Progress Learning 5th Grade Reading (TEKS)

Evaluation for 1.1a
Materials include an explanation of the stated purpose of the supplemental program (e.g., additional instruction and/or practice, targeted remediation or acceleration).

The Elementary Reading Language Arts (RLA) Implementation Guide explains how to use the guide as a supplement to the school’s current tier-one instructional materials. The guide also states that the materials are to be used to support reading comprehension throughout the school year.

The materials include an article titled “What is Progress Learning?” in the How-To Guides. The article states that the program’s intended purpose is to provide a solution for standards-aligned assessments and remediation, designed to drive results. Additionally, within the article is a video that describes the supplemental program’s purpose.

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide outlines how the resource provides high-quality lessons and learning tools to help students master reading standards. Specifically, the introductory overview explains that each grade-level set of lesson plans follows an intentional sequence to support reading comprehension development throughout the school year.

Evaluation for 1.1b
Materials include guidance on how to appropriately use the supplemental program to support an existing core reading and language arts program.

The grade 5 RLA scope and sequence outlines the program’s support for tier-one instruction through the use of targeted question banks that enable educators to focus instruction on specific standards-based learning needs. The document further highlights the flexibility of the resource for implementation within whole-group reteach opportunities as well as independent learning station models.

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide provides guidance on implementing the lesson plans, which are intentionally sequenced to support reading comprehension throughout the school year and to easily supplement existing tier-one instructional materials. The implementation guide contains lesson plans with guidance on how to use them to support an existing program.

The grade 5 RLA scope and sequence demonstrates the program’s alignment to core literacy instruction by incorporating standards-focused question sets that assist educators in identifying and addressing targeted areas of student need. The structure of the resource supports instructional flexibility across both educator-led intervention settings and student-centered independent practice environments.

Evaluation for 1.1c
Materials include a scope and sequence outlining student expectations, skills taught, and a rationale for the design of the scope and sequence.

The scope and sequence outlines student expectations throughout sequenced lessons organized by literacy focus. The sequence progresses from foundational skills such as “Word Meaning” and “Generate Questions” to literary analysis lessons including “Characters and Plot” before advancing to informational text lessons such as “Argumentative Text.” This progression demonstrates alignment to grade-level reading and language arts expectations.

The grade 5 RLA scope and sequence provides student expectations and literacy skills addressed throughout the curriculum. The course provides a detailed matrix that aligns state standards with specific lessons. Specifically, the materials organize instruction to support the development of foundational comprehension, literary elements, and vocabulary skills before progressing to more complex skills such as text features, informational text comprehension and evaluating argumentative texts.

The grade 5 scope and sequence includes “Rationale and Scaffolding” for each lesson that clearly outlines the student expectations and skills taught.

Evaluation for 1.1d
Materials include guidance on time requirements (e.g., duration, frequency) and suggested pacing for effective implementation.

The supplemental reading program’s grade 5 RLA scope and sequence includes guidance and specific time allotments for each portion of a lesson, using the 5E Instructional Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate).

The grade 5 RLA scope and sequence provides guidance on time requirements for each lesson. Time allotments show the total number of minutes for each lesson, including a breakdown for how long each section requires for effective implementation. Lesson totals range from 105–250 minutes.

The materials include explicit time allocations and teaching instructions for every part of a lesson within the lesson plans. Specifically, the lesson structure breaks learning blocks into a 20-minute introduction, a 50-minute discovery phase, and a 10-minute explanation block. The sequence moves from these tasks into a 25-minute application window and a 20-minute assessment period.

Evaluation for 1.1e
Materials include resources and guidance to support educators with implementing the materials as designed.

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide provides clear educator supports, including daily lesson objectives, state standards, and vocabulary words. For example, the “Overview” section details the specific classroom materials and group settings required to complete each task. Furthermore, the guide includes step-by-step instructions for using digital slideshows, instructional videos, and student handouts.

The supplemental reading comprehension program provides educators with structured instructional support by integrating the 5E Instructional Model throughout lesson implementation. In addition to outlining the components of the framework, the resource offers a rationale explaining how the model promotes engagement and the development of deeper comprehension.

The “Implementation and Best Practices” section of the How-To Guides has guidance to support educators implementing the materials for students. The section titled “What are the best practices for implementation?” includes a link to the K–12 Full-Year Implementation Guide and links to Quick Start guides.

Evaluation for 1.1f
Materials contain supports for families in both Spanish and English with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student.

The materials include supports for families in both Spanish and English with suggestions on supporting the progress of their student. In the “Family Guide” section, the communication materials provide clear summaries for individual literacy lessons in both English and Spanish. For example, the overview layout connects each classroom skill to a simple home learning advisory block. The guidelines move from classroom topics into active tasks that families can practice during daily routines.

The supplemental program developed to reinforce reading comprehension extends support to families through multiple home-to-school connection resources. The materials include lesson summaries, QR code access to instructional slide presentations, and guided family support prompts designed to encourage literacy engagement at home. The resource further provides bilingual guidance for families to support purposeful reading conversations in both English and Spanish.

The home technology resources provide guidance on accessing and navigating the digital learning platform in both English and Spanish. Specifically, the materials include instructions for logging into the platform, accessing assignments, viewing instructional videos, and monitoring student progress. The materials provide additional on reviewing standard mastery information, individualized Study Plans, and explanations for missed practice items.

Evaluation for 2.1a
Materials include appropriate instructional assessments for the stated purpose of the supplemental program (e.g., diagnostic placement assessments for targeted remediation or acceleration).

In the Elementary RLA Implementation Guide, the materials provide multiple assessment types designed to reinforce literacy instruction, monitor mastery of state standards, and support targeted intervention. The materials include formative worksheets, “SuperSheets,” and interactive Study Plans that evaluate skills taught within individual lessons and provide opportunities for additional practice and progress monitoring.

The How-To Guides article “What types of diagnostic tests are available in Progress Learning?” states that the multiple assessment types include formative, summative, diagnostic pretests and posttests, and state practice tests.

The diagnostic pretests and posttests consist of two questions per the TEKS. The materials state, “Administering this test will ensure that teachers will see data for every standard in the Teacher Progress Report.”

Evaluation for 2.1b
Materials include the definition and intended purpose for the instructional assessments included.

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide describes each assessment type and provides guidance for implementation under the heading “Assessment Types and Implementation Guide.” This chart outlines the assessment types included throughout the program, identifies each assessment by name, explains its purpose and description, and provides instructional guidance for educators.

The chart additionally states that “Pre/Post Diagnostic Assessments” serve to generate Focus Areas, which are individualized learning paths based on performance. The purpose of these diagnostic assessments is to determine individual student and class mastery of the TEKS.

The How-To Guides article “What types of diagnostic tests are available in Progress Learning?” also provides the definition and intended purpose of the assessments included in the supplemental program.

Evaluation for 2.1c
For instructional assessments administered by educators, materials include guidance to ensure consistent and accurate administration of instructional assessments.

In the Elementary RLA Implementation Guide, the program provides clear administration procedures for each assessment type. For example, formative worksheets include instructions identifying when educators should administer assessments during the “Evaluate” phase of a lesson. The program also provides administration guidance for online diagnostic assessments. For example, the materials recommend administering the diagnostics across two class periods.

The How-To Guides article “What types of diagnostic tests are available in Progress Learning?” additionally provides explicit directions for assigning summative assessments to students through their Student Dashboard.

Furthermore, the “Pre/Post Diagnostic Assessment” table provides guidance on when to administer the assessments during the school year, recommendations for time allotment, and methods for measuring growth between beginning- and end-of-year assessment results.

Evaluation for 2.1d
Instructional assessments include items at varying levels of complexity.

The materials include “Grade 5 RLA STAAR Practice Assessment: Version 3” containing questions with varying levels of complexity labeled as Level 1 (Recall), Level 2 (Skill/Concept), and Level 3 (Strategic Thinking). Students answer the questions using multiple modalities such as multiple-choice, drop down menus, click-on sentences within the text, and multiple checkboxes.

The grade 5 assessment examples include questions ranging from recall and vocabulary application to inferential and strategic-thinking tasks aligned to multiple TEKS complexity levels. For example, one question requires students to determine the meaning of the prefix trans- in the word transforming, demonstrating foundational vocabulary analysis. Another requires students to make a prediction about what Loma is most likely to do next based on events and character development within a story. Additional items require students to analyze theme, character traits, figurative language, and plot development, demonstrating progression from basic comprehension to higher-order analytical thinking.

Additionally, in the Assessment Builder Guide, the “Question Quick Pick” feature allows educators to create assessments that vary in length and question types, accommodating varying levels of complexity.

Evaluation for 2.2a
Instructional assessments and scoring information provide guidance for interpreting student performance.

The materials include the “Progress Monitoring” How-To Guides article, which explains how educators can view and analyze student assessment data at the individual, class, and standards levels. Additionally, the article outlines reporting tools that identify mastery, performance trends, and standards requiring intervention. It also guides the use of these reports to support instructional decisions and monitor progress.

The “Assessment Types and Implementation Guidance” section of the Elementary RLA Implementation Guide explains how assessment results determine student mastery, reteach needs, and progress monitoring. The guide states that formative “SuperSheets” provide item rationales to inform reteach opportunities or the need for small-group instruction, directing educators to use these rationales to plan small- or whole-group reteach.

The materials include an Assessment Comparison Report to measure student growth between assessments. The state practice assessment guidance also directs educators to analyze standards identified as “Approaching Mastery” or “Critical Need for Study” within focus areas. These supports provide educators with explicit direction for interpreting assessment performance data and using results to guide instructional decisions.

Evaluation for 2.2b
Materials provide guidance for the use of the supplemental program to respond to student trends in performance on assessments.

The How-To Guides article “How do I assign remediation or suggested practice after an assessment is completed?” explains how educators can assign targeted remediation and practice activities based on student assessment results. Educators use assessment performance data to identify standards requiring additional support and assign remediation through the platform’s instructional tools.


The program includes Focus Areas, which are individualized learning plans that identify standards where students need additional support based on cumulative assessments and activity data. The materials explain that standards are identified as either “Critical Need of Study” or “Approaching Mastery,” allowing educators and students to focus instruction on specific performance gaps.

The materials provide explicit directions for educators to view assessment results within the “Progress Monitoring and Reporting” section of the How-To Guides, specifically under the “How does a teacher view assessment results?” menu tab. This section provides scoring information to help educators better understand student results.

Evaluation for 2.2c
Materials include tools for educators to track student progress and growth, and tools for students to track their own progress and growth.

In the K–12 Full-Year Implementation Guide, the materials explain how Focus Areas create individualized learning plans based on student performance data and standards mastery. The materials also include student goal-setting templates and Study Plan tools that allow students to monitor their own progress and set individualized learning goals.

The K–12 Full-Year Implementation Guide provides educators with guidance for monitoring student achievement through the section titled “Track Progress and Growth Using Reports.” The materials include reporting tools such as Item Analysis Reports, Progress-Monitoring Reports, and Diagnostic Reports to support educators in analyzing student performance and academic growth over time.

The How-To Guides article “How do I see and use the Assessment Comparison Report?” offers guidance for measuring student growth within a single instructional unit or grading period. The article explains that educators can use the assessment builder to create and assign a unit pre-assessment, a mid-unit assessment, and a final unit assessment in order to track and monitor student progress throughout the instructional cycle.

Evaluation for 2.2d
If applicable for the stated purpose of the supplemental program, materials include guidance for entry and exit criteria.

This guidance is not applicable to the program because the program has a stated purpose of additional instruction and/or practice, not targeted remediation or acceleration.

Evaluation for 3.1a
If applicable for the stated purpose, materials include educator guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade-level skills.

The materials include educator guidance for assigning targeted intervention based on student performance. The How-To Guides article “How do I assign Quick-Click Remediation?” directs educators to identify students who need remediation through the Results Report or Progress Report, select one, two, or three weak standards; choose the students who need additional support, and assign targeted practice based on identified areas of need.

Lesson 3, “Characters and Plot,” in the “Additional Activities for Intervention and Enrichment” section provides clear educator guidance for differentiated activities designed for students who have not yet reached proficiency in grade‑level skills. The course refers to these students as “struggling learners,” and there are additional extension activities provided to assist with differentiation.

The materials also provide Focus Areas, which automatically generate targeted practice for students performing below proficiency based on their performance data. Additionally, educators can differentiate instruction by creating customized study plans for an entire class or selected small groups and assigning above- or below-grade-level standards to address students’ instructional needs.

Evaluation for 3.1b
If applicable for the stated purpose, materials include educator guidance for differentiated instruction and activities for students who have demonstrated proficiency in grade-level skills.

The materials include guidance for extending learning as evidenced by the How-To Guides article “What is the Study Plan and how do students get started?” The article states that students complete standards-aligned videos and practice questions, earn mastery for each standard, and “move on to learn something new” after demonstrating mastery. The Study Plan also tracks mastery by standard, helping educators identify students who are ready for additional learning opportunities.

Lesson 3, “Characters and Plot,” in the “Additional Activities for Intervention and Enrichment” section provides clear educator guidance for differentiated activities designed for students who have already demonstrated proficiency in grade‑level skills. The course refers to these students as “advanced learners,” and additional extension activities are provided to assist with differentiation.

Additionally, the material’s implementation guide provides additional educator guidance for enrichment activities. The section provides suggested activities, guidance for student grouping, and guidance for appropriate timing of assignments.

Evaluation for 3.1c
Materials include educator guidance for providing specially designed instruction (SDI) for students receiving supports and services through special education.

While the materials provide accommodation supports such as text-to-speech tools and other general accommodations, the materials do not include explicit guidance for educators on how to select, implement, or monitor specially designed instruction aligned to individual student needs or Individualized Education Program (IEP) requirements as stated in the indicator guidance statement.

The materials identify accommodations available within the platform for students receiving special education services. However, the materials do not include explicit educator guidance for selecting, implementing, or monitoring specially designed instruction based on individual student needs, IEP goals, accommodations, or service requirements.

The program does include tools that allow educators to create customized assessments with accommodations. However, the materials do not provide specific instructional guidance for adapting content, methodology, or instructional delivery to support students receiving special education services.

Evaluation for 3.2a
Educator-led supplemental programs include explicit (direct) prompts and guidance to support the educator in modeling and explaining the skill(s) to be learned.

The materials include direct prompts and support for educators within each lesson plan. For example, the “Explore” section provides a script for using the Teacher Slideshow. The script includes step-by-step directions with each corresponding slide number.

In the lesson 9, “Key Ideas” slideshow, the materials provide speaker notes to prompt the educator to use a visual to explain the anatomy of a text and use the analogy of a house for the explanation. The materials prompt the educator to say, “Think of a text like a house. The Central Idea is the roof that covers everything. The Key Ideas are the walls that hold the roof up, and the Supporting Details are the bricks.”

The materials provide another example in lesson 12 in the “Vocabulary” section. The lesson prompts the educator to say, “Our first word is revenue. We see this in the first paragraph when discussing why Britain needed money.” The lesson continues to provide direct prompts for the educator to introduce new vocabulary.

Evaluation for 3.2b
Educator-led supplemental programs include educator guidance and recommendations for effective delivery and facilitation using a variety of instructional approaches.

Lesson plans include a “Grouping” section suggesting the most effective delivery for each component of the lesson. Lessons also include a variety of instructional approaches, including whole group discussions and opportunities for student discourse with Turn and Talk.

The materials include a “Partner Talk Routines” section, which provides explicit procedures for implementing structured collaborative discussions during instruction. The document outlines multiple instructional approaches, such as turn and talk, Partner A/B roles, and Think-Pair-Retell. Each routine includes implementation guidance, prompts, and sentence stems that support educators in facilitating academic discussions and collaborative learning opportunities.

The “Background Knowledge” section within each lesson includes guidance for educators to provide visual resources or examples, offer opportunities for turn and talks, answer guided questions, or elicit choral responses.

Evaluation for 3.2c
Materials include guidance for educators on recommended structures (e.g., whole group, small group, individual) to support effective implementation.

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide outlines recommended groupings and formats for each phase of the 5E Instructional Model. The guide explains how to use whole-group, partner, independent, and combined structures in the “Engage,” “Explore,” “Explain,” “Elaborate,” and “Evaluate” phases. It also presents options for whole-class, partner, and independent instruction.

Additionally, the materials provide structured opportunities for partner, whole-group, and individual learning throughout each lesson. For example, lesson plans guide educators to assign Partner A/ B roles, engage students in collaborative discussions, and facilitate whole-class conversations to support student learning.

Evaluation for 3.3a
Materials include educator guidance on providing linguistic accommodations for various levels of language proficiency [as defined by the English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS)], which are designed to engage students in using increasingly more academic language.

In the “Explore” section of the Teacher Guide, the “Emergent Bilingual Students” section provides educator guidance on differentiating linguistic accommodations based on student language proficiency level. Guidance includes supports such as visuals and gestures (pre-production); sentence frames (beginning); sentence stems and partner discussions (intermediate); use of academic language in full responses (high intermediate); and independent, elaborated analysis (advanced).

Additionally, the slideshow instructions in the “Explore” section of the Teacher Guide shows how students can use gestures, context clues, academic vocabulary, and language registers to understand content and communicate during lessons. The guide also specifies that educators receive prompts, guiding questions, cooperative learning tools, and instructional strategies aligned with lesson activities.

For example, in lesson 8, “Drama,” the Teacher Guide sidebar offers guidance on providing linguistic accommodations at various levels. For instance, during the passage-reading portion, students at the pre-production level are directed to mimic the educator’s actions to demonstrate understanding of the text’s mood, while students at the intermediate level are asked to highlight stage directions that indicate the drama’s tired or urgent mood.

Evaluation for 3.3b
Materials include implementation guidance to support educators in effectively using the materials in state-approved bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs.

The How-To Guides articles provide information about Spanish-language resources and accommodations available within the platform, including translated content and accessibility features for students. For example, the “Accommodations and Accessibility” section of the program’s digital How-To Guides states that the program provides educational tools for emergent bilingual (EB) students in the form of Spanish translation features. However, the materials do not provide educator guidance for implementing the supplemental program within a state-approved bilingual education or ESL program.

The “ELPS Implementation” section describes language objectives for each lesson and highlights the support offered to EB students through interactive, cooperative learning focused on general and academic language practice and second-language acquisition. However, it does not include guidance for educators on using materials within a state-approved bilingual education or ESL program.

Evaluation for 3.3c
If designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs, materials include resources that outline opportunities to address metalinguistic transfer from English to the partner language.

This guidance is not applicable because the program is not designed for dual language immersion (DLI) programs.

Evaluation for 8.1a
[English reading language arts] Materials include opportunities for students to read high-quality, grade-level, complex texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational). [Spanish reading language arts] Materials include opportunities for students to read high-quality, grade-level, complex authentic or transadapted Spanish texts as appropriate for the program's stated purpose, in a variety of text types (e.g., literary, informational).

The materials include opportunities for students in every lesson. For example, lesson 8, “Drama,” includes the dramatic script “The Midnight Edition,” which contains authentic drama elements including acts, scenes, character tags, dialogue, and stage directions. Students analyze how structural elements contribute to meaning and performance through guided reading and text-dependent questions. The script presents a coherent plot involving characters working in a 1920s print shop under a publishing deadline, requiring students to engage with the text to interpret setting, mood, character actions, and dramatic structure.

The materials also include an informational reading passage in lesson 1, “Word Meaning” titled “The Steam Engine of Change,” a comparative organizational text structure, metaphorical language, and real-world application through analyzing historical events.

In addition, the materials include a variety of texts in the “SuperSheets” provided as formative assessments for the lessons. Students read a variety of complex texts, including drama, argumentative texts, poetry, and informational and literary texts. For example, the “SuperSheet” for inference and setting includes a text titled “A Tall Pet.” Students read a literary text about a boy adopting a baby giraffe and keeping it as a pet. Then students answer comprehensive questions regarding the author’s purpose, inferencing, and setting.

Evaluation for 8.1b
Materials include a variety of high-quality texts at different levels of complexity.

The materials include the grade 5 RLA Measures of Text Complexity document, which describes a collection of literary and informational texts that vary in genre, structure, vocabulary demands, sentence complexity, and length. The collection includes informational texts such as “The Steam Engine of Change,” “The Living Wall of Africa,” “Space Exploration and the Solar System,” and “The American Revolution.” Along with these texts are a variety of literary texts like “The Curse of Hera,” “The Silent Journey,” and “The Saturday Market.” The materials list many examples of poetry alongside the informational and literary texts. The document highlights variations in purpose, vocabulary demands, conceptual depth, knowledge requirements, and text structure, including chronological, problem‑solution, cause‑and‑effect, comparative, and persuasive formats.

Additional examples appear throughout the lessons. For instance, lesson 4, “Making Inferences,” includes a text titled “The Silent Journey,” which has a chronological text structure, sensory-rich vocabulary, and internal monologues. An additional lesson, lesson 12, “Argumentative Text,” includes a text titled “Letter to the City Council” that has a persuasive text structure, professional vocabulary with a civic context, and real-world problem awareness.


The materials include the How-To Guides article and video “How do I build a passage-based test for ELA (English Language Arts)?” in which educators create passage-based assessments using a bank of reading passages available within the platform. The platform searches, filters, and selects passages when building assessments, indicating that multiple reading selections are available for instructional and assessment purposes.

Evaluation for 8.1c
Texts include content that is relevant, engaging, and authentically reflects students' diverse backgrounds and experiences.

In lesson 5, “Point of View,” the materials include a text titled “The Saturday Market,” which presents a protagonist participating in a family market rooted in bilingual and cultural traditions. The text incorporates culturally specific language and experiences, including references to pan dulce and conchas while exploring themes of family responsibility, community involvement, and heritage preservation. The materials also include texts addressing Indigenous communities in the Florida Everglades, the Great Migration, environmental stewardship in Africa, and community advocacy, providing students opportunities to engage with diverse cultural perspectives, historical experiences, and real-world issues.



Lesson 6, “Figurative Language,” engages students in a text that reflects diverse backgrounds when they read about a festival in a community where there is music, sights, and foods from the main character’s culture. A tourist hears a stereotype, but community members correct it. The main character reflects on his day at the festival and the memories shared.

In the “Class Activities” section of the grade 5 “Instructional Resources” page, students read argumentative texts that are relevant and engaging. For instance, students read an argumentative text regarding longer recesses and an additional argumentative text regarding school gardens.

Evaluation for 8.2a
Materials activate or supply background knowledge.

The Elementary RLA Implementation Guide provides educator guidance for building background knowledge prior to instruction. The guide identifies the “Engage” component of each lesson as an opportunity to activate and assess students’ prior knowledge related to the focus skill.

The “Engage” component of each lesson includes slides and educator prompts for activating background knowledge, including opportunities for student discussion. For example, in lesson 4 “Making Inferences,” the educator says, “Before we read, we must understand the background. Between 1916 and 1970, six million African Americans moved from the rural South to the North and West. This was called the Great Migration. They were looking for better jobs and an escape from unfair laws.”

Another example is provided in lesson 8, “Drama,” the educator says, “Before we read, let’s go back to 1924. There were no digital screens. If you wanted news, you read a newspaper. Print shops were loud, busy, and filled with the smell of ink. People from all different backgrounds
worked together to get the news out to the city every single morning.” Students are then instructed to sketch their idea of a print shop in the 1920s.

Evaluation for 8.2b
Materials include pre-teaching of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts.

The grade 5 lesson plans include a “Vocabulary” section in the Teacher Guide that provides explicit instruction for introducing and reinforcing academic language. Vocabulary instruction is supported by educator-defined definitions, visual supports, discussion prompts, and opportunities for student interaction. Students make personal connections to new words through partner discussions and guided conversations, promoting vocabulary development and meaningful language use within the lesson context.



In the Explore Teacher Guide, the educator introduces unfamiliar vocabulary before students engage with the reading passage, stating, “Before we read, let’s learn some words from our story, which takes place long ago. The first word is tallow.” The accompanying vocabulary slide provides a student-friendly definition, “Animal fat used to make candles and soap,” along with contextual information explaining that families used tallow candles before electricity. This guidance introduces and explains an unfamiliar term from the text before reading begins, supporting students’ understanding of vocabulary that may otherwise impede comprehension of the passage.

In lesson 4, “Inferences,” educators pre-teach vocabulary words that will be read in the text. The educator reads the word resilience along with the definition and example sentence from the slide. Then the educator explains that resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties, like a rubber band being able to stretch without breaking. To check for understanding of the vocabulary word, the students are tasked to tell a partner about a time they showed resilience when learning something new.

Evaluation for 8.2c
Materials include explicit (direct) instruction on using contextual analysis to determine the word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

In lesson 1, “Word Meaning,” the materials include the Teacher Slideshow and the direct instruction. The materials also include prompts for the educator to explain that students can use context clues to find the meaning of unfamiliar words. The clues can be within the sentence or beyond the sentence that contains the unfamiliar word. Students look for clues within a sentence to determine the meaning of the word fatigued. Students use the clue “extremely tired” to figure out the meaning of the word.



The materials include educator-directed modeling and guided practice that explicitly teaches students how to use context clues within and beyond sentences to determine word meaning. The educator explains that “context clues are words or phrases within a sentence or beyond a sentence that give a hint to the meaning of a word and models how a definition clue can be used to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word in the sentence, ‘The worker was fatigued, or extremely tired, after a 12-hour shift.’” The lesson extends instruction when teaching students to analyze information across multiple sentences to determine the meaning of prosperity, requiring students to identify specific textual evidence that supports the meaning of the word.

The materials also include explicit instruction during vocabulary support for EB students. Students “highlight the ‘clue words’ around it in green to show they understand the definition through context,” and during comprehension instruction, the educator explains that when understanding breaks down, readers can “look for clues nearby.”

Evaluation for 8.2d
Materials include opportunities for students to practice using contextual analysis to determine word meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary in texts in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The materials include the grade 5 reading Study Plan activities, in which students independently apply contextual analysis strategies across multiple response formats, including multiple-choice questions, multiple-response items, drag-and-drop activities, and other technology-enhanced tasks. If a student selects an incorrect answer, a pop-up tutorial provides immediate corrective feedback and instruction, giving additional opportunities to apply the skills before proceeding. Upon completion, students receive a score and may review questions, answer choices, and responses to support reflection and continued learning.

Included in guided practice are activities for students to analyze a sentence, identify the contextual information that supports meaning, and discuss with a partner how the clue helps determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word. Students continue practicing contextual analysis by identifying definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and example clues in multiple sentences and determining word meanings from those clues.

Additionally, lessons provide opportunities for collaborative and independent application through Think-Pair-Share discussions, a study plan, independent worksheets, and a “SuperSheet” assessment requiring students to apply contextual analysis strategies independently.

Evaluation for 8.3a
Materials include systematic and explicit (direct) instruction on reading comprehension skills at multiple levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative) in alignment with grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

The introduction states that each lesson follows the 5E Instructional Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate), which provides a consistent instructional framework for developing reading comprehension through inquiry, active participation, application, and assessment. The materials further state that lesson plans are “intentionally sequenced to best support the learning of reading comprehension throughout the school year.” The course supplements grade-level instruction aligned to the reading TEKS.

The Question Reference Sheet identifies questions by comprehension level, including literal questions such as “Which phrase from Paragraph 1 uses a simile to describe a sense other than sight?”; inferential questions such as “How does the hyperbole about the speakers being ‘heard on the moon’ help the reader understand the narrator’s experience?”; and evaluative questions such as “What is the purpose of the author including this anecdote in the middle of a story about a festival?” The progression of question types provides a systematic sequence that moves students from recalling explicit information to making inferences and evaluating the author’s purpose and craft.

In lesson 3, “Characters and Plot,” educators use the 5E model to explain the differences between internal conflict (happens inside a character’s mind) and external conflict (between characters or against nature). The materials ask the inferential question, “If two gods are fighting over who gets to rule the sea, is that an internal or external conflict?” Continuing the “Explain” portion of the lesson, the educator states that stories follow a mountain shape that starts with the rising action, hits the climax, moves to the falling action, and ends with the resolution. The materials ask the evaluative question, “Why do you think the climax is often called the point of no return for a character?”

Evaluation for 8.3b
Materials include opportunities for students to practice reading comprehension skills at multiple levels (i.e., literal, inferential, evaluative) with a variety of grade-level texts in alignment with the grade-level TEKS as appropriate for the program's stated purpose.

In lesson 3, “Characters and Plot,” students practice reading comprehension skills in the “Student Handout” portion of the lesson. Students read a fictional passage, broken into paragraphs, and answer literal, inferential, and evaluative questions like, “What is the primary conflict between Hera and Echo in this opening?” and “How does the resolution of this myth explain a phenomenon in the natural world?” Additionally, in lesson 8, “Key Ideas on the Student Handout,” students read an informational text titled “The Living Wall of Africa,” broken into paragraphs, and answer questions at multiple skill levels like, “How does the shade from trees specifically help the moisture stay in the ground?” and “How can you say ‘desertification turns fertile land into dry waste’ in your own words while keeping the same meaning?”

The materials include the “Check for Understanding” section, which requires students to answer comprehension questions intentionally categorized across multiple levels of thinking. Students demonstrate literal comprehension by identifying the purpose of a character tag, “In a script, what is the purpose of a character tag?” Students demonstrate inferential comprehension by interpreting the meaning and function of stage directions through questions such as, “Which structural element is usually written in italics or parentheses and NOT spoken out loud?” and “Read this line: MOM: [Smiling.] I am so proud of you! What does the stage direction tell the actor?” Students demonstrate evaluative comprehension by analyzing authorial choices in the question, “Why would a playwright include a stage direction like ‘[Fade to black]’ at the end of a scene?”

The “Independent Practice” features available through the Study Plan provide students with access to standards-aligned instructional videos and practice question sets organized by subject, domain, and standard. The How-To Guides article explains that “most standards have instructional videos and practice questions that are completed in sets of 10” and that students may attempt practice activities “an unlimited number of times until they’ve demonstrated mastery of the standard.” Students receive individualized feedback through Graded Work, where they can review missed questions and access “video explanations to help them understand why they got the answer wrong.”