53G-10-103, R277-628	This item has not been graded.

Prohibited discriminatory practices 53G-2-103-5, 53B-1-118 and 67-27-107	This item has not been graded.

Maintaining constitutional freedom in the public schools. 53G-10-202	This item has not been graded.

Free from advertising, e-commerce, or political interest	This item has not been graded.

Focus and Coherence: Non-Negotiable

Item	3 - Extensive	2 - Adequate	1 - Inadequate	0 - None
Non-negotiable materials must focus coherently on the Major Work of the grade in a way that is consistent with the progressions in the standards.	Student and teachers using the materials as designed devote the majority of time to the Major Work of the grade.	Supporting Work enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by also engaging students in the Major Work of the grade.	Materials follow the grade-by-grade progressions in the Standards. Content from previous or future grades does not unduly interfere.	Lessons that only include mathematics from previous grades are clearly identified.
Math Techbook designed by Discovery Education follows all state Standards and Learning Targets for the 8th Grade Math Curriculum. On their site, they provide an explanation of the Progressions and Standards for teachers and how each lesson reaches back to previous standards, the standard the lesson covers, and standards that even reach ahead and tie to other standards in the 8th grade core. Discovery Education also provides teachers with an explanation of the conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application per unit.

Rigor and Balance

Item	3 - Extensive	2 - Adequate	1 - Inadequate	0 - None
The materials support the development of students’ conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific standards or cluster headings.	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
At the beginning of each lesson, they provide teachers and students with a Discover activity that builds the students' understanding of each learning target. They ask Essential Questions and list important vocabulary terms the students will answer and learn.
The materials are designed so that students attain the fluencies and procedural skills required by the Standards.	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
Yes. Students have access to materials that require them to demonstrate each skill required by each standard.
The materials are designed so that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with applications, without losing focus on the Major Work of each grade. (Are there single and multi-step contextual problems that develop the mathematics of the grade, afford opportunities for practice, and engage students in problem solving?)	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
This is an area Discovery Education spent a lot of time building and creating. The materials provided include a Discover Activity to begin each lesson, then Investigations where students interact with a hands-on activity, practice the skill with practice problems, apply their knowledge to answer an interesting question(s), and then extends the students' understanding with an extension question(s). All parts of each lesson stay on topic and reinforce the stated skill. Each unit is not overly done not too long where students would lose focus.

Standards for Mathematical Practice

Item	3 - Extensive	2 - Adequate	1 - Inadequate	0 - None
Materials address the practice standards in such a way as to enrich the Major Work of the grade; practice standards strengthen the focus on Major Work instead of detracting from it, in both teacher and student materials.	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
See previous comments. Discovery Education has designed materials in such a way that allows students to be curious about the skills they are learning and how they relate to the real world.
Tasks and assessments of student learning are designed to provide evidence of students’ proficiency in the Standards of Mathematical Practice.	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
The materials provided to support this statement are multiple “Check for Understanding” assignments during each Investigation. This is a quick, 4 question assignment that can determine if a student is learning the key concepts and skills. Each unit is also provided with a Unit Assessment to be given at the end of each unit.
Materials support the Standards’ emphasis on mathematical reasoning.	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
Absolutely. Throughout the unit, students are asked multiple questions that test their understanding. Most of these questions can be found under the “Apply” section of each unit. Students respond within a response text box. These questions come with an Evaluation Criteria to help teachers score each student's response.

Access to the Standards for All Students

Item	3 - Extensive	2 - Adequate	1 - Inadequate	0 - None
Support for English Language learners and other special populations is thoughtful (evidence-based) and helps those students meet the same Standards (and rigor) as all other students. The language in which problems are posed is carefully considered.	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
Discovery Education does provide most pages to be converted to Spanish if needed. There are video lessons that can be assigned to help with the reading load, making it easier for students to listen to the concepts instead of reading. They also provide a Glossary. The reading level is at grade level and there are DOK level 3 and 4 words being used throughout the entire curriculum.
Materials provide scaffolding, differentiation, intervention, and support for a broad range of learners with gradual removal of supports, when needed, to allow students to demonstrated their mathematical understanding independently.	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
Each unit breaks up the work load into manageable pieces. There are extension pieces provided and the hands-on activities allow students to work with a partner. Partner pairing would need to be a high focus for teachers to ensure that groups are working effectively and evenly together. Each lesson begins with an Unit Opener which can be teacher led or video led, then Investigations that can be done with a partner, followed by an Apply question which can be done individually, and lastly a Unit Assessment. However, there was not a lot of intervention support found.
Design of lessons incorporates strategies such as using multiple representations, deconstructing/reconstructing the language of problems, providing suggestions for addressing common student difficulties, etc. to ensure grade-level progress for all learners.	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
During the Discover part of some lessons, students are asked to classify, describe, and then analyze their findings. Teachers are also provided with guidance on where students show common misconceptions during each unit.
Ethnic Studies- (Ethnic studies in core standards and curriculum should be a narrowly tailored incorporation of age-appropriate opportunities that naturally arise through education without pretextual effort in courses, programs, or activities where ethnic studies is not a primary focus. The material should incorporate a curriculum of people and cultures that reflect the state’s various demographics without commentary that seeks to violate the neutrality standard established in codes: 53B-1-118, 53G-2-103, 53G-2-104, 53G-2-105, 67-27-107,	This item has not been graded.

Shared Values and Character Traits	This item has not been graded.

Assessment

Item	3 - Extensive	2 - Adequate	1 - Inadequate	0 - None
Multiple measurements of individual student progress occur at regular intervals ensuring success of all students.	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
There are multiple “Check for Understanding” opportunities for students as well as a “Coach” assignment that allows students to practice problems that provide feedback and support in each lesson.
Assessments measure what students understand and can do through well designed mathematical tasks and applications.	Meets	Partially meets	N/A	Does not meet
The end of Unit Assessment tests allow students to demonstrate their level of understanding in multiple ways. Questions are designed using all DOK verbiage. The assessments have a wide range of ways students can show their thinking and understanding.

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Phone: 801.538.7807