Ellei Coleman, Delaney Dillard, Mckenna Modisher

Curricular Analysis
Use your knowledge from course readings and class discussions to rank the curricula according to the questions in each of the 5 rubrics below.
Choose from the following ranks:
● Very Satisfied (2)
● Satisfied (1)
● Unclear (-1)
● Not Satisfied (-2)
Provide explanations for why you selected the ranking you did, and, if appropriate, describe adjustments you would make and provide a brief
rationale (e.g., a “because…” statement).

CPM Grade 8 (Middle School Course 3)


Part A: Ambitious Instruction Rubric
Questions for Analysis
High Cognitive Demand
Are there opportunities for
students to make
connections, to think
mathematically, or to
persevere?
Make sense of the problem
Do the tasks support student
access to sensemaking (e.g.,
language routines through)?
Equitable participation in
mathematical practices
Are the curriculum materials
designed so that all students
are encouraged to
participate in collaborative
mathematical
problem-solving?
Productive struggle and
mathematical dispositions
Does the curriculum provide
opportunities to enable
Ranking and Explanation
1 - Satisfied
The curriculum provides opportunities for students to
make connections, think mathematically, and
persevere through various problem-solving tasks. It
encourages critical thinking and application of
mathematical concepts.
2 - Very Satisfied
The curriculum tasks are designed to support
sensemaking, incorporating language routines and
encouraging students to understand and communicate
mathematical concepts effectively.
1 - Satisfied
The curriculum encourages collaborative
mathematical problem-solving ensuring that all
students are actively engaged and participate in group
activities.
2 - Very Satisfied
The curriculum provides ample opportunities for
students to relate key mathematical ideas into their
Ellei Coleman, Delaney Dillard, Mckenna Modisher
Recommended Adjustments
Incorporating real-world applications and
interdisciplinary connections within the curriculum
would definitely help. This could involve integrating
practical examples and scenarios that demonstrate
how mathematical concepts are applied in different
fields, encouraging a deeper understanding and
fostering perseverance in problem-solving.
To enhance sensemaking, ensuring language routines
are not only incorporated but also diversified is
crucial. Offering a broader range of linguistic
strategies (visual aids, structured discussions,
multimedia resources) can accommodate diverse
learning styles and proficiency levels. Providing
opportunities for students to generate their own
language routines based on their understanding of
mathematical concepts can also help their
sensemaking skills.
To optimize collaborative learning, adjusting the
curriculum to incorporate differentiated group tasks
based on students’ abilities and interests would further
promote active participation. Additionally,
implementing periodic reflections on group dynamics
and individual contributions can cultivate a deeper
understanding of collaboration.
To further enable students to connect key
mathematical ideas to their lives, incorporating a
broader spectrum of real-life situations and culturally
diverse examples within the curriculum is
recommended. This inclusivity ensures that students

Questions for Analysis
students to connect key ideas
to their lives?
Does the curriculum
integrate reflection on what
is understood and what is
still unknown?
Students' relationships
with each other
Are supports for healthy
social and academic
peer-to-peer relationships
embedded in the
curriculum?
Supporting teachers to
make sense of student
thinking and build on
student ideas
Do probing questions and
student group strategies
support teachers to use
research-based monitoring
and teamwork facilitation
practices?
Does the curriculum provide
additional support structures
(e.g., professional
Ranking and Explanation
lives, making the learning more relevant and
meaningful for them.
1 - Satisfied
This curriculum encourages reflection on
understanding and areas the that require further
exploration, fostering self-awareness among students.
2 - Very Satisfied
The curriculum promotes healthy social and academic
peer relationships, creating an inclusive and
supportive learning environment.
1- Satisfied
The curriculum provides intriguing questions and
student group strategies that support teachers
effectively implementing research-based monitoring
and teamwork facilitation practices.
2 - Very Satisfied
Ellei Coleman, Delaney Dillard, Mckenna Modisher
Recommended Adjustments
from various backgrounds can easily relate to the
content, reinforcing the relevance and importance of
mathematical concepts in their daily lives.
To deepen reflection and self-awareness, inserting
periodic peer discussions and self-assessments within
the curriculum can be beneficial. Structured reflection
prompts and activities after key lessons/units, that
encourage students to identify their mistakes, areas of
improvement, and strategies to learn better can further
enhance self-awareness skills and promote a deeper
understanding of the subject matter.
To secure peer relationships and inclusivity you could
integrate intentional team-building exercises and
activities at the beginning of the semester/year.
Incorporating structured discussions on empathy,
effective communication, and conflict resolution (e.g.,
strife in group work) within the curriculum can
provide students with the necessary tools to build and
maintain positive social and academic relationships.
To boost research-based monitoring and teamwork
facilitation practices, one could offer additional
resources, guides, and professional development
specifically focused on utilizing questions and
optimizing group strategies. Tailoring these resources
to the specific needs of educators and providing
regular updates and refreshers can empower teachers
to implement the best practices seamlessly.
To increase teacher support, implement ongoing,
interactive professional learning communities where
teachers can collaborate, share experiences, and

Questions for Analysis
development, video) to
augment teachers’ use of the
curriculum materials?
Part B: Academic and Social Integration Rubric
Questions for Analysis
Responsiveness
Does the curriculum provide
meaningful opportunities for
teachers to elicit students'
personal experiences as
reflected in their
communities and cultures?
Does the curriculum support
teachers to value students’
language diversity as a
learning resource?
Are there teacher supports
for learning about and
centering students' goals and
purposes for learning
Ranking and Explanation
The curriculum offers additional support structures
like suggestions for professional development and
direct links to videos, enhancing teachers’ capacity to
effectively utilize the curriculum materials and
optimize student learning.
Ranking and Explanation
1 - Satisfied
The curriculum works to allow those to put their own
personal touch into assignments. There are assignments
that you could give your students and that they have to
use their goals to reach the end of their project. There is
something called a Learning Log that could be used to
learn about students goals and understanding of
mathematics. Something else it encourages is having
multiple ways to show something, so an example could
be showing a lot of pictures. This allows for students to
have multiple different ways to learn so if they can't
learn by reading the text, they can look at pictures to
help.
Ellei Coleman, Delaney Dillard, Mckenna Modisher
Recommended Adjustments
collectively problem-solve challenges related to
curriculum. Additionally, incorporating interactive
online platforms or discussions where educators can
access and share instructional videos, lesson plans,
and best practices can provide an easily accessible
repository of support materials, amplifying the impact
of the curriculum.
Recommended Adjustments
A recommended adjustment could be having them
start with their goals in their Learning Log which
allows them to reflect after each lesson at the end of
the year seeing if they reached them or not and
encouraging them to not give up if they don’t reach
them at first. Another adjustment would be making
problems relate to the students more in the way if you
learn the overall favorite sport is baseball in the class,
change a problem that is about basketball to baseball
to appeal to more students. Encouraging your students
to draw pictures when doing problems that could be
confusing without them or writing the problems in a
way that is easier for them to understand.
 Ellei Coleman, Delaney Dillard, Mckenna Modisher

Questions for Analysis Ranking and Explanation Recommended Adjustments

mathematics?

Humanizing
Does the curriculum provide
resources to see students as
people with natural and
cultural needs, and to be
social and playful, and to
invite each student's
personality in its fullest?
2 - Very Satisfied
This curriculum has a lot of group work and that allows
for students to get to know each other. This will
eventually allow for them to open up and be
themselves, which is a human and not just something
being taught math.
While this allows for students and the teacher to see
each other as human beings, one thing you could do to
start off is making sure everyone in the class really
gets to know each other and feel comfortable from the
start. You could do more than just a little ice breaker.
Learn who works best with who and allow for that to
play into the groups they will be in.

Part C: Robust Mathematics Identities Rubric

Questions for Analysis Ranking and Explanation Recommended Adjustments

Representation in
characters
Does the curriculum include
diverse characters?
Does the curriculum include
historically marginalized
people in powerful roles that
dominant group members
aspire to?
1 - Satisfied
The curriculum includes many diverse names and
illustrations of students. Cultures like Latino, Black,
and White are represented.
While historically marginalized people are
represented, they could play a more powerful role.
Additionally, it would be beneficial to include various
professions and powerful roles within the problems
that students can aprie to and work towards. The
curriculum currently includes many problems and
scenarios that directly relate the students at their
current age and in school.

Representation of -1 - Unclear While the curriculum provides a lot on the math

content itself, it would also benefit with more
 Ellei Coleman, Delaney Dillard, Mckenna Modisher

Questions for Analysis Ranking and Explanation Recommended Adjustments

mathematics The curriculum includes many problems that apply the representation of math as a tool to benefit others and
topics and mathematics to the real world and their how it has historically been used as a way of
Does the curriculum position lives. It is unclear though how mathematics may be a oppression. An adjustment in line with this would be
mathematics as a tool to benefit or used as a tool for oppression. facts or research projects includes within the chapter
benefit others and society? that connect to math learning, but that also connect to
Does the curriculum the history of math, society, and oppression.
reference how mathematics
has been and is used as a
tool for oppression?

Does the curriculum support

students’ inquiry into the
purpose of mathematics in
their lives and in the world?

Expansive definition of -1 - Unclear A recommended adjustment would be to opportunities

achievement
Does the curriculum provide
explicit support for teachers
and students to view
achievement as taking
higher-level courses,
challenging oneself, and
persisting?
The curriculum provides many opportunities to show
understanding and achievement in this specific course,
but it does not clearly or consistently mention
achievement as higher-level courses, challenging, and
persisting
to redetermine knowledge and understanding as well
as continuing with more challenges. More positive
encouragement and connections to higher-level
courses would also be a beneficial adjustment.

Disrupting Dominant 1 - Satisfied A recommended adjustment would be to include more

Narratives The teachers notes of the curriculum includes strategies within the student side of the curriculum that
Does the curriculum provide for universal access and team work. These strategies highlights mathematics and math topics as expansive
tools and resources for allow teachers and students to interpret mathemath as and inclusive. This could be done by including other
 Ellei Coleman, Delaney Dillard, Mckenna Modisher

Questions for Analysis Ranking and Explanation Recommended Adjustments

teachers and students to accessible for everyone and not individual. mathematicians and situations that highlight diverse
revise their interpretations of groups.
what a mathematics identity
in ways that are expansive
and inclusive?