Amplify Desmos Math, Grade 8
Core Code Alignment
Mathematics
Secondary Mathematics (7-12)
07080000080: 8th Grade Mathematics
Secondary Mathematics (7-12)
07080000080: 8th Grade Mathematics
Recommendation
Recommended Primary
Evaluation
Amplify materials focus on providing tasks for all students to engage in math discourse and building their understanding of the math. Language routines and standards for mathematical practices are just as much as a focus as the content standards. Students have multiple opportunities to show what they know in the lessons as well as in assessments. Teachers have support in using the materials and responding to students' understanding. This curriculum does lack in practice material. Practice material is provided but the amount of problems is limited.
Educators Using These Materials
No educators found.
Material Categories
Comprehensive
Rubric : Mathematics 2025
Final recommendation published; partial rubric scores available.
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 | ||
| Sensitive materials and prohibited material was not found by the review team. | ||||||
| Prohibited discriminatory practices 53G-2-103-5, 53B-1-118 and 67-27-107 | Does Not Violate Law | NA | NA | May Violate Law | ||
| Discriminatory practices were not found by the review team. | ||||||
| Maintaining constitutional freedom in the public schools. 53G-10-202 | Does Not Violate Law | NA | NA | May Violate Law | ||
| Materials allow for constitutional freedom to be maintained. | ||||||
| Free from advertising, e-commerce, or political interest | Contains none of the listed items. | NA | NA | Contains one or more of the listed items. | ||
| Materials are free from advertising, e-commerce, and political interest. | ||||||
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 | ||
| Lessons start with easy entry from the students and then gradually builds on their understanding until they synthesis it at the end of the lessons. Cluster headings in the standards have multiple lessons to build conceptual understanding. | ||||||
| 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 | ||
| The review team noted there was not a lot of procedural practice problems for students to practice with. There is fluency games for students to play. | ||||||
| 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 | ||
| Due to the design of the lessons, students don't have a lot of multi-step contextual problems. Teachers have lots of support built in the lessons for them to deliver the content. Student scaffolds are not explicitly taught in the lessons. Student facing lessons are open for student response instead of modelled instruction. Tasks are prominent in the lessons. | ||||||
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 | ||
| Math practice standards are just as prominent as content standards in the teacher materials. Student materials have students engage and practice the practice standards but not always explicitly listed. Students not only answer math questions but frequently explain their thinking. Afterwards, they are shown classmates' responses (can be done anonymously) so class discussions can occur. | ||||||
| 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 | ||
| Students are given opportunities to provide evidence of their math skills but also their ability to perform with the standards of mathematical practices. | ||||||
| Materials support the Standards’ emphasis on mathematical reasoning. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| The materials in the Amplify curriculum encourages mathematical reasoning often times in the lessons. Students not only gain proficiency in the math content standards but also understanding why the math works. Students work in groups, share thoughts, explain reasoning, use models to represent the math, and critique their classmates. | ||||||
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 | ||
| Amplify excels in this area. Language routines are built into the lessons and are listed in the teacher lesson overview and lesson page. Differentiation and assessment intervention responses are provided in the materials. Information to send home to caregivers include essential questions, lesson summaries, "try this" questions and answers to those questions. Lessons have low-entry points for all students to start with and as they progress, lessons are open enough for all students to build on their math understanding. Spanish resources are also available. | ||||||
| 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 | ||
| Lessons gradually release scaffolds for the students. Differentiation beyond the lesson is provided for each lesson including extension opportunities. Digital platform allows teachers to respond to student responses and meet students where they are. | ||||||
| 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 | ||
| There seems to be more teacher support in implementing the lessons compared to the student support. Lessons are open for student input and exploration. Gradually the teacher guides students to a solidified learning but explicit modeling of the content is not in the student versions. | ||||||
| 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, | In addition to the content outlined in “Adequate,” this material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for learning about various forms of cultural philosophies and epistemologies from Utah, the United States, and worldwide. The materials provide cultural backgrounds, contemporary real-life experiences, and contexts that are relevant to local students. Some examples may include people with disabilities, various body types, and ages. | This material demonstrates respect for diverse socio-cultural identities. The material provides opportunities to acknowledge and integrate the histories, cultures, contributions, and perspectives of people from the United States and worldwide. The material accurately represents the cultures, languages, traditions, beliefs, values, and customs of people from diverse backgrounds through a variety of texts, examples, scenarios, imagery, and applications. | The material has limited themes of social and cultural histories within the United States and globally. The material provides limited examples of inclusive or cultural real-life experiences and does not include diverse characters. | The material does not meet the requirements within the ethnic studies core standards and curriculum requirements. (53E-4-204.1). | ||
| Creating a positive math identity and celebrating individual student thoughts is huge for Amplify. This material focuses on the student learner instead of simply modeling math. Although there isn't a lot of intentional culture involvement in the problems, it does support all learners. An example of including different cultures would be world temperatures and ways to get to school. | ||||||
| Shared Values and Character Traits | The material extends beyond the content outlined in "Adequate", it includes elements that connect Utahns to the world. The material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for cultivating character traits in students. The material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for cultivating character traits in students. Some examples may include characters with a variety of personalities, education, income, occupation, or behaviors that illustrate character traits. | The material focuses on the shared values of diverse people and communities, the common elements that unite Utahns, and displays some character traits in its imagery and content. It aims to cultivate character traits in students, such as courage, leadership, intelligence, integrity, honesty, respect, morality, civility, duty, honor, and service, along with principles found in the Constitution. | The material lacks a sense of shared values or common elements that unite Utahns. Furthermore, the material has limited resources addressing civic and character education. | The material does not meet the requirements within the ethnic studies core standards and curriculum requirements (53E-4-204.1) and civic and character education. (53G-10-204) | ||
| Character traits are encouraged through the use of building a positive math identity and growth mindset. Students have various options to reflect at the end of each unit. Other character traits are not explicitly in the materials. However, by engaging with the lessons, students have the opportunity to build respect for their classmates by hearing their thoughts and collaborating together. | ||||||
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 | ||
| Pre-unit assessments, sub-unit quizzes, and end of unit assessments (2 forms) are available. At the end of each lesson, students have an opportunity to show what they know about the lesson. Rubrics are provided for the end-of-unit assessments. | ||||||
| Assessments measure what students understand and can do through well designed mathematical tasks and applications. | Meets | Partially meets | N/A | Does not meet | ||
| Assessments use a variety of DOK questions. Both application and skill questions are available in the assessments. End-of-unit assessments have student choice reflection questions which allows students to show more of their understanding. | ||||||
UTAH STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
250 East 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111-3204
Phone: 801.538.7807