HMH Into Literature
Core Code Alignment
Language Arts
Language Arts Required Core
06020000040: Language Arts 9
Language Arts Required Core
06020000040: Language Arts 9
Recommendation
Recommended Primary
Evaluation
In this evaluation, I will summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the textbooks as a whole. As for strengths, the publishers did a great job at using diverse literature in genre, subject matter, and author. There's a nice mix of all these types, and the stories are high interest and at the correct grade level. Readability in the matters of reading levels and subject matter are also at grade level. The online program of the text and the navigation is user friendly. The entire book can be read aloud to a student, and the activities are core-aligned.
Weaknesses include a lack of writers or stories with characters who are Asian or Latino. There is a finite number of pieces that can be included in the text, this is true, but this was something that I noticed. In addition, the assessment material is so accessible that there is no rigor. Activities and assessments are slightly bland. Differentiation abounds, but only in the forms of choosing what is most interesting to students. I would also note that as far as scaffolding is concerned, there aren't enough items in an assessment or activity for there to be very much "I do, we do, you do"-ing. It wasn't clear how data would be collected and what a teacher would be able to do with that data when it came to reteaching (specifically because there isn't enough material to do any "I do, we do, you do"-ing). A teacher shouldn't count on this text as their only source of subject matter because of these weaknesses and should seriously consider creating their own content.
I'm recommending this as primary only because of the assortment of literature, which is much, much better than their previous edition, and the assortment of formative assessments, albeit lacking in that department.
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Material Categories
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Rubric : English Language Arts
Compliance with State Law (Required)
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensitive Materials and Prohibited Submission 53G-10-103, R277-628 | Does Not Violate Law | NA | NA | May Violate Law | ||
| Each of the pieces seem to be bias free. There is not exactly an equal representation of different cultures (lack of Latino, Asian positive characters or writers), but there doesn't seem to be any bias. These stories would not cause problems in suburban communities. | ||||||
| Prohibited discriminatory practices 53G-2-103-5, 53B-1-118 and 67-27-107 | Does not violate law | N/A | N/A | May violate law | ||
| Each reading is given about the perfect time period (4 days/5 days, etc.) for students to dig deep into the material with various activities ranging from reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and so on. If a teacher uses everything included in the unit and only those things, there would be just enough time for students to understand the material presented. | ||||||
| Maintaining constitutional freedom in the public schools. 53G-10-202 | Does not violate law | N/A | N/A | May violate law | ||
| Students should not have trouble viewing or completing assignments through Chromebooks using the digital texts offered. No additional materials are required, and teachers can easily print pages for students requiring hard copies of stories or assignments. The multiple choice items might not translate well in printed form in the "looser" activities provided by the text, but the summative quiz at the end of each text is something that can easily be printed through Word. | ||||||
| Free from advertising, e-commerce, or political interest | This item has not been graded. | |||||
Content
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alignment | The content of this material is evidence-based and aligns with grade-level Utah core standards. It is current, well-researched, and referenced from reliable sources. | The content of this material is evidence-based or research-based. The material aligns with most grade-level Utah core standards but will need supplementary materials to ensure coverage of all the Utah core standards. | The content of this resource aligns with a few grade-level Utah core standards but is not evidence-based or research-based. | The content of this resource does not align with any of Utah's core standards. | ||
| Content includes a variety of texts in every grade: poetry, historical narratives, fiction, informational texts, graphic novels, drama, argument, memoire, etc. Each piece is appropriate for the grade level in which it is found. As for the seven essential elements of literacy, the elements are appropriate for each grade. | ||||||
| Navigation | Educators and students can navigate the material independently. Instructions are clear and understandable. The material is well organized. | The material contains instructions that are understandable and easy to navigate. Students may need educator support to navigate the material. | The material is only usable with direct educator support due to a lack of clear instructions. Students will need educator support to navigate the material. | The instructions in the material are unclear, and navigation is difficult. The material is unorganized. | ||
| Throughout difficult "Reading," pieces, students can click on number or footnotes next to sections which will open a pop-up box with an explanation in "friendlier" phrasing. With each text, there is a section called "Writing/Speaking & Listening/Media" where students are give choices and are labeled as such. These "Choices" give students an opportunity to show how they will convey their understanding of the text. Within each of the three choices are further choices that students can make to show their learning and preference. These scaffolded sections are limited to only the "W" Writing/Speaking & Listening/Media sections. There are not materials at different levels when it comes to the Vocabulary, Grammar, or Assessment sections/assignments of the anthology. There are, however, multiple choice items that give students up to two chances to come up with the correct answer. | ||||||
| Instructional Support | This material goes beyond the content outlined in "Adequate" by providing problem or project-based content with integrated skills and concepts from various disciplines to help students make sense of the material. It also supports the learning needs of all students, including those with disabilities, multilingual learners, etc., by offering flexibility and maintaining high standards. | The material provides supplemental resources and some examples to educators of ways to deliver instruction. It contains a few of the following: scaffolding lesson plans, personalized/differentiated instruction, experiential learning, concept mapping, questioning techniques, and family involvement. | The material contains a limited amount of instructional support. | The material does not provide instructional support or examples for the educator. | ||
| The directions are definitely clear, and if a student starts in the correct place in the text, they can easily click arrows to take them through pages left or right. The make-up is linear, so movement doesn't easily "get lost" on the side of the student or teacher. Also, there is a sidebar for the table of contents in each unit so students can go straight to an activity without having to laboriously scroll left or right. | ||||||
| Assessments | This item has not been graded. | |||||
| 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. | |||||
Material Characteristics
| Item | 3 - Extensive | 2 - Adequate | 1 - Inadequate | 0 - None | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Characteristics | This material goes beyond the content outlined in "Adequate" by incorporating modern, up-to-date, and relatable visuals. | In physical terms, the material is interactive and provides high-quality audio-visual and tactile experiences for all users. | The material offers limited or low-quality audio-visual and tactile experiences for students, but it is reusable. | The content either has low audio-visual quality or is not intended for reuse. | ||
| There are a lot of opportunities for audio visuals. To begin with, students can have all the text read to them, along with all the additional educational materials. In addition, there are multiple "teacher talk" video where two voices are having a conversation about some of the text. They are doing think-alouds as a conversation. Podcasts are strictly audio. Visuals include many graphic organizers of every type for all learning experiences. In the student copies, a short video is used as a hook ("Stream to Start") in each unit. | ||||||
| Technical Standards | This material surpasses the content outlined in "Adequate" by ensuring the safeguarding of student data privacy and easy installation or access without technical assistance. Furthermore, any licensing information is clearly stated in the description. | The materials meet all the requirements of federal and state laws, as well as accepted technical standards such as ISTE Standards and VPAT Compliance. Additional technical specifications and limitations, including hardware requirements, bandwidth demands, and software/web access restrictions, are clearly outlined in the description. The design of the materials allows for error-free installation or access without the need to purchase additional components. | The material is constrained by specifications that require additional materials, technical assistance, hardware, software, or infrastructure. Access to resources within the material expires after a trial period. | Student data privacy is at risk. | ||
| In following MTSS guidelines for instructional support, the text is slightly lacking. While the text gives students choices, the data from those choices doesn't exactly point to what might be lacking in the students in question. Assignments/lessons/activities lack a certain rigor that would give way to data that could be used to decide whether or not to reteach. There also is a lack of rubrics in the text, which could help pinpoint the data as well. The good thing about the activities, however, is that all students will be able to achieve and feel as though they can complete the work assigned from the text. | ||||||
| Adaptability | The material is currently relevant and adaptable for educators and students. The material can be customized for the needs of diverse learners. | Educators or students can utilize the material, but it may not be customizable for the needs of diverse learners. | The material has limited options to address adaptability for the needs of diverse learners. | The material is not suitable for different educational settings with diverse learners. | ||
| The supplemental materials are in the form of additional readings, which do not have all the same resources that come with the texts in the "regular" units. According to the information provided, a teacher can look outside the framework of the text for resources that go along with the additional readings. | ||||||
UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
250 East 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-3204
Phone: 801.538.7807