Instructional Materials Review and Approval

Feedback Report

Displaying 1 - 9 of 9

Supplemental Mathematics (English)


Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Supplemental Math, Grade 4 (IMRA25)

Program: HMH Math 180 Texas Grade 4
Component: N/A (ISBN: N/A)
Reported Feedback ID 14342161:

The career exploration pages provide insights into a variety of career options along with statistics. However, none of the statistics include source references. It is important to cite sources using timestamps to ensure the information is current and up to date.

Page Number: 7, 59, 11
Location:

Each block provides a "Career Explorations" with stats and career info

Publisher Response: Accept

Thank you for your feedback.  The publisher will make multiple changes to the Fraction series, mSpace Annotated, as outlined in the document at the following link.

https://hmhco.box.com/s/jl6jptig6v9f7wuzaf7fz96ez9116o00

Response Submitted:
Response Updated:
 
Reported Feedback ID 14340881:

The use of organ donation as a context for math instruction in 4th grade does not align with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for mathematics at this level. The TEKS for 4th-grade math focus on foundational skills such as number operations, measurement, data analysis, and geometry, all applied through concrete, age-appropriate, real-life scenarios. There is no standard within the 4th-grade math TEKS that supports or encourages instruction using medical or emotionally sensitive content such as organ donation.

Beyond the misalignment with academic standards, the topic of organ donation introduces complex emotional and ethical themes—such as serious illness, death, and surgical procedures—that are not suitable for the developmental stage of 9- to 10-year-old students. These are sensitive issues that can cause confusion or distress, particularly when students are asked to engage in role-play or decision-making related to life-and-death situations.

Instructional examples at this age should prioritize clarity, emotional safety, and relevance to students’ everyday experiences. Using familiar and neutral scenarios—such as planning a class event, measuring for a project, or analyzing sports statistics—not only aligns with TEKS but also supports a positive, engaging learning environment. While it’s valuable to expose students to real-world applications of math, these should be carefully chosen to respect both their academic needs and their emotional readiness.

Page Number: 73; 138-139
Location:

Thematic during this unit in mSpace, mSpace Annotated (p.58;102-103), Teacher's Guide (73; 138-139) of organ donation; specifically the activity where students pretend to be an organ transplant coordinators.

Publisher Response: Accept

Prior to receiving IMRA feedback, we changed the anchor video to focus on fractional flow reserve of blood in a normal artery and in a narrowed artery to decide how best to help each patient. The video omits dramatization and focuses on the comparison of blood flow through arteries, without reference to severity of artery narrowing or blockages. We believe this change removes introduction to complex emotional themes.

To view this video, please log in using provided credentials and click link below.

https://www.hmhco.com/ui/#/discover/M180_EN_2022/connected-view

Follow this click path:

Math 180 (button at center of screen) > Fractions > Anchor Video > Have a Heart

Response Submitted:
Response Updated:
 
Reported Feedback ID 14518881:

Course cannot be navigated. Reviewer or students cannot move forward until each digital game or digital exercise is completed. Discourages pencil and paper exercise, and student can click through without practicing math.
Please add navigation to all blocks so reviewers can review all content without performing all tasks.

Page Number: All
Location:

All

Publisher Response: Accept

Thank you for your feedback. Both Math 180 and Math 180 Flex include teacher/reviewer access to the student application this allows teachers/reviewers access all activities in the Student Application via a clickable menu. Teachers/Reviewers do not need to complete activities to access subsequent ones. Access instructions are provided here:

https://hmhco.box.com/s/suyj0esurmk10iebpk8p90tpc3rsuzmq

The Teacher-facilitated-instruction component of Math 180 includes the consumable mSpace workbook, designed specifically to capture student thinking with pen-and-paper. Independent student time with the Student Application provides digital scaffolded practice with help, hints, and direct feedback based on each student response. 

Response Submitted:
Response Updated:
 
Reported Feedback ID 14518866:

Please make all Math180 content searchable. Reviewers, students, teachers cannot find content or search any terms to locate thematic issues and bias content that becomes thematic throughout both grade 4 and 5.Nallely curriculum I have reviewed over the years is searchable.

Page Number: All pages
Location:

Entire course grade 4 and 5 math missing search bar. Very difficult to navigate for adults, let alone children.

Publisher Response: Accept

The Teacher Access to the Student Application includes keyword search functionality for all math terms, lesson topics, and academic language. Digital versions of all print materials are available in searchable PDFs. The publisher will continue to enhance the student application keyword search capabilities.

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Response Updated:
 
Reported Feedback ID 14483251:

Heavy topics for 9 years olds discussing a homeless children and a homeless 15 year old girl living in the streets who is an artist. Explains Crowdfundung. Not age appropriate or relevant to Grade 4 TEKS or math fluency and process.

Page Number: https://www.hmhco.com/math180/student/app/#/explorezone/anchorvideo
Location:

Student login EXPLORE ZONE
MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION
Block 1 > Multiplicative Thinking
Welcome, Cheryl!Logout

Publisher Response: Accept

The publisher will remove descriptions and images that depict homelessness, as well as images of social media and mentions of the crowd-funding site Kickstarter as detailed at the following link.

https://hmhco.box.com/s/qyx9fy233zxuyjbjw1y5urqdtkpn8v4s

Response Submitted:
Response Updated:
 
Reported Feedback ID 14054176:

In the example, the term "hit" is used multiple times. The phrase website hits is an outdated term. More modern terms to consider: Page views, Site visits, User sessions, Visitors, Clicks.
"Website A receives 5 hits. Website B receives 10 times as many hits. How many fewer hits does Website A receive?"

Page Number: Multiplication/Division; Block 1>Topic 3>Lesson 5 p. 49
Location:

#3 Practice : Web Designer example

Publisher Response: Accept

Publisher will change the text. 
Old Text: Nadine designs two websites. Website A receives 5 hits. Website B receives 10 times as many hits. How many fewer hits does Website A receive? Website A receives [45] fewer hits.

New Text: Nadine designs two websites. Website A receives 5 site visits. Website B receives 10 times as many site visits. How many fewer site visits does Website A receive? Website A receives [45] fewer site visits.

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Reported Feedback ID 14483256:

The entire Math 180 Grade 4 continuously discusses social media, how great social media is, how to use social media, how to upload photos to social media. The subject matter has no relevance to Grade 4 TEKS, does not improve math fluency, math process, math operations.
Nine and ten year olds are not allowed to have social media platforms. Most social media platforms require users to be 13 years old. Parents do not want schools teaching their kids to use social media embedded throughout curriculum.

Page Number: No page number - it is the Student online platform
Location:

EXPLORE ZONE SIMULATION
MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION
Hype Up The Fair
Welcome, Cheryl!Logout

Publisher Response: Accept

Thank you for your feedback. 

The publisher will change the career focus of the Hype Up the Fair Simulation to Web Designer. See list of changes at the link below.

File name: 14483256_Ex1_TXM180Full_Gr4 

https://hmhco.box.com/s/1w3nszuu3ptep0xjgcfw2qtx531d3gy7

The publisher will replace social media references throughout Multiplication and Division Block 1. See list of changes at the link below.

File name: 14483256_Ex2_TXM180Full_Gr4 

https://hmhco.box.com/s/daozyln6t6dacv4iw5vnk15bas9qcgnv

The publisher will edit the Anchor video to remove references to social media and homelessness. See list of changes at the link below.

File name: 14483256_Ex3_TXM180Full_Gr4 

https://hmhco.box.com/s/hf7d0sjc5d9acipj9uf4togop3ztqmiw

Response Submitted:
Response Updated:
 
Reported Feedback ID 14484671:

Uses the term "brain-wise" telling the student they "didn't use many brain-wise learning strategies" while other Mindset scans on other pages use the term "fixed mindset" may have held the student back.

This is language is inconsistently used thematically in the workbook.

Telling a student they "didn't use many brain-wise learning strategies" can come across a bit critical.
While other "Mindset Zone"
workbook pages differ and say "You were in the Fixed Mindset Zone this time. Your mindset may have held you back from doing your
best" https://www.hmhco.com/content/sis
The verbiage is inconsistent in different sections in the book, while one has a more positive connotation over the other.

Page Number: P. 53
Location:

Mindset Scan: Pink "Fixed Mindset Zone" box

Publisher Response: Accept

Publisher will remove all Mindset Lessons and Getting Started First-Two Weeks and references to these lessons and features from the M180 program-- in print (student editions, annotated student editions, teaching guides, program guide) and in digital (student software mindset scan).

Response Submitted:
Response Updated:
 
Component: HMH Math 180 Texas Teacher Digital Subscription (ISBN: N/A)
Reported Feedback ID 12359416:

Instead of using boxes, rolls, and singles, use academic vocabulary of hundreds, tens, and ones.

Page Number: Math 180: Addition, Subtraction, and Place Value (Annotated Teacher Version) - mSpace, pp. 144-145
Location:

Block 3 Topic 3 Lesson 1: Try It 1, Practice 2-4, Exit Ticket

Publisher Response: Accept

The publisher uses boxes, rolls, and singles as concrete representations to introduce place value concepts, in alignment with standards that require students to work with concrete models before transitioning to academic vocabulary such as hundreds, tens, and ones. 

This approach ensures that students first build understanding through real-world context and then connect these concrete names to the appropriate academic terms, meeting the intent of the standards. 

The series includes explicit instruction on academic vocabulary after students have worked with concrete representations, ensuring both requirements are addressed.

In the context of a print and digital offering of our academic material, we are starting with a concrete representation and associated names for hundreds, tens, and ones, with naming in real-world context. Problems are presented through the context of the Game Shop, which contextualizes students’ understanding of place value. 

This particular citation makes connections between representations of hundreds, tens, and ones with place value. We also have teacher narrative and questions to ask the student in the Teaching Guide to help make these connections. See the following examples.

Addition, Subtraction, and Place Value, Teaching Guide, Block 3, Topic 1, Lesson 1 Package Tokens Using Boxes, Rolls, and Singles, Step 4, p. 149:  “I can check that all 436 tokens are represented by counting by hundreds, tens, and then ones.” 

(https://www.hmhco.com/content/sis/math_180/g3_12/teacher/pdf/m180_asp_2…

Addition, Subtraction, and Place Value, Teaching Guide, Block 3, Topic 1, Lesson 4 Package Tokens in Different Ways, Step 1, p. 160: “How many boxes should we use? (4) Why? (Each box holds 100 tokens, and there are 4 hundreds in 436.) How many rolls should we use? (3) Why? (There are 36 tokens left. Each roll holds 10 tokens, and there 3 tens in 36.) How many singles should we use? (6) Why? (36 – 30 = 6) Have a student represent 436 by displaying 4 boxes, 3 rolls, and 6 singles.

(https://www.hmhco.com/content/sis/math_180/g3_12/teacher/pdf/m180_asp_2…

Response Submitted:
Response Updated:
 
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