Amplify Classroom and Polypad free and commercial use guidelines
If you’d like to use Amplify’s tools or content in your work, please review these guidelines to determine if your specific use is allowed and whether you need to submit a request for approval.
Overview
Amplify Classroom offers free prebuilt interactive and print-based lessons, interactive lesson-building tools, and Polypad virtual manipulatives. See amplify.com/classroom and polypad.amplify.com for more information.
Amplify Classroom features:
- Activity Builder (labeled “Custom Activities” in the platform): This content-creating and publishing tool enables educators to create their own interactive lessons and edit existing lessons.
- Polypad virtual manipulatives: These virtual manipulatives allow teachers and students to explore concepts, express their creativity, and visualize their thinking. Polypad virtual manipulatives can be embedded directly into lessons via Activity Builder or used as a stand-alone, dynamic workspace.
- Computation Layer: This feature enables educators to further customize lessons created with Activity Builder. Computation Layer is the code that allows components within the lessons to “talk” to one another, enabling users to connect representations; customize content; and provide dynamic, interpretive feedback. Computation Layer is accessible through Activity Builder.
Amplify Classroom includes activities and lessons across many subjects, created by the thousands of educators on our platform. Content created by Amplify is tagged “By Amplify,” “By Amplify Classroom,” or “By Desmos Classroom.”
Amplify also publishes paid core curriculum programs, including Amplify Desmos Math, Amplify Science, Amplify CKLA, Amplify Caminos, and Amplify ELA. These products can be reviewed and purchased by schools or districts interested in comprehensive resources aligned to standards and designed to motivate students. Some of the lessons that are free to use on Amplify Classroom (labeled Try It! lessons) are also part of these paid products. Learn more about our products and request a sample.
Amplify Classroom tools and content (other than paid products) are free for personal, educational, and non-commercial use, subject to our Acceptable Use Policy and Usage Guidelines. These guidelines also permit certain commercial uses. You generally don’t need to submit a request to use our free tools and resources for the permitted purposes covered in these guidelines. As long as you are following our Acceptable Use Policy and Usage Guidelines, as well as making appropriate Attributions and Disclaimers, you are permitted to move forward with your project. To make sure your use is permitted, please read these guidelines thoroughly and in their entirety. If you would like to explore a license for a use not permitted here, please submit this form.
Amplify does not own but partners with Desmos Studio, the maker of a suite of free math tools, including a graphing calculator used by over 75 million people around the world. (See desmos.com for more information.) Please contact Desmos Studio for information on using their content or tools.
Usage guidelines
Please adhere to the following guidelines for using Amplify Classroom tools and content in each of the scenarios set out below. You are required to follow our General Guidelines and Attribution requirements below when making permitted uses. You are responsible for clearing any third party marks and content you use in your applications or publications.
Uses labeled “PERMITTED USES” do not require permission, and you do not need to tell us about them—but we do appreciate hearing from you! Feel free to fill out this form to tell us about how you are using our tools and materials, and the ways in which you are finding them useful.
Uses labeled “CONTACT US” do require permission. If you are interested in such use, please submit this form, and someone from our team will endeavor to follow up with you as soon as possible.
Teaching and education services
This section provides guidelines on using Amplify Classroom for teaching and education services.
| PERMITTED USES |  |
Educators creating, modifying (where permitted), and using Amplify Classroom content for classroom teaching in a school |
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Public school districts, charter schools, and networks creating, modifying (where permitted) and using Amplify Classroom content for classroom teaching | |
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Private tutors creating or using Amplify Classroom content in 1:1 or small-group tutoring sessions | |
| CONTACT US |  |
For-profit school or network of schools implementing Amplify Classroom for the school or network |
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Education publishers and EdTech organizations (whether for profit or non-profit) using or linking to Amplify Classroom content and tools | |
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Any organizations or individuals embedding the teaching and learning experience from the Amplify Classroom lessons in their websites or applications (except API/iFrames Polypad integrations permitted below) | |
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Educators or other individuals authoring lessons for commercial purposes (e.g., to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers and similar websites) | |
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School districts, states, education publishers or technology providers, educators or any other individual or organization (whether for profit or non-profit) using Amplify Classroom content or platform to create paid curricula, educational courses, assessments, or any materials or curricula for submission for a state adoption list; or for offering, marketing, or sale to any schools or educational agencies or organizations, in or outside of the U.S. | |
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Instructional/tutoring organizations (whether for profit or non-profit), seeking to use Amplify Classroom for its tutors or instructors |
Print and presentations
This section provides guidelines on including content from Amplify Classroom, such as portions of free lessons or images generated using our tools, in printed materials or presentations.
| PERMITTED USES | |
Books, including textbooks, up to two thousand copies |
|
Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals, etc.) | |
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Business documents such as company reports, proposals, presentations, etc. | |
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Academic publications, research papers, Ph.D. theses, and portfolios | |
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Conferences, presentations and accompanying slides | |
| CONTACT US | |
Books, more than two thousand copies, or as cover art for a book |
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As content within platforms, mobile and tablet applications, PDFs, ebooks, multimedia materials, or other digital resources or products | |
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Consumer and retail goods or packaging (e.g., shirts, beach towels, shower curtains, mugs, posters, stationery) |
Web and apps
This section provides guidelines for embedding Amplify Classroom tools into your platform.
| PERMITTED USES | | Individuals and schools embedding Polypad in their materials for instructional use are permitted to do so; for integration options, see below. |
| Organizations (whether for profit or non-profit) offering paid services embedding Polypad with <10k requests per year | |
| CONTACT US | | Organizations (whether for profit or non-profit) offering paid services embedding Polypad with >10k requests per year |
| Individuals or organizations looking to embed Activity Builder/Computation Layer in their applications | |
| Individuals or organizations looking to embed Amplify Classroom tools in larger applications, more complex integrations, white-labeling, or hosting Amplify’s JS files on their own infrastructure | |
| Polypad links, screenshots, iFrames, or API uses behind a paywall |
Polypad integration options
There are two integration options for using Polypad within your own applications, including:
- Using iFrames hosted by Amplify.
- As a white-labeled JavaScript API that can be self-hosted and embedded in other websites or apps.
Developers can customize the features and behavior through numerous options and event listeners, and interact with the canvas programmatically to build custom functionality.
Visit the Polypad API page to learn more about Polypad API license terms and to generate API Key.
General guidelines
Copyright fair use
Your use of our content may be acceptable under principles of fair use (or other similar concepts in other countries). Under the fair use doctrine of the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work for purposes such as commentary, criticism, news reporting, research, and scholarly reports.
Whether a particular use qualifies as fair use depends on a number of factors. For more information see resources from the U.S. Copyright Office, Circular 21, Reproductions of Copyrighted Works by Educators and Librarians, and Fair Use Index. Amplify can’t tell you if your use of this content would be fair use, so you may wish to obtain your own legal advice.
Use of trademarks
Our trademarks are valuable assets of Amplify and its licensors, and we want to ensure our users and partners use them correctly. These trademarks include the Amplify word mark and logo, Polypad word mark, Core Knowledge Foundation word mark and logo, the Lawrence Hall of Science word mark and logo, and the Desmos and Amplify Classroom word marks and logos.
Logos
Our logos can only be used if you have an existing partnership, and you’ve reached out to your Amplify contact to secure formal approval from Amplify’s brand team.
Logos must never be used in a way that implies an endorsement or affiliation with Amplify where such a relationship does not exist.
Please contact media@amplify.com if you need to use an Amplify or Amplify Classroom logo.
Please contact Desmos Studio for Desmos Studio branding guidelines and licensing.
Use of product names and features
If making a use permitted under these guidelines or approved by Amplify, you may use the Amplify name or one of our product names or features in plain text to indicate that your product or service integrates with, or relates to, an Amplify product or service.
However, all references must be honest and accurate, and you can’t incorporate these names into your own name or imply an endorsement by Amplify or any of its licensors.
| REQUIRED | | Use the complete name “Amplify Classroom” when referencing the platform. |
| Use “Amplify Classroom lessons” when talking about specific lessons authored in the Amplify Classroom platform. | |
| Use “Teacher-created Amplify Classroom lessons” or “[Company name]-authored Amplify Classroom lessons” when talking about a lesson that has been authored by anyone other than Amplify personnel. | |
| Include required attribution and disclaimers. | |
| PROHIBITED | | Do not imply an endorsement or affiliation with Amplify where such a relationship does not exist. |
Attribution and disclaimers
You are required to include a link to the homepage of Amplify Classroom (amplify.com/classroom) and a prominent disclaimer of affiliation when making permissible uses described above in at least one place in your materials, preferably the cover page or landing page.
Visit Amplify Classroom for free lessons, lesson-building tools, and Polypad virtual manipulatives at amplify.com/classroom. This content is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Amplify or any of its licensors. Amplify®, Amplify Classroom™, and related trademarks are the property of Amplify Education, Inc.
If your current attribution language refers to Desmos Classroom, please update the attribution to “Amplify Classroom” instead of “Desmos Classroom.”
Contact us
Amplify Classroom and Polypad usage inquiry form for uses labeled “Contact Us”
Thank you for your interest in using Amplify Classroom and/or Polypad. If your intended use falls into one of the categories labeled “Contact us,” please fill out this form, so we can determine the appropriate permissions or licenses:
Amplify Classroom and Polypad usage inquiry form for uses labeled “Permitted”
Thank you for your interest in using Amplify Classroom and/or Polypad. If your intended use falls under the “Permitted” categories outlined in our use guidelines, please let us know by filling out the form below. This helps us understand how our tools are being used.
Note: If your intended use falls under one of the “CONTACT US” categories outlined in our use guidelines, please fill out this form.
Amplify Classroom and Polypad Permitted Use Form
Plan your professional development
We’re excited to partner with you on your Amplify journey. Flexible professional development pathways have been designed to meet your needs.
Recommended Professional Development Plan
Our team has curated a recommended professional learning path from initial launch to continuous support. Use the Professional Development Planning Guide below to discuss the plan that best meets your school or district needs with your Account Executive.
mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition sessions overview
| Audience | Title | Duration | Modality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | |||
| New mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition customers with limited time for PD | mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition program overview | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| New mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition customers | Initial training | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote |
| Initial training: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Initial training | Self-paced | Online course | |
| Strengthen | |||
| mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition customers with limited time for PD | Understanding your classroom data | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| All mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition customers | Classroom data analysis and instructional planning | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote |
| Classroom data analysis and instructional planning: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Classroom data analysis and instructional planning | Self-paced | Online course | |
| All mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition customers | Understanding your school or district data | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| Data-driven leadership practices | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Data-driven leadership practices: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Data-driven leadership practices | Self-paced | Online course | |
| Strengthening consultation session | 60 min. | Remote | |
| Strengthening consultation session package | 3 60-min. sessions | Remote | |
| Coach | |||
| All mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition customers | Coaching session | 1 day | Onsite |
| Coaching session | Half day | Onsite/Remote | |
| Building readers | |||
| All mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition customers | Building readers for leaders | 2 half days | Onsite/Remote |
| Building readers for teachers | 3 half days | Onsite/Remote | |
Launch
mCLASS with DIBELS 8th edition program overview
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training
Self-paced
This PD is an individual seat to our self-paced, on-demand online course that contains approximately 6 hours of training. Participants will learn how to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction. Participants will access and revisit the course anytime for up to one year as a refresher.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome)
Modality: Online
Strengthen
Understanding your classroom data
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to understand their students’ data by utilizing the reports available on mCLASS. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning
Online course (self-paced)
This PD is an individual seat to our self-paced, on-demand online course that contains approximately 6 hours of training. Participants will learn how to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS. Participants will access and revisit the course anytime for up to one year as a refresher.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome)
Modality: Online
Understanding your school or district data
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Data-driven leadership practices
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making school-wide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Data-driven leadership practices: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making school-wide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Data-driven leadership practices
Online course (self-paced)
This PD is an individual seat to our self-paced, on-demand online course that contains approximately 6 hours of training. Participants will learn how to use their data in making school-wide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. Participants will access and revisit the course anytime for up to one year as a refresher.
Audience: Administrators
Modality: Online
Strengthening consultation session
(60-min.)
This 60-minute session will focus on a specific topic that will deepen educators’ understanding of mCLASS and equip them with the tools needed to drive stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district leadership team in advance of the session on the topic (chosen from a menu of options) that will best meet educators’ unique needs.
Topics include:
- Progress Monitoring
- Zones of Growth
- Data Walkthrough for Leaders
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote
Strengthening consultation session package
(3 hours)
This package consists of three 60-minute sessions that can be delivered on the same day or on different days. Each session will focus on a specific topic that will deepen educators’ understanding of mCLASS and equip them in driving towards stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district’s leadership team in advance on the topics that will best meet educators’ unique needs.
Topics include:
- Progress Monitoring
- Zones of Growth
- Data Walkthrough for Leaders
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote
Coach
Coaching session
1 day (6 hours)
This PD will deepen educators’ understanding of how to utilize mCLASS in order to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will visit one or two school sites for one day and work with teachers and/or leaders. Prior to the visit, the Amplify facilitator will align with each school’s leadership team on their needs and customize the visit schedule accordingly.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite
Coaching session
Half day (3 hours)
This PD is up to 3 hours of training and will deepen educators’ understanding of how to utilize mCLASS in order to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will visit one school site for a half-day and work with teachers and/or leaders. Prior to the visit, the Amplify facilitator will align with each school’s leadership team on their needs and customize the visit schedule accordingly.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Building readers
Building readers for leaders
2 half days (6 hours)
This training session is split into 2 half-day sessions (3 hours each). The same participants should attend both sessions in order to receive all content, which includes learning the Science of Reading and how to align this theory with schoolwide instruction. Part 2 should be scheduled two to three weeks after Part 1.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite
Building readers for teachers
3 half days (9 hours)
This training series is split into three half-day sessions (3 hours each). The same participants should attend all sessions in order to receive all content, which includes learning the Science of Reading and how to align this theory with classroom instruction. Part 2 should be scheduled two to three weeks after Part 1, and Part 3 should be scheduled two to three weeks after Part 2.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition and TRC sessions overview
| Audience | Title | Duration | Modality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | |||
| New mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition and TRC customers | Initial training | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote |
| Initial training: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Initial training | Self-paced | Online course | |
| Strengthen | |||
| All mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition and TRC customers | Classroom data analysis and instructional planning | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote |
| Data-driven leadership practices | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Coach | |||
| All mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition and TRC customers | Coaching session | 1 day | Onsite |
| Coaching session | Half day | Onsite/Remote | |
Launch
Initial training
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training
Self-paced
This PD is an individual seat to our self-paced, on-demand online course that contains approximately 6 hours of training. Participants will learn how to implement the assessment, and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction. Participants will access and revisit the course anytime for up to one year as a refresher.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome)
Modality: Online
Strengthen
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Data-driven leadership practices
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Coach
Coaching session
1 day onsite (6 hours)
This PD will deepen educators’ understanding of how to utilize mCLASS in order to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will visit one or two school sites for one day and work with teachers and/or leaders. Prior to the visit, the Amplify facilitator will align with each school’s leadership team on their needs and customize the visit schedule accordingly.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Coaching session
Half day (3 hours)
This PD is up to 3 hours of training and will deepen educators’ understanding of how to utilize mCLASS in order to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will visit one school site for a half-day and work with teachers and/or leaders. Prior to the visit, the Amplify facilitator will align with each school’s leadership team on their needs and customize the visit schedule accordingly.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
mCLASS Lectura sessions overview
| Audience | Title | Duration | Modality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | |||
| New mCLASS Lectura Customers with limited time for PD | mCLASS Lectura program overview | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| New mCLASS Lectura customers | mCLASS Lectura initial training | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote |
| mCLASS Lectura initial training: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| mCLASS Lectura Initial training | Self-paced | Online course | |
| Strengthen | |||
| All mCLASS Lectura customers with limited time for PD | Understanding your classroom data | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| All mCLASS Lectura customers | Classroom data analysis and instructional planning | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote |
| Classroom data analysis and instructional planning: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Understanding your school or district data | Half day | Onsite/Remote | |
| Data-driven leadership practices | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Data-driven leadership practices: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Strengthening consultation session | 60 min. | Remote | |
| Coach | |||
| All mCLASS Lectura customers | Coaching session | 1day | Onsite |
| Coaching session | Half day | Onsite/Remote | |
Launch
mCLASS Lectura program overview
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
mCLASS Lectura initial training
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction. While the assessment must be administered in Spanish, English-speaking educators educators who would like to learn about the program but will not be administering the assessment may attend.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
mCLASS Lectura initial training: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines. While the assessment must be administered in Spanish, English-only speaking educators who would like to learn about the program but will not be administering the assessment may attend. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
mCLASS Lectura initial training
Online course (self-paced)
This PD is an individual seat to our self-paced, on-demand online course that contains approximately 6 hours of training. Participants will learn how to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction. Participants will access and revisit the course anytime for up to one year as a refresher.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome)
Modality: Online
Strengthen
Understanding your classroom data
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to understand their students’ data by utilizing the reports available on mCLASS. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Understanding your school or district data
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Data-driven leadership practices
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making school-wide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Data-driven leadership practices: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Strengthening consultation session package
(3 hours)
This package consists of three 60-minute sessions that can be delivered on the same day or on different days. Each session will focus on a specific topic that will deepen educators’ understanding of mCLASS and equip them with the tools needed to drive stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district leadership team in advance of the session on the topic (chosen from a menu of options) that will best meet educators’ unique needs. Topics include progress monitoring, goal setting, and a data walkthrough for leaders.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote
Coach
Coaching session
1 day (6 hours)
This PD will deepen educators’ understanding of how to utilize mCLASS in order to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will visit 1–2 school sites for one day and work with teachers and/or leaders. Prior to the visit, the Amplify facilitator will align with each school’s leadership team on their needs and customize the visit schedule accordingly.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite
Coaching session
Half day (3 hours)
This PD is up to 3 hours of training and will deepen educators’ understanding of how to utilize mCLASS in order to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will visit 1 school site for a half-day and work with teachers and/or leaders. Prior to the visit, the Amplify facilitator will align with each school’s leadership team on their needs and customize the visit schedule accordingly.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
| Launch | Strengthen | Ongoing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BOY | After BOY or MOY | After BOY or MOY | |
| New customers | Program overview | Understanding your classroom data | Coaching session |
| Initial training | Understanding your school or district data | Building readers for teachers | |
| Strengthening consultation session/package | Building readers for leaders | ||
| Returning customers | Coaching session (refresher content) | Classroom data analysis and instructional planning | Coaching session |
| Data-driven leadership practices | Building readers for teachers | ||
| Strengthening consultation session/package | Building readers for leaders | ||
| *Note: If you are currently delivering instruction in a hybrid or remote model, we recommend that all of the sessions above be delivered remotely. | |||
mCLASS Express sessions overview
| Title | Duration | Modality |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | ||
| Initial training | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| Initial training | Self-paced | Online course |
Launch
Initial training
Half day (3 hours)
Take the first step in launching mCLASS Express! The half-day initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Express’ voice-recognition scoring generates immediate instructional recommendations for students reading below grade level. Educators will also learn how to utilize the teacher portal to assign assessments, review and correct scoring, track student growth over time, and leverage the program’s activities to create an action plan for a single classroom or across classes/grades.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training
Self-paced (2 hours)
Take the first step in launching mCLASS Express! The two-hour initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Express’ voice-recognition scoring generates immediate instructional recommendations for students reading below grade level. Educators will also learn how to utilize the teacher portal to assign assessments, review and correct scoring, track student growth over time, and leverage the program’s activities to create an action plan for a single classroom or across classes/grades.
As this is a self-paced, on-demand online course, participants will be able to access the course anytime, move as quickly or slowly as needed through different sections, and revisit the course up to one year as a refresher in the future.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Online
mCLASS: IDEL sessions overview
| Title | Duration | Modality |
|---|---|---|
| Launch | ||
| mCLASS IDEL program overview | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| Initial training | 1 day | Onsite/Remote |
| Initial training: Train the Trainer | 1 day | Onsite/Remote |
| Initial training | Self-paced | Online course |
Launch
mCLASS IDEL program overview
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
Prepare to implement your mCLASS:IDEL assessment with fidelity! Learn about the five basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, and understand how they are assessed on the mCLASS:IDEL assessment. Then, practice administering and scoring each assessment measure and receive targeted feedback from a facilitator. Upon completion of this session, participants will be on their way to collecting reliable data to support all students.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
Prepare to implement your mCLASS:IDEL assessment with fidelity! Learn about the five basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, and understand how they are assessed on the mCLASS:IDEL assessment. Then, practice administering and scoring each assessment measure and compare your responses to exemplars. As this is a Train the Trainer session, participants will receive annotated session materials in order to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training
Online course (self-paced)
This PD is an individual seat to our self-paced, on-demand online course that contains approximately 6 hours of training. Participants will learn how to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction. Participants will access and revisit the course anytime for up to one year as a refresher.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome)
Modality: Online
TRC Atlas Español
Launch
TRC Atlas Español program overview
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
mCLASS Math sessions overview
| Audience | Title | Duration | Modality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | |||
| New mCLASS Math customers with limited time for PD | mCLASS Math program overview | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| New mCLASS Math customers | Initial training | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote |
| Initial training: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Strengthen | |||
| All mCLASS Math customers with limited time for PD | Understanding your classroom data | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| All mCLASS Math customers | Classroom data analysis and instructional planning | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote |
| Classroom data analysis and instructional planning: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Understanding your school or district data | Half day | Onsite/Remote | |
| Data-driven leadership practices | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Data-driven leadership practices: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
Launch
mCLASS Math program overview
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
Learn the foundational research for mCLASS Math and how it supports students’ abilities in mathematical reasoning. Understand the various assessment components and develop techniques for interviewing students and documenting their thinking. Interpret assessment results, and brainstorm suggested instructional activities. Upon completion of this session, participants will be on their way to collecting reliable data.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
Learn the foundational research for mCLASS Math and how it supports students’ abilities in mathematical reasoning. Understand the various assessment components, and develop techniques for interviewing students and documenting their thinking. Interpret assessment results, and brainstorm suggested instructional activities. Upon completion of this session, participants will be on their way to collecting reliable data. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Strengthen
Understanding your classroom data
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to understand their students’ data by utilizing the reports available on mCLASS. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports available on mCLASS.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning: Train the Trainer
1 day Onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days Remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports available on mCLASS. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Understanding your School or District Data
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Data-driven leadership practices
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Data-driven leadership practice: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Contact
Amplify welcomes the opportunity to partner with schools and districts to design professional development plans and answer your questions.
If you would like to order any of our professional development services, please contact your local Amplify sales representative or call (800) 823-1969.
Plan your professional development
We’re excited to partner with you on your Amplify journey. Flexible professional development pathways have been designed to meet your needs.
Recommended Professional Development Plan
Our team has curated a recommended professional learning path from initial launch to continuous support. Use the Professional Development Planning Guide below to discuss the plan that best meets your school or district needs with your Account Executive.
Sessions overview
| Recommended sessions are highlighted below. |
| Audience | Title | Duration | Modality |
|---|---|---|---|
| mCLASS Texas Edition Launch | |||
| All mCLASS Texas Edition customers | Initial training | 2 half days or self-paced | Remote/Online course |
| New mCLASS Texas Edition customers | Initial training | 1 day | Onsite |
| Initial training: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| New mCLASS Texas Edition customers with limited time for PD | mCLASS program overview, English measures only | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| mCLASS program overview, Spanish measures only | Half day | Onsite/Remote | |
| Experienced mCLASS Texas Edition customers | Refresher training | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading Launch | |||
| New mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading customers | Initial training with Amplify Reading overview | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote |
| Initial training with Amplify Reading overview: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| mCLASS Texas Edition and TRC Launch | |||
| New mCLASS Texas Edition and TRC customers | Initial training with TRC overview | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote |
| Initial training with TRC overview: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Experienced mCLASS Texas Edition customers | TRC initial training | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| TRC initial training: Train the Trainer | Half day | Onsite/Remote | |
| mCLASS Express Launch | |||
| New mCLASS Express customers | Initial training | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| Initial training | Self-paced | Online course | |
| mCLASS Texas Edition Strengthen | |||
| All mCLASS Texas Edition customers with limited time for PD | Understanding your classroom data | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
| All mCLASS Texas Edition customers | Classroom data analysis and instructional planning | 1 day | Onsite |
| All mCLASS Texas Edition customers | Classroom data analysis and instructional planning | 2 half days | Remote |
| Classroom data analysis and instructional planning: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Classroom data analysis and instructional planning | Self-paced | Online | |
| All mCLASS Texas Edition customers | Data-driven leadership practices | 1 day onsite | Onsite |
| All mCLASS Texas Edition customers | Data-driven leadership practices | 2 half days | Remote |
| Data-driven leadership practices: Train the Trainer | 1 day onsite or 2 half days remote | Onsite/Remote | |
| Data-driven leadership practices | Self-paced | Online | |
| Understanding your school or district data | Half day | Onsite/Remote | |
| Strengthening consultation session | 1-hour session | Remote | |
| All mCLASS Texas Edition customers | Strengthening consultation session package | 3 1-hour sessions | Remote |
| mCLASS Texas Edition Coach | |||
| All mCLASS Texas Edition customers | Coaching session | 1 day | Onsite |
| All mCLASS Texas Edition customers | Coaching session | Half day | Onsite/Remote |
Launch
mCLASS Texas Edition
Initial training
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS to drive differentiated instruction. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
mCLASS program overview, English measures only
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the English measures of the mCLASS Texas assessment and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines. Only English measures are covered in this half-day training.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
mCLASS program overview, Spanish measures only
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to implement the Spanish measures of the mCLASS Texas assessment and collect reliable data using standardized guidelines. Only Spanish measures are covered in this half-day training.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Refresher training
Half day (3 hours)
The half-day refresher training is designed for teachers and instructional leaders who are experienced with any version of DIBELS® and/or Acadience Reading and are invested in successfully implementing mCLASS Texas Edition. This session will help educators focus on what’s new to the assessment and understand mCLASS Texas Edition’s potential to impact all students through improved measures, stronger insight into students’ instructional needs, and bolstered skills-focused lessons to support instructional planning. Upon completion of this session, participants will be prepared to implement the new assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, and use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS Texas Edition to drive differentiated instruction as part of their regular classroom practice.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading
Initial training with Amplify Reading overview
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
Take the first step in launching mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading! The initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Texas Edition assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning. A high-level overview of how to get started with Amplify Reading will also be provided at the end of the training along with supplementary, on-demand resources. Upon completion of this session, participants will be prepared to implement the new assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS Texas Edition to drive differentiated instruction as part of their regular classroom practice, and understand key Amplify Reading features.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training with Amplify Reading overview: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
Take the first step in launching mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading! The initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Texas Edition assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning. A high-level overview of how to get started with Amplify Reading will also be provided at the end of the training along with supplementary, on-demand resources. Upon completion of this session, participants will be prepared to implement the new assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS Texas Edition to drive differentiated instruction as part of their regular classroom practice, and understand key Amplify Reading features. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
mCLASS Texas Edition and TRC
Initial training with TRC overview
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
Take the first step in launching mCLASS Texas Edition and Amplify Reading! The initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Texas Edition assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning. A high-level overview of how to get started with Amplify Reading will also be provided at the end of the training along with supplementary, on-demand resources. Upon completion of this session, participants will be prepared to implement the new assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS Texas Edition to drive differentiated instruction as part of their regular classroom practice, and understand key Amplify Reading features.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Initial training with TRC overview: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
Take the first step in launching mCLASS Texas Edition and TRC! The initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Texas Edition assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning. A high-level overview of how to get started with TRC will also be provided at the end of the training along with supplementary, on-demand resources. Upon completion of this session, participants will be prepared to implement the new assessment, collect reliable data using standardized guidelines, use the targeted lessons available on mCLASS Texas Edition to drive differentiated instruction as part of their regular classroom practice, and understand key TRC features. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
TRC initial training
Half day (3 hours)
Take the first step in launching TRC! The half-day initial training will help educators understand how TRC assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote
TRC initial training: Train the Trainer
Half day (3 hours)
Take the first step in launching TRC! The half-day initial training will help educators understand how TRC assesses the basic early literacy skills that are crucial for reading development, gain hands-on experience administering and scoring the assessment using standardized guidelines, and access the Instruction page in order to find skills-focused lessons that will support instructional planning. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote
mCLASS Express
Initial training
Half day (3 hours)
Take the first step in launching mCLASS Express! The half-day initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Express’ voice-recognition scoring generates immediate instructional recommendations for students reading below grade level. Educators will also learn how to utilize the teacher portal to assign assessments, review and correct scoring, track student growth over time, and leverage the program’s activities to create an action plan for a single classroom or across classes/grades.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote
Initial training
Self-paced
Take the first step in launching mCLASS Express! The two-hour initial training will help educators understand how mCLASS Express’ voice-recognition scoring generates immediate instructional recommendations for students reading below grade level. Educators will also learn how to utilize the teacher portal to assign assessments, review and correct scoring, track student growth over time, and leverage the program’s activities to create an action plan for a single classroom or across classes/grades. As this is a self-paced, on-demand online course, participants will be able to access the course anytime, move as quickly or as slowly as needed through different sections, and revisit the course for up to one year as a refresher in the future.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome)
Modality: Remote
Strengthen
Understanding your classroom data
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to understand their students’ data by utilizing the reports available on mCLASS. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome), maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
*This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Classroom data analysis and instructional planning
Self-paced
This PD is an individual seat to our self-paced, on-demand online course that contains approximately 6 hours of training. Participants will learn how to deeply understand their students’ data and create actionable instructional plans by utilizing the reports and skills-focused lesson plans available on mCLASS. Participants will access and revisit the course anytime for up to one year as a refresher. Note: The online course focuses on the English measures only.
Audience: Teachers (administrators welcome)
Modality: Online
Understanding your school or district data
Half day (3 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Data-driven leadership practices
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Data-driven leadership practices: Train the Trainer
1 day onsite (6 hours) or 2 half days remote (6 hours)
This PD prepares participants to use their data in making schoolwide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. This session should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed so that participants can work with their own data. Participants receive annotated session materials to turnkey the session to colleagues.
Audience: Administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Data driven leadership practices
Self-paced
This PD is an individual seat to our self-paced, on-demand online course that contains approximately 6 hours of training. Participants will learn how to use their data in making schoolwide decisions and build a schoolwide culture of data-driven instruction. Participants will access and revisit the course anytime for up to one year as a refresher. Note: The online course focuses on the English measures only.
Audience: Administrators
Modality: Online
Strengthening consultation session
60 minutes
This 60-minute session will focus on a specific topic that will deepen educators’ understanding of mCLASS and equip them in driving towards stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district’s leadership team in advance on the topic from a menu of options that will best meet educators’ unique needs. Topics include progress monitoring, zones of growth, and a data walkthrough for leaders.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote
Strengthening consultation session package
3 hours
This package consists of three 60-minute sessions that can be delivered on the same day or on different days. Each session will focus on a specific topic that will deepen educators’ understanding of mCLASS and equip them in driving towards stronger student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will align with the school or district’s leadership team in advance on the topics that will best meet educators’ unique needs. Topics include progress monitoring, zones of growth, and a data walkthrough for leaders.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote
Coach
Coaching session
1 day onsite (6 hours)
This PD will deepen educators’ understanding of how to utilize mCLASS in order to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will visit one or two school sites for one day and work with teachers and/or leaders. Prior to the visit, the Amplify facilitator will align with each school’s leadership team on their needs and customize the visit schedule accordingly.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Onsite/Remote
Coaching session
Half day (3 hours)
This PD is up to 3 hours of training and will deepen educators’ understanding of how to utilize mCLASS in order to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. An Amplify facilitator will visit one school site for a half-day and work with teachers and/or leaders. Prior to the visit, the Amplify facilitator will align with each school’s leadership team on their needs and customize the visit schedule accordingly.
Audience: Teachers and/or administrators, maximum 30 participants
Modality: Remote
Pricing
We offer the following pricing for training sessions and packages:
| Session type | Pricing |
|---|---|
| 1-day onsite session | $3,200 |
| 1-day onsite session: Train the Trainer | $3,500 |
| 2 half-day remote sessions | $1,500 |
| 2 half-day remote sessions: Train the Trainer | $2,000 |
| Half-day onsite session | $2,500 |
| Half-day remote session | $750 |
| 2-hour self-paced online course | $20 per individual seat |
| 6-hour self-paced online course | $49 per individual seat |
Please note that the prices are general ranges and may be subject to change.
Contact
Amplify welcomes the opportunity to partner with schools and districts to design professional development plans and answer your questions.
If you would like to order any of our professional development services, please contact your local Amplify sales representative or call (800) 823-1969.
Amplify CKLA usage & branding guidelines
Welcome to Amplify’s guidelines on using CKLA materials both under its Open Education Resource (OER) license (CC BY-NC-SA) and Amplify’s license to school districts. These guidelines apply to all variants of the CKLA program, including those not authored by Amplify. These guidelines address the following programs:
- Amplify CKLA
- Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR
- TEA’s K-5 RLA Literacy / SLAR program
- TEA’s Bluebonnet Learning K-5 Reading Language Arts
- CKF Core Knowledge Language Arts
Amplify is committed to supporting educators in using CKLA resources to enhance classroom learning while protecting the integrity of the CKLA program and Amplify’s exclusive rights.
Our goal is to encourage impactful, efficacious use of the program while providing clear guidelines on permissible and prohibited uses.
1. Amplify’s license and what it means
Amplify partnered with the Core Knowledge Foundation (CKF) to develop the Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) curriculum. You can learn more about this program and Amplify’s partnership with CKF here.
Amplify holds the exclusive commercial license to all CKLA content. In more than a decade of partnership, we have worked with CKF to enhance and supplement the program, now in its third edition nationally. Amplify licenses Amplify CKLA and Amplify ELAR/SLAR Texas to school districts, along with a full suite of assessment, intervention, and supplemental products, as well as professional development and coaching services. Learn more here.
As the exclusive commercial partner for CKLA, Amplify is the only organization permitted to use the materials commercially.
If your organization purchases CKLA materials from Amplify, you get the customary usage rights for those purchased materials specified in Amplify’s Customer Terms & Conditions.
2. Open Non-Commercial license
Some versions of the CKLA program are available under a Creative Commons NonCommercial license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). This includes Amplify Texas ELAR/SLAR, TEA’s K–5 RLA Literacy / SLAR program, TEA’s Bluebonnet Learning K–5 Reading Language Arts and CKF Core Knowledge Language Arts.
CC BY-NC-SA is the OER license for these materials. The license allows users to share and adapt the materials, as long you follow these terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made.
- NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- ShareAlike — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under this same CC BY-NC-SA license.
Below we explain how Amplify and CKF apply these terms to common situations — which uses are permitted under the licenses, and which uses are prohibited or require a special permission or commercial arrangement.
Materials licensed under Creative Commons licenses are known as Open Education Resources (OER), and Amplify is proud to have been one of the earliest champions of OER materials in K-12. We believe that OER materials enable a widespread adoption of high quality materials and innovative adaptations by educators for their classrooms, alongside commercial versions that include a full suite of supports.
3. Permitted uses of CKLA content
In these guidelines, when we say “CKLA Content”, we are referring to all versions of the program that was based on the original content from CKF, both those under OER licenses and commercially licensed. Many uses by educators are permissible under either the commercial or OER license. The only difference is that your rights under the commercial license only last as long as that license is maintained by your school or district.
Amplify encourages educators to leverage CKLA Content to foster innovative and effective learning experiences. Below are uses that are permitted without any additional license, as long as you follow attribution guidelines and share-alike requirements.
Classroom Activities and Custom Materials. Educators may create supplementary activities, worksheets, lesson plans, and projects based on the CKLA Content for use within their classroom or school. For these purposes, educators may incorporate portions of the CKLA Content.
Sharing and Selling Materials based on CKLA Content. Educators may also share classroom activities and custom materials with other educators, including by selling the materials on sites like Teachers Pay Teachers. However, if these materials are sold, they may not include CKLA Content.
For any materials you create, you are required to follow our attribution and disclaimer guidelines below.
If you are unsure whether your planned use qualifies as “non-commercial” or is otherwise permitted by Amplify please reach out to us directly.
4. Restricted uses of CKLA program content
To protect the CKLA program’s value and respect Amplify’s exclusive commercial rights, certain uses of the CKLA content are prohibited without first obtaining a commercial license. Amplify reserves the right to enforce these restrictions to protect our rights.
No third party may embed, republish, or incorporate any portion of the CKLA content in products or services intended for sale, licensing, or other commercial purpose. Examples of prohibited uses include embedding CKLA content as a part of digital platforms, apps, or resources marketed to educators or the public, as well as using the content as an input or training data for such products.
This prohibition applies to all types of individuals and organizations (both for-profit and non-profit), and applies to both paid and free uses.
See “Commercial License and Partnerships” below for information on commercial arrangements.
4. Commercial licenses and partnerships
For those interested in using CKLA content in a way that may be commercial, Amplify offers various licensing options. These negotiated licenses allow approved partners to use the CKLA content within their commercial products under specific terms and conditions.
To inquire about a commercial license or discuss a partnership opportunity, please contact our partnerships team at partnerships@amplify.com.
5. Attribution and branding guidelines
Our trademarks are valuable assets of Amplify and its licensors, and we want to ensure our users and partners use them correctly. These trademarks include the Amplify, Core Knowledge Language Arts, and CKLA word marks and logos.
These marks and logos may only be used if you have an existing partnership with us, and you’ve reached out to Amplify to secure our approval to use them.
If you are creating materials based on CKLA Content in accordance with the guidelines above, you are required to include the following attribution in a reasonably perceptible location on each copy of those materials:
“These materials are based on Amplify CKLA but are not affiliated with, sponsored by, reviewed, approved, or endorsed by Amplify Education, Inc. or the Core Knowledge Foundation. ‘Amplify’, ‘CKLA’ and other marks are the property of Amplify Education, Inc. and its licensors.”
Why these guidelines matter
Amplify’s goal is to support educational access to high-quality curriculum resources while protecting the intellectual property and integrity of the CKLA program. By adhering to these guidelines, you help ensure that CKLA remains an accessible and respected resource for educators while supporting its continued improvement.
For additional questions on using the program, or if you need further clarification on any of these points, please contact us.
Welcome to Amplify Science 6–8!
Amplify Science is an engaging core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.
With Amplify Science, Oregon students don’t just passively learn about science concepts. Instead, they take on the role of scientists and engineers to actively investigate and figure out real-world phenomena. They do this through a blend of cohesive and compelling storylines, hands-on investigations, collaborative discussions, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools.
Publisher presentation
The Lawrence Hall of Science
Developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify, our program features:
- A phenomena-based approach where students construct a complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
- A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
- Carefully crafted units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true 3-dimensional learning.
- An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.
Proven to work
Instructional model
The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:
Do
First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.
Talk
Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.
Read
Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation and, importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.
Write
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.
Visualize
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers
do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.
Program structure
Our cyclical lesson design ensures students receive multiple exposures to concepts through a variety of modalities. As they progress through the lessons within a unit, students build and deepen their understanding, increasing their ability to develop and refine complex explanations of the unit’s phenomenon.
It’s this proven program structure and lesson design that enables Amplify Science to address 100% of the NGSS, and support students in mastering the Oregon Science Standards.
Unit types
While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also serves a unique instructional purpose.
In grades 6–8:
- One unit is a launch unit.
- Three units are core units.
- Two units are engineering internships.
Launch units are the first units taught in each year of Amplify Science. The goal of the Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year, including argumentation, active reading, and using the program’s technology. For example, rather than taking the time to explain the process of active reading in every unit in a given year, it is explained thoroughly in the Launch unit, thereby preparing students to read actively in all subsequent units.
Core units establish the context of the unit by introducing students to a real-world problem. As students move through lessons in a Core unit, they figure out the unit’s anchoring phenomenon, gain an understanding of the unit’s disciplinary core ideas and science and engineering practices, and make linkages across topics through the crosscutting concepts. Each Core unit culminates with a Science Seminar and final writing activity.
Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. Students figure out how to help those in need, from tsunami victims in Sri Lanka to premature babies, through the application of engineering practices. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.
Unit sequence
Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.
In fact, our multi-modal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.
Program components
Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.
Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.
More hands-on with Flextensions:
Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.
Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.
Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.
In grades 6–8, one copy of the Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit’s materials kit for use as a blackline master. Each notebook is also available as a downloadable PDF on the Unit Guide page of the digital Teacher’s Guide.
These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.
Full coverage of the Oregon Science Standards
Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). As such, it aligns to the Oregon Science Standards, which were also borne out of the NGSS.
The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional activities that support full coverage of Oregon’s standards. Organized by grade level, each section below will outline:
- Additional activities that support 100% alignment to the Oregon Science Standards.
- The standard being addressed with the activities.
- The recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit.
- PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities.
Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Changed How We Think About Brain Cells
About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studied the nervous system.
Recommended placement: Metabolism unit, Lesson 3.2
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Changed How We Think About Brain Cells” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies Underwater Currents
About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studies ocean currents.
Recommended placement: Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climate unit, Lesson 2.1
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies Underwater Currents” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies How the Environment Affects Our Traits
About this activity: In this activity, students read two short articles, one about current research on genes and proteins, and one about a scientist who is studying how the environment can affect our traits.
Recommended placement: Traits and Reproduction unit, Lesson 2.4
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies How the Environment Affects Our Traits” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Who Becomes a Space Scientist?
About this activity: In this activity, Students read a short article about a scientist who studies space.
Recommended placement: Geology on Mars unit, Lesson 3.1
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Who Becomes a Space Scientist?” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies How Plants Find Water Underground
About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studies how plants’ roots get water.
Recommended placement: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems unit, Lesson 1.6
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies How Plants Find Water Underground” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Bringing Back the Buffalo
About this activity: In this activity, students change one competing population to try to decrease the other in the Sim, and read a short article about a scientist who studies buffalo.
Recommended placement: Populations and Resources unit, Lesson 3.2
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Bringing Back the Buffalo” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Rereading “A Continental Puzzle”
About this activity: In this activity, students reread “A Continental Puzzle” and think about how patterns were helpful to Wegener’s work.
Recommended placement: Plate Motion unit, Lesson 3.2
Materials:
Instructions: Direct students back to “A Continental Puzzle” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students re-read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies Variation in Monkey Populations
About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studies variation of traits in monkey populations.
Recommended placement: Natural Selection unit, Lesson 1.6
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies Variation in Monkey Populations” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Extinctions and Human Impacts
About this activity: The purpose of this lesson is for students to see how increases in human population and consumption of natural resources can negatively impact Earth’s systems.
Recommended placement: Natural Selection unit, Lesson 4.5
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Extinctions and Human Impacts” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Steno and the Shark
About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about Nicolas Steno, a scientist from the 1600s whose studies of fossilized sharks’ teeth embedded in rock layers laid the foundation for the modern understanding of stratigraphy.
Recommended placement: Evolutionary History unit, Lesson 2.4
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Steno and the Shark” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Scale in the Solar System
About this activity: In this activity, students read and annotate the articles “Scale in the Solar System” and “The Solar System Is Huge.”
Recommended placement: Earth, Moon, and Sun unit, Lesson 1.2
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Scale in the Solar System” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Explore your print samples
With your Amplify Science print samples, you’ll find unit-specific Teacher’s References Guides and Student Investigation Notebooks for each grade level.
A note about the Teacher’s Reference Guides:
It’s important that your committee sees the full breadth and depth of our instruction. For that reason, we provided a copy of each of our unit-specific Teacher Reference Guides.
Rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free TG!
- Teacher Reference Guide: Unlike a typical TG that requires a series of supplemental books to support it, our encyclopedic reference guide is chock-full of everything a teacher needs to fully implement our program and the NGSS.
- Ready-to-Teach Lesson Slides: For daily instruction, teachers need their hands free. That’s why we created ready-to-teach lesson slides for every single lesson. What’s more, they are editable and include suggested teacher talk and point-of-use differentiation and other instructional tips. Click to learn more.
A note about the Materials Kits:
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. In order to make hands-on learning more manageable for busy teachers, Amplify Science materials are organized into unit-specific kits.
Our unit-specific kits:
- Include more materials — We give teachers enough materials to support 200 student uses.
- Are more manageable — Unlike other programs that require large groups of students to share limited sets of materials, our kits include enough to support small groups of 4–5 students.
- Include supportive videos — Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.
At your request, we did not include our materials kits with our submissions samples. However, we did provide grade-specific lists of all materials included in each kit, which you can also find with the links below.
Access your digital samples
Explore as a teacher
Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a teacher.
- Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark it.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the username: t.or68sci@tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: Science5OR
- Click the Science icon.
- Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
- Select any unit.
To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital platform, watch the below navigational video.
Explore as a student
Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a student.
- Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below and bookmark it.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the username: s.or68sci@tryamplify.net
- Enter the password: Science5OR
- Click the Science icon.
- Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
- Select any unit.
Resources to support your review
- Oregon standards correlation for grades 6–8
- QCD Science Adoption Criteria 2022 for grades 6-8
- QCD IMET Citation guidance for grades 6-8
- Oregon Science IMET for grades 6-8 (Excel download)
- Oregon QCD-IMET Citation guidance for grades 6-8
- Research behind Amplify Science
- Phenomena in grades 6–8
- Program structure for grades 6–8
- Active Reading in grades 6–8
- Engineering in Amplify Science
- Approaches to assessment in grades 6–8
Publisher presentation
The Lawrence Hall of Science
Developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify, our program features:
- A phenomena-based approach where students construct a complex understanding of each unit’s anchor phenomenon.
- A blend of cohesive storylines, hands-on investigations, rich discussions, literacy-rich activities, and digital tools.
- Carefully crafted units, chapters, lessons, and activities designed to deliver true 3-dimensional learning.
- An instructional design that supports all learners in accessing all standards.
Instructional model
The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:
DO
First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.
TALK
Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.
READ
Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation and, importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.
WRITE
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.
VISUALIZE
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.
Program structure
Our cyclical lesson design ensures students receive multiple exposures to concepts through a variety of modalities. As they progress through the lessons within a unit, students build and deepen their understanding, increasing their ability to develop and refine complex explanations of the unit’s phenomenon.
It’s this proven program structure and lesson design that enables Amplify Science to address 100% of the NGSS, and support students in mastering the Oregon Science Standards.
Unit types
While every unit delivers three-dimensional learning experiences and engages students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, each unit also serves a unique instructional purpose.
In grades 6–8:
- One unit is a launch unit.
- Three units are core units.
- Two units are engineering internships.
Launch units are the first units taught in each year of Amplify Science. The goal of the Launch unit is to introduce students to norms, routines, and practices that will be built on throughout the year, including argumentation, active reading, and using the program’s technology. For example, rather than taking the time to explain the process of active reading in every unit in a given year, it is explained thoroughly in the Launch unit, thereby preparing students to read actively in all subsequent units.
Core units establish the context of the unit by introducing students to a real-world problem. As students move through lessons in a Core unit, they figure out the unit’s anchoring phenomenon, gain an understanding of the unit’s disciplinary core ideas and science and engineering practices, and make linkages across topics through the crosscutting concepts. Each Core unit culminates with a Science Seminar and final writing activity.
Engineering Internship units invite students to design solutions for real-world problems as interns for a fictional company called Futura. Students figure out how to help those in need, from tsunami victims in Sri Lanka to premature babies, through the application of engineering practices. In the process, they apply and deepen their learning from Core units.
Unit sequence
Our lessons follow a structure that is grounded in regular routines while still being flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences.
In fact, our multi-modal instruction offers more opportunities for students to construct meaning, and practice and apply concepts than any other program. What’s more, our modular design means our units can be flexibly arranged to support your instructional goals.
Program components
Available digitally and in print, our unit-specific reference guides are chock full of helpful resources, including scientific background knowledge, planning information and resources, color-coded 3-D Statements, detailed lesson plans, tips for delivering instruction, and differentiation strategies.
Hands-on learning is an essential part of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. Students actively participate in science, playing the roles of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend claims about the world around them. Every unit includes hands-on investigations that are critical to achieving the unit’s learning goals.
More hands-on with Flextensions:
Hands-on Flextensions are additional, optional investigations that are included at logical points in the learning progression and give students an opportunity to dig deeper if time permits. These activities offer teachers flexibility to choose to dedicate more time to hands-on learning. Materials referenced in Hands-on Flextension activities will either be included in the unit kit or are easily sourced. Supporting resources such as student worksheets will be included as downloadable PDF files.
Our kits include enough materials to support 200 student uses. In other words, teachers can easily support all five periods and small groups of 4-5 students each. Plus, our unit-specific kits mean teachers just grab the tub they need and then put it all back with ease.
Our digital Simulations and Practice Tools are powerful resources for exploration, data collection, and student collaboration. They allow students the ability to explore scientific concepts that might otherwise be invisible or impossible to see with the naked eye.
Available for every unit, our Student Investigation Notebooks contain instructions for activities and space for students to record data and observations, reflect on ideas from texts and investigations, and construct explanations and arguments.
In grades 6–8, one copy of the Student Investigation Notebook is included in each unit’s materials kit for use as a blackline master. Each notebook is also available as a downloadable PDF on the Unit Guide page of the digital Teacher’s Guide.
These customizable PowerPoints are available for every lesson of the program and make delivering instruction a snap with visual prompts, colorful activity instructions, investigation set-up videos and animations, and suggested teacher talk in the notes section of each slide.
Full coverage of the Oregon Science Standards
Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). As such, it aligns to the Oregon Science Standards, which were also borne out of the NGSS.
The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional activities that support full coverage of Oregon’s standards. Organized by grade level, each section below will outline:
- Additional activities that support 100% alignment to the Oregon Science Standards.
- The standard being addressed with the activities.
- The recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit.
- PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities.
Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Changed How We Think About Brain Cells
About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studied the nervous system.
Recommended placement: Metabolism unit, Lesson 3.2
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Changed How We Think About Brain Cells” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies Underwater Currents
About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studies ocean currents.
Recommended placement: Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climate unit, Lesson 2.1
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies Underwater Currents” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies How the Environment Affects Our Traits
About this activity: In this activity, students read two short articles, one about current research on genes and proteins, and one about a scientist who is studying how the environment can affect our traits.
Recommended placement: Traits and Reproduction unit, Lesson 2.4
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies How the Environment Affects Our Traits” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Who Becomes a Space Scientist?
About this activity: In this activity, Students read a short article about a scientist who studies space.
Recommended placement: Geology on Mars unit, Lesson 3.1
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Who Becomes a Space Scientist?” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies How Plants Find Water Underground
About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studies how plants’ roots get water.
Recommended placement: Matter and Energy in Ecosystems unit, Lesson 1.6
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies How Plants Find Water Underground” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Bringing Back the Buffalo
About this activity: In this activity, students change one competing population to try to decrease the other in the Sim, and read a short article about a scientist who studies buffalo.
Recommended placement: Populations and Resources unit, Lesson 3.2
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Bringing Back the Buffalo” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Rereading “A Continental Puzzle”
About this activity: In this activity, students reread “A Continental Puzzle” and think about how patterns were helpful to Wegener’s work.
Recommended placement: Plate Motion unit, Lesson 3.2
Materials:
Instructions: Direct students back to “A Continental Puzzle” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students re-read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Meet a Scientist Who Studies Variation in Monkey Populations
About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about a scientist who studies variation of traits in monkey populations.
Recommended placement: Natural Selection unit, Lesson 1.6
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Meet a Scientist Who Studies Variation in Monkey Populations” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Extinctions and Human Impacts
About this activity: The purpose of this lesson is for students to see how increases in human population and consumption of natural resources can negatively impact Earth’s systems.
Recommended placement: Natural Selection unit, Lesson 4.5
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Extinctions and Human Impacts” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Steno and the Shark
About this activity: In this activity, students read a short article about Nicolas Steno, a scientist from the 1600s whose studies of fossilized sharks’ teeth embedded in rock layers laid the foundation for the modern understanding of stratigraphy.
Recommended placement: Evolutionary History unit, Lesson 2.4
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Steno and the Shark” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Activity Title: Scale in the Solar System
About this activity: In this activity, students read and annotate the articles “Scale in the Solar System” and “The Solar System Is Huge.”
Recommended placement: Earth, Moon, and Sun unit, Lesson 1.2
Materials:
Instructions: Download the PDF “Scale in the Solar System” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. Then have students complete the copymaster above.
Explore your print samples
Amplify Science physical samples can be found at the Hamersley Library at Western Oregon University. There you’ll find unit-specific Teacher’s References Guides and Student Investigation Notebooks for each grade level.
A note about the Teacher’s Reference Guides:
It’s important that your committee sees the full breadth and depth of our instruction. For that reason, we provided a copy of each of our unit-specific Teacher Reference Guides.
Rest assured that teachers do not use these robust reference guides for day-to-day teaching. For that, we have a hands-free TG!
- Teacher Reference Guide: Unlike a typical TG that requires a series of supplemental books to support it, our encyclopedic reference guide is chock-full of everything a teacher needs to fully implement our program and the NGSS.
- Ready-to-Teach Lesson Slides: For daily instruction, teachers need their hands free. That’s why we created ready-to-teach lesson slides for every single lesson What’s more, they are editable and include suggested teacher talk and point-of-use differentiation and other instructional tips. Click to learn more.
A note about the Materials Kits:
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science, and is integrated into every unit. In order to make hands-on learning more manageable for busy teachers, Amplify Science materials are organized into unit-specific kits.
Our unit-specific kits:
- Include more materials — We give teachers enough materials to support 200 student uses.
- Are more manageable — Unlike other programs that require large groups of students to share limited sets of materials, our kits include enough to support small groups of 4–5 students.
- Include supportive videos — Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.
At your request, we did not include our materials kits with our submissions samples. However, we did provide grade-specific lists of all materials included in each kit, which you can also find with the links below.
Access your digital samples
Explore as a teacher
Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a teacher.
- Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the teacher username and password found on your unique login flyer enclosed in your physical sample box.
- Click the Science icon.
- Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
- Select any unit.
To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital platform, watch the below navigational video.
Explore as a student
Follow these instructions to explore the Amplify Science digital platform as a student.
- Click the Access Amplify Science Platform button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the student username and password found on your unique login flyer enclosed in your physical sample box.
- Click the Science icon.
- Click on the Grade Menu in the top center of the screen and select any grade.
- Select any unit.
Resources to support your review
Oregon standards correlation for grades 6–8
QCD Science Adoption Criteria 2022 for grades 6-8
QCD IMET Citation guidance for grades 6-8
Oregon Science IMET for grades 6-8 (Excel download)
Oregon QCD-IMET Citation guidance for grades 6-8
Research behind Amplify Science
Program structure for grades 6–8
Professional development for assessment and intervention programs
Amplify professional development (PD) provides learning experiences that intentionally develop the knowledge and skills you need for effective and self-sustaining implementation.
Learn how to administer and score your assessment and develop a deeper understanding of reporting and instruction by investing in professional development.
Amplify professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.
About Amplify PD
Change is more likely to stick and get results if you take a systemic approach. Partner with us to do just that by developing a learning plan that will drive your program implementation, enrich your instructional practices, and increase student impact.
Amplify’s professional development is designed to ensure successful, sustained implementation of our programs. Sessions are strategically bundled to provide continuous support, adapting to your K–8 educators’ evolving needs throughout the year.
Our packages include:
- Launch sessions: Propel your teachers into the new school year by introducing them to their Amplify program, laying a strong foundation for effective implementation.
- Strengthen sessions: Enhance implementation with mid-year sessions that target specific instructional practices, providing the support needed to enhance program efficacy.
- Coach sessions: Provide tailored guidance and support for educators and leaders to address specific needs, refining and advancing their instructional practices.
About Amplify assessment and intervention programs
Amplify’s high-quality programs make it easier for K–8 educators to teach inspiring, impactful lessons that celebrate and develop the brilliance of their students. Equipped with tools that provide robust scaffolding and differentiated instruction, assessment, and intervention, educators gain real-time insights and can provide personalized, actionable plans that support every learner.
Learn how to get the most out of your assessment and intervention program(s) through Amplify’s PD.
Assessment
- mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition (grades K–8)
- mCLASS Lectura (grades K–6)
- mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura biliteracy
- mCLASS Math (grades K–8)
Intervention
- mCLASS Intervention
We provide PD sessions for all Amplify programs. Contact your account executive to discuss the extended catalog of PD session options or request a quote.
mCLASS Assessments
We’ve created professional development offerings that will help you meet your unique needs this school year. Explore the Begin and Practice packages available for mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS Math (K–8) by selecting the session titles to learn more.
Please note that mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura biliteracy sessions are currently unavailable for the Hybrid 4 and Virtual 4 packages.
Begin packages for mCLASS Literacy
Assessment programs
*Assessment Strengthen sessions should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed for participants to work with their own data.
Begin: Launch: Administration and instruction essentials for K–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 6 hours
Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS assessment program. Learn how to administer and score the assessment(s) and leave ready to leverage mCLASS reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Launch: Administration and scoring training for K–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to administer and score your mCLASS assessment(s) and leave ready to collect data using standardized guidelines.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Launch: Administration and reporting training for K–8 leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Prepare to implement your assessment program(s) at your school site(s). Determine systems-level actions that will ensure assessment fidelity and leave ready to leverage key admin reports to support data-informed decisions.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English only.
Available July 2026
Begin: Launch: mCLASS additional assessment measures training for K–3 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling, RAN, Vocabulary, and/or Oral Language and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–3)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Available July 2026
Begin: Launch: mCLASS Español assessment measures training for K–3 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling Español, Vocabulary Español, and/or Oral Language Español and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.
Session options: mCLASS Lectura (K–3)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English.
Available July 2026
Begin: Launch: mCLASS/mCLASS Español additional assessment measures training for K–3 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling/Spelling Español, RAN, Vocabulary/Vocabulary Español, and/or Oral Language/Oral Language Español and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–3) and mCLASS Lectura (K–3)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen: Creating a data-driven classroom for K–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive deep into mCLASS reports and instructional recommendations to drive stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust MTSS program.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen: Building a data-driven culture for K–8 leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Cultivate a schoolwide culture of data-driven practices. Use mCLASS reports to drill into key school-level data and leave with a systems-level action plan to drive stronger student and teacher outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English only.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Assessing with fidelity for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Fortify your assessment administration with trainer-led practice targeted to your unique needs.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Reporting and instruction basics for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use mCLASS classroom reporting, instructional tools, and resources to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Goal setting and growth outcomes for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use mCLASS Zones of Growth (Zonas de crecimiento for mCLASS Lectura) reports to set meaningful, ambitious, and attainable student goals that drive student progress and growth.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Progress monitoring for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Implement mCLASS progress monitoring and MTSS best practices to track student progress and accelerate growth.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Reporting basics for K–8 leaders
Examine your school-level mCLASS benchmark assessment data to identify key levers for improving student outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English only.
Coach session
On-site, 6 hours or virtual, 3 hours
Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.
Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura: Administration and instruction essentials for teachers
Online course, self-paced
Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS assessment program through this on-demand course. Learn how to administer and score the assessment and leave ready to leverage mCLASS reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.
Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 8 hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, mCLASS Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
Available July 2026
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Calibration training course for teachers
Online course, self-paced
Ensure accuracy and reliability of mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition test administration through this on-demand course. Review how to administer and score each teacher-administered measure, then calibrate your scoring through scoring mastery checks.
Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 1–3 hours to complete, depending on learner needs. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Transition training course for DDS teachers
Online course, self-paced
Prepare to administer and score the DIBELS 8th Edition assessment in the mCLASS platform through this on-demand course. Learn the essentials of your mCLASS assessment program and leave ready to leverage mCLASS reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.
Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 8 hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
Begin packages for mCLASS Math 2nd Edition
Assessment programs
New
Begin: mCLASS Math: Program overview for K–5 or 6–8 teachers
Available for grades 6–8 teachers July 2026
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS Math assessment program. Learn how these assessments both highlight students’ strengths and help identify what’s next through an asset-based approach. Leave ready to administer assessments and understand reporting.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New
Begin: mCLASS Math: Program overview for K–5 or 6–8 leaders
Available for grades K–5 and grades 6–8 leaders July 2026
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Prepare to implement your mCLASS Math assessment program at your school site(s). Determine systems-level actions that will ensure successful assessment administration and leave ready to leverage key admin reports to support data-informed decisions.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New
Begin: mCLASS Math: Student thinking and instructional next steps for grades K–5 teachers
Available for grades 6–8 teachers Oct. 2026
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Explore how mCLASS Math helps determine what students know in relation to grade-level content, and how to use data to inform instructional next steps that support, strengthen, and stretch student thinking. Dig into your own student data and leave with actionable next steps that connect directly to the ways your students are thinking about mathematics.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New
Begin: mCLASS Math + Boost Math: Understanding and using data to plan intervention for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers
Available for grades K–5 teachers July 2026 and grades 6–8 teachers Oct. 2026
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Explore how Boost Math uses mCLASS Math data to inform intervention recommendations and monitor student progress. Dig into your student data, explore relevant instructional resources, and leave with actionable next steps for intervention.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New
Begin: Strengthen Focus: mCLASS Math: Leveraging assessment data to strengthen mathematical explanations for grades K–5 or 6–8 teachers
Available for grades K–5 teachers July 2026 and grades 6–8 teachers Oct. 2026
Virtual, 1 hour
Dig into mCLASS Math to reveal what students understand about mathematical concepts and give them the tools to become more clear and confident communicators in math class.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Available July 2026
Begin: mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Program overview and instructional next steps for grades K–5 teachers
Online course, self-paced
Through this self-paced, on-demand online course, participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Math K–5 and leave ready to administer the assessment, understand reporting, and take instructional next steps based on the data.
Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately six hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
Available July 2026
Begin: mCLASS Math 2nd Edition: Program overview and instructional next steps for grades 6–8 teachers
Online course, self-paced
Through this self-paced, on-demand online course, participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Math 6–8 and leave ready to administer the assessment, understand reporting, and take instructional next steps based on the data.
Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately six hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
Practice packages for mCLASS Literacy
| On-site package (6 hours) |
Virtual 6 package (6 hours) |
Virtual 4 package (4 hours) |
Virtual 2 package (2 hours) |
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| Two Strengthen sessions per package | ||||
| Strengthen session titles* | ||||
| On-site 3 hr. |
Virtual 3 hr. |
Virtual 3 hr. and 1 hr. |
Virtual 1 hr. |
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| Creating a data-driven classroom for K–8 teachers |  |
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| Building a data-driven culture for K–8 leaders | |
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| Assessing with fidelity for K–8 teachers | |
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| Reporting and instruction basics for K–8 teachers | |
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| Progress monitoring for K–8 teachers | |
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| Goal setting and growth outcomes for K–8 teachers | |
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| Reporting basics for K–8 leaders | |
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| NEW: mCLASS DIBELS 8 additional assessment measures training for K–8 teachers | |
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| NEW: mCLASS Español assessment measures training for K–8 teachers | |
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| NEW: mCLASS DIBELS 8 and mCLASS Lectura additional assessment measures training for K–8 teachers | |
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*Assessment Strengthen sessions should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed for participants to work with their own data.
Practice: Creating a data-driven classroom for K–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive deep into mCLASS reports and instructional recommendations to drive stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust MTSS program.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Practice: Building a data-driven culture for K–8 leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Cultivate a schoolwide culture of data-driven practices. Use mCLASS reports to drill into key school-level data and leave with a systems-level action plan to drive stronger student and teacher outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English only.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Assessing with fidelity for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Fortify your mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition assessment administration with trainer-led practice targeted to your unique needs.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Reporting and instruction basics for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use mCLASS classroom reporting, instructional tools, and resources to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Progress monitoring for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Implement mCLASS progress monitoring and MTSS best practices to track student progress and accelerate growth.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Practice: Goal setting and growth outcomes for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use mCLASS Zones of Growth (Zonas de crecimiento for mCLASS Lectura) reports to set meaningful, ambitious, and attainable student goals that drive student progress and growth.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Practice: Reporting basics for K–8 leaders
Virtual, 1 hour
Examine your school-level mCLASS benchmark assessment data to identify key levers for improving student outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8), mCLASS Lectura (K–6), and/or mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition/Lectura
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English.
Available July 2026
Practice: Strengthen Focus: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition additional assessment measures training for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling, RAN, Vocabulary, and/or Oral Language and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8)
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Available July 2026
Practice: Strengthen Focus: mCLASS Español assessment measures training for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling Español, Vocabulary Español, and/or Oral Language Español and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.
Session options: mCLASS Lectura (K–6)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English.
Available July 2026
Practice: Strengthen Focus: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura additional assessment measures training for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS Spelling/Spelling Español, RAN, Vocabulary/Vocabulary Español, and/or Oral Language/Oral Language Español and leave ready to administer the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.
Session options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition (K–8) and mCLASS Lectura (K–6)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Add on: Coach session
On-site, 6 hours or virtual, 3 hours
Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.
Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Available October 2026
Add on: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition: Data-driven instruction for K–5 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive deep into mCLASS reports and instructional recommendations to drive instructional decisions in Amplify CKLA and stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust Multi-Tiered System of Supports program with Amplify CKLA as your core instruction.
Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Add on: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura: Administration and instruction essentials for teachers
Online course, self-paced
Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS assessment program through this on-demand course. Learn how to administer and score the assessment and leave ready to leverage mCLASS reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.
Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately eight hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, mCLASS Lectura
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
Available July 2026
Add on: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Calibration training course for teachers
Online course, self-paced
Ensure accuracy and reliability of mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition test administration through this on-demand course. Review how to administer and score each teacher-administered measure, then calibrate your scoring through scoring mastery checks.
Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 1–3 hours to complete, depending on learner needs. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
Available July 2026
Add on: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Transition training course for DDS teachers
Online course, self-paced
Prepare to administer and score the DIBELS 8th Edition assessment in the mCLASS platform through this on-demand course. Learn the essentials of your mCLASS assessment program and leave ready to leverage mCLASS reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.
Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately eight hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Course options: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
Amplify intervention PD sessions
Each intervention program offers Launch and Coach sessions for up to 30 participants per program for year one and beyond. Our interactive sessions are available on-site or virtually, empowering teachers and leaders anywhere with the tools and skills they need to inspire all students to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves.
mCLASS Intervention
mCLASS Intervention is a staff-led Tier 2 and Tier 3 reading intervention program that does the heavy lifting of data analysis and lesson sequencing, freeing up teachers to teach the reading skills each student needs. View the table and select the session title to learn more about each mCLASS Intervention PD session.
| On-site or virtual sessions 6 hr. |
Self-paced course | |
| Launch sessions | ||
| Initial training for K–6 interventionists and intervention coordinators | |
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| Initial training for K–6 interventionists and intervention coordinators | |
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Coach sessions
| On-site sessions 6 hr. |
On-site or virtual sessions 3 hr. |
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| Coach session |
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| Coach session |
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Launch
Propel your teachers into the new school year with sessions that introduce them to their Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.
Initial training for K–6 interventionists and intervention coordinators
On-site or virtual, 6 hours
In part 1 of this training, interventionists and intervention coordinators will prepare to deliver mCLASS Intervention lessons and learn how to administer the diagnostic and progress monitoring measures. In part 2, intervention coordinators will learn the essentials of coordinating mCLASS Intervention and leave ready to implement the program at their school site.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff, intervention coordinators (maximum 30 participants)
Initial training course for K–6 interventionists and intervention coordinators
Online course, self-paced
Prepare to deliver mCLASS Intervention lessons and learn how to administer the diagnostic and progress monitoring measures through this on-demand course. Intervention coordinators will additionally learn the essentials of coordinating mCLASS Intervention to support implementation at their school site.
Upon finishing the course, participants can download a certificate of completion. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately three hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
Coach
Support teachers and leaders with learning experiences tailored to meet their specific needs.
Coach session
On-site, 6 hours
Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS Intervention. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.
Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Coach session
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS Intervention. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.
Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Additional assessment and intervention programs
Additional sessions and online courses are also available for other mCLASS programs (Paper DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Intervention Universal).
To learn more about enhancing your Amplify experience by purchasing other mCLASS programs and/or accompanying PD sessions, please contact your account executive.
Contact us
Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
As a provider of technology solutions to schools, Amplify’s commitment to data privacy and security is essential to our organization. Amplify demonstrates that commitment in part through the physical, technical, and administrative safeguards we maintain to protect student data and other sensitive information entrusted to our care.
Amplify looks forward to working with the security community to find security vulnerabilities and support our efforts to keep our data and systems safe and secure.
Before reporting a vulnerability, please read our program rules, eligibility overview, report submission rules and guidelines, legal terms, and out-of-scope list set out below.
General Rules
- We appreciate reports on any Amplify-owned asset, but only vulnerabilities that prove to be outside of expected behavior are eligible for acceptance.
- Reports involving third party services or providers not under Amplify’s control are out-of-scope for submission.
- Amplify places a high priority on privacy. Vulnerabilities in the areas of inadvertent exposure of our customers’ personally identifiable information (PII) are considered to be of Critical severity.
- We classify vulnerability severity per CVSS (the Common Vulnerability Scoring Standard). These are general guidelines, and the ultimate decision over a reward – whether to give one and in what amount – is a decision that lies entirely within our discretion on a case-by-case basis.
- In order to receive an award for validated reports, you must have a HackerOne account. Please note reward decisions are subject to the discretion of Amplify. Please note these are general guidelines, and that reward decisions are subject to the discretion of Amplify.
- Only interact with test accounts that you created via self sign-up or were provided by Amplify. The use of any credentials outside of these areas for testing purposes, including legacy credentials supplied through the program and leaked credentials from third parties is strictly prohibited.
- Do not contact Amplify’s customer support for questions or to submit a vulnerability report.
- Amplify may, in its sole discretion, disqualify you if you breach this policy or fail to comply with any of the program’s rules and terms.
- Amplify reserves the right to cancel or modify this program without notice at any time.
Eligibility
- You are not eligible for participation if you 1) are employed by Amplify or any of its affiliates 2) are an immediate family member of a person employed by Amplify or any of its affiliates or 3) left the employment of Amplify or its affiliates or subsidiaries within the past (12) months.
- You are not eligible for participation if you have been prohibited in writing from participating in the Bug Bounty Program by Amplify at any time.
- You may not be in violation of any national, state, or local law or regulation with respect to any activities directly or indirectly related to conducting your tests.
- You may not compromise the privacy or safety of our customer and the operation of our services;
- You may not cause harm to Amplify, our customers, or others;
- You must follow the policy guidelines to responsibly disclose vulnerabilities to Amplify.
Vulnerability Submission Rules & Guidelines
- Any testing conducted on customer data or accounts is strictly prohibited and will result in removal from the program.
- If during the course of testing you encounter any sensitive data outside of your test accounts (including student or teacher names, login info, assessment data, activity data, and student work, etc.), please cease testing immediately and report what you have found. DO NOT include any text, screenshots, etc. with PII in the report. This action safeguards both potentially vulnerable data and yourself.
- Do not access, download, or share any data you encounter in your testing.
- Only interact with test accounts that you created or that we provided. The use of any credentials outside of these areas for testing purposes is strictly prohibited.
- Provide detailed reports with reproducible steps. If the report is not detailed enough to reproduce the issue, the issue will not be eligible for a reward.
- In some cases, you may not have all of the context information to assess the impact of a vulnerability. If you’re unsure of the direct impact but are reasonably certain that you have identified a vulnerability, we encourage you to submit a detailed report and state the open questions on impact.
- When duplicate submissions for the same vulnerability occur, we only award the first report that was received, provided that it can be fully reproduced.
- Multiple reports describing the same vulnerability against multiple assets or endpoints must be submitted within a single report.
- Avoid destruction of data and interruption or degradation of our service.
- Proof of Concept (POC) videos that do not include PII are highly recommended to help verify the issue, provide clarity, and save time on triage.
- Please provide timely responses to any follow-up questions and requests for additional information.
- Understand that there could be submissions for which we accept the risk, have other compensating controls, or will not address in the manner expected. When this happens, we will act as transparently as we can to provide you with the necessary context as to how the decision was made.
- Reports submitted using methods that violate policy rules will not be accepted and may result in account suspension from/denial of entrance to the program.
- Please refer to any noted out-of-scope areas listed under Out-of-Scope Vulnerabilities.
Out-of-Scope Vulnerabilities
When reporting vulnerabilities, please consider (1) attack scenario / exploitability, and (2) security impact of the bug. The following issues are considered out-of scope. In addition, please refer to any noted Out of Scope areas listed under the program assets.
- Social engineering (e.g. phishing, vishing, smishing) is prohibited.
- Clickjacking on pages with no sensitive actions.
- Unauthenticated/logout/login CSRF.
- Attacks requiring MITM or physical access to a user’s device.
- Previously known vulnerable libraries without a working Proof of Concept.
- Comma Separated Values (CSV) injection without demonstrating a vulnerability.
- Missing best practices in SSL/TLS configuration.
- Any activity that could lead to the disruption of our service (DoS).
- Content spoofing and text injection issues without showing an attack vector/without being able to modify HTML/CSS.
- XSRF that requires the knowledge of a secret.
- Automated tools that could generate significant traffic and possibly impair the functioning of our services.
- Testing or demonstrating the ability to upload unlimited audio/video files to exhaust resources.
- Leaked credentials from third party providers, including invalid or stale employee credential dumps, and/or leaked personal information of Amplify staff.
- Leaked credentials for Amplify customers not caused by vulnerabilities in our systems.
- Vulnerabilities identified via third party services or providers where Amplify is not the owner.
- Issues that merely result in spam/annoyance without additional impact (e.g sending emails without sufficient rate limiting)
- Attempts to access our offices or data centers.
- Any activity that could contribute to the disruption of our service (DoS). Automated scanning tests should be kept to 10 requests per second or less.
- Self XSS.
- Broken links and/or crashes in general.
- Issues that require unlikely user interaction.
- Issues that do not affect the latest version of modern browsers
- Issues that require physical access to a victim’s computer/device.
- Disclosure of information that does not present a significant risk
- Please refer to any noted out-of-scope areas listed under program assets.
Legal
- Any information you receive or collect about us, our affiliates or any of our users, employees or agents in connection with the Bug Bounty Program (“Confidential Information”) must be kept confidential and only used in connection with the Bug Bounty Program. You may not use, disclose or distribute any such Confidential Information, including without limitation any information regarding your Submission, without our prior written consent. You must get written consent by submitting a disclosure request through the HackerOne platform.
- Researchers must follow HackerOne’s disclosure guidelines. Public disclosure or disclosure to other third parties without the explicit permission of Amplify is prohibited.
- We will not take legal action against you if vulnerabilities are found and responsibly reported in compliance with all of the terms and conditions outlined in this policy.
- Amplify reserves the right to modify the terms and conditions of this program without notice at any time, and your participation in the Program constitutes acceptance of all terms.
Submit Vulnerability Report
Amplify Program Usage Guidelines
If you would like to use Amplify’s tools or content in your work, please review the following guidelines to determine whether your specific use is allowed or if you require a request for approval.
- Amplify CKLA Usage & Branding Guidelines
- Amplify Classroom and Polypad Free & Commercial Use Guidelines
Amplify’s goal is to support educational access to high-quality curriculum while protecting the intellectual property and integrity of our programs. For additional questions about permissible and prohibited uses, please reach out to the customer care and support team.
Amplify Science – West Virginia – state review
Administrators, welcome to Amplify Science!
Here you’ll find information about enrollment and licensing, technical requirements, professional learning resources, and more.
Onboarding: What to expect
Welcome to Amplify Science! There are six basic steps to onboarding. Use this visual as a reference, but also know that our dedicated implementation team will be there to support you during the entire process.
Technology requirements and guidelines
To ensure that your hardware and network meet the minimum technical requirements for performance and support of your curriculum products, please see Amplify’s customer requirements page.
You’ll also want to add the URLs on this page to the corresponding district- or school-level filters so that your teachers and students can access their Amplify Science materials.
Data sharing agreement
Partnering with Amplify through our data sharing program deepens learning outcomes and gives you the performance analysis you need to make impactful decisions within your district or school. By signing our data sharing agreement, your district will help us to better understand student performance as it relates to your state’s standards. It also allows us to compare results with the curriculum-embedded assessments and state-level assessments. These analyses will help you identify the areas where your teachers and students are excelling or may be experiencing challenges.
Stay tuned for additional updates.
Enrollment and licensing overview
During the enrollment and licensing call, your Amplify implementation partner will walk you through the enrollment process. We recommend exploring the enrollment web tool ahead of the call for suggestions on which enrollment method may be best for your district.
The following guides provide additional information about enrollment methods and the data sharing process.
Preparing for your materials
Each unit of Amplify Science comes with a hands-on materials kit.
Each hands-on materials kit arrives in 1–3 boxes and contains the following:
- Consumable materials
- Nonconsumable materials
- Classroom wall materials
- Premium print materials (cards, maps, etc.)
- 18 copies of each Student Book (K–5)
- A blackline master copy of the Student Investigation Notebook (K–5)
You can find complete materials lists for each unit in the following PDFs. This information is also available in the digital Teacher’s Guide within the program.
Once your district’s purchase order has been sent to Amplify and is processed, Amplify will provide tracking information on your materials kits and any additional print materials you’ve ordered.
Administrator Reports
Self-service Administrator Reports allow insight into teacher and student usage and student performance data for the current school year.
Access is limited to district and school administrators. Administrators can directly access these reports at my.amplify.com/admin-reports.
Announcements
Summer extension
With summer fast approaching, we recognize that some districts may be extending the school year and/or continuing the use of Amplify curriculum and programs for summer instruction. If your summer instruction will continue past June 30 and/or you need to make rostering or enrollment changes, follow our guidance on extending your rollover date.
Use stimulus funding to drive transformation
Learn about ESSER I, II, and III funding (or CARES, CRRSA, and ARP) and how to use these funds to help with learning recovery and acceleration. Districts have significant flexibility in how to use the ESSER money, with ESSER II and III specifying that some of the funds should be used to address unfinished learning. All Amplify programs and services meet the criteria for the funding. Get more information about funding and guidelines.
Next steps: How do I support my teachers?
Pre-launch checklist for teachers
Please share our Program Hub with your educators. It will provide helpful information as they prepare to implement Amplify in their classrooms, including a pre-launch checklist. Note that they’ll need to be logged into Amplify Science to access the Hub. If they don’t have a login yet, you can also download and share the Amplify Science pre-launch checklist for teachers PDF.
Professional learning
We partner with every district to make sure the Amplify Science rollout meets their unique needs. Check out these sample agendas to get a better understanding of what our team has to offer.
Advice and answers
The Science help website is filled with step-by-step resources to address educators’ questions. Encourage your educators to read through these tutorials and search for topics they want to learn more about.
Contact us
Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support at no cost to educators using our programs. This free service includes:
- Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify Science.
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.
To reach our pedagogical team, click the orange icon while logged into the curriculum to get immediate help, call (866) 629-2446, or email edsupport@amplify.com.
Timely technical and program support
Our Customer Care and Support team is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, through a variety of channels:
- Live chat: Click the orange icon while logged into the curriculum to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.
- Phone: Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969.
- Email: Send an email to help@amplify.com.
Join our community
Our Amplify Science Facebook group is a community of Amplify Science educators from across the country. It’s a space to share best practices, ideas, and support on everything from implementation to instruction. Join today.
Inspiring the next generation of South Carolina scientists, engineers, and curious citizens
Amplify Science is an engaging new core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.
Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.
Our Instructional model
The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:
DO
First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit, from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.
TALK
Student-to-student discourse and full class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.
READ
Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation, and importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.
WRITE
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.
VISUALIZE
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.
Explore the Digital Teacher’s Guide
When you’re ready to review, click the orange button below and use your provided login credentials to access the Amplify Science Digital Teacher’s Guide. If you need login credentials, contact Jeff Rutter, jrutter@amplify.com.
Resources to support your review
- South Carolina recommended scope and sequence for grades 6–8
- South Carolina standards correlation for grades K–8
- What’s so phenomenal about phenomena? – ebook
- Phenomena in grades K–5
- Student Books in grades K–5
- Literacy-rich science instruction in grades K–5
- Active Reading in grades 6–8
- Engineering in Amplify Science
- Program structure for grades K–5
Scope and sequence
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South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021
Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021 are closely aligned to the NGSS at K-8. The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional companion activities that support full coverage of the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021.
Organized by grade level, each section below will outline:
- Additional activities that support 100% alignment to the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021;
- The standard being addressed with the activities;
- The recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit; and
- PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities.
Standard: MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
Recommended placement: Thermal Energy unit, Lesson 4.4, addition to Activity 3
Materials: “Liquid Oxygen”
By reading the article “Liquid Oxygen,” which describes how the relationship between attraction and kinetic energy determines when a substance changes phase, students extend their understanding of the possible effects of adding or removing thermal energy to include changes in state (phase). Oxygen is one of the most common elements in the world, but most people are only familiar with oxygen in the gas phase. Because oxygen molecules are only weakly attracted to one another, condensing oxygen is difficult. This article introduces students to molecular attraction and discusses its role in phase change, including how it can be used to turn oxygen from a gas to a liquid.
Instructions:
Download PDFs of the “Liquid Oxygen” and distribute it to students. Before they begin reading, remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines.
Standard: MS-PS4-2: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
Recommended placement: Weather Patterns unit, Lesson 4.4, addition to Activity 3
Materials: “Harvesting Sunlight”, “Why No One in Space Can Hear You Scream” and “Making Waves at Swim Practice”
After investigating weather patterns, which includes a focus of the effects of energy from sunlight, students extend their learning about light by reading three articles about light and other waves.
“Harvesting Sunlight:” Students read this article to learn about the types of light from the sun that plants use for photosynthesis. The article describes how the sun emits all types of light, but plants can only use certain types of visible light for photosynthesis, mostly red and blue light. Plants also absorb other types of light, and these types of light affect plants in different ways. Students use this information to gather evidence that there are different types of light that can affect a material in different ways.
“Why No One in Space Can Hear You Scream:” Students read this article to learn about how waves are transmitted. Explosions that would be deafening on Earth are silent in space. This is because sound is produced by sound waves and, unlike light waves, sound waves need matter to travel through. Reading about this phenomenon helps students understand the similarities and differences between mechanical and electromagnetic waves.
“Making Waves at Swim Practice:” A practice for the school swim team provides an everyday context for discussing light waves and sound waves in this engaging article. First, the article explores sound waves traveling through different materials–the air, the water of the pool, and even a metal poolside bench. Students discover that sound waves travel at different speeds in different materials. The later part of the article discusses light waves, which also travel at different speeds in different materials. As light waves move from one material to another, they change speed and bend. This bending of light waves is called refraction, and it explains why objects that are partly in the water and partly out of the water (such as the legs of a person sitting on the side of a pool) appear ripply and bent.
Instructions:
Plan one class period for each article. Download PDFs of the “Harvesting Sunlight,” “Why No One in Space Can Hear You Scream,” and “Making Waves at Swim Practice” articles. For each article, before students begin reading, preview the article and discuss what students already know and what they wonder about the topic, then remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines.
Standard: MS-PS2-3: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces. MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
Recommended placement: Harnessing Human Energy unit, Lesson 3.4, after Activity 1
Materials: “Earth’s Geomagnetism” and “Painting with Static Electricity”
After concluding their investigations of energy transfers and conversions, students read two articles that introduce the topic of forces that act at a distance.
“Earth’s Geomagnetism:” What makes a compass needle point north, no matter what? This article introduces students to Earth’s geomagnetic field and the field lines scientists use to show its direction.
“Painting with Static Electricity:” This article gives students the opportunity to learn about electrostatic fields and forces in the context of spray painting without making a mess. Electrostatic painting systems use electrostatics to draw spray paint toward the object being painted, and nowhere else. Painters charge the object they are painting with a negative charge and the paint with a positive charge. The opposite charges are attracted to one another, causing the paint to move toward the object. This surprising use of electrostatics saves time and paint and keeps things tidy!
Instructions
Plan one class period for each article. Download PDFs of the “Earth’s Geomagnetism” and “Painting with Electricity” articles. For each article, before students begin reading, preview the article and discuss what students already know and what they wonder about the topic, then remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines.
What’s included
Science articles
The middle school science articles serve as sources for evidence collection and were authored by science and literacy experts at the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Student Investigation Notebooks
Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks provide space for students to:
- Record data
- Reflect on ideas from texts and investigations
- Construct explanations and arguments
Available with full-color article compilations for middle school units.
Digital student experience
Students access the digital simulations and modeling tools, as well as lesson activities and assessments, through the digital student experience. Students can interact with the digital student experience as they:
- Conduct hands-on investigations
- Engage in active reading and writing activities
- Participate in discussions
- Record observations
- Craft end-of-unit scientific arguments
Teacher’s Guides
Available digitally and in print, the Teacher’s Guides contain all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:
- Classroom Slides
- Detailed lesson plans
- Unit and chapter overview documentation
- Differentiation strategies
- Standards alignments
- In-context professional development
Hands-on materials kits
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science. Each unit kit contains:
- Consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials
- Print classroom display materials
- Premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc.)
Remote and hybrid learning supports
Amplify has launched a new remote learning solution called Amplify Science@Home. Intended to make extended remote learning and hybrid learning easier, Amplify Science@Home includes two useful options for continuing instruction: @Home Videos and @Home Units.
Amplify Science @Home Videos are recordings of real Amplify Science teachers teaching the lessons. For those teachers who are unable to meet synchronously with their students, the recorded lessons are a great way to keep their students on track and engaged with Amplify Science while at home. These videos will be produced for all K–5 units, and for the first four units of each 6–8 grade level. Their release will be rolling, beginning in August.
Amplify Science@Home Units are modified versions of Amplify Science units, strategically designed to highlight key activities from the program. The @Home Units take significantly less instructional time than the complete Amplify Science program and allow students to engage with science at home. @Home Units will be developed for all Amplify Science K–8 units. Each @Home unit includes:
- Teacher overviews explaining how to use the materials, including suggestions for enhancing the @Home Units if synchronous learning or in-class time with students is available.
- Overviews to send home to families.
Student materials are available in two formats:
- @Home Slides (PDF/PPT) + Student Sheets (PDF) for students with access to technology at home.
- Downloadable @Home Packets (PDF) for students without access to technology at home.
Download the Remote and hybrid learning guide.
Looking for help?
Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We have developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:
- Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans
- Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more
To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com
Timely technical and program support
Our technical and program support is included and available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.
For your most urgent questions:
- Use our live chat within your program
- Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969
For less urgent questions:
Contact us
Contact your South Carolina team representatives:
Jeff Rutter
Field Manager
jrutter@amplify.com
(727) 512-8440
Cathy McMillan
Senior Account Executive
cmcmillan@amplify.com
(904) 465-9904
Core STEM programs: Strengthen sessions
Professional development sets teachers and leaders up for success, whether they are new to or experienced with a program. Each Strengthen session promotes a deeper understanding of the program through targeted instructional practices.
Explore STEM Strengthen sessions by program below.
Amplify professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.
About Strengthen sessions
Target specific instructional practices with Strengthen sessions designed for teachers and leaders in year one and beyond.
Ready to schedule? Contact us and an Amplify expert will help identify the session(s) that best support your students’ success.
Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as enhancements.
Amplify Math
Amplify Math is a core math curriculum that serves 100% of students in accessing grade-level math every day. The program delivers engaging grade-level math lessons; flexible, social problem-solving experiences both online and off, and insights, data, and reporting that drive performance.
Explore the Amplify Math Strengthen sessions (for grade bands 6–Algebra 1 and Geometry–Algebra 2) for Begin packages and beyond. Click the session title or scroll down to learn more about each session.
Begin packages
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Hybrid on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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Begin: Enhancing planning for grade 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Prepare to teach Amplify Math lessons effectively by engaging in collaborative backward planning with experts. Work alongside our facilitators to understand how to target key concepts and make successful instructional decisions across a unit, and leave with a completed unit plan for your class.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing practice for grade 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
See the Launch, Monitor, Connect problem-based learning model in action, and practice integrating these practices into your facilitation of lesson activities. Leave with guidelines for using the Launch, Monitor, Connect model that you can implement during your next lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn to use our non-evaluative classroom look-for tool for Amplify Math to promote the use of instructional resources, focus on instructional delivery, and monitor instruction. Leave with an action plan for collecting and analyzing observation data to support teachers in their implementation of Amplify Math.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Unit-level planning for grade 6–A1 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dive into unit planning as you learn the story of how your upcoming unit is tied to other units and grade levels, and discover the big ideas you will explore alongside your students in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Lesson-level planning for grade 6–A1 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dive into lesson-level planning as you learn how to create a road map that guides student learning, makes connections across lessons, and measures student understanding of the learning goals in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Increasing engagement with Instructional Routines for grade 6–A1 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore how to use Instructional Routines such as Notice and Wonder to support and engage students as they make sense of new contexts and mathematical problems in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice packages
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 13 package (13 hr.) |
Virtual package (9 hr.) |
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On-site 3 hr. sessions |
Virtual 1 hr. sessions |
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Practice: Enhancing planning for grade 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Prepare to effectively teach Amplify Math lessons by engaging in collaborative backward planning with experts. Work alongside our facilitators to understand how to target key concepts and make effective instructional decisions across a unit, and leave with a completed unit plan for your class.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing practice for grade 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
See the Launch, Monitor, Connect problem-based learning model in action, and practice integrating these practices into your facilitation of lesson activities. Leave with guidelines for using the Launch, Monitor, Connect model that you can implement during your next lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn to use our non-evaluative classroom look-for tool for Amplify Math to promote the use of instructional resources, focus on instructional delivery, and monitor instruction. Leave with an action plan for collecting and analyzing observation data to support teachers in their implementation of Amplify Math.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Using differentiation supports for grade 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to leverage embedded differentiated supports in Amplify Math to ensure that all students can be successful. Walk away with a plan for supporting students in your classroom including multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs), students with disabilities, students who may need extra support, and advanced students.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Using data to drive instruction for grade 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Grow your proficiency in data analysis. Turn student data gathered within Amplify Math into differentiated instruction targeting specific skills. Walk away ready to use the data provided in the curriculum to align embedded support to your students’ unique needs.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Addressing prerequisite skills for grade 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Explore Amplify Math’s just-in-time approach to addressing prerequisite skills. Leave with a deeper understanding of how to use embedded curriculum resources to identify and support prerequisite skills essential for your next unit.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Orchestrating math discussions for grade 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn strategies for leading discussions that promote more math talk among all students in your classroom. Walk away with strategies and Amplify Math curriculum tools you can bring back to your classroom to enhance discussion in your next lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Building language with math routines for grade 6–A1 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore how Math Language Routines support students as they make sense of new contexts and mathematical problems in Amplify Math. Leave with strategies for using these routines to support students in learning mathematical practices, content, and language in your upcoming lessons.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Unit-level planning for grade 6–A1 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dive into unit planning as you learn the story of how your upcoming unit is tied to other units and grade levels, and discover the big ideas you’ll explore alongside your students in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Lesson-level planning for grade 6–A1 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dive into lesson-level planning as you learn how to create a roadmap for a lesson that guides student learning, makes connections across lessons, and measures student understanding of the learning goals in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Increasing engagement with Instructional Routines for grade 6–A1 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore how to leverage Instructional Routines such as Notice and Wonder to support students as they make sense of new contexts and mathematical problems in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Amplify Desmos Math
Amplify Desmos Math is a core K–12 program—available in English and Spanish—that applies a problem-based approach to develop deep conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application. Using technology inspired by students’ natural curiosity, Amplify Desmos Math connects the classroom and fosters real collaboration, discourse, and perseverance in problem-solving. Captivating activities, powerful teaching tools, and lots of support enable students to develop math proficiency that lasts a lifetime.
Explore the Amplify Desmos Math Strengthen sessions (for grades K–5, 6–A1, and high school) for Begin packages and beyond. Click the session title or scroll down to learn more about each session.
Begin packages
Strengthen sessions
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Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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Virtual, 1 hr. |
Virtual, 3 hr. |
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Begin: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing planning for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive into planning for Amplify Desmos Math, both big picture and day-to-day. Practice using lesson- and unit-planning protocols that will help you build a deep understanding of the math content you’ll be teaching and the planning resources available to you in the curriculum. Walk away with practical strategies for planning, even when you may not have much time.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing practice for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dig into Amplify Desmos Math’s Launch, Monitor, Connect framework to level-up the student discourse in your math class. Explore in-the-moment differentiation support to help you orchestrate discussion and make the most out of key opportunities for conversation and collaboration.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Begin: Strengthen: Supporting all learners: Differentiation in Amplify Desmos Math for K–5 or 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to use the differentiation supports in Amplify Desmos Math to effectively support all learners, both in the moment during a lesson and beyond the lesson. Leave with a plan for implementing resources to support, strengthen, and stretch students’ thinking.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Begin: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing observations for K–5, 6–A1, or high school leaders
High school sessions are available October 2026.
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Elevate your program knowledge to support teachers with effective Amplify Desmos Math implementation. Leave prepared to identify key instructional elements in a problem-based math lesson, analyze data, and conduct effective classroom observations.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Desmos Math: Unit-level planning for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dive into unit-level planning to learn the story of your upcoming unit, and discover the big ideas you will explore alongside your students in Amplify Desmos Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice packages
Strengthen sessions
Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing planning for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive into both big-picture and day-to-day planning for Amplify Desmos Math. Practice using lesson- and unit-planning protocols that will help you build a deep understanding of the math content you’ll be teaching and the planning resources available to you in the curriculum. Walk away with practical strategies for planning, even when you may not have much time.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing practice for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dig into Amplify Desmos Math’s Launch, Monitor, Connect framework to level up the student discourse in your math class. Explore in-the-moment differentiation support to help you orchestrate discussion and make the most out of key opportunities for conversation and collaboration.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Enhancing observations for K–5, 6–A1, or high school leaders
High school sessions are available October 2026.
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Elevate your program knowledge to support teachers with effective Amplify Desmos Math implementation. Leave prepared to identify key instructional elements in a problem-based math lesson, analyze data, and conduct effective classroom observations.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Supporting all learners: Differentiation in Amplify Desmos Math for K–5 or 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to use the differentiation supports in Amplify Desmos Math to effectively support all learners, both in the moment during a lesson and beyond the lesson. Leave with a plan for implementing resources to support, strengthen, and stretch students’ thinking.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Available October 2026
Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Supporting and facilitating meaningful discussions for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Explore how to transform your mathematics classroom into a social and collaborative environment where students deepen their understanding by sharing their mathematical thinking. Learn more about how Amplify Desmos Math provides support for these meaningful mathematical conversations.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Available October 2026
Practice: Amplify Desmos Math: Assessment in action: Analyzing data, reports, and planning next steps for K–5 or 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of the different types of assessments in Amplify Desmos Math and how they provide evidence of student learning. Analyze sample student work to calibrate on assessment scoring, interpret student thinking, and make a plan for instructional next steps.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Desmos Math: Unit-level planning for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dive into unit-level planning to learn the story of your upcoming unit, and discover the big ideas you will explore alongside your students in Amplify Desmos Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Desmos Math: Teaching a lesson with digital student screens for K–5 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Get ready to facilitate lessons with digital student screens. Explore what’s possible with the Teacher Dashboard and plan to make the most of these exciting instructional moments.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Desmos Math: Snapshots in the Teacher Dashboard for 6–A1 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore how to use the Snapshots tool in the Teacher Dashboard to create a collaborative classroom that invites and celebrates student thinking. Leave with planning tips and tricks that will get you ready to use Snapshots during your busy math classes.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Available October 2026
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Desmos Math: Increasing engagement with instructional routines for K–5, 6–A1, or high school teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore how to use the instructional routines in Amplify Desmos Math to support and engage students as they make sense of new contexts, develop mathematical language, and solve problems.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Amplify Science
Amplify Science is a K–8 science curriculum that blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers.
Explore the Amplify Science sessions (for grade bands K–5 and 6–8) for year-one packages and beyond. Select the session title or scroll to learn more about each session.
Begin packages
Strengthen sessions
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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| One Strengthen session per package | On-site, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 1 hr. |
Virtual, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 1 hr. |
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Begin: Amplify Science: Enhancing planning for K–5 or 6–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to use a planning protocol to internalize an upcoming Amplify Science unit. Leave with a plan to support students engaging in three-dimensional learning while also meeting the needs of all students in your classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Amplify Science: Enhancing practice for K–5 or 6–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how Amplify Science supports phenomenon-based learning. Experience a sequence of model instruction from the curriculum, and walk away with a plan for how you can enhance the curriculum through your teaching practice to build a powerful culture of figuring out in your science classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Amplify Science: Enhancing observations for K–8 leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn to use the non-evaluative classroom look-for tool for Amplify Science to promote the use of instructional materials, focus on instructional delivery, and monitor instruction. Leave with an action plan for collecting and analyzing observation data to support teachers in their implementation of Amplify Science.
Audience: Leaders grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Planning an Amplify Science lesson for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Develop structure and routines for planning Amplify Science lessons and leave prepared for an upcoming lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Supporting all learners: Exploring the resources for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use lesson-specific differentiation briefs, embedded assessments, and activity-specific teacher support notes to maximize instruction for all learners with Amplify Science.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Supporting all learners: Teacher modeling and student discourse for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore ways to leverage and build upon two key instructional elements in Amplify Science, and plan how you’ll use these supports to engage all learners in your next lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice packages
Strengthen sessions
Practice: Amplify Science: Enhancing planning for K–5 or 6–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to use a planning protocol to internalize an upcoming Amplify Science unit. Walk away with a plan to support students engaging in three-dimensional learning while also meeting the all needs of students in your classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Amplify Science: Enhancing practice for K–5 or 6–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how Amplify Science supports phenomenon-based learning. Experience a sequence of model instruction from the curriculum, and walk away with a plan for how you can enhance the curriculum through your teaching practice to build a powerful culture of “figuring out” in your science classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Amplify Science: Enhancing observations for K–5 or 6–8 leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn to use the non-evaluative classroom look-for tool for Amplify Science to promote the use of instructional materials, focus on instructional delivery, and monitor instruction. Leave with an action plan for collecting and analyzing observation data to support teachers in their implementation of Amplify Science.
Audience: Leaders grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Amplify Science: Supporting all learners with complex texts for K–5 or 6–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Collaborate to solve common reading challenges alongside other educators. Learn strategies to support students in grades K–5 or 6–8 in accessing complex texts in Amplify Science units by engaging in a model-reading sequence. Leave with a plan for incorporating effective strategies into your upcoming Amplify Science reading lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Amplify Science: Supporting multilingual/English learners for K–5 or 6–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Explore strategies and engage in model activities to support multilingual/English learners in grades K–5 or 6–8 in developing their abilities to do, talk, read, write, visualize, and construct arguments in Amplify Science. Leave with strategies to support a deeper understanding of the critical role that language and literacy play in developing scientific understanding.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Amplify Science: Writing in science for K–5 or 6–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Develop an understanding of how the Amplify Science writing approach supports students in grades K–5 or 6–8 in engaging in science practices, making sense of science ideas, and growing as writers. Leave with a plan for supporting student writing in your next unit.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Amplify Science: Assessment system for K–5 or 6–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Analyze a sample formative assessment, deepen your understanding of learning progressions in each Amplify Science unit, and participate in discussions to understand the relationships between different types of assessments and your unit’s learning goals. Walk away with strategies for collecting, analyzing, and responding to student assessment data.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades of K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Amplify Science: Engineering Internships for 6–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Plan for the first Amplify Science Engineering Internship course of your grade level (6–8) by exploring the Futura workspace and digital tools students will use during the internship experience. Leave with an understanding of how students will apply science concept knowledge to construct design solutions. This session will feature one of the following Engineering Internships based on your need: Metabolism, Plate Motion, or Force and Motion.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Amplify Science: Science Seminar for 6–8 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Experience a Science Seminar sequence of a sample unit from Amplify Science grade 6–8 from the student perspective! Gain an understanding of how students apply science concepts to engage in argumentation about a phenomenon, and leave with a plan for teaching a Science Seminar unit in your own classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Planning an Amplify Science lesson for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Develop a structure for planning Amplify Science lessons and leave prepared for an upcoming lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Supporting all learners: Exploring the resources for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use lesson-specific differentiation briefs, embedded assessments, and activity-specific teacher support notes to supplement instruction for all learners with Amplify Science.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Supporting all learners: Teacher modeling and student discourse for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore ways to leverage and build upon two key instructional elements in Amplify Science and plan for ways to use these supports to engage all learners in your next lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Analyzing student work for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Engage with a protocol to analyze real student work and plan for instructional next steps in Amplify Science. (You are required to bring student formative assessment samples to this session.)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Supporting all learners: Multimodal learning and multiple at-bats for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 3 hours
Learn strategies to develop an understanding of how Amplify Science’s multimodal approach supports all learners.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Grading with Amplify Science for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Develop an understanding of how to use assessment resources in Amplify Science to grade students three-dimensionally and use practices that align with district/school guidelines.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Enhancing the digital experience for K–5 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to go further with Amplify Science digital experience tools to enhance teaching and learning.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Amplify Science: Planning with the Coherence Flowchart for K–8 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Practice using the Coherence Flowchart resource to plan an upcoming Amplify Science unit.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Get in touch with a PD expert.
mCLASS dyslexia screener for CA
mCLASS dyslexia screener for CA
Screen and intervene faster with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition.
California educators, did you know mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition is the industry’s first all-in-one universal and dyslexia screener? This means with just one screener, you’ll gain a complete picture of your students’ grade-level reading abilities and dyslexia risk factors. Our gold-standard assessment identifies students who need more support, then recommends targeted instruction they’ll love.
About the program
mCLASS offers teacher-administered assessment, intervention, and personalized instruction for grades K–6. Know exactly how to monitor and support every student in your classroom, with features like:
- Precise one-minute measures based on over three decades of predictive data.
- Universal and dyslexia screening in one tool.
- Instruction that highlights observed patterns and recommends activities.
- Robust reports for teachers, specialists, administrators, and parents.
The right measures at the right time
With mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, you’ll assess students based on grade-specific curriculum and instructional standards, in accordance with International Dyslexia Association (IDA) guidelines.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition offers one-minute, easy-to-administer measures of processing speed, phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, and word reading.
| DIBELS® 8th Edition subtest alignment with IDA Guidelines | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyslexia Screening Area | mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4–6 |
| Rapid naming ability | Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) | | | |||
| Phonological awareness | Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) | | | |||
| Alphabetic principle | Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) | | | | | |
| Word reading | Word Reading Fluency (WRF) | | | | | |
| Word reading | Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) | | | | | |
| Comprehension | Maze | | | | ||
Validated as a universal screener and a dyslexia screener
Strong reliability and validity evidence shows that DIBELS 8th Edition can effectively assess students in key skills linked to both dyslexia and broader reading difficulty. The research supporting DIBELS 8th Edition, conducted by the University of Oregon, is rigorous, meets high technical standards, and empowers educators to make well-informed decisions.
Read the DIBELS 8th Edition Dyslexia White Paper.
A complete system for data-based decision making
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition provides rich data that helps you make informed instructional decisions and seek out further dyslexia screening evaluation if needed:
- Assess skills: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and optional dyslexia screenings in Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), Spelling, Vocabulary, and Oral Language accurately assess students’ abilities.
- Identify risk: The DIBELS 8 composite score shows each student’s risk level, with ‘Well Below Benchmark’ indicating a need for intensive support. Students who are also ‘Well Below Benchmark’ in RAN and/or Spelling have an additional Risk Indicator icon next to their name.
- Provide instruction: The mCLASS Instruction feature analyzes student error patterns to key dyslexia-related subtests, then recommends small groups and explicit, multi-sensory activities for reinforcing skills.
- Progress monitor: mCLASS includes progress-monitoring measures to track student growth in letter sounds, alphabetic principle, word reading, oral reading fluency, and comprehension, so that informed instructional decisions can be made.
- Adapt instruction: mCLASS displays indicators based on progress monitoring performance that indicate when a change in instruction may be needed. It also updates instruction recommendations using the latest data.
Differentiated literacy instruction
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition lays the groundwork for a strong Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
In addition to identifying students with symptoms of dyslexia, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition data recommends early intervention, personalized instruction, and core instruction within Amplify’s early literacy suite. Based on the Science of Reading, Amplify’s early literacy suite programs follow an explicit and systematic structure, build knowledge, and instruct on all of the foundational skills essential to literacy development.
- Intervene with mCLASS Intervention and Amplify Tutoring: Staff-led Tier 2 and 3 intervention for intensive support.
- Practice with Boost Reading: Personalized learning program to extend and reinforce core instruction.
- Instruct with Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA): Core curriculum to build foundational skills and knowledge.
Bilingual dyslexia screening
By assessing with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and its Spanish counterpart, mCLASS Lectura, you’ll know with confidence whether a student truly shows signs of dyslexia or is experiencing difficulties learning a new language.
When used together, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura feature a Dual Language Report that analyzes dyslexia screening results in both languages. The report also details how each student can leverage their strengths from one language to support growth in the other.
Equal skill coverage in English and Spanish
| Dyslexia screening areas | English measure | Spanish measure | Description* |
| Letter Naming and RAN | Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) | Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL) | Grades K–1: Naming letters in print. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Phonological Awareness (Segmentation) | Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF) | Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas (FSF) & Fluidez en la segmentación de fonemas (FSF) | Grades K–1: Hearing and using sounds or syllables in spoken words. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Phonological awareness (Elision) | ¿Qué queda? (QQ) | Grades K–2: Produce the part of a word that remains after deleting a syllable or phoneme. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. | |
| Letter-Sound Knowledge | Nonsense Word Fluency Correct Letter Sounds (NWF-CLS) | Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL) | English: Grades K–3: Identify letter-sound correspondences in the context of pseudo-words. Spanish: Grades K-1: Identify letter-sounds in isolation. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Letter-Sound Knowledge (Receptive) | Fluidez en los sonidos de las letras K-Inicio (FSL K-Inicio) | Grade K: Identify (point to) which letter makes a certain sound. Untimed, 1:1 administration | |
| Decoding | Nonsense Word Fluency Words Recoded Correctly (NWF-WRC) | Fluidez en los sonidos de las sílabas (LSS) | English: Grades K–3: Decode orthographically regular pseudo-words Spanish: Grades K-1: Decode orthographically regular syllables 1 minute, 1:1 administration |
| Word Reading | Word-Reading Fluency (WRF) | Fluidez en la lectura de palabras (FEP) | Grades K–3: Reading common words easily, quickly and correctly.1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Fluency | Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) | Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO) | Grades 1–6: Reading connected text with accuracy and automaticity. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Reading Comprehension | Maze | ¿Cuál palabra? (CP) | Grades 2–6: Understanding meaning from texts. 3 minutes, group administration. |
| Vocabulary | Vocabulary | Vocabulario | Grades K–3: Knowledge of grade-specific words. 15 minutes, group administration. |
| Encoding | Spelling | Ortografía | Grades K–3: Arranging letters correctly to spell words with grade appropriate features 15 minutes, group administration. |
| RAN (Numbers) | Rapid Automatized Naming | – | Grades K–3: Correctly and quickly naming visual symbols, such as numbers. 3-4 minutes, 1:1 administration. |
| Language Comprehension | Oral Language | Lenguaje oral | Grades K–2: Demonstrate the ability to use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts. 5 minutes, 1:1 administration. |
Dyslexia resources for families
Families play a crucial role in helping children overcome reading challenges. mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide a Home Connect letter after each dyslexia screening to explain the results in family-friendly language, recommend activities, and direct families to a free website for additional at-home support.
Developmentally appropriate
Computer-based assessments that require students to complete tasks silently or independently may over-identify students for intervention services, especially young learners who are still developing focus and attention abilities.
mCLASS requires students to actively demonstrate their proficiency in producing letter sounds, forming words, and reading texts. This approach to assessment aligns with IDA guidelines for effective screening of reading challenges. By choosing mCLASS for dyslexia screening, you’ll gain accurate information about a student’s risk for dyslexia, and gain the capability to monitor every student’s path to reading proficiency.
Additional resources
- 4 tools to help teachers better understand dyslexia
- Science of Reading: The Podcast, Season 7, Episode 7: Debunking the “gift” of dyslexia in children, with Dr. Tim Odegard
- Science of Reading: The Podcast, Season 1, Episode 6: The facts and myths of dyslexia, with Emily Lutrick
- Dyslexia Fact vs. Fiction
- mCLASS Dyslexia Toolkit
- mCLASS Research Hub
- mCLASS Program Guide
- mCLASS Digital Access Guide
- mCLASS Reporting Guide
- mCLASS Help Site
- Supporting multilingual and English learners in literacy
Demo access
Watch the navigation video above and then follow the instructions below to access your demo account.
TEACHER ASSESSMENT LOGIN
- Click the mCLASS Demo button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter this username and password:
- Username: mflores1800
- Password: 1234
- For more demo teacher logins and for detailed navigation instructions, please click here and start at page 1.
STUDENT ASSESSMENT LOGIN
- Click the mCLASS Demo button below.
- Select Log in with Amplify.
- Enter the username and password for each particular grade:
- Grade K username / password: mfloresk / matthew-k
- Grade 1 username / password: mflores1807 / matthew-1
- Grade 2 username / password: mflores1808 / matthew-2
- For more demo student logins and for detailed navigation instructions, please click here and scroll to page 17.
Questions?
For questions about mCLASS or the CA RFP review, please contact:
Erin King
Sales Director, CA
(512) 736-3162
eking@amplify.com
and CC: proposals@amplify.com
About the program
mCLASS offers teacher-administered assessment, intervention, and personalized instruction for grades K–6. Know exactly how to monitor and support every student in your classroom, with features like:
- Precise one-minute measures based on over three decades of predictive data.
- Universal and Reading Difficulties screening in one tool.
- Instruction that highlights observed patterns and recommends activities.
- Robust reports for teachers, specialists, administrators, and parents.
The right measures at the right time
With mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, you’ll assess students based on grade-specific curriculum and instructional standards, in accordance with International Dyslexia Association (IDA) guidelines.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition offers one-minute, easy-to-administer measures of processing speed, phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, and word reading.
| DIBELS® 8th Edition subtest alignment with SB 114 requirements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RDRP Screening Area | mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4–6 |
| Rapid naming ability | Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) | | | |||
| Phonological awareness | Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) | | | |||
| Alphabetic principle | Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) | | | | | |
| Word reading | Word Reading Fluency (WRF) | | | | | |
| Word reading | Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) | | | | | |
| Comprehension | Maze | | | | ||
| Language Comprehension | Oral Language | | | | ||
| Vocabulary | Vocabulary | | | | | |
| RAN | Rapid Automatized Naming (Numbers) | | | | | |
| Encoding | Spelling | OPTIONAL | ||||
Validated as a universal screener and a dyslexia screener
Strong reliability and validity evidence shows that DIBELS 8th Edition can effectively assess students in key skills linked to both dyslexia and broader reading difficulty. The research supporting DIBELS 8th Edition, conducted by the University of Oregon, is rigorous, meets high technical standards, and empowers educators to make well-informed decisions.
Read the DIBELS 8th Edition Dyslexia White Paper.
A complete system for data-based decision making
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition provides rich data that helps you make informed instructional decisions and seek out further dyslexia screening evaluation if needed:
- Assess skills: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and optional dyslexia screenings in Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), Spelling, Vocabulary, and Oral Language accurately assess students’ abilities.
- Identify risk: The DIBELS 8 composite score shows each student’s risk level, with ‘Well Below Benchmark’ indicating a need for intensive support. Students who are also ‘Well Below Benchmark’ in RAN and/or Spelling have an additional Risk Indicator icon next to their name.
- Provide instruction: The mCLASS Instruction feature analyzes student error patterns to key dyslexia-related subtests, then recommends small groups and explicit, multi-sensory activities for reinforcing skills.
- Progress monitor: mCLASS includes progress-monitoring measures to track student growth in letter sounds, alphabetic principle, word reading, oral reading fluency, and comprehension, so that informed instructional decisions can be made.
- Adapt instruction: mCLASS displays indicators based on progress monitoring performance that indicate when a change in instruction may be needed. It also updates instruction recommendations using the latest data.
Differentiated literacy instruction
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition lays the groundwork for a strong Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
In addition to identifying students with symptoms of dyslexia, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition data recommends early intervention, personalized instruction, and core instruction within Amplify’s early literacy suite. Based on the Science of Reading, Amplify’s early literacy suite programs follow an explicit and systematic structure, build knowledge, and instruct on all of the foundational skills essential to literacy development.
- Intervene with mCLASS Intervention and Amplify Tutoring: Staff-led Tier 2 and 3 intervention for intensive support.
- Practice with Boost Reading: Personalized learning program to extend and reinforce core instruction.
- Instruct with Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA): Core curriculum to build foundational skills and knowledge.
Bilingual Reading Difficulties screening
By assessing with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and its Spanish counterpart, mCLASS Lectura, you’ll know with confidence whether a student truly shows signs of of reading difficulties or is experiencing difficulties learning a new language.
When used together, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura feature a Dual Language Report that analyzes Reading Difficulties screening results in both languages. The report also details how each student can leverage their strengths from one language to support growth in the other.
Equal skill coverage in English and Spanish
mCLASS Lectura subtest alignment with SB114
| RDRP screening areas | English measure | Spanish measure | Description* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter Naming and RAN | Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) | Fluidez in nombrar letras (FNL) | Grades K–1: Naming letters in print. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Phonological Awareness (Segmentation) | Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF) | Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas (FSS) & Fluidez en la segmentación de fonemas (FSF) | Grades K–1: Hearing and using sounds or syllables in spoken words. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Phonological Awareness (Elision) | – | ¿Qué queda? (QQ) | Grades K–2: Produce the part of a word that remains after deleting a syllable or phoneme. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Letter Sound Correspondence Knowledge | Nonsense Word Fluency Correct Letter Sounds(NWF-CLS) | Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL) | English: Grades K–3: Identify letter-sound correspondences in the context of pseudo-words. Spanish: Grades K-1: Identify letter-sounds in isolation. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Letter-Sound Knowledge (Receptive) | – | Fluidez en los sonidos de las letras K-Inicio (FSL K-Inicio) | Grade K: Identify (point to) which letter makes a certain sound. Untimed, 1:1 administration. |
| Decoding | Nonsense Word Fluency Words Recoded Correctly (NWF-WRC) | Fluidez en los sonidos de las sílabas (FSL) | Grades K–3: Identify letter-sound correspondences in the context of pseudo-words. Spanish: Grades K–1: Identify letter-sounds in isolation. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Word Reading | Word-Reading Fluency (WRF) | Fluidez en las palabras (FEP) | Grades K–3: Reading common words easily, quickly and correctly.1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Fluency | Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) | Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO) | Grades 1–6: Reading connected text with accuracy and automaticity. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Reading Comprehension | Maze | ¿Cuál palabra? (CP) | Grades 2–6: Understanding meaning from texts. 3 minutes, group administration. |
| Vocabulary | Vocabulary | Vocabulario | Grades K–3: Arranging letters correctly to spell words with grade appropriate features. 15 minutes, group administration. |
| Encoding | Spelling | Ortografía | Grades K–3: Arranging letters correctly to spell words with grade-appropriate features. 15 minutes, group administration. |
| RAN (Numbers) | Rapid Automatized Naming | – | Grades K–3: Correctly and quickly naming visual symbols, such as numbers. 1-2 minutes, 1:1 administration. |
| Language Comprehension | Oral Language | Lenguaje oral | Grades K–2: Demonstrate the ability to use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts. 5 minutes, 1:1 administration. |
*Students can be assessed using off-grade measures when information on specific skills is needed.
Resources for families
Welcome California Caregivers! Please click here to learn more about mCLASS assessments.
Families play a crucial role in helping children overcome reading challenges. mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide a Home Connect letter after each screening to explain the results in family-friendly language, recommend activities, and direct families to a free website for additional at-home support.
Developmentally appropriate
Computer-based assessments that require students to complete tasks silently or independently may over-identify students for intervention services, especially young learners who are still developing focus and attention abilities.
mCLASS requires students to actively demonstrate their proficiency in producing letter sounds, forming words, and reading texts. This approach to assessment aligns with IDA guidelines for effective screening of reading challenges. By choosing mCLASS for universal screening, you’ll gain accurate information about a student’s risk for reading difficulties, and gain the capability to monitor every student’s path to reading proficiency.
Additional resources
mCLASS Resources
- mCLASS Research Hub
- mCLASS Program Guide
- mCLASS Digital Access Guide
- mCLASS Reporting Guide
- mCLASS Help Site
- mCLASS self-guided walkthrough
Dyslexia Resources
- mCLASS Dyslexia Toolkit
- Dyslexia Fact vs. Fiction ebook
- Blog post: 4 tools to help teachers better understand dyslexia
- Science of Reading: The Podcast, Season 7, Episode 7: Debunking the “gift” of dyslexia in children, with Dr. Tim Odegard
- Science of Reading: The Podcast, Season 1, Episode 6: The facts and myths of dyslexia, with Emily Lutrick
Multilingual and English learners Resources
Your California team
Looking to speak directly with your local representative?
Get in touch with a California team member to learn more about our early literacy suite or request a demo account.
Dan Pier
Vice President, West
(415) 203-4810
dpier@amplify.com
Erin King
Sales Director, CA
(512) 736-3162
eking@amplify.com
NORTHERN CA
Wendy Garcia
Senior Account Executive
(510) 368-7666
wgarcia@amplify.com
BAY AREA
Lance Burbank
Account Executive
(415) 830-5348
lburbank@amplify.com
CENTRAL VALLEY and CENTRAL COAST
Demitri Gonos
Senior Account Executive
(559) 355-3244
dgonos@amplify.com
VENTURA and L.A. COUNTY
Jeff Sorenson
Associate Account Executive
(310) 902-1407
jsorenson@amplify.com
ORANGE and L.A. COUNTY
Lauren Sherman
Senior Account Executive
(949) 397-5766
lsherman@amplify.com
SAN BERNARDINO and L.A. COUNTY
Michael Gruber
Senior Account Executive
(951) 520-6542
migruber@amplify.com
RIVERSIDE AND L.A. COUNTY
Brian Roy
Senior Account Executive
(818)967-1674
broy@amplify.com
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Kirk Van Wagoner
Senior Account Executive
(760) 696-0709
kvanwagoner@amplify.com
BUTTE, DEL NORTE, HUMBOLDT, and SHASTA COUNTY and DISTRICTS UNDER 2250 ENROLLMENT
Kevin Mauser
Lead Account Executive
(815) 534-0148
kmauser@amplify.com
Core STEM programs: Strengthen sessions
Professional development sets teachers and leaders up for success, whether they are new to or experienced with a program. Each Strengthen session promotes a deeper understanding of the program through targeted instructional practices.
Explore STEM Strengthen sessions by program below.
Amplify professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.
About Strengthen sessions
Support Amplify implementation with sessions that target specific instructional practices for teachers and leaders in year one and beyond. When you’re ready to schedule your Strengthen session, contact us. An Amplify expert will support you in selecting the session that best fits your needs and that will help you push student results forward.
Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as enhancements.
Amplify Math
Amplify Math is a core math curriculum that serves 100% of students in accessing grade-level math every day. The program delivers engaging grade-level math lessons; flexible, social problem-solving experiences both online and off ; and insights, data, and reporting that drive performance.
Explore the Amplify Math Strengthen sessions (for grade bands 6–Algebra 1) for Begin packages and beyond. Click the session title or scroll down to learn more about each session.
Begin packages
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site 3 hr. sessions |
On-site 3 hr. sessions |
Virtual 1 hr. sessions |
Virtual 3 hr. sessions |
Virtual 1 hr. sessions |
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Begin: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Prepare to teach Amplify Math lessons effectively, by engaging in collaborative backward planning with experts. Work alongside our facilitators to understand how to target key concepts and make successful instructional decisions across a unit, and leave with a completed unit plan for your class.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
See the Launch, Monitor, Connect problem-based learning model in action, and practice integrating these practices into your facilitation of lesson activities. Leave with guidelines for using the Launch, Monitor, Connect model that you can implement during your next lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn to use our non-evaluative classroom look-for tool for Amplify Math to promote the use of instructional resources, focus on instructional delivery, and monitor instruction. Leave with an action plan for collecting and analyzing observation data to support teachers in their implementation of Amplify Math.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Unit-level planning
Virtual, 1 hour
Dive into unit planning as you learn the story of how your upcoming unit is tied to other units and grade levels, and discover the big ideas you will explore alongside your students in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Lesson-level planning
Virtual, 1 hour
Dive into lesson-level planning as you learn how to create a road map that guides student learning, makes connections across lessons, and measures student understanding of the learning goals in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Increasing engagement with instructional routines
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore how to use Instructional Routines such as Notice and Wonder to support and engage students as they make sense of new contexts and mathematical problems in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice packages
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 13 package (13 hr.) |
Virtual package (9 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site 3 hr. sessions |
On-site 3 hr. sessions |
Virtual 1 hr. sessions |
Virtual 1 hr. sessions |
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Practice: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Prepare to effectively teach Amplify Math lessons by engaging in collaborative backward planning with experts. Work alongside our facilitators to understand how to target key concepts and make effective instructional decisions across a unit, and leave with a completed unit plan for your class.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
See the Launch, Monitor, Connect problem-based learning model in action, and practice integrating these practices into your facilitation of lesson activities. Leave with guidelines for using the Launch, Monitor, Connect model that you can implement during your next lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn to use our non-evaluative classroom look-for tool for Amplify Math to promote the use of instructional resources, focus on instructional delivery, and monitor instruction. Leave with an action plan for collecting and analyzing observation data to support teachers in their implementation of Amplify Math.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Using differentiation supports for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to leverage embedded differentiated supports in Amplify Math to ensure that all students can be successful. Walk away with a plan for supporting students in your classroom including English Language Learners (ELLs), students with disabilities, students who may need extra support, and advanced students.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Using data to drive instruction for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Grow your proficiency in data analysis.Turn student data gathered within Amplify Math into differentiated instruction targeting specific skills. Walk away ready to use the data provided in the curriculum to align embedded support to your students’ unique needs.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Addressing prerequisite skills for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Explore Amplify Math’s just-in-time approach to addressing prerequisite skills. Leave with a deeper understanding of how to use embedded curriculum resources to identify and support prerequisite skills essential for your next unit.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Orchestrating math discussions for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn strategies for leading discussions that promote more math talk among all students in your classroom. Walk away with strategies and Amplify Math curriculum tools you can bring back to your classroom to enhance discussion in your next lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Building language with math routines for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore how Math Language Routines support students as they make sense of new contexts and mathematical problems in Amplify Math. Leave with strategies for using these routines to support students in learning mathematical practices, content, and language in your upcoming lessons.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Unit-level planning for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dive into unit planning as you learn the story of how your upcoming unit is tied to other
units and grade levels, and discover the big ideas you’ll explore alongside your students in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Lesson-level planning for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dive into lesson-level planning as you learn how to create a roadmap for a lesson that guides student learning, makes connections across lessons, and measures student understanding of the learning goals in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Increasing engagement with Instructional Routines for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore how to leverage Instructional Routines such as Notice and Wonder to support students as they make sense of new contexts and mathematical problems in Amplify Math.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Amplify Desmos Math
Amplify Desmos Math is a new core K–12 program from Amplify and Desmos Classroom —available in English and Spanish—that applies a problem-based approach to develop deep conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application. Using technology inspired by students’ natural curiosity, Amplify Desmos Math connects the classroom and fosters real collaboration, discourse, and perseverance in problem-solving. Captivating activities, powerful teaching tools, and lots of support enable students to develop math proficiency that lasts a lifetime.
Explore the Amplify Desmos Math Strengthen sessions (for grades PreK–Algebra 2) for Begin packages and beyond. Click the session title or scroll down to learn more about each session.
Begin packages
Strengthen sessions
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site, 3 hr. |
On-site, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 1 hr. |
Virtual, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 1 hr. |
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New session
Begin: Enhancing planning for K–5 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive into planning for Amplify Desmos Math, both big picture and day-to-day. Practice using lesson and unit planning protocols that will help you build a deep understanding of the math content you’ll be teaching and the planning resources available to you in the curriculum. Walk away with practical strategies for planning, even when you may not have much time.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Begin: Enhancing planning for 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive into both big-picture and day-to-day planning for Amplify Desmos Math. Practice using lesson and unit planning protocols that will help you build a deep understanding of the math content you’ll be teaching and the planning resources available to you in the curriculum. Walk away with practical strategies for planning, even when you may not have much time.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Begin: Enhancing practice for K–5 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dig into Amplify Desmos Math’s Launch, Monitor, Connect framework to level-up the student discourse in your math class. Explore in-the-moment differentiation support to help you orchestrate discussion and make the most out of key opportunities for conversation and collaboration.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Begin: Enhancing practice for 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dig into Amplify Desmos Math’s Launch, Monitor, Connect framework to level up the student discourse in your math classroom. Learn strategies for leveraging the tools in the Teacher Dashboard to orchestrate discussion, and practice planning moves to make the most out of key discussion moments.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Desmos Math to Amplify Desmos Math 6–A1 transition training for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Desmos Math and Amplify Desmos Math, including becoming familiar with changes in materials, the digital platform, and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice packages
Strengthen sessions
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 13 package (13 hr.) |
Virtual package (9 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 1 hr. |
Virtual, 3 hr. |
| Enhancing planning for K–5 teachers |
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New session
Practice: Enhancing planning for K–5 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive into both big-picture and day-to-day planning for Amplify Desmos Math. Practice using lesson and unit planning protocols that will help you build a deep understanding of the math content you’ll be teaching and the planning resources available to you in the curriculum. Walk away with practical strategies for planning, even when you may not have much time.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Practice: Enhancing planning for 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive into both big-picture and day-to-day planning for Amplify Desmos Math. Practice using lesson and unit planning protocols that will help you build a deep understanding of the math content you’ll be teaching and the planning resources available to you in the curriculum. Walk away with practical strategies for planning, even when you may not have much time.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Practice: Enhancing practice for K–5 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dig into Amplify Desmos Math’s Launch, Monitor, Connect framework to level-up the student discourse in your math class. Explore in-the-moment differentiation support to help you orchestrate discussion and make the most out of key opportunities for conversation and collaboration.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Practice: Enhancing practice for 6–A1 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dig into Amplify Desmos Math’s Launch, Monitor, Connect framework to level up the student discourse in your math classroom. Learn strategies for leveraging the tools in the Teacher Dashboard to orchestrate discussion, and practice planning moves to make the most out of key discussion moments.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Teaching a digital lesson for K–5 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Get ready to facilitate digital lessons with your students. Explore what’s possible with the Teacher Dashboard and plan to make the most of these exciting instructional moments.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
New session
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Snapshots in the Teacher Dashboard for 6–A1 teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore how to use the Snapshots tool in the Teacher Dashboard to create a collaborative classroom that invites and celebrates student thinking. Leave with planning tips and tricks that will get you ready to use Snapshots during your busy math classes.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Amplify Science
Amplify Science is a K–8 science curriculum that blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers.
Explore the Amplify Science sessions (for grade bands K–5 and 6–8) for year one packages and beyond. Select the session title or scroll to learn more about each session.
Begin packages
Strengthen sessions
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 1 hr. |
Virtual, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 1 hr. |
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| Supporting diverse learners with embedded supports: Teacher modeling and student discourse (K–8) |
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Begin: Enhancing planning for teachers
(grades K–5 or 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to use a planning protocol to internalize an upcoming Amplify Science unit. Leave with a plan to support students engaging in three-dimensional learning while also meeting the diverse needs of students in your classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing practice for teachers
(grades K–5 or 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how Amplify Science supports phenomenon-based learning. Experience a sequence of model instruction from the curriculum, and walk away with a plan for how you can enhance the curriculum through your teaching practice to build a powerful culture of “figuring out” in your science classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing observations for leaders (grades K–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn to use the non-evaluative classroom walkthrough tool for Amplify Science to promote the use of instructional resources, focus on instructional delivery, and monitor instruction. Leave with an action plan for collecting and analyzing observation data to support teachers in their implementation of Amplify Science.
Audience: Leaders grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Planning an Amplify Science lesson
Virtual, 1 hour
Develop structure and routines for planning Amplify Science lessons and leave prepared for an upcoming lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Supporting diverse learners: Exploring the resources (grades K–8)
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use lesson-specific differentiation briefs, embedded assessments, and activity-specific teacher support notes to maximize instruction for diverse learners with Amplify Science.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Supporting diverse learners with embedded supports: Teacher modeling and student discourse (grades K–8)
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore ways to leverage and build upon two key instructional elements in Amplify Science, and plan how you’ll use these supports to engage diverse learners in your next lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice packages
Strengthen sessions
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 13 package (13 hr.) |
Virtual package (9 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 3 hr. |
Virtual, 1 hr. |
Virtual, 3 hr. |
| Enhancing planning (K–5 or 6–8) |
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| Planning with the Coherence Flowchart (K–8) |
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Practice: Enhancing planning for teachers
(grades K–5 or 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to use a planning protocol to internalize an upcoming Amplify Science unit. Walk away with a plan to support students engaging in three-dimensional learning while also meeting the diverse needs of students in your classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing practice for teachers
(grades K–5 or 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how Amplify Science supports phenomenon-based learning. Experience a sequence of model instruction from the curriculum, and walk away with a plan for how you can enhance the curriculum through your teaching practice to build a powerful culture of “figuring out” in your science classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing observations for leaders
(grades K–5 or 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn to use the non-evaluative classroom walkthrough tool for Amplify Science to promote the use of instructional resources, focus on instructional delivery, and monitor instruction. Leave with an action plan for collecting and analyzing observation data to support teachers in their implementation of Amplify Science.
Audience: Leaders grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Supporting all learners with complex texts (grades K–5 or 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Collaborate to solve common reading challenges alongside other educators. Learn strategies to support students in grades K–5 or 6–8 in accessing complex texts in Amplify Science units by engaging in a model reading sequence. Leave with a plan for incorporating effective strategies into your upcoming Amplify Science reading lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Supporting English learners (grades K–5 or 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Explore strategies and engage in model activities to support multilingual/English learners in grades K–5 or 6–8 in developing their abilities to do, talk, read, write, visualize, and construct arguments in Amplify Science. Leave with strategies to support a deeper understanding of the critical role that language and literacy play in developing scientific understanding.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Writing in science (grades K–5 or 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Develop an understanding of how the Amplify Science writing approach supports students in grades K–5 or 6–8 in engaging in science practices, making sense of science ideas, and growing as writers. Leave with a plan for supporting student writing in your next unit.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Assessment system (grades K–5 or 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Available: Fall 2024
Analyze a sample formative assessment, deepen your understanding of Amplify Science unit learning progressions, and participate in discussions to understand the relationships between different types of assessments and your unit’s learning goals. Walk away with strategies for collecting, analyzing, and responding to student assessment data.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades of K–5 or 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Engineering Internships (grades 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Plan for the first Amplify Science Engineering Internship course of your grade level (6–8) by exploring the Futura workspace and digital tools students will use during the Internship experience. Leave with an understanding of how students will apply science concept knowledge to construct design solutions. This session will feature one of the following Engineering Internships based on your need: Metabolism, Plate Motion, or Force and Motion unit.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Science Seminar (grades 6–8)
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Experience a Science Seminar sequence of a sample Amplify Science grade 6–8 unit from the student perspective to gain an understanding of how students apply science concepts to engage in argumentation about a phenomenon. Leave with a plan for teaching a Science Seminar unit in your own classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades 6–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Planning an Amplify Science lesson (grades K–8)
Virtual, 1 hour
Develop a structure for planning Amplify Science lessons and leave prepared for an upcoming lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Supporting diverse learners: Exploring the resources (grades K–8)
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use lesson-specific differentiation briefs, embedded assessments, and activity-specific teacher support notes to supplement instruction for diverse learners with Amplify Science.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Supporting diverse learners: Teacher modeling and student discourse (grades K–8)
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore ways to leverage and build upon two key instructional elements in Amplify Science and plan for ways to use these supports to engage diverse learners in your next lesson.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Analyzing student work (grades K–8)
Virtual, 1 hour
Engage with a protocol to analyze real student work and plan for instructional next steps in Amplify Science. (You are required to bring student formative assessment samples to this session.)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Supporting diverse learners: Multimodal learning and multiple at-bats (grades K–8)
Virtual, 3 hours
Learn strategies to develop an understanding of how Amplify Science’s multimodal approach supports diverse learners.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Grading with Amplify Science (grades K–8)
Virtual, 1 hour
Develop an understanding of how to use assessment resources in Amplify Science to grade students three dimensionally and use practices that align with district/school guidelines.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Enhancing the digital experience (grades K–5)
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to go further with Amplify Science digital experience tools to enhance teaching and learning.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–5 (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Planning with the Coherence Flowchart (grades K–8)
Virtual, 1 hour
Practice using the Coherence Flowchart resource to plan an upcoming Amplify Science unit.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff grades K–8 (maximum 30 participants)
Get in touch with a PD expert
We’re here to provide answers and guidance as you explore your PD journey. Fill out the form to connect with us and discover how Amplify PD can enhance your educational journey.
Our Instructional model
The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:
DO
First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit, from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.
TALK
Student-to-student discourse and full class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.
READ
Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation, and importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.
WRITE
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.
VISUALIZE
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.
Supporting resources
- South Carolina recommended scope and sequence for grades 6–8
- South Carolina standards correlation for grades K–5
- Program Components K-5
- Curriculum Unit Kits K-5
- What’s so phenomenal about phenomena? – ebook
- Phenomena in grades K–5
- Student Books in grades K–5
- Literacy-rich science instruction in grades K–5
- Active Reading in grades 6–8
- Engineering in Amplify Science
- Program structure for grades K–5
Scope and sequence
GRADE
UNITS
Kindergarten
- Needs of Plants and Animals
- Pushes and Pulls
- Sunlight and Water
Grade 1
- Animal and Plant Defenses
- Light and Sound
- Spinning Earth
Grade 2
- Plant and Animal Relationships
- Properties of Materials
- Changing Landforms
Grade 3
- Balancing Forces
- Inheritance and Traits
- Environments and Survival
- Weather and Climate
Grade 4
- Energy Conversions
- Vision and Light
- Earth’s Features
- Waves, Energy, and Information
Grade 5
- Patterns of Earth and Sky
- Modeling Matter
- The Earth System
- Ecosystem Restoration
GRADE
UNITS
Grade 6
- Launch: Microbiome
- Metabolism
- Metabolism Engineering Internship
- Thermal Energy
- Plate Motion
- Plate Motion Engineering Internship
- Rock Transformations
- Weather Patterns
- Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate
Grade 7
- Launch: Harnessing Human Energy
- Phase Change
- Phase Change Engineering Internship
- Magnetic Fields
- Earth’s Changing Climate
- Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship
- Chemical Reactions
- Populations and Resources
- Matter and Energy in Ecosystems
Grade 8
- Launch: Geology on Mars
- Earth, Moon, and Sun
- Light Waves
- Force and Motion
- Force and Motion Engineering Internship
- Traits and Reproduction
- Natural Selection
- Natural Selection Engineering Internship
- Evolutionary History
South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021
Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021 are closely aligned to the NGSS at K-8. The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional companion activities that support full coverage of the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021.
Organized by grade level, each section below will outline:
- Additional activities that support 100% alignment to the South Carolina College- and Career-Ready Science Standards 2021;
- The standard being addressed with the activities;
- The recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit; and
- PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities.
Standard: MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
Recommended placement: Thermal Energy unit, Lesson 4.4, addition to Activity 3
Materials: “Liquid Oxygen”
By reading the article “Liquid Oxygen,” which describes how the relationship between attraction and kinetic energy determines when a substance changes phase, students extend their understanding of the possible effects of adding or removing thermal energy to include changes in state (phase). Oxygen is one of the most common elements in the world, but most people are only familiar with oxygen in the gas phase. Because oxygen molecules are only weakly attracted to one another, condensing oxygen is difficult. This article introduces students to molecular attraction and discusses its role in phase change, including how it can be used to turn oxygen from a gas to a liquid.
Instructions:
Download PDFs of the “Liquid Oxygen” and distribute it to students. Before they begin reading, remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines.
Standard: MS-PS4-2: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
Recommended placement: Weather Patterns unit, Lesson 4.4, addition to Activity 3
Materials: “Harvesting Sunlight”, “Why No One in Space Can Hear You Scream” and “Making Waves at Swim Practice”
After investigating weather patterns, which includes a focus of the effects of energy from sunlight, students extend their learning about light by reading three articles about light and other waves.
“Harvesting Sunlight:” Students read this article to learn about the types of light from the sun that plants use for photosynthesis. The article describes how the sun emits all types of light, but plants can only use certain types of visible light for photosynthesis, mostly red and blue light. Plants also absorb other types of light, and these types of light affect plants in different ways. Students use this information to gather evidence that there are different types of light that can affect a material in different ways.
“Why No One in Space Can Hear You Scream:” Students read this article to learn about how waves are transmitted. Explosions that would be deafening on Earth are silent in space. This is because sound is produced by sound waves and, unlike light waves, sound waves need matter to travel through. Reading about this phenomenon helps students understand the similarities and differences between mechanical and electromagnetic waves.
“Making Waves at Swim Practice:” A practice for the school swim team provides an everyday context for discussing light waves and sound waves in this engaging article. First, the article explores sound waves traveling through different materials–the air, the water of the pool, and even a metal poolside bench. Students discover that sound waves travel at different speeds in different materials. The later part of the article discusses light waves, which also travel at different speeds in different materials. As light waves move from one material to another, they change speed and bend. This bending of light waves is called refraction, and it explains why objects that are partly in the water and partly out of the water (such as the legs of a person sitting on the side of a pool) appear ripply and bent.
Instructions:
Plan one class period for each article. Download PDFs of the “Harvesting Sunlight,” “Why No One in Space Can Hear You Scream,” and “Making Waves at Swim Practice” articles. For each article, before students begin reading, preview the article and discuss what students already know and what they wonder about the topic, then remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines.
Standard: MS-PS2-3: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces. MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
Recommended placement: Harnessing Human Energy unit, Lesson 3.4, after Activity 1
Materials: “Earth’s Geomagnetism” and “Painting with Static Electricity”
After concluding their investigations of energy transfers and conversions, students read two articles that introduce the topic of forces that act at a distance.
“Earth’s Geomagnetism:” What makes a compass needle point north, no matter what? This article introduces students to Earth’s geomagnetic field and the field lines scientists use to show its direction.
“Painting with Static Electricity:” This article gives students the opportunity to learn about electrostatic fields and forces in the context of spray painting without making a mess. Electrostatic painting systems use electrostatics to draw spray paint toward the object being painted, and nowhere else. Painters charge the object they are painting with a negative charge and the paint with a positive charge. The opposite charges are attracted to one another, causing the paint to move toward the object. This surprising use of electrostatics saves time and paint and keeps things tidy!
Instructions
Plan one class period for each article. Download PDFs of the “Earth’s Geomagnetism” and “Painting with Electricity” articles. For each article, before students begin reading, preview the article and discuss what students already know and what they wonder about the topic, then remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines.
What’s included
Science articles
The middle school science articles serve as sources for evidence collection and were authored by science and literacy experts at the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Student Investigation Notebooks
Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks provide space for students to:
- Record data
- Reflect on ideas from texts and investigations
- Construct explanations and arguments
Available with full-color article compilations for middle school units.
Digital student experience
Students access the digital simulations and modeling tools, as well as lesson activities and assessments, through the digital student experience. Students can interact with the digital student experience as they:
- Conduct hands-on investigations
- Engage in active reading and writing activities
- Participate in discussions
- Record observations
- Craft end-of-unit scientific arguments
Teacher’s Guides
Available digitally and in print, the Teacher’s Guides contain all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:
- Classroom Slides
- Detailed lesson plans
- Unit and chapter overview documentation
- Differentiation strategies
- Standards alignments
- In-context professional development
Hands-on materials kits
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science. Each unit kit contains:
- Consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials
- Print classroom display materials
- Premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc.)
Remote and hybrid learning supports
Amplify has launched a new remote learning solution called Amplify Science@Home. Intended to make extended remote learning and hybrid learning easier, Amplify Science@Home includes two useful options for continuing instruction: @Home Videos and @Home Units.
Amplify Science @Home Videos are recordings of real Amplify Science teachers teaching the lessons. For those teachers who are unable to meet synchronously with their students, the recorded lessons are a great way to keep their students on track and engaged with Amplify Science while at home. These videos will be produced for all K–5 units, and for the first four units of each 6–8 grade level. Their release will be rolling, beginning in August.
Amplify Science@Home Units are modified versions of Amplify Science units, strategically designed to highlight key activities from the program. The @Home Units take significantly less instructional time than the complete Amplify Science program and allow students to engage with science at home. @Home Units will be developed for all Amplify Science K–8 units. Each @Home unit includes:
- Teacher overviews explaining how to use the materials, including suggestions for enhancing the @Home Units if synchronous learning or in-class time with students is available.
- Overviews to send home to families.
Student materials are available in two formats:
- @Home Slides (PDF/PPT) + Student Sheets (PDF) for students with access to technology at home.
- Downloadable @Home Packets (PDF) for students without access to technology at home.
Download the Remote and hybrid learning guide.
Looking for help?
Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We have developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:
- Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans
- Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more
To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com
Timely technical and program support
Our technical and program support is included and available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.
For your most urgent questions:
- Use our live chat within your program
- Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969
For less urgent questions:
Contact us
Contact your South Carolina team representatives:
Jeff Rutter
Field Manager
jrutter@amplify.com
(727) 512-8440
Lisa Jurovaty
Account Executive (West South Carolina)
ljurovaty@amplify.com
(803) 526-1899
Cathy McMillan (East South Carolina)
Senior Account Executive
cmcmillan@amplify.com
(904) 465-9904
Inspiring the next generation of Alabama scientists, engineers, and curious citizens
How we build inclusive, high-quality programs
At Amplify, we support teachers in delivering inspiring, impactful lessons that celebrate and develop the thinking of all their students. We build our inclusive, high-quality programs by partnering with editorial and accessibility experts.
Editorial
Amplify has a dedicated Editorial Team that partners with product teams, subject matter experts, and an internal advisory Editorial Board to ensure that our products meet Amplify’s high standards for quality and embody our purpose and commitment. Through multiple rounds of product review, the Editorial Team coordinates input from internal and external experts and advisors to ensure that Amplify’s materials are engaging, rigorous, and accurate. The Editorial Team also makes certain that all materials are age-appropriate for students and align with current or pending state, district, and other policies.
Our approach to accessibility
Amplify creates products that serve the needs of all learners, including those with disabilities. We refine our practices regularly and incorporate feedback from our users and accessibility experts.
Amplify works with third-party experts in digital accessibility to help ensure that we build and maintain our products in accordance with the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and other relevant legal requirements. How we do it:
- Integrated accessibility practices: We embed accessibility considerations into our product development lifecycles. We also implement training and vendor management programs that support compliance with applicable standards, guidelines, and best practices.
- Structured, accessible content: We create well-structured, easily navigable content that meets diverse user needs, including clear, readable text, properly labeled multimedia, and logical organization of information.
- Development and testing for accessibility: We work with third-party experts to conduct assessments against accessibility standards and develop remediation plans if deficiencies are identified. Our internal quality assurance protocols include scenarios that test functionality for users with disabilities.
- Comprehensive training and support: We provide continuous training and resources for team members involved in developing our products to help them understand and implement accessibility requirements. This includes training on the latest WCAG guidelines and updates on industry and legal standards.
- Inclusive design patterns: We prioritize accessible design patterns to create interfaces that are intuitive for users.
In addition, all student-facing print components are available in the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) database, and all student-facing PDFs in Amplify curriculum are formatted to be compatible with screen readers.
If you want to provide feedback about the accessibility of Amplify’s products or this website, or if you want to discuss accommodations to help you use our products or this website, please contact help@amplify.com or +1 (800) 823-1969 (hours: 7 a.m.–7 p.m. ET).
Learn more about the impact of our programs.
Amplify’s high-quality programs benefit millions of students every day using methods that are evidence-based, ESSA-aligned, and showing efficacy in a variety of contexts. Read more about our programs in the following case study and report.
Case study: Making an impact with Aldine ISD
Aldine Independent School District serves 62,000 students in Texas. Forty-two percent are English language learners, and more than 90 percent are economically disadvantaged. After two years of using Amplify’s early literacy suite, the number of Aldine ISD elementary students reading at or above grade level rose from 30 percent to 50 percent.
Report: Advancing Spanish literacy with Boost Lectura
Boost Lectura is proven to support Spanish literacy skills critical for reading development. Students who used Boost Lectura for 30–45 minutes a week outperformed their peers on universal screening assessments of Spanish literacy across grades K–2—and were more likely to meet or exceed benchmarks by the middle of the school year.
How we build our high-quality programs
At Amplify, we support teachers in delivering inspiring, impactful lessons that celebrate and develop the thinking of all their students. We build our high-quality programs by partnering with editorial and accessibility experts.
Editorial
Amplify has a dedicated Editorial Team that partners with product teams, subject matter experts, and an internal advisory Editorial Board to ensure that our products meet Amplify’s high standards for quality and embody our purpose and commitment. Through multiple rounds of product review, the Editorial Team coordinates input from internal and external experts and advisors to ensure that Amplify’s materials are engaging, rigorous, and accurate. The Editorial Team also makes certain that all materials are age-appropriate for students and align with current or pending state, district, and other policies.
Our approach to accessibility
Amplify creates products that serve the needs of all learners, including those with disabilities. We refine our practices regularly and incorporate feedback from our users and accessibility experts.
Amplify works with third-party experts in digital accessibility to help ensure that we build and maintain our products in accordance with the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and other relevant legal requirements. How we do it:
- Integrated accessibility practices: We embed accessibility considerations into our product development lifecycles. We also implement training and vendor management programs that support compliance with applicable standards, guidelines, and best practices.
- Structured, accessible content: We create well-structured, easily navigable content that meets diverse user needs, including clear, readable text, properly labeled multimedia, and logical organization of information.
- Development and testing for accessibility: We work with third-party experts to conduct assessments against accessibility standards and develop remediation plans if deficiencies are identified. Our internal quality assurance protocols include scenarios that test functionality for users with disabilities.
- Comprehensive training and support: We provide continuous training and resources for team members involved in developing our products to help them understand and implement accessibility requirements. This includes training on the latest WCAG guidelines and updates on industry and legal standards.
- Inclusive design patterns: We prioritize accessible design patterns to create interfaces that are intuitive for users.
- Student-facing print components: All student-facing print components are available in the National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) database, and all student-facing PDFs in Amplify curriculum are formatted to be compatible with screen readers.
To provide feedback about the accessibility of Amplify’s products or this website, or to discuss accommodations to help you use our products or this website, please contact the customer care and support team or +1 (800) 823-1969 (hours: 7 a.m.–7 p.m. ET).
Learn more about the impact of our programs.
Amplify’s high-quality programs benefit millions of students every day using methods that are evidence-based, ESSA-aligned, and showing efficacy in a variety of contexts. Read more about our programs in the following case study and report.
Case study: Making an impact with Aldine ISD
Aldine Independent School District serves 62,000 students in Texas. Forty-two percent are English language learners, and more than 90 percent are economically disadvantaged. After two years of using Amplify’s early literacy suite, the number of Aldine ISD elementary students reading at or above grade level rose from 30 percent to 50 percent.
Report: Advancing Spanish literacy with Boost Lectura
Boost Lectura is proven to support Spanish literacy skills critical for reading development. Students who used Boost Lectura for 30–45 minutes a week outperformed their peers on universal screening assessments of Spanish literacy across grades K–2—and were more likely to meet or exceed benchmarks by the middle of the school year.
1. Scope
These Customer Terms and Conditions are a legal agreement between Amplify Education, Inc. (“Amplify”) and the local education agency or authority, school district, school network, independent school, or other regional education system (“Customer”) for the license and use of one or more of Amplify products or services (the “Products”), as specified in the receipt, price quote, proposal, renewal letter, or other ordering document containing the details of this purchase (the “Quote”). These Customer Terms and Conditions, all addenda, attachments, and the Quote, as applicable (together, the “Agreement”), constitute the entire agreement between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof. The provisions of this Agreement will supersede any conflicting terms and conditions in any Customer purchase order, other correspondence or verbal communication, and will supersede and cancel all prior agreements, written or oral, between the parties relating to the subject matter hereof.
2. Agreement Acceptance
This Agreement becomes effective at the earliest of the following: (i) issuing a purchase order, shipment request, or payment against the Quote; (ii) accessing, downloading, or using the Products; or (iii) otherwise accepting this Agreement. This term of the Agreement will be as specified in the Quote and may be renewed or extended by mutual agreement of the parties. Customer represents and warrants that: (1) Customer is of legal age to accept this Agreement; (2) Customer is authorized to accept this Agreement and to access and use the Products; and (3) Customer’s use of the Products will comply at all times with Amplify’s Acceptable Use Policy available at amplify.com/acceptable-use (“AUP”). The Customer may not access, download, or use the Products if the Customer does not agree to this Agreement.
3. License
Subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement, Amplify grants to Customer a non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable license to access and use, and permit Authorized School Users, as defined below, to access and use the Products in accordance with the AUP, for the duration specified in the Quote (the “Term”), and for the number of Authorized School Users specified in the Quote for whom Customer has paid the applicable fees to Amplify. “Authorized School User” means the K–12 students registered or authorized for instruction with Customer and the educators, agents and staff members who use the Products as authorized by Customer who Customer permits to access and use the Products subject to the terms and conditions of the Agreement, solely while such individual is so employed or so registered. Each Authorized School User’s access and use of the Products will be subject to the AUP in addition to the terms and conditions of the Agreement. Violations of this Agreement or the AUP may result in suspension or termination of the applicable account.
4. Restrictions
Customer may access and use the Products solely for non-commercial instructional and administrative purposes. Guidelines for such purposes may be set forth at
https://amplify.com/amplify-program-usage-guidelines/ and additional guidelines may be detailed in materials associated with the Product the Customer is accessing. Further, Customer may not, except as expressly authorized by Amplify: (a) copy, modify, translate, distribute, disclose, or create derivative works based on the contents of, sell, or otherwise exploit, the Products, or any part thereof; (b) decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer the Products, or otherwise use the Products to develop functionally similar products or services; (c) modify, alter, or delete any of the copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices in or on the Products; (d) rent, lease, or lend the Products or use the Products for the benefit of any third party; (e) avoid, circumvent, or disable any security or digital rights management device, procedure, protocol, or mechanism in the Products; (f) use any content from the Products, including but not limited to text, images, videos, assessments, lesson plans, or code, as input or training material for any machine learning or artificial intelligence system, including large language models, neural networks, or other algorithmic models, for any purposes, commercial or non-commercial; or (g) permit any Authorized School User or third party to do any of the foregoing. Customer also agrees that any works created in violation of this section are derivative works, and, as such, Customer agrees to assign, and hereby assigns, all right, title, and interest in such works to Amplify. The Products and derivatives thereof may be subject to export control laws, restrictions, regulations, and orders of the U.S. and other jurisdictions (together, “Export Laws”). Customer agrees to comply with all applicable Export Laws, and will not, and will not permit Authorized School Users to, export, or transfer for the purpose of re-export, any Product to any prohibited or embargoed country in violation of any U.S. export law or regulation. Further, Customer represents that it is not a party subject to sanctions by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control or included on any restricted party list maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security. The software and associated documentation portions of the Products are “commercial items” (as defined at 48 CFR 2.101), comprising “commercial computer software” and “commercial computer software documentation,” as those terms are used in 48 CFR 12.212. Accordingly, if Customer is the U.S. Government or its contractor, Customer will receive only those rights set forth in this Agreement in accordance with 48 CFR 227.7201-227.7204 (for Department of Defense and their contractors) or 48 CFR 12.212 (for other U.S. Government licensees and their contractors).
5. Reservation of Rights
SUBSCRIPTION PRODUCTS ARE LICENSED, NOT SOLD. Subject to the limited rights expressly granted hereunder, all rights, title, and interest in and to all Products, including all related IP Rights, are and will remain the sole and exclusive property of Amplify or its third-party licensors. “IP Rights” means, collectively, rights under patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret laws, and any other intellectual property or proprietary rights recognized in any country or jurisdiction worldwide. Customer must promptly notify Amplify of any violation of Amplify’s IP Rights in the Products, and will reasonably assist Amplify as necessary to remedy any such violation. Amplify Products are protected by patents (see amplify.com/virtual-patent-marking). Amplify reserves the right to update or modify the Products at any time and to discontinue the Products upon reasonable notice.
6. Payments
In consideration of the Products, Customer will pay to Amplify (or other party designated on the Quote) the fees specified in the Quote in full within 30 days of the date of invoice, except as otherwise agreed by the parties or for those amounts that are subject to a good faith dispute of which Customer has notified Amplify in writing. Customer will be responsible for all state or local sales, use or gross receipts taxes, and federal excise taxes unless Customer provides a then-current tax exemption certificate in advance of the delivery, license, or performance of any Product, as applicable.
7. Shipments
Unless otherwise specified on the Quote, physical Products will be shipped FOB origin in the US (Incoterms 2010 EXW outside of the US) and are deemed accepted by Customer upon receipt. Upon acceptance of such Products, orders are non-refundable, non-returnable, and non-exchangeable, except in the case of defective or missing materials reported to Amplify by Customer within 60 days of receipt. In such case, Customer may not return Products without Amplify’s written authorization.
8. Account Information
For subscription Products, the authentication of Authorized School Users is based in part upon information supplied by Customer or Authorized School Users, as applicable. Customer will and will cause its Authorized School Users to (a) provide accurate information to Amplify or a third-party service as applicable, and promptly report any changes to such information, (b) not share login credentials or otherwise allow others to use their account, (c) maintain the confidentiality and security of their account information, and (d) use the Products solely via such authorized accounts. Customer agrees to notify Amplify immediately of any unauthorized use of its or its Authorized School Users’ accounts or related authentication information. Amplify will not be responsible for any losses arising out of the unauthorized use of accounts created by or for Customer and its Authorized School Users.
9. Confidentiality
Customer acknowledges that, in connection with this Agreement, Amplify has provided or will provide to Customer and its Authorized School Users certain sensitive or proprietary information, including software, source code, assessment instruments, research, designs, methods, processes, customer lists, training materials, product documentation, know-how, or trade secrets, in whatever form (“Confidential Information”). Customer agrees (a) not to use Confidential Information for any purpose other than use of the Products in accordance with this Agreement and (b) to take all steps reasonably necessary to maintain and protect the Confidential Information of Amplify in strict confidence. Confidential Information shall not include information that, as evidenced by Customer’s contemporaneous written records: (i) is or becomes publicly available through no fault of Customer; (ii) is rightfully known to Customer prior to the time of its disclosure; (iii) has been independently developed by Customer without any use of the Confidential Information; or (iv) is subsequently learned from a third party not under any confidentiality obligation.
10. Student Data
The parties acknowledge and agree that in the course of providing the Products to the Customer, Amplify may collect, receive, or generate information that directly relates to an identifiable student of Customer (“Student Data”). Student Data may include personal information from a student’s “educational records,” as defined by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”). Student Data is owned and controlled by the Customer and Amplify receives Student Data as a “school official” under Section 99.31 of FERPA for the purpose of providing the Products hereunder. Individually and collectively, Amplify and Customer agree to uphold our obligations, as applicable, under FERPA, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”), the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (“PPRA”), and applicable state laws relating to student data privacy. Amplify’s Customer Privacy Policy at amplify.com/customer-privacy (“Privacy Policy”) will govern collection, use, and disclosure of Student Data collected or stored on behalf of Customer under this Agreement. In addition, Amplify has entered into the data privacy agreements listed at amplify.com/privacy-security aligned with state and national templates to facilitate compliance with applicable state laws and help expedite Customer’s student data privacy documentation process. Customer is responsible for providing notice and obtaining appropriate consents under applicable laws to authorize Authorized School Users’ use of the Products, including making a copy of the Privacy Policy available to the parents or guardians of users who are under the age of 13.
11. Customer Materials and Requirements
Customer represents, warrants, and covenants that it has all the necessary rights, including consents and IP Rights, in connection with any data, information, content, and other materials provided to or collected by Amplify on behalf of Customer or its Authorized School Users using the Products or otherwise in connection with this Agreement (“Customer Materials”), and that Amplify has the right to use such Customer Materials as contemplated hereunder or for any other purposes required by Customer. Customer is solely responsible for the accuracy, integrity, completeness, quality, legality, and safety of such Customer Materials. Customer is responsible for meeting hardware, software, telecommunications, and other requirements listed at amplify.com/customer-requirements.
12. Warranty Disclaimer
PRODUCTS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND BY AMPLIFY. AMPLIFY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY AS TO TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE. CUSTOMER ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTING THE PRODUCTS TO ACHIEVE CUSTOMER’S INTENDED RESULTS AND FOR THE ACCESS AND USE OF THE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING THE RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE PRODUCTS. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, AMPLIFY MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT THE PRODUCTS WILL BE ERROR-FREE OR FREE FROM INTERRUPTIONS OR OTHER FAILURES OR WILL MEET CUSTOMER’S REQUIREMENTS. AMPLIFY IS NEITHER RESPONSIBLE NOR LIABLE FOR ANY THIRD-PARTY CONTENT OR SOFTWARE INCLUDED IN PRODUCTS, INCLUDING THE ACCURACY, INTEGRITY, COMPLETENESS, QUALITY, LEGALITY, USEFULNESS, OR SAFETY OF, OR IP RIGHTS RELATING TO, SUCH THIRD-PARTY CONTENT AND SOFTWARE. ANY ACCESS TO OR USE OF SUCH THIRD-PARTY CONTENT AND SOFTWARE MAY BE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND INFORMATION COLLECTION, USAGE, AND DISCLOSURE PRACTICES OF THIRD PARTIES.
13. Limitation of Liability
TO THE EXTENT SUCH LIMITATION IS NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL AMPLIFY BE LIABLE TO CUSTOMER OR TO ANY AUTHORIZED SCHOOL USER FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, RELIANCE, OR COVER DAMAGES, DAMAGES FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA OR LOST BUSINESS, OR ANY OTHER INDIRECT DAMAGES, EVEN IF AMPLIFY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. TO THE EXTENT SUCH LIMITATION IS NOT PROHIBITED BY APPLICABLE LAW, AMPLIFY’S ENTIRE LIABILITY TO CUSTOMER OR ANY AUTHORIZED USER ARISING OUT OF PERFORMANCE OR NONPERFORMANCE BY AMPLIFY OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS AGREEMENT, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE CLAIM FOR SUCH DAMAGES IS BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE, MAY NOT EXCEED THE AGGREGATE OF CUSTOMER’S OR ANY AUTHORIZED USER’S DIRECT DAMAGES UP TO THE FEES PAID BY CUSTOMER TO AMPLIFY FOR THE AFFECTED PORTION OF THE PRODUCTS IN THE PRIOR 12-MONTH PERIOD. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL AMPLIFY BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENCES OF ANY UNAUTHORIZED USE OF THE PRODUCTS BY AN AUTHORIZED SCHOOL USER THAT VIOLATES THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION.
14. Termination
Without prejudice to any rights either party may have under this Agreement, in law, equity, or otherwise, a party will have the right to terminate this Agreement if the other party (or in the case of Amplify, an Authorized School User) materially breaches any term, provision, warranty, or representation under this Agreement and fails to correct the breach within 30 days of its receipt of written notice thereof. Upon termination, Customer will: (a) cease using the Products, (b) return, purge, or destroy (as directed by Amplify) all copies of any Products and, if so requested, certify to Amplify in writing that such surrender or destruction has occurred, (c) pay any fees due and owing hereunder, and (d) not be entitled to a refund of any fees previously paid, unless otherwise specified in the Quote. Customer will be responsible for the cost of any continued use of the Products following termination. Upon termination, Amplify will return or destroy any Student Data provided to Amplify hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing will require Amplify to return or destroy any data that does not include Student Data, including de-identified information or data that is derived from access to Student Data but which does not contain Student Data. Sections 3–14 will survive the termination of this Agreement.
15. Miscellaneous
This Agreement may not be modified except in writing signed by both parties. All defined terms in this Agreement will apply to their singular and plural forms, as applicable. The word “including” means “including without limitation.” For United States-based Customers, this Agreement will be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the U.S., state, commonwealth, or territory in which Customer resides based on the address set forth in the Quote, without regard to that state’s, commonwealth’s, or territory’s choice of law rules. For Customers based outside of the United States, this Agreement will be governed by the laws of the U.S., state of New York, without giving effect to the choice of law rules thereof. This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and assigns. The parties expressly understand and agree that their relationship is that of independent contractors. Nothing in this Agreement will constitute one party as an employee, agent, joint venture partner, or servant of another. Each party is solely responsible for all of its employees and agents and its labor costs and expenses arising in connection herewith. Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder may be assigned or delegated by Customer or any Authorized School User without the prior written consent of Amplify. If one or more of the provisions contained in this Agreement will for any reason be held to be unenforceable at law, such provisions will be construed by the appropriate judicial body to limit or reduce such provision or provisions so as to be enforceable to the maximum extent compatible with applicable law. Amplify will have no liability to Customer or to third parties for any failure or delay in performing any obligation under this Agreement due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including acts of God or nature, fire, earthquake, flood, epidemic, pandemic, strikes, labor stoppages or slowdowns, civil disturbances or terrorism, national or regional emergencies, supply shortages or delays, action by any governmental authority, or interruptions in power, communications, satellites, the Internet, or any other network. Each party represents and warrants that it has all necessary right, power, and authority to enter into this Agreement and to comply with the obligations hereunder.
Last Modified: February 2, 2026
Screen and intervene with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition.
Did you know mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition is the industry’s first all-in-one universal and dyslexia screener? This means with just one screener, you’ll gain a complete picture of your students’ grade-level reading abilities and dyslexia risk factors. Our gold-standard assessment identifies students who need more support, then recommends targeted instruction they’ll love.
The right measures at the right time
With mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, you’ll assess students based on grade-specific curriculum and instructional standards, in accordance with International Dyslexia Association (IDA) guidelines.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition offers one-minute, easy-to-administer measures of processing speed, phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, and word reading.
| DIBELS® 8th Edition subtest alignment with IDA Guidelines | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyslexia Screening Area | mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4–6 |
| Rapid naming ability | Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) | | | |||
| Phonological awareness | Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) | | | |||
| Alphabetic principle | Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) | | | | | |
| Word reading | Word Reading Fluency (WRF) | | | | | |
| Word reading | Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) | | | | | |
| Comprehension | Maze | | | | ||
Validated as a universal screener and a dyslexia screener
Strong reliability and validity evidence shows that DIBELS 8th Edition can effectively assess students in key skills linked to both dyslexia and broader reading difficulty. The research supporting DIBELS 8th Edition, conducted by the University of Oregon, is rigorous, meets high technical standards, and empowers educators to make well-informed decisions.
Read the DIBELS 8th Edition Dyslexia White Paper.
A complete system for data-based decision making
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition provides rich data that helps you make informed instructional decisions and seek out further dyslexia screening evaluation if needed:
- Assess skills: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and optional dyslexia screenings in Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), Spelling, Vocabulary, and Oral Language accurately assess students’ abilities.
- Identify risk: The DIBELS 8 composite score shows each student’s risk level, with ‘Well Below Benchmark’ indicating a need for intensive support. Students who are also ‘Well Below Benchmark’ in RAN and/or Spelling have an additional Risk Indicator icon next to their name.
- Provide instruction: The mCLASS Instruction feature analyzes student error patterns to key dyslexia-related subtests, then recommends small groups and explicit, multi-sensory activities for reinforcing skills.
- Progress monitor: mCLASS includes progress-monitoring measures to track student growth in letter sounds, alphabetic principle, word reading, oral reading fluency, and comprehension, so that informed instructional decisions can be made.
- Adapt instruction: mCLASS displays indicators based on progress monitoring performance that indicate when a change in instruction may be needed. It also updates instruction recommendations using the latest data.
Differentiated literacy instruction
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition lays the groundwork for a strong Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
In addition to identifying students with symptoms of dyslexia, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition data recommends early intervention, personalized instruction, and core instruction within Amplify’s early literacy suite. Based on the Science of Reading, Amplify’s early literacy suite programs follow an explicit and systematic structure, build knowledge, and instruct on all of the foundational skills essential to literacy development.
- Intervene with mCLASS Intervention and Amplify Tutoring: Staff-led Tier 2 and 3 intervention for intensive support.
- Practice with Boost Reading: Personalized learning program to extend and reinforce core instruction.
- Instruct with Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA): Core curriculum to build foundational skills and knowledge.
Bilingual dyslexia screening
By assessing with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and its Spanish counterpart, mCLASS Lectura, you’ll know with confidence whether a student truly shows signs of dyslexia or is experiencing difficulties learning a new language.
When used together, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura feature a Dual Language Report that analyzes dyslexia screening results in both languages. The report also details how each student can leverage their strengths from one language to support growth in the other.
Optional screening measures at no extra cost
Your mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition program includes optional measures in vocabulary, spelling, RAN, and language comprehension that can be added flexibly to meet your specific instructional goals or requirements for dyslexia screening. These measures are available in English and Spanish and offered at no additional cost.
| English Measure | Spanish Measure | Description | Grade Level |
| Vocabulary | Vocabulario | Measures knowledge of grade-specific words and deriving meaning from texts. | K–3 |
| Encoding (Spelling) | Ortografía | Measures spelling skills for grade-specific words. | K–3 |
| RAN (Numbers) | – | Measures how quickly students can name numeric symbols aloud. | K–3 |
| Oral language | Lenguaje oral | Students are asked to repeat sentences verbatim while the assessor notes errors. | K–2 |
Dyslexia resources for families
Families play a crucial role in helping children overcome reading challenges. mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide a Home Connect letter after each dyslexia screening to explain the results in family-friendly language, recommend activities, and direct families to a free website for additional at-home support.
Developmentally appropriate
Computer-based assessments that require students to complete tasks silently or independently may over-identify students for intervention services, especially young learners who are still developing focus and attention abilities.
mCLASS requires students to actively demonstrate their proficiency in producing letter sounds, forming words, and reading texts. This approach to assessment aligns with IDA guidelines for effective screening of reading challenges. By choosing mCLASS for dyslexia screening, you’ll gain accurate information about a student’s risk for dyslexia, and gain the capability to monitor every student’s path to reading proficiency.
Additional resources
- Science of Reading: The Podcast, Season 7, Episode 7: Debunking the “gift” of dyslexia in children, with Dr. Tim Odegard
- Science of Reading: The Podcast, Season 1, Episode 6: The facts and myths of dyslexia, with Emily Lutrick
Acceptable Use Policy
Amplify Education, Inc. (“Amplify”) products support classroom instruction and learning and include Amplify CKLA, Amplify ELA, Amplify Science, Amplify Desmos Math, Desmos Math, Boost Reading, Boost Math, mCLASS, Mathigon, services at classroom.amplify.com (for creating and assigning activities) and student.amplify.com (for use of the activities or curricula as directed by an instructor), and any other product or service that links to this Acceptable Use Policy (together, the “Products”). This Acceptable Use Policy (the “AUP”) provides the general terms and conditions applicable to your use of the Products. By accessing, downloading, or using the Products, you agree to be bound by the terms of this AUP.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this AUP supersedes or limits your rights under the terms of any other agreement you or your institution have entered into with Amplify regarding the use of Products. In the event of any conflict between the AUP and the terms and conditions of an applicable agreement that you or your institution have entered into with Amplify, the terms and conditions of such agreement shall control.
Our Products are geared towards K–12 students, educators, and staff who use the Products as authorized by their School District or State Agency (each as defined in the Privacy Policy (defined below), and together, “School”) (“Authorized School Users”). Student Data (defined below) is owned and controlled by the School, and Amplify receives Student Data as a “school official” under Section 99.31 of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”) for the purpose of providing the Products hereunder. In addition, we rely on the School acknowledging that it is acting as the parent’s agent and consenting on the parent’s behalf to process personal information of students under the age of 13 (“Child Users”) in accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”).
Schools may provide authorization in two ways:
(1) by the School agreeing to our Customer Terms and Conditions located at amplify.com/customer-terms or another agreement between Amplify and the School, as applicable; or
(2) by an educator, staff member, or agent of a School (“Educator”) agreeing to this AUP. If you are an Educator and wish to use the Products in your classroom, you represent and warrant that the use of the Products in your classroom has been authorized by your School, and that you are authorized to accept this AUP on behalf of the School.
In each case, we provide these Products solely for the benefit of the School and for no other commercial purpose. We require all Schools to review our Privacy Policy, available at amplify.com/customer-privacy (“Privacy Policy”), and to make a copy of the Privacy Policy available to the parents or guardians of Child Users.
We also provide limited opportunities for individual users to sign up for a restricted account for at-home use of our Products (together, with Authorized School Users, “Authorized Users”). Please see Additional terms for Mathigon and Amplify Classroom accounts (Section 18) for additional information.
1. License
Subject to compliance with this AUP, you are granted a non-transferable, non-exclusive, non-sublicensable license to access and use the Products. You understand that your use of the Products does not confer to you any intellectual property rights held by Amplify or its licensors. Unless otherwise indicated, any future release, update, or other addition to functionality or content of the Products will be subject to this AUP.
2. Restrictions
You may access and use the Products solely for non-commercial instructional and administrative purposes. Guidelines for such purposes may be set forth at http://amplify.com/amplify-program-usage-guidelines and additional guidelines may be detailed in materials associated with the Product You are accessing. Further, You may not, except as expressly authorized by Amplify: (a) copy, modify, translate, distribute, disclose, or create derivative works based on the contents of, sell, or otherwise exploit, the Products, or any part thereof; (b) decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer the Products, or otherwise use the Products to develop functionally similar products or services; (c) modify, alter, or delete any of the copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices in or on the Products; (d) rent, lease, or lend the Products or use the Products for the benefit of any third party; (e) avoid, circumvent, or disable any security or digital rights management device, procedure, protocol, or mechanism in the Products; (f) use any content from the Products, including but not limited to text, images, videos, assessments, lesson plans, or code, as input or training material for any machine learning or artificial intelligence system, including large language models, neural networks, or other algorithmic models, for any purposes, commercial or non-commercial; or (g) permit any Authorized User or third party to do any of the foregoing. You also agree that any works created in violation of this section are derivative works, and, as such, You agree to assign, and hereby assign, all right, title, and interest in such works to Amplify. The Products and derivatives thereof may be subject to export control laws, restrictions, regulations, and orders of the U.S. and other jurisdictions (together, “Export Laws”). You agree to comply with all applicable Export Laws, and will not, and will not permit Authorized Users to, export, or transfer for the purpose of re-export, any Product to any prohibited or embargoed country in violation of any U.S. export law or regulation. Further, You represent that You are not located in a country that is subject to a U.S. Government embargo, subject to sanctions by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control, or included on any restricted party list maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security. The software and associated documentation portions of the Products are “commercial items” (as defined at 48 CFR 2.101), comprising “commercial computer software” and “commercial computer software documentation,” as those terms are used in 48 CFR 12.212. Accordingly, if You are associated with the U.S. Government or its contractor, You will receive only those rights set forth in this Agreement in accordance with 48 CFR 227.7201-227.7204 (for Department of Defense and their contractors) or 48 CFR 12.212 (for other U.S. Government licensees and their contractors).
3. Use of the products
In connection with your access to and use of the Products, you agree not to: (a) post, upload, or otherwise transmit or link to content that is: unlawful; threatening; harmful; abusive; pornographic or includes nudity; offensive; harassing; excessively violent; tortious; defamatory; false or misleading; obscene; vulgar; libelous; hateful; or discriminatory; (b) violate the rights of others, including patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright, privacy, publicity, contract, or other proprietary rights; (c) harass or harm another person; (d) exploit or endanger a minor; (e) impersonate any person or entity; (f) introduce or engage in activity that involves the use of viruses, bots, worms, Trojan horses, time bombs, spyware, or any other computer code, files, or programs that interrupt, destroy, or limit the functionality of any computer software or hardware or telecommunications equipment, or otherwise permit the unauthorized access to or use of a computer or a computer network; (g) interfere with, damage, disable, disrupt, impair, create an undue burden on, or gain unauthorized access to the Products or any account (as defined below), or Amplify’s servers or networks; (h) restrict or inhibit any other person from using the Products (including by hacking or defacing the Products); (i) remove, disable, block, or obscure any portion of the Products; (j) use technology or any automated system, such as scripts or bots, to collect user names, passwords, email addresses, or any other data from or through the Products, or to circumvent or modify any security technology or software that is part of the Products; (k) send or cause to send (directly or indirectly) unsolicited bulk messages or other unsolicited bulk communications of any kind through the Products; (l) solicit, collect, or request any information for commercial or unlawful purposes; (m) post, upload, or otherwise transmit an image, audio recording, or video of another person without that person’s consent; (n) use the Products to advertise, promote, or engage in any commercial activity (including engaging in advertising, sales, contests, sweepstakes, or other promotions) without Amplify’s prior written consent; (o) frame or mirror the Products without Amplify’s express prior written consent; (p) use the Products in a manner inconsistent with any applicable law, rule, or regulation; (q) use any robot, spider, search/retrieval application, or other manual or automatic device to retrieve, index, “scrape,” “data mine,” or in any way gather content of the Products or reproduce or circumvent the navigational structure or presentation of the Products; (r) attempt, facilitate, or encourage others to do any of the foregoing. In addition to the foregoing restrictions, your use of the Products may also be subject to an additional acceptable use policy provided to you by your School, as applicable. You are responsible for meeting the hardware, software, telecommunications, and other requirements listed at amplify.com/customer-requirements.
4. Intellectual property
The Products and any Product logo, and certain other of the names, logos, and materials displayed in the Products, may constitute trademarks, trade names, or service marks (“Marks”) of Amplify or other entities. You are not authorized to use any such Marks. Ownership of all such Marks and the goodwill associated therewith remains with Amplify or those other entities. The content provided to you in the Products, including the software, graphs, text, and graphics, is protected under copyright laws, is subject to other intellectual property and proprietary rights and laws, and is owned by Amplify or its licensors. Your access to the Products does not transfer to you or any third party any rights, title, or interest in or to such intellectual property rights. You may not use the content of the Products, in whole or in part, to train or fine-tune any machine learning or artificial intelligence model or system, including for research, product development, commercial services, or any other purpose, commercial or non-commercial. Such use constitutes unauthorized derivative work and a violation of Amplify’s intellectual property rights. Your rights to make use of the Products are limited to those provided under this AUP, any additional terms as may be agreed upon between your School and Amplify, and any available exceptions under applicable intellectual property laws. Amplify Products are protected by patents (see amplify.com/virtual-patent-marking).
5. Account information
Your authentication to enable your access and use of these Products is based in part upon information supplied by you. You are required to (a) provide accurate information to Amplify and promptly report any changes to such information, (b) not share or allow others to use your account, (c) maintain the confidentiality and security of your account information, and (d) use the Products solely via such authorized accounts. You may not share your credentials (i.e., username and password) to access the Products with anyone except the person for whom that account was created. You agree to notify Amplify immediately of any unauthorized use of your account or related authentication information. Amplify will not be responsible for any losses arising out of the unauthorized use of your account.
6. Student data
The parties acknowledge and agree that in the course of providing the Products, Amplify may collect, receive, or generate information that directly relates to an identifiable current or former student of a School (“Student Data”). Student Data may include personal information from a student’s “educational records,” as defined by FERPA. Student Data is owned and controlled by the School and Amplify receives Student Data as a “school official” under Section 99.31 of FERPA for the purpose of providing the Products hereunder. Individually and collectively, Amplify and School agree to uphold our obligations, as applicable, under FERPA, COPPA, the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (“PPRA”), and applicable state laws relating to Student Data privacy. Amplify’s Privacy Policy governs the collection, use, and disclosure of Student Data collected or stored on behalf of the School under this AUP. The School is responsible for providing notice or obtaining appropriate consents under applicable laws to authorize Authorized School Users’ use of the Products, including making a copy of the Privacy Policy available to the parents or guardians of Child Users. Please see Additional Terms for Mathigon and Amplify Classroom accounts (Section 18) for additional information.
7. Confidentiality
You acknowledge that in connection with these terms, Amplify may provide you with certain sensitive or proprietary information (“Confidential Information”), including software, source code, assessment instruments, research, designs, methods, processes, customer lists, training materials, product documentation, know-how, or trade secrets, in whatever form. You agree (a) not to use Confidential Information for any purpose other than use of the Products in accordance with the AUP, and (b) to take all steps reasonably necessary to maintain and protect the Confidential Information of Amplify in strict confidence. Confidential Information shall not include information that, as evidenced by your contemporaneous written records: (i) is or becomes publicly available through no fault of your own; (ii) is rightfully known to you prior to the time of its disclosure; (iii) has been independently developed by you without any use of the Confidential Information; or (iv) is subsequently learned from a third party not under any confidentiality obligation.
8. User materials
You represent, warrant, and covenant that you have all the necessary rights, including consents and intellectual property rights, in connection with any data, information, content, and other materials provided to or collected by Amplify from you or on your behalf in connection with your use of the Products, including materials and content that you post, upload, transmit, email, or otherwise make available on, through, or in connection with the Products (“User Materials”), and that except as otherwise agreed by your School and Amplify, you retain any ownership rights that you have in your User Materials. You hereby grant to Amplify and its affiliates, licensees, and authorized users, a perpetual, non-exclusive, fully paid-up, royalty-free, sublicensable (through multiple tiers), transferable (in whole or in part), worldwide license to use, modify, excerpt, adapt, create derivative works and compilations based upon, publicly perform, publicly display, reproduce, and distribute such User Materials in connection with the Products, subject to Amplify’s Privacy Policy. You and your School are responsible for the accuracy, integrity, completeness, quality, legality, and safety of such User Materials. You further represent and warrant that the posting of such User Materials through or in connection with the Products does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, contract rights, or any other rights of any person or entity. Amplify and your School reserve the right (but have no obligation) to monitor the Products, including for inappropriate content or conduct, and to remove any content in their discretion without liability to you or any third party. Further, Amplify reserves the right to investigate and take appropriate legal action against anyone who, in Amplify’s discretion, violates this AUP or attempts to do so, including terminating or suspending a user’s account or access to or use of the Products, or reporting any content or conduct to law enforcement authorities. You are solely responsible for creating and maintaining your own backup copies of your User Materials. Amplify is not responsible for any loss, theft, or damage of any kind to any User Materials.
9. Feedback
If you provide us with any ideas, proposals, or suggestions related to the Products (“Feedback”), you hereby acknowledge and agree that your provision of any Feedback is gratuitous, unsolicited, and without restriction, and does not place Amplify under any fiduciary or other obligation. You hereby grant to Amplify a worldwide, royalty-free, fully paid-up, exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, and fully sublicensable (through multiple tiers) license to reproduce, distribute, perform and/or display (publicly or otherwise), adapt, modify, and otherwise use such Feedback, in any format or media now known or hereafter developed, and you hereby represent and warrant that you have all necessary rights to grant the foregoing license.
10. Third party links and services
The Products may make available, or third parties may provide, links to websites, software, applications, resources, advertisements, content, or other products or services created, hosted, or made available by third parties (“Third Party Services”). When you access or use a Third-Party Service, you are interacting with the applicable third party, not with Amplify, and you do so at your own risk. Inclusion of any Third-Party Service or a link thereto within the Products does not imply approval or endorsement of such Third-Party Service. Amplify does not control any content that is not Amplify content, and as such, you may be exposed to offensive, indecent, inaccurate, or otherwise objectionable content in the course of accessing or using such Third-Party Services linked from the Products. You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users of the Products, providers of Third-Party Services, and any other third parties with whom you interact on, through, or in connection with the Products. AMPLIFY IS NEITHER RESPONSIBLE NOR LIABLE FOR ANY THIRD-PARTY SERVICES, INCLUDING THE ACCURACY, INTEGRITY, COMPLETENESS, QUALITY, LEGALITY, USEFULNESS, OR SAFETY OF, OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS RELATING TO, SUCH THIRD-PARTY SERVICES. ANY ACCESS TO OR USE OF SUCH THIRD-PARTY SERVICES MAY BE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND INFORMATION COLLECTION, USAGE, AND DISCLOSURE PRACTICES OF THIRD PARTIES. THIS AUP DOES NOT CREATE ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOU AND ANY PROVIDER OF THIRD-PARTY SERVICES, AND NOTHING IN THIS AUP WILL BE DEEMED TO BE A REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY BY AMPLIFY WITH RESPECT TO ANY THIRD-PARTY SERVICE.
11. Digital Millennium Copyright Act
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (“DMCA”) provides recourse for copyright owners who believe that material appearing on the Internet infringes their rights under U.S. copyright law. If you believe that any material residing on or linked to from the Products infringes your copyright, please send (or have your agent send) to Amplify’s Copyright Agent, by email, fax, or regular mail, a written notification of claimed infringement with all of the following information: (a) identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works; (b) identification of the claimed infringing material and information reasonably sufficient to permit us to locate the material on the Products (such as the URL(s) of the claimed infringing material); (c) information reasonably sufficient to permit us to contact you, such as an address, telephone number, and, if available, an e-mail address; (d) a statement by you that you have a good-faith belief that the disputed use is not authorized by the copyright owner, the copyright owner’s agent or the law; (e) a statement by you that the above information in your notification is accurate, and a statement by you, made under penalty of perjury, that you are the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed, or that you are authorized to act on such owner’s behalf; and (f) your physical or electronic signature. Amplify’s Copyright Agent for notification of claimed infringement can be reached as follows: Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington Street #800, Brooklyn NY 11201; Attn: Copyright Agent. Amplify’s Copyright Agent for notification of claimed infringement can also be reached electronically at legal@amplify.com. Amplify reserves the right to terminate infringers’ and suspected infringers’ accounts or their access to or use of the Products.
12. Changes to the products
Amplify may, without prior notice, change any Product or stop providing any features of any Product. We may permanently or temporarily terminate or suspend your access to any Product features without notice for any reason, including if in our sole determination you violate any provision of this AUP. Upon termination, you continue to be bound by this AUP.
13. Warranty disclaimer
PRODUCTS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND BY AMPLIFY. AMPLIFY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY AS TO TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE. YOU ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR SELECTING THE PRODUCTS TO ACHIEVE YOUR INTENDED RESULTS AND FOR THE ACCESS AND USE OF THE PRODUCTS, INCLUDING THE RESULTS OBTAINED FROM THE PRODUCTS. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, AMPLIFY MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT THE PRODUCTS WILL BE ERROR-FREE OR FREE FROM INTERRUPTIONS OR OTHER FAILURES OR WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS. AMPLIFY IS NEITHER RESPONSIBLE NOR LIABLE FOR ANY THIRD-PARTY CONTENT OR SOFTWARE INCLUDED IN PRODUCTS, INCLUDING THE ACCURACY, INTEGRITY, COMPLETENESS, QUALITY, LEGALITY, USEFULNESS, OR SAFETY OF, OR IP RIGHTS RELATING TO, SUCH THIRD-PARTY CONTENT AND SOFTWARE. ANY ACCESS TO OR USE OF SUCH THIRD-PARTY CONTENT AND SOFTWARE MAY BE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND INFORMATION COLLECTION, USAGE, AND DISCLOSURE PRACTICES OF THIRD PARTIES.
14. Limitation of liability
IN NO EVENT WILL AMPLIFY BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, RELIANCE, OR COVER DAMAGES, DAMAGES FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST DATA, LOST BUSINESS, OR ANY OTHER INDIRECT DAMAGES, EVEN IF AMPLIFY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, AMPLIFY’S ENTIRE LIABILITY TO YOU ARISING OUT OF PERFORMANCE OR NONPERFORMANCE BY AMPLIFY OR IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS AUP, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE CLAIM FOR SUCH DAMAGES IS BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE, WILL NOT EXCEED $100 IN AGGREGATE. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL AMPLIFY BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENCES OF ANY UNAUTHORIZED USE OF THE PRODUCTS THAT VIOLATES THIS AUP OR ANY APPLICABLE LAW OR REGULATION.
15. Termination
Amplify may terminate or suspend your access to the Products at any time for any reason, including if Amplify believes that you have violated the AUP or have engaged in conduct that violates applicable law or is otherwise harmful to the interests of Amplify, any other Amplify user, or any third party. Upon termination, you will: cease using the Products and return, purge, or destroy all copies of any Products and, if so requested, certify to Amplify in writing that such surrender or destruction has occurred. Sections 3–13, 16, and 17 will survive the termination of this Agreement.
16. Governing Law
This Agreement will be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the U.S., state of New York, without giving effect to the choice of law rules thereof.
17. Additional terms for iOS apps
By downloading any Products through Apple, Inc.’s App Store (“iOS Products”), you agree that the following additional terms apply to your use of our iOS Products:
- This AUP is not a legal agreement with Apple, Inc. (“Apple”). As between Amplify and Apple, Amplify (not Apple) is responsible for the iOS Products and the contents thereof.
- The license to use the iOS Products under Section 3 above is limited to use (i) on iOS devices that you or your School owns or controls, separate from and in addition to any specific technical requirements for any iOS Product, and (ii) as permitted by the Usage Rules set forth in Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions.
- You must comply with applicable third-party terms of agreement when using the Products.
- Without limiting Section 13 above and solely as between Amplify and Apple, you acknowledge that: (i) Apple has no obligation whatsoever to furnish any maintenance and support services with respect to the iOS Products; (ii) Amplify (not Apple) is responsible for addressing any claims of yours or of any third party relating to the iOS Products or your possession and/or use of the iOS products, including but not limited to (1) product liability claims, (2) any claim that the iOS Products fail to conform to any applicable legal or regulatory requirement, and (3) claims arising under consumer protection, privacy, or similar legislation; (iii) in the event of any failure of the iOS Products to conform to any applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund the purchase price for the iOS Products to you; to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Apple will have no other warranty obligation whatsoever with respect to the iOS Products, and any other claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, or expenses attributable to any failure to conform to any warranty will be Amplify’s sole responsibility; and (iv) in the event of any third-party claim that the iOS Products or your possession and use of the iOS Products infringes that third party’s intellectual property rights, Amplify (not Apple) will be responsible for any investigation, defense, settlement, and discharge of any such intellectual property infringement claim.
- You represent and warrant that: (i) you are not located in a country that is subject to a U.S. Government embargo, or that has been designated by the U.S. Government as a “terrorist supporting” country; and (ii) you are not listed on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties.
- Apple and Apple’s subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms, and upon your acceptance of these Terms, Apple will have the right (and will be deemed to have accepted the right) to enforce these Terms against you as a third-party beneficiary thereof.
- Any questions, complaints, or claims with respect to the Products should be directed to:
Email: privacy@amplify.comMail: Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington St. #800, Brooklyn, NY, 11201
18. Additional terms for Mathigon and Amplify Classroom accounts.
a. Mathigon updates: Amplify no longer offers accounts for Child Users, but we will continue to allow Child Users to access their active legacy Mathigon accounts where verifiable parental consent was obtained. We will continue to protect personal information in accordance with the Privacy Policy and applicable law.
b. Mathigon and Amplify Classroom:
i. School Use:
- Educators: If you are an Educator, you can create a Mathigon or an Amplify Classroom account using any existing email or through an existing third-party account (e.g. Google, Microsoft). Go to https://mathigon.org/signup#teacher to sign up for Mathigon. Go to classroom.amplify.com to sign up for Amplify Classroom.
- Students can also sign up using a unique class code provided by an Educator. Educators are responsible for gaining appropriate authorization or permission from their School to use the Products with students, including Child Users, before providing their unique class code or linking the Products to a third-party service like Google Classroom. For such use in the school context, we do not request additional consent from parents in accordance with the “school official” exception under FERPA and relevant COPPA guidance. For more information, visit our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and disclose personal information and data through the provision of our Products in schools.
ii. Outside of School Use: If you are an individual user using the Products at home or otherwise outside of the school context, you are prohibited from collecting or providing any personal information from students or minors. You are permitted to access the platform for instructional purposes, but you may not enroll or roster minors, create accounts for minors, or input any personal information of minors into the Product.
19. Updates to this policy
We may change this Acceptable Use Policy in the future. For example, we may update it to address changes in our product offerings, or to address changes in the law or best practices. If we make changes that materially impact your legal rights or use of our products, we will provide prominent notification to you (e.g. via the Site or by email). Otherwise, we will post any updates to the policy with an updated “Last Revised Date” and all changes will become effective immediately. Please check the Last Revised Date to confirm if the policy has been revised.
Last Modified: February 2, 2026
Welcome, Idaho SMART educators and schools!
In alignment with the Idaho Department of Education’s K–3 Idaho SMART Project, mCLASSⓇ DIBELSⓇ 8th Edition has been selected to support the initiative’s goals. This selection reinforces Idaho’s commitment to ensuring every child reads proficiently by the end of third grade using evidence-based practices grounded in the Science of Reading.
Log in to access your mCLASS program and hundreds of resources at learning.amplify.com.
What’s new?
- Contact Yvonne Rhode at yrohde@amplify.com for dedicated account support.
- New episodes of Amplify’s Science of Reading: The Podcast are now available!
Want advice and answers from the Amplify team?
About mCLASS in Idaho
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition will enable the early identification of students requiring additional reading support, providing the data and insights needed to build the strong literacy foundations envisioned in Idaho’s SMART Project through its collaborative work with leadership, district/building coaches, and educators.
mCLASS in Idaho is committed to providing literacy instruction for all by:
- Aligning core curriculum, instruction, and assessments with the Science of Reading.
- Providing appropriate literacy interventions to address the varying needs and challenges of reading development.
- Implementing practices based on the Science of Reading in every classroom, every day.
- Providing aligned resources to parents, guardians, and family members.
mCLASS is built on decades of research from the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon, a national center for early childhood assessment and instruction. The measures are already in use in many districts in Idaho. The additional mCLASS suite includes reporting, grouping, lessons, and caregiver support.
Interested in more information? Watch the recording of the Idaho Department of Education’s overview of what is being offered to educators.
Transform your assessment and instructional skills with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition training.
Ready to master one of education’s most powerful assessment tools? Join our comprehensive mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition training sessions and unlock the full potential of data-driven instruction!
You’ll gain:
- Complete mastery of mCLASS essentials, from administration to scoring.
- Confidence in using standardized assessment guidelines.
- Expertise in leveraging powerful mCLASS reports and lessons.
- Proven strategies to accelerate student outcomes through data-driven decisions.
Perfect for: Teachers, reading specialists, interventionists, and administrators who want to maximize student growth through precise assessment and targeted instruction.
Walk away ready to: Immediately implement what you’ve learned and start making a measurable impact on student reading achievement in your classroom or school.
Explore the abundant learning opportunities available for Idaho teachers and leaders below, including session recordings, training resources, and more. Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your assessment expertise and drive real results for your students!
Interest Survey
Interested in hearing more and determining your school or district’s eligibility? Complete the interest survey below.
What to expect next:
- An email from Amplify will be sent to schedule professional development based on your survey responses
- Idaho SMART Project will verify school eligibility
- Once approved, an Amplify representative will reach out to your technical contact and yourself and provide information on completing the Digital Onboarding
- Schools or districts will then share roster data with Amplify
Register now—limited spots available!
Support your implementation with our half-day virtual mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition training sessions offered throughout the 2025–26 school year. Various session topics will be offered at strategic times to support teachers at critical times. Sessions will be conducted via Zoom, providing a convenient online format for districts seeking flexible professional development without full-site commitments.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition initial training (3 hrs)
Participants will dive into the essentials of mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and leave ready to administer and score the assessment to collect data using standardized guidelines.
Register now!
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Creating a data-driven culture for teachers (3 hrs)
What’s next? Dive deep into mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition reports and instructional recommendations to drive stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust MTSS program.
Sessions coming soon.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Administration and reporting training for leaders (3 hrs)
Prepare to implement mCLASS with your school or district. Determine systems-level actions that will ensure assessment fidelity and leave ready to leverage key admin reports to support data-informed decision making.
Sessions coming soon.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: Creating a data-driven culture for leaders (3 hrs)
Cultivate a school-wide culture of data-driven practices. Use mCLASS reports to drill into key school-level data and leave with a systems-level action plan to drive stronger student and teacher outcomes.
Sessions coming soon.
Looking for additional training? No problem. Reach out to your local Account Executive to explore our flexible training alternatives that work with your district’s unique schedule.
Coming soon!
Training resources
Explore the complete professional development library and the Amplify webinar library.
View the mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition Benchmark Scoring in action:
- Practice videos and forms
- Video: How to Assign Online Assessments (3:36)
- How To: Use District-Level Student Online Assessment Management
- mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition assessment materials (for print)
Learn about additional assessment measures (RAN, Spelling, Vocabulary, Oral Language).
Explore more programs.
Amplify’s proven suite of assessment, instruction, and intervention is the gold standard in early literacy. Our programs are designed to enable students to build robust foundational skills and grow at all reading levels. Unlock the full suite and learn more about our related programs today!
Contact us!
Yvonne Rhode
Senior Account Executive
yrohde@amplify.com
Skyler Dario
Account Executive
sdario@amplify.com
Screen and intervene faster with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition: California SB 114 Approved
California educators, Amplify’s mCLASS Assessment Suite is one of three approved screeners in California for Reading Difficulties at K–2.
mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition is an all-in-one system for Science of Reading-based reading difficulties screening, progress monitoring, and instruction for grades K-6. Amplify’s Spanish language assessment, mCLASS Lectura, works in tandem with DIBELS 8th Edition’s English assessments to help teachers understand where their Spanish-speaking students are in their English and Spanish literacy paths.
About the program
mCLASS offers teacher-administered assessment, intervention, and personalized instruction for grades K–6. Know exactly how to monitor and support every student in your classroom, with features like:
- Precise one-minute measures based on over three decades of predictive data.
- Reading difficulties screening in one tool.
- Instruction that highlights observed patterns and recommends activities.
- Robust reports for teachers, specialists, administrators, and parents.
The right measures at the right time
With mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition, you’ll assess students based on grade-specific curriculum and instructional standards, in accordance with SB 114 guidelines.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition offers one-minute, easy-to-administer measures of processing speed, phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, and word reading.
| DIBELS® 8th Edition subtest alignment with SB 114 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screening Area | mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 | Grade 4–6 |
| Rapid naming ability | Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) | | | |||
| Phonological awareness | Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) | | | |||
| Alphabetic principle | Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) | | | | | |
| Word reading | Word Reading Fluency (WRF) | | | | | |
| Word reading | Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) | | | | | |
| Comprehension | Maze | | | | ||
Validated as a universal screener
Strong reliability and validity evidence shows that DIBELS 8th Edition can effectively assess students in key skills linked reading difficulty. The research supporting DIBELS 8th Edition, conducted by the University of Oregon, is rigorous, meets high technical standards, and empowers educators to make well-informed decisions.
Read the DIBELS 8th Edition Dyslexia White Paper.
A complete system for data-based decision making
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition provides rich data that helps you make informed instructional decisions and seek out further dyslexia screening evaluation if needed:
- Assess skills: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and additional measures in Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN), Spelling, Vocabulary, and Oral Language accurately assess students’ abilities.
- Identify risk: The DIBELS 8 composite score shows each student’s risk level, with ‘Well Below Benchmark’ indicating a need for intensive support. Students who are also ‘Well Below Benchmark’ in RAN and/or Spelling have an additional Risk Indicator icon next to their name.
- Provide instruction: The mCLASS Instruction feature analyzes student error patterns to key dyslexia-related subtests, then recommends small groups and explicit, multi-sensory activities for reinforcing skills.
- Progress monitor: mCLASS includes progress-monitoring measures to track student growth in letter sounds, alphabetic principle, word reading, oral reading fluency, and comprehension, so that informed instructional decisions can be made.
- Adapt instruction: mCLASS displays indicators based on progress monitoring performance that indicate when a change in instruction may be needed. It also updates instruction recommendations using the latest data.
Differentiated literacy instruction
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition lays the groundwork for a strong Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
In addition to identifying students with symptoms of dyslexia, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition data recommends early intervention, personalized instruction, and core instruction within Amplify’s early literacy suite. Based on the Science of Reading, Amplify’s early literacy suite programs follow an explicit and systematic structure, build knowledge, and instruct on all of the foundational skills essential to literacy development.
- Intervene with mCLASS Intervention and Amplify Tutoring: Staff-led Tier 2 and 3 intervention for intensive support.
- Practice with Boost Reading: Personalized learning program to extend and reinforce core instruction.
- Instruct with Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA): Core curriculum to build foundational skills and knowledge.
Bilingual dyslexia screening
By assessing with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and its Spanish counterpart, mCLASS Lectura, you’ll know with confidence whether a student truly shows signs of reading difficulties or is experiencing difficulties learning a new language.
When used together, mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura feature a Dual Language Report that analyzes screening results in both languages. The report also details how each student can leverage their strengths from one language to support growth in the other.
Equal skill coverage in English and Spanish
| Screening areas | English measure | Spanish measure | Description* |
| Letter Naming and RAN | Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) | Fluidez en nombrar letras (FNL) | Grades K–1: Naming letters in print. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Phonological Awareness (Segmentation) |
Phonemic Segmentation Fluency (PSF) | Fluidez en la segmentación de sílabas (FSF) & Fluidez en la segmentación de fonemas (FSF) | Grades K–1: Hearing and using sounds or syllables in spoken words. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Phonological awareness (Elision) | ¿Qué queda? (QQ) | Grades K–2: Produce the part of a word that remains after deleting a syllable or phoneme. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. | |
| Letter-Sound Knowledge | Nonsense Word Fluency Correct Letter Sounds (NWF-CLS) | Fluidez en los sonidos de letras (FSL) | English: Grades K–3: Identify letter-sound correspondences in the context of pseudo-words. Spanish: Grades K-1: Identify letter-sounds in isolation. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Letter-Sound Knowledge (Receptive) | Fluidez en los sonidos de las letras K-Inicio (FSL K-Inicio) | Grade K: Identify (point to) which letter makes a certain sound. Untimed, 1:1 administration | |
| Decoding | Nonsense Word Fluency Words Recoded Correctly (NWF-WRC) | Fluidez en los sonidos de las sílabas (LSS) | English: Grades K–3: Decode orthographically regular pseudo-words Spanish: Grades K-1: Decode orthographically regular syllables 1 minute, 1:1 administration |
| Word Reading | Word-Reading Fluency (WRF) | Fluidez en la lectura de palabras (FEP) | Grades K–3: Reading common words easily, quickly and correctly.1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Fluency | Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) | Fluidez en la lectura oral (FLO) | Grades 1–6: Reading connected text with accuracy and automaticity. 1 minute, 1:1 administration. |
| Reading Comprehension | Maze | ¿Cuál palabra? (CP) | Grades 2–6: Understanding meaning from texts. 3 minutes, group administration. |
| Vocabulary | Vocabulary | Vocabulario | Grades K–3: Knowledge of grade-specific words. 15 minutes, group administration. |
| Encoding | Spelling | Ortografía | Grades K–3: Arranging letters correctly to spell words with grade appropriate features 15 minutes, group administration. |
| RAN (Numbers) | Rapid Automatized Naming | – | Grades K–3: Correctly and quickly naming visual symbols, such as numbers. 3-4 minutes, 1:1 administration. |
| Language Comprehension | Oral Language | Lenguaje oral | Grades K–2: Demonstrate the ability to use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts. 5 minutes, 1:1 administration. |
*Students can be assessed using off-grade measures when information on specific skills is needed.
Dyslexia resources for families
Families play a crucial role in helping children overcome reading challenges. mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide a Home Connect letter after each screening to explain the results in family-friendly language, recommend activities, and direct families to a free website for additional at-home support.
Developmentally appropriate
Computer-based assessments that require students to complete tasks silently or independently may over-identify students for intervention services, especially young learners who are still developing focus and attention abilities.
mCLASS requires students to actively demonstrate their proficiency in producing letter sounds, forming words, and reading texts. This approach to assessment aligns with the California Reading Difficulties Risk Screener Selection Panel (RDRSSP) guidelines for effective screening of reading challenges. By choosing mCLASS for reading difficulties screening, you’ll gain accurate information about a student’s risk for dyslexia, and gain the capability to monitor every student’s path to reading proficiency.
Additional resources
- 4 tools to help teachers better understand dyslexia
- Science of Reading: The Podcast, Season 7, Episode 7: Debunking the “gift” of dyslexia in children, with Dr. Tim Odegard
- Science of Reading: The Podcast, Season 1, Episode 6: The facts and myths of dyslexia, with Emily Lutrick
- Dyslexia Fact vs. Fiction
- mCLASS Dyslexia Toolkit
- mCLASS Research Hub
- mCLASS Program Guide
- mCLASS Digital Access Guide
- mCLASS Reporting Guide
- mCLASS Help Site
- Supporting multilingual and English learners in literacy
Demo access
Please watch the navigation video for a short overview of the mClass platform, and reach out to your Amplify Account Executive (contact information below) for demo access credentials.
Questions?
Looking to speak directly with your local representative?
Get in touch with a California team member to learn more about our early literacy suite or request a demo account.
Erin King
Sales Director, CA
(512) 736-3162
eking@amplify.com
NORTHERN CA
Wendy Garcia
Senior Account Executive
(510) 368-7666
wgarcia@amplify.com
BAY AREA
Lisa Marinovich
Senior Account Executive
(831) 461-4187
lmarinovich@amplify.com
CENTRAL VALLEY and CENTRAL COAST
Demitri Gonos
Senior Account Executive
(559) 355-3244
dgonos@amplify.com
VENTURA and L.A. COUNTY
Jeff Sorenson
Associate Account Executive
(310) 902-1407
jsorenson@amplify.com
ORANGE and L.A. COUNTY
Lauren Sherman
Senior Account Executive
(949) 397-5766
lsherman@amplify.com
SAN BERNARDINO and L.A. COUNTY
Michael Gruber
Senior Account Executive
(951) 520-6542
migruber@amplify.com
RIVERSIDE and L.A. COUNTY
Erin King
Sales Director, CA
(512) 673-8526
eking@amplify.com
SAN DIEGO COUNTY
Kirk Van Wagoner
Senior Account Executive
(760) 696-0709
kvanwagoner@amplify.com
BUTTE, DEL NORTE, HUMBOLDT, and SHASTA COUNTY
DISTRICTS UNDER 2250 ENROLLMENT
Kevin Mauser
Lead Account Executive
(815) 534-0148
kmauser@amplify.com
USBE Data Analysis for K-3 Reading Assessment Program
Introduction
mCLASS Assessment: Acadience™ Reading
How it works: Quickly identify the needs of each student and inform next steps with instant analysis, reports, and instructional planning tools included in the only licensed mobile version of the research-based Acadience Reading assessment.
- Use short, 1-minute fluency measures for foundational reading skills.
- Replace manual calculations with instant results and recommended activities.
- Compare student progress with predictive, research-based benchmark goals.
- Track progress and target instruction to individual student needs.
- Support decision-making at every level using aggregate reports.
- Translate class- and student-level reports into individualized instruction using the Now What?Tools.
- Get a more complete view of early literacy skills with the new mCLASS:Early Literacy Measures (ELM).
Enrollment for mClass
Please review the Utah Enrollment for mCLASS document for important information about the rostering process for LEAs in Utah.
Benchmark Windows
The USBE has required that each Acadience Reading testing benchmark window occur within the below dates:
BOY — the first benchmark before October 14
MOY — the second benchmark between December 1 and February 5
EOY — the third benchmark between the middle of April and June 15
Benchmark windows for LEAs are set to the state benchmark window dates in mCLASS. Each LEA is to have 2-4 week benchmark period that is within the state benchmark window dates and LEA leaders are to share those dates with staff. The benchmark windows in mCLASS are set to the state benchmark window dates; not the LEA benchmark window dates and this can not be changed in mCLASS. If a student moves into your LEA and your benchmark window is closed, but the state benchmark period is still open, the student must be benchmarked. Should your LEA need an extension of a benchmark window beyond the close of the state benchmark windows, that must be approved by the USBE Assessment Department. Once the benchmark window closes, do not give the benchmark to a student, instead, educators can progress monitor the student on the measures they would have received a benchmark in order to get the students current instructional levels.
If you have questions regarding your current benchmark window dates, feel free to reach out to Amplify Customer Services at help@amplify.com.
Acadience Reading Benchmark Invalidations
Before you invalidate a benchmark probe, review the USBE’s list of acceptable reasons for invalidating on the Frequently Asked Questions: Acadience Reading Invalidations document. If a district/charter has a significant percentage of invalidations, contact and further action will be deployed. If you believe an invalidation is required, please contact your District/Charter Literacy Director. If they need support, they can contact Sara Wiebke, sara.wiebke@schools.utah.gov, to request an invalidation.
Progress Monitoring
The impact of progress monitoring
Progress monitoring is the most powerful tool we offer with regards to student achievement.
“Scores for Daze increase more slowly than they do for other Acadience Reading measures, so more frequent monitoring may not be as informative. For students who need to be monitored on Daze, we recommend monitoring once per month.”
Progress Monitoring with Acadience Reading
© Acadience Learning
October 2012
The Acadience Reading authors recommend progress monitoring students in the Well Below Benchmark category once every 7-10 days (and once every 10-12 days for students in the Below Benchmark category).
Progress monitoring is the practice of testing students briefly but frequently on the skill areas in which they are receiving instruction, to ensure that they are making adequate progress. When students are identified as at risk for reading difficulties, they can receive progress monitoring testing more frequently to ensure that the instruction they are receiving is helping them make progress. (Acadience Learning/October 2012, Progress Monitoring Guide)
The purposes of progress monitoring are:
- to provide ongoing feedback about the effectiveness of instruction,
- to determine students’ progress toward important and meaningful goals, and
- to make timely decisions about changes to instruction so that students will meet those goals.
How to progress monitor?
- Select students for progress monitoring
- Select Acadience Reading materials for progress monitoring
- Set progress monitoring goals
- Determine the frequency of progress monitoring
- Conduct progress monitoring assessment
- Access data through class and student reports
- Evaluate progress and modify instruction.
The key to progress monitoring: Instruction should link to progress monitoring and progress monitoring should link to instruction. They should run parallel and merge as one to confirm student growth in reading.
Check your progress monitoring fidelity report in mCLASS to ensure you are on track with these students. For more information regarding progress monitoring guidelines, visit the official progress monitoring guidelines.
Support Team
Amplify Customer Services
(800) 823-1969
Monday to Friday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT
help@amplify.com
Educational Support Team
Pedagogical Questions
(800) 823-1969
Monday to Friday, 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT
edsupport@amplify.com
For more information, please contact:
Sarah McCarty
Associate Director, Educational Partnership
(812) 593-5776
smccarty@amplify.com
Donna Bright
Educational Partnership Manager
(303) 960-3772
dbright@amplify.com
Robert McCarty
Regional Director of Educational Partnership
(435) 655-1731
rmccarty@amplify.com
Cydnee Carter
Assessment Development Coordinator
(801) 538-7654
cydnee.carter@schools.utah.gov
Liz Williams
Elementary ELA Assessment Specialist
(801) 538-7542
Liz.williams@schools.utah.gov
Sara Wiebke
Literacy Coordinator
(801) 538-7935
sara.wiebke@schools.utah.gov
Krista Hotelling
K-3 Literacy Specialist
(801) 538-7794
krista.hotelling@schools.utah.gov
Christine Elegante
K-3 Literacy Specialist
(801) 538-7551
christine.elegante@schools.utah.gov
Julie Clark
K-3 Literacy Specialist
801-499-2515
julie.clark@schools.utah.gov
Melissa Preziosi
Assessment Data Specialist
(801) 538-7949
melissa.preziosi@schools.utah.gov
Resources
Helpful tips and guides
- Implementation Roadmap Every school system has different objectives and needs, and this document is designed to help you define how the mCLASS system can best support you in achieving your goals.
- Checklist Use this checklist to ensure your staff is trained and your programmatic expectations are clearly communicated to all stakeholders. Completing each of these steps during the correlated benchmark window will help you realize the full value of your mCLASS assessment program.
- mCLASS: Online Help
- Acadience Reading Assessment Manual (Note: You will need to register as a user to get access to the materials; both registration and materials are available at no cost.)
- Acadience Reading Benchmark Goals and Composite Score
- Grouping Worksheets for Acadience Reading
- Acadience Reading Key Skills This document correlates the Acadience Reading measures to Basic Early Literacy Skills.
- The Big Ideas in Early Reading This document is a reference of the five Big Ideas in Early Reading.
- Acadience Reading Reminders A list of reminders the teacher can give to students while assessing Acadience Reading.
- USBE Literacy Framework
- Utah School Report Card: Early Literacy
- Utah State Board of Education Reading on Grade Level Targets for Acadience Reading K-6
- Five leadership practices that drive success in K-2 literacy
mCLASS:Acadience Reading tutorials
- mCLASS:Acadience Reading Next Scoring Practice
- mCLASS Now What? Tools Tutorial
- Pathways of Progress: Purpose
- ?Pathways of Progress: Setting Meaningful Goals
- Pathways of Progress: Highly Skilled Learners Criteria
- ?Goal Setting in mCLASS
- mCLASS How to calculate student pathways video
- Calculating Pathways from DYD Presentation
Technical resources
Amplify Enrollment This guide walks you through the necessary steps to complete enrollment using the manual enrollment tools on Amplify Home. It shows you how to manage staff, student, and class assignment information, and maintain the accuracy of your staff, student, and class assignments.
Devices & Requirements Ensure mCLASS is compatible with your devices and systems for optimal performance and support.
Remote Assessing
Videos:
Remote Assessment Guidance from the Acadience Team:
mCLASS®: Acadience® Reading (formerly known as DIBELS Next)
Key Points:
Before you assess:
1. Determine how you will show student materials and score in mCLASS at the same time.
| Description | |
|
Description Recommended set up |
|
| Modified set up |
Note: mCLASS app is optimized for touchscreen; scoring with a mouse may need more practice. |
2. Familiarize yourself with the digital copies of student materials.
3. Schedule virtual meetings with students. To communicate with English-speaking caregivers, consider sending this email or video. To communicate with Spanish-speaking caregivers, consider sending this email or video.
4. Determine how you will handle scenarios where there’s a lag:
| Description | |
| Record the meeting |
|
| Use a phone |
|
While you assess:
1. Take the opportunity to connect individually with your students as they experience so much change. Don’t make the session solely about testing, and remind caregivers and students that the assessment is a way to see how you can best tailor instruction.
2. Make student materials visible to your student.
For Maze, choose the model that works best for you:
Enter results into the mCLASS web reports
- Students complete online Maze during a video conference
- Put a link to the student assessment site (mclass.amplify.com/student) and the student’s credentials into the chat box (learn how to generate student credentials in this video)
- Ask your student to complete Maze.
- Students complete online Maze outside of a video conference (caregiver support is needed with log-in)
- Students complete Maze on paper
- Locate the benchmark Maze Acadience Learning’s site.
- Print a copy of the form you need (e.g. BOY) for each student in your class.
- Send the form home in a sealed envelope with students, mail the form to caregivers, or have caregivers get forms via school-based pick-up. Provide instructions not to open the envelope until the student is ready to take the assessment.
- Provide parents with instructions on how to proctor the assessment for their child. They need to:
- Give the form to their child
- Sit with their child and read the instructions and practice items
- Tell their child to stop when 3 minutes has elapsed
- Send screenshots of their child’s work via email or text, or return the completed form to the school in a sealed envelope provided by the school.
| Guidance | |
| Acadience:Reading |
Use the share screen feature to display student materials on your screen. Optional next step for measures that have student materials: Zoom users: grant your student control of your screen so you can see their cursor as they read:
Note: For Mac OSX, you will need to give Zoom access in the Accessibility tab in the Privacy and Security preferences of your Mac. For more information on giving Zoom access in Security and Privacy, click here. |
3. Score in mCLASS.
| Benchmark | Progress monitoring | |
| Acadience Reading (formerly known as DIBELS Next) | Available for free download on the Acadience Learning website | |
Core literacy programs: Strengthen sessions
Professional development sets teachers and leaders up for success, whether they are new to or experienced with a program. Each Strengthen session promotes a deeper understanding of the program through targeted instructional practices.
Explore literacy Strengthen sessions by program below.
Amplify professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.
About Strengthen sessions
Support your Amplify implementation with sessions that target specific instructional practices for teachers and leaders who are in year one and beyond. When you’re ready to schedule your Strengthen session, contact us. An Amplify expert will work with you to identify the session(s) that will best support your students’ success.
Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as enhancements.
Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos
Built on the Science of Reading, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) 2nd Edition (PreK–5) and 3rd Edition (K–5) combine deep content instruction with research-based foundational skills, empowering all students with rich background knowledge.
Amplify Caminos 1st Edition serves as the Spanish language arts partner to Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (K–5), while Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition is partnered with Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition. These aligned programs support our biliteracy principles and teaching models.
Explore Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos Strengthen sessions by package below.
Begin packages
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid on-site package (15 hr.) | Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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| One Strengthen session per package | On-site, 3 hr. sessions | On-site, 3 hr. sessions | Virtual, 1 hr. session | Virtual, 3 hr. sessions | Virtual, 1 hr. session |
| Enhancing planning for teachers |
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| Supporting all learners for teachers |
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Begin: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of your next unit by engaging in a step-by-step unit- and lesson-planning protocol. Leave prepared to implement your next unit with a completed unit plan and internalized lessons for your particular biliteracy model.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st or 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, or Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy
Audience: PreK (Amplify CKLA), K–2, or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Practice implementing key lesson routines to strengthen your instruction. Leave with guidelines for routines you can implement in your biliteracy classroom tomorrow.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st or 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, or Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Sharpen your program knowledge to support educators with effective program implementation. Observe a lesson in action and practice providing high-leverage feedback. Walk away prepared to provide educators with actionable feedback during your next classroom observation.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st or 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st or 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, or Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy
Prerequisite: Participants must complete the program overview for leaders before attending this session.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: This session is facilitated in English.
Begin: Language Studio companion training for teachers
On-site and virtual, 3 hours
Participants will be able to summarize the key features of Language Studio. During this session, they will connect key segments of Language Studio to ELD instructional best practices, identify the segments of Language Studio, and plan and practice a Language Studio lesson.
Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd or 3rd Edition (Grade K–2 or 3–5)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Supporting all learners for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dig into embedded supports offered in the Amplify curriculum and prepare to support all learners in your next lesson.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st or 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, or Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy
Audience: K–2 and/or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Pacing for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn five specific strategies to support pacing in your next lesson.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st or 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, or Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy
Audience: K–2 and/or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Student engagement for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore engagement strategies that cultivate a student-centered classroom. Leave with a plan to incorporate these strategies in an upcoming lesson.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st or 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, or Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy
Audience: K–2 and/or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Amplify CKLA 2nd–3rd Edition transition training for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify CKLA 2nd and 3rd Edition, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.
Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Grades 3–5)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice packages
Strengthen sessions
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15 package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 13 package (13 hr.) |
Virtual package (9 hr.) |
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| One Strengthen session per package | On-site, 3 hr. session |
Virtual, 3 hr. session |
Virtual, 1 hr. session | Virtual, 3 hr. session |
| Enhancing planning for teachers |
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| Enhancing practice for teachers | |
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| Enhancing observations for leaders | |
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| Maximizing impact: Data-informed remediation with the ARG/DERG for teachers |
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| Writing for teachers |
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| NEW: mCLASS DIBELS 8 + CKLA 3rd Edition data-driven instruction for K–5 teachers | |
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| Supporting all learners for teachers |
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| Pacing for teachers |
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| Student engagement for teachers | |
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| NEW: Amplify Caminos 1st–3rd Ed. transition training for teachers | |
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| NEW: Amplify CKLA 2nd Ed./Caminos 1st Ed. to Amplify CKLA 3rd Ed./Caminos 3rd Ed. transition training for teachers | |
Practice: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of your next unit by engaging in a step-by-step unit- and lesson-planning protocol. Leave prepared to implement your next unit with a completed unit plan and internalized lessons for your particular biliteracy model.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st or 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, or Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy
Audience: PreK (Amplify CKLA), K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Practice implementing key lesson routines to strengthen your instruction. Leave with guidelines for routines you can implement in your biliteracy classroom tomorrow.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st or 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, or Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Sharpen your program knowledge to support educators with effective program implementation. Observe a lesson in action and practice providing high-leverage feedback. Walk away prepared to provide educators with actionable feedback during your next classroom observation.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition), Amplify Caminos (1st or 3rd Edition), Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy, or Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition biliteracy
Prerequisite: Participants must complete the program overview for leaders before attending this session.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: This session is facilitated in English.
Practice: Maximizing impact: Data-informed remediation with the ARG/DERG for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Walk away with a deeper understanding of the Assessment and Remediation Guide (K–3) and Decoding and Encoding Remediation Supplement (4–5), as well as a clear instructional plan for your intervention groups. Please note that for Grades K–2, this would only apply if you are using both strands or the Skills Strand only.
Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition (Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition is available July 2026.)
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: This session is facilitated in English.
Practice: Writing for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of how to support students as they build writing skills. Leave this session prepared to teach an upcoming writing lesson based on your student work analysis. Bring samples of your students’ writing responses from your Amplify programs to this session.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos 1st Edition, or Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy
Audience: PreK, K–2, or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Available October 2026
Practice: mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition + Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition data-driven instruction for K–5 teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive deep into mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition reports and instructional recommendations to drive instructional decisions in Amplify CKLA and stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust Multi-Tiered System of Supports program, with Amplify CKLA as your core instruction.
Session options: Only for educators using both Amplify CKLA (2nd or 3rd Edition) with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition
Audience: PreK–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: This session is facilitated in English.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Supporting all learners for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dig into the many embedded supports offered in the curriculum and prepare for specific ways to bolster all learners in your next lesson.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos 1st Edition, or Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy
Audience: K–2 and/or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Pacing for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn five specific strategies to support pacing in your next lesson.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos 1st Edition, or Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy
Audience: K–2 and/or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Student engagement
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore engagement strategies that cultivate a student-centered classroom. Leave with a plan to incorporate these strategies in an upcoming lesson.
Session options: Amplify CKLA (2nd Edition or 3rd Edition), Amplify Caminos 1st Edition, or Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition biliteracy
Audience: K–2 and/or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify CKLA session is facilitated in English. The Amplify Caminos session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify CKLA/Caminos biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Available July 2026
Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify Caminos 1st–3rd Edition transition training for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Editions, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.
Session options: Amplify Caminos 1st Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Available July 2026
Suggested enhancement: Launch substitution: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Caminos 1st Edition to Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition/Caminos 3rd Edition transition training for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will get an overview of the similarities and differences between Amplify Caminos 1st and 3rd Editions, including becoming familiar with changes in materials; the digital platform; and key lesson, assessment, and reporting components.
Session options: Amplify CKLA 2nd Edition/Amplify Caminos 1st Edition (Grades K–2 or 3–5)
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Amplify ELA
Amplify ELA 2nd Edition is a blended English language arts curriculum designed specifically to support students in grades 6–8 and prepare them for high school and beyond. With Amplify ELA, students learn to tackle any complex text and make observations, grapple with interesting ideas, and find relevance for themselves. The table below lists Amplify ELA 2nd Edition Strengthen sessions for Begin and beyond by package.
Click the session title or scroll down to learn more about each session.
Begin packages
Strengthen sessions
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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| One Strengthen session per package | On-site, 3 hr. session |
On-site, 3 hr. session |
Virtual, 1 hr. session |
Virtual, 3 hr. session |
Virtual, 1 hr. session |
| Enhancing planning for teachers | |
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| Enhancing practice for teachers |
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| Enhancing observations for leaders | |
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| Teaching with print and digital for teachers |
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| Pacing for teachers |
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Begin: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your program knowledge by unpacking learning outcomes, key assessment moments, and student engagement opportunities from an Amplify ELA 2nd Edition unit. Use backward planning to create a detailed plan for a unit of your choice and leave ready to begin the unit with your students.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Experience a close-reading lesson to increase your understanding of how close reading is taught in Amplify ELA 2nd Edition. Uncover which teacher moves will support students in tackling complex texts. Leave with a strong understanding of how to facilitate a close reading lesson that encourages student collaboration, drives analysis, and deepens understanding.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Elevate your program knowledge to support colleagues with effective Amplify ELA 2nd Edition implementation. Leave prepared to identify key instructional elements in an Amplify ELA lesson, analyze data, and conduct effective classroom observations.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Teaching with print and digital
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to administer Amplify ELA 2nd Edition lessons in your classroom using both digital and print curricula.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Lesson planning
Virtual, 1 hour
Deepen your understanding of the lessons in your next Amplify ELA 2nd Edition unit by engaging in a step-by-step lesson-planning protocol.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Pacing
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to identify and use essential activities, timing guidance, and knowledge of your students’ strengths and needs to determine pacing for individual activities and lessons within Amplify ELA 2nd Edition.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice packages
Strengthen sessions
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 13 package (13 hr.) |
Virtual package (9 hr.) |
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| One Strengthen session per package | On-site, 3 hr. sessions |
Virtual, 3 hr. sessions |
Virtual, 1 hr. session |
Virtual, 3 hr. sessions |
| Enhancing planning for teachers | |
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| Enhancing practice for teachers |
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| Enhancing observations for leaders | |
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| Writing: Improving through feedback for teachers |
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| Supporting all learners for teachers |
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| Data-informed instruction for teachers |
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| Teaching with print and digital for teachers |
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| Lesson planning for teachers |
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| Pacing for teachers |
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| Increasing student engagement for teachers |
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| Grading and assessment for teachers |
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Practice: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your program knowledge by unpacking learning outcomes, key assessment moments, and student engagement opportunities from an Amplify ELA 2nd Edition unit. Use backward planning to create a detailed plan for a unit of your choice and leave ready to begin the unit with your students.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Experience a close reading lesson to increase your understanding of how close reading is taught in Amplify ELA 2nd Edition. Uncover which teacher moves will support students in tackling complex texts. Leave with a strong understanding of how to facilitate a close reading lesson that encourages collaboration, drives analysis, and deepens understanding.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Elevate your program knowledge to support colleagues with effective Amplify ELA 2nd Edition implementation. Leave prepared to identify key instructional elements in an Amplify ELA lesson, analyze data, and conduct effective classroom observations.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Writing: Improving through feedback for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of how to support students as they build writing skills in Amplify ELA 2nd Edition. Leave this session prepared to provide targeted feedback that supports student growth in writing. Bring samples of your students’ writing responses from Amplify ELA to this session.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Supporting all learners
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to effectively use embedded differentiated supports in Amplify ELA 2nd Edition and the Classwork app to support all students—including multilingual/English learners, students with learning disabilities, struggling readers and writers, and advanced students. Walk away with a plan for supporting specific students within your classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Data-informed instruction for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Analyze your own student data and learn to turn Amplify ELA 2nd Edition data into differentiated and targeted instruction. Walk away ready to use the data provided in the Reporting and Classwork apps to align embedded support to your specific student needs. This session requires educators to analyze student data, so please bring 4–6 weeks of student data from Amplify ELA’s Reporting app to this session.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Teaching with print and digital
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to administer Amplify ELA 2nd Edition lessons in your classroom using both digital and print curricula.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Lesson planning
Virtual, 1 hour
Deepen your understanding of the lessons in your next Amplify ELA 2nd Edition unit by engaging in a step-by-step lesson-planning protocol.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Pacing
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to identify and use essential activities, timing guidance, and knowledge of your students’ strengths and needs to determine pacing for individual activities and lessons within Amplify ELA 2nd Edition.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Increasing student engagement
Virtual, 1 hour
Identify features within Amplify ELA 2nd Edition that increase student engagement, and determine ways to incorporate additional engagement strategies into lessons.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Grading and assessment
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use key formative and summative assessments within Amplify ELA 2nd Edition to develop a plan for grading based on the specific requirements of your school or district.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Get in touch with a PD expert.
Core literacy programs: Strengthen sessions
Professional development sets teachers and leaders up for success, whether they are new to or experienced with a program. Each Strengthen session promotes a deeper understanding of the program through targeted instructional practices.
Explore literacy Strengthen sessions by program below.
Amplify professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.
About Strengthen sessions
Support Amplify implementation with sessions that target specific instructional practices for teachers and leaders who are in year one and beyond. When you’re ready to schedule your Strengthen session, contact us. An Amplify expert will support you in selecting the session that best fits your needs in order to push student results forward.
Each package includes one Strengthen session. Additional sessions can be added as enhancements.
Amplify ELAR and Amplify SLAR K–5
Built on the Science of Reading, Amplify Texas English Language Arts and Reading (ELAR) sequences deep content knowledge with research-based foundational skills. Amplify ELAR is a PreK–5 literacy curriculum that inspires curiosity and drives results, empowering all students with rich background knowledge.
Amplify SLAR is the perfect Spanish language arts partner to Amplify ELAR for grades K–5. Following biliteracy principles and supporting multiple teaching models, the aligned programs combine rich content knowledge with systematic foundational skills instruction grounded in the Science of Reading.
The table below lists Amplify ELAR and Amplify SLAR Strengthen sessions by package for Begin and beyond. Click the session title or scroll down to learn more about each session.
Begin packages
Strengthen sessions
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid on-site package (15 hr.) | Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site, 3 hr. sessions | On-site, 3 hr. sessions | Virtual, 1 hr. session | Virtual, 3 hr. sessions | Virtual, 1 hr. session |
| Enhancing planning for teachers |
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| Enhancing practice for teachers |
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| Enhancing observations for leaders |
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| Supporting all learners for teachers |
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| Pacing for teachers |
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| Student engagement for teachers |
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Begin: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of your next unit by engaging in a step-by-step unit- and lesson-planning protocol. Leave prepared to implement your next unit with a completed unit plan and internalized lessons for your particular biliteracy model.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Practice implementing key lesson routines to strengthen your instruction. Leave with guidelines for routines you can implement in your biliteracy classroom tomorrow.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Sharpen your program knowledge to support educators with effective program implementation. Observe a lesson in action and practice providing high-leverage feedback. Walk away prepared to provide educators with actionable feedback during your next classroom observation.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Prerequisite: Participants must complete the Program overview for leaders before attending this session.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: This session is facilitated in English.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Supporting all learners for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dig into embedded supports offered in the Amplify curriculum and prepare to support all learners in your next lesson.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Pacing for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn five specific strategies to support pacing in your next lesson.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Student engagement for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore engagement strategies that cultivate a student-centered classroom. Leave with a plan to incorporate these strategies in an upcoming lesson.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice packages
Strengthen sessions
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15 package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 13 package (13 hr.) |
Virtual package (9 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site, 3 hr. session | Virtual, 3 hr. session | Virtual, 1 hr. session | Virtual, 3 hr. session |
| Enhancing planning for teachers |
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| Enhancing practice for teachers | |
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| Enhancing observations for leaders | |
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| Writing for teachers |
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| Supporting all learners for teachers |
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| Student engagement for teachers | |
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| Amplify ELAR 2nd Edition Grade 3 Skills supplement for teachers | |
Practice: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of your next unit by engaging in a step-by-step unit- and lesson-planning protocol. Leave prepared to implement your next unit with a completed unit plan and internalized lessons for your particular biliteracy model.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Practice implementing key lesson routines to strengthen your instruction. Leave with guidelines for routines you can implement in your biliteracy classroom tomorrow.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Sharpen your program knowledge to support educators with effective program implementation. Observe a lesson in action and practice providing high-leverage feedback. Walk away prepared to provide educators with actionable feedback during your next classroom observation.
Session options: Amplify ELAR K–5
Prerequisite: Participants must complete the Program overview for leaders before attending this session.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: This session is facilitated in English.
Practice: Writing for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of how to support students as they build writing skills. Leave this session prepared to teach an upcoming writing lesson based on your student work analysis. Bring samples of your students’ writing responses from your Amplify programs to this session.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–2 or 3–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Supporting all learners for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Dig into the many embedded supports offered in the curriculum and prepare for specific ways to bolster all learners in your next lesson.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR K–5 session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR K–5 session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR K–5/SLAR K–5 biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Pacing for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn five specific strategies to support pacing in your next lesson.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Student engagement for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Explore engagement strategies that cultivate a student-centered classroom. Leave with a plan to incorporate these strategies in an upcoming lesson.
Session options: Amplify ELAR, Amplify SLAR, or Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy
Audience: K–5 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The Amplify ELAR session is facilitated in English. The Amplify SLAR session is facilitated in Spanish. The Amplify ELAR/SLAR biliteracy session is facilitated in English and Spanish.
New
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Amplify ELAR 2nd Edition Grade 3 Skills supplement for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Participants will get an overview of how to implement Amplify ELAR 2nd Edition Grade 3 Skills in their classrooms! Learn the foundational elements of Amplify ELAR 2nd Edition Grade 3 Skills, including becoming familiar with materials and key lesson components.
Session options: Amplify ELAR 2nd Edition
Audience: Grade 3 teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Amplify ELAR 6–8
Amplify ELAR 6–8 is a blended English language arts curriculum designed specifically to support students in grades 6–8 and prepare them for high school and beyond. With Amplify ELAR 6–8, students learn to tackle any complex text and make observations, grapple with interesting ideas, and find relevance for themselves. The table below lists Amplify ELAR 6–8 Strengthen sessions for Begin and beyond by package.
Click the session title or scroll down to learn more about each session.
Begin packages
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 10 package (10 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, virtual package (15 hr.) |
Virtual package (7 hr.) |
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| One session per package | On-site, 3 hr. session |
On-site, 3 hr. session |
Virtual, 1 hr. session |
Virtual, 3 hr. session |
Virtual, 1 hr. session |
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Begin: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your program knowledge by unpacking learning outcomes, key assessment moments, and student engagement opportunities from an Amplify ELAR 6–8 unit. Use backward planning to create a detailed plan for a unit of your choice and leave ready to begin the unit with your students.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Experience a close reading lesson to increase your understanding of how close reading is taught in Amplify ELAR 6–8. Uncover which teacher moves will support students in tackling complex texts. Leave with a strong understanding of how to facilitate a close reading lesson that encourages student collaboration, drives analysis, and deepens understanding.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Elevate your program knowledge to support colleagues with effective Amplify ELAR 6–8 implementation. Leave prepared to identify key instructional elements in an Amplify ELAR 6–8 lesson, analyze data, and conduct effective classroom observations.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Teaching with print and digital
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to administer Amplify ELAR 6–8 lessons in your classroom using both digital and print curricula.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Lesson-planning
Virtual, 1 hour
Deepen your understanding of the lessons in your next Amplify ELAR 6–8 unit by engaging in a step-by-step lesson-planning protocol.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Pacing
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to identify and use essential activities, timing guidance, and knowledge of your students’ strengths and needs to determine pacing for individual activities and lessons within Amplify ELAR 6–8.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice packages
| On-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 15, on-site package (15 hr.) |
Hybrid 13 package (13 hr.) |
Virtual package (9 hr.) |
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Virtual, 3 hr. sessions |
Virtual, 1 hr. session |
Virtual, 3 hr. sessions |
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Practice: Enhancing planning for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your program knowledge by unpacking learning outcomes, key assessment moments, and student engagement opportunities from an Amplify ELAR 6–8 unit. Use backward planning to create a detailed plan for a unit of your choice and leave ready to begin the unit with your students.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing practice for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Experience a close reading lesson to increase your understanding of how close reading is taught in Amplify ELAR 6–8. Uncover which teacher moves will support students in tackling complex texts. Leave with a strong understanding of how to facilitate a close reading lesson that encourages collaboration, drives analysis, and deepens understanding.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Enhancing observations for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Elevate your program knowledge to support colleagues with effective Amplify ELAR 6–8 implementation. Leave prepared to identify key instructional elements in an Amplify ELAR 6–8 lesson, analyze data, and conduct effective classroom observations.
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Writing: Improving through feedback
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Deepen your understanding of how to support students as they build writing skills in Amplify ELAR 6–8. Leave this session prepared to provide targeted feedback that supports student growth in writing. Bring samples of your students’ writing responses from Amplify ELAR 6–8 to this session.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Supporting all learners
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to effectively use embedded differentiated supports in Amplify ELAR 6–8 and the Classwork app to support all students—including English language learners, students with learning disabilities, struggling readers and writers, and advanced students. Walk away with a plan for supporting specific students within your classroom.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Data-informed instruction
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Analyze your own student data and learn to turn Amplify ELAR 6–8 data into differentiated and targeted instruction. Walk away ready to use the data provided in the Reporting and Classwork apps to align embedded support to your specific student needs. This session requires educators to analyze student data, so please bring 4–6 weeks of student data from Amplify ELAR 6–8’s Reporting app to this session.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Teaching with print and digital
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to administer Amplify ELAR 6–8 lessons in your classroom using both digital and print curricula.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Lesson-planning
Virtual, 1 hour
Deepen your understanding of the lessons in your next Amplify ELAR 6–8 unit by engaging in a step-by-step lesson-planning protocol.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Pacing
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to identify and use essential activities, timing guidance, and knowledge of your students’ strengths and needs to determine pacing for individual activities and lessons within Amplify ELAR 6–8.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Increasing student engagement
Virtual, 1 hour
Identify features within Amplify ELAR 6–8 that increase student engagement, and determine ways to incorporate additional engagement strategies into lessons.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Grading and assessment
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use key formative and summative assessments within Amplify ELAR 6–8 to develop a plan for grading based on the specific requirements of your school or district.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Get in touch with a PD expert
We’re here to provide answers and guidance as you explore your PD journey. Fill out the form to connect with us and discover how Amplify PD can enhance your educational journey.
Utah – USBE Data Analysis for K-3 Reading Assessment Program – New
Amplify Desmos Math California
Welcome, K–8 Reviewers!
We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify Desmos Math California. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California Math Framework to life in classrooms across the state.
Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.
Your Review Samples
As a curriculum that incorporates both print and digital resources, it’s important that you explore both our physical materials (delivered to you in grade-specific tubs) and our digital materials (accessible through our platform). We invite you to explore both types of resources using the instructions and tips below.
Print Samples
Your print samples should have arrived in grade-specific tubs with a copy of two Reviewer binders. The K-5 Reviewer binder is contained within the Grade K shipping box and the Grade 6-8 Reviewer binder can be located in the Grade 6 shipping box. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each tub as well as within your Reviewer Binder.
Digital Samples
In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log into our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Access Flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:
- Click the orange button below to access the platform.
- Click “Log in with Amplify.”
- Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Access Flyer.
Navigation Tips
Below you will find helpful tips for navigating Amplify Desmos Math California. We recommend reading these pages alongside the program’s print materials and digital experience to gain a deeper understanding of the program.
Click the links below to read about navigating program features including:
- Navigating the print program (Grades K–1)
- Navigating the print program (Grades 2–5)
- Navigating the print program (Grades 6–8)
- Navigating the digital program
Built for California
The Amplify Desmos Math California program is designed around the vision articulated in the California Mathematics Framework to enable all California students to become powerful users of mathematics. Our program incorporates the latest research in student learning, meaning that we:
- Focus on the Big Ideas: Amplify Desmos Math California’s courses, units, and lessons are centered around the Big Ideas. Big Ideas, like standards, are not considered in isolation. In addition to each unit and lesson’s focal Big Ideas, Amplify Desmos Math California also provides connections among the Big Ideas across units and lessons.
- Center on open and engaging tasks: Amplify Desmos Math California is grounded in engaging tasks meant to address students’ often-asked question: “Why am I learning this?” Students are invited into learning with low-floor, high-ceiling tasks that provide an entry point for all. Open tasks in Amplify Desmos Math California provide the space for students to try on multiple strategies and represent their thinking in different ways, and allow student explanation and discussion to serve as the center of the classroom. All lessons offer both print and digital representations of lessons.
- Provide enhanced digital experiences: Amplify Desmos Math California includes digitally-enhanced lesson activities, incorporating interactive digital tools alongside print materials. These purposefully-placed resources allow students to visualize mathematical concepts, receive actionable feedback while practicing, encounter personalized learning support from an onscreen tutor, and engage in discussions about their thinking and approaches.
- Treat core instruction and differentiation as integral partners: The Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum provides teachers with lessons, strategies, and resources to eliminate barriers and increase access to grade-level content without reducing the mathematical demand of tasks. Every activity has multiple entry points to ensure that all students are supported and challenged. Intervention and personalized learning activities are directly connected to lesson content and offer students the individualized support as they dive into the mathematics.
Category 1: Mathematics Content/Alignment with the Standards
Standards Maps
The links below provide the Standards Maps for Amplify Desmos Math California for each grade level.
Evaluation Criteria Map
Linked here is the Evaluation Criteria Map for grades K–8. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.
Standards for Mathematical Practice
The links below provide the alignment of Amplify Desmos Math California to the Standards for Mathematical Practice at each grade level.
Drivers of Investigation and Content Connections
Amplify Desmos Math California incorporates the Drivers of Investigation (DIs) and Content Connection (CCs) throughout the program. Throughout the year, students engage with open and authentic tasks of varying durations — from lesson activities to unit-level Explore lessons and longer course-level Investigations. Every lesson and investigation opportunity is grounded around the why, how, and what of the learning experience, and helps teachers bring mathematical concepts to life.
California English Language Development Standards
The links below provide the alignment of Amplify Desmos Math California to the California English Language Development Standards at each grade level.
California Environmental Principles and Concepts
Select lessons, performance tasks, and investigations across grade levels in Amplify Desmos Math California are aligned to one or more of the California Environmental Principles and Concepts. Click the links below to view how the California Environmental Principles and Concepts are represented in each grade level.
Category 2: Program Organization
Amplify Desmos Math California thoughtfully combines conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application. Each lesson is designed to tell a story by posing problems that invite a variety of approaches before guiding students to synthesize their understanding of the learning goals.
Big Ideas
Amplify Desmos Math California’s courses, units, and lessons are centered around the Big Ideas. In addition to each unit and lesson’s focal Big Ideas, Amplify Desmos Math California also provides connections among the Big Ideas across units and lessons. Please refer to Keeping the Big Ideas at the Center (linked below) for specific lesson designs and alignment with the Big Ideas for each grade level.
Program Structure
Amplify Desmos Math California combines the best of problem-based lessons, intervention, personalized practice, and assessments into a coherent and engaging experience for both students and teachers.
Lessons and units in Amplify Desmos Math California are designed around a Proficiency Progression, a model that steps out problem-based learning by systematically building students’ curiosity into lasting grade-level understanding.
In the Proficiency Progression, lessons begin by activating students’ natural curiosity and offering opportunities to generate new ideas through collaboration. Teachers are then able to refine ideas through intentional facilitation and guide students to grade-level understanding, while students retain the ability to use different strategies and methods to show their comprehension of the content. Students are provided ample opportunities to develop lasting understanding.
Scope and Sequence
Below you can view the scope and sequence for each grade level.
Lesson Design and Structure
Amplify Desmos Math California is designed with a structured approach to problem-based learning that systematically builds on students’ curiosity and allows students to grapple with the Big Ideas of the California Framework. Every lesson activity is organized into a Launch, Monitor, Connect format.
- Launch: The launch is a short, whole-class conversation that creates a need or excitement, provides clarity, or helps students connect their prior knowledge or personal experience, which ensures that everyone has access to the upcoming work.
- Monitor: As students work individually, in pairs, or in groups, teachers explore student thinking, ask questions, and provide support to help move the conversations closer to the intended math learning goal.
- Connect: Teachers connect students’ ideas to the key learning goals of the lesson, facilitating class discussions that help synthesize and solidify the Big Ideas.
Each lesson within Amplify Desmos Math California follows the same structure.
- Warm-Up: Every Amplify Desmos Math California lesson begins with a whole class Warm-Up. Warm-Ups are an invitational Instructional Routine intended to provide a social moment at the start of the lesson in which every student has an opportunity to contribute. Warm-Ups may build fluency or highlight a strategy that may be helpful in the current lesson or act as an invitation into the math of the lesson.
- Lesson Activities: Each lesson includes one or two activities. These activities are the heart of each lesson. Students notice, wonder, explore, calculate, predict, measure, explain their thinking, use math to settle disputes, create challenges for their classmates, and more. Guidance is provided to help teachers launch, monitor, and connect student thinking over the course of the activity.
- Synthesis and Show What You Know: The Synthesis is an opportunity for the teacher and students to pull all the learning of the lesson together into a lesson takeaway. Students engage in a facilitated discussion to consolidate and refine their ideas about the learning goals, and the teacher synthesizes students’ learning. Show What You Know is a daily assessment opportunity for students to show what they know about the learning goals and what they are still learning.
- Centers (K–5): Centers are hands-on activities for students in grades K–5 to play collaboratively to strengthen their understanding of key skills and concepts. In grades K–1, students have Daily Center Time built into every lesson.
- Practice and Differentiation: Daily practice problems for the day’s lesson are included both online and in the print Student Edition, including fluency, test practice, and spiral review.
Kindergarten–Grade 1
Grades 2–5
Grades 6–8
Routines
Amplify Desmos Math California features a variety of lesson routines. Instructional routines and Math Language Routines (MLRs) are used within lessons to highlight student-developed language and ideas, cultivate conversation, support mathematical sense-making, and promote meta-cognition. Both are called out at point-of-use within the Teacher Edition and Teacher Presentation Screens. Below are the types of routines used throughout the Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum:
Math Language Routines
- MLR1: Stronger and Clearer Each Time
- MLR2: Collect and Display
- MLR3: Critique, Correct, Clarify
- MLR5: Co-Craft Questions
- MLR6: Three Reads
- MLR7: Compare and Connect
- MLR 8: Discussion Supports
Instructional Routines
- Decide and Defend
- Notice and Wonder
- Number Talk
- Tell a Story
- Think-Pair-Share
- Which One Doesn’t Belong?
Category 3: Assessments
A variety of performance data in Amplify Desmos Math California provides evidence of student learning, while helping students bolster their skills and understanding.
Unit-Level Assessment
Amplify Desmos Math California has embedded unit assessments that offer key insights into students’ conceptual understanding of math. These assessments provide regular, actionable information about how students are thinking about and processing math, with both auto-scoring and in-depth rubrics that help teachers anticipate and respond to students’ learning needs.
- Pre-Unit Check: Each unit in grades 2–8 begins with a formative assessment designed to identify the student skills that will be particularly relevant to the upcoming unit. This check is agnostic to the standards covered in the following unit and serves not as a deficit-based acknowledgment of what students do not know, but rather as an affirmation of the knowledge and skills with which students come in.
- End-of-Unit Assessment: Students engage with rigorous grade-level mathematics through a variety of formats and tasks in the summative End-of-Unit Assessment. A combination of auto-scored (when completed digitally) and rubric-scored items provides deep insights into student thinking. All Amplify Desmos Math California End-of-Unit Assessments include two forms.
- Sub-Unit Quizzes: Sub-Unit Quizzes are formative assessments embedded regularly in Grades Kindergarten through Algebra 1. In these checks, students are assessed on a subset of conceptual understandings from the unit, with rubrics that help illuminate students’ current understanding and provide guidance for responding to student thinking.
- Sub-Unit Checklists: These checklists enable teachers to observe key skills and concepts that cannot be assessed on a pencil-and-paper assessment in Kindergarten–Grade 1. The checklists outline the supports students need to achieve mathematical growth and success.
- Performance Tasks: At the end of each unit in grades 3–8, there is a summative assessment performance task provided to evaluate students’ proficiency with the concepts and skills addressed in the unit.
Lesson-Level Assessments
Amplify Desmos Math California lessons include daily moments of assessment to provide valuable evidence of learning for both the teacher and student. Beyond formative, summative, and benchmark assessments, students also have opportunities for self-reflection with Watch Your Knowledge Grow. Students take ownership of their learning by reflecting and tracking their progress before and after each unit.
- Show What You Know: Each lesson has a daily formative assessment focused on one of the key concepts in the lesson. Show What You Know moments are carefully designed to minimize completion time for students while maximizing daily teacher insights to attend to student needs during the following class.
- Responsive Feedback™: Teachers have the ability to see and provide in-the-moment feedback as students progress through a digital lesson. Responsive Feedback motivates students and engages them in the learning process.
Diagnostic Assessment
Every grade level features an asset-based diagnostic assessment designed to be administered at the beginning of the year. Delivered digitally and to the whole class, our diagnostic assessment is uniquely designed to reveal underlying math thinking and identify what students know about grade-level math. With data beyond just right and wrong, teachers have the type of deeper level of insights need to take the right next step.
CAASPP-Aligned Assessment Preparation
Amplify Desmos Math is designed to support students’ mathematical development through problem-based learning, differentiation, and embedded assessments. The program’s emphasis on conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application aligns with the mathematical practices and content standards assessed by the CAASPP.
Amplify Desmos Math California includes a CAASPP-aligned Item Bank. This standards-aligned bank of questions allows teachers to filter and search by grade and standard to find items. Once assigned on the digital platform, students will experience CAASPP-like practice with the online digital tools.
Data and Reporting
Amplify Desmos Math California provides teachers and administrators with unified reporting and insights so that educators have visibility into what students know about grade-level math—and can plan instruction accordingly for the whole class, small groups, and individual students. Reporting functionality integrates unit assessments, lesson assessments, diagnostic data, and progress monitoring for a comprehensive look at student learning. Program reports show proficiency and growth by domain, cluster, standard, and priority concept using performance data from unit assessments, then highlight areas of potential student need to allow teachers to modify their instruction and target differentiated support.
Administrator reporting provides a complete picture of student, class, and district performance, allowing administrators to implement instructional and intervention plans.
Category 4: Access and Equity
The Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum provides teachers with lessons, strategies, and resources to eliminate barriers and increase access to grade-level content without reducing the mathematical demand of tasks. Our lessons are developed using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.
Every activity has multiple entry points to ensure that all students are supported and challenged. Intervention and personalized learning activities are directly connected to the day’s content and offer students the individualized supports they need to be successful.
Each lesson and unit contains guidance for teachers on how to identify students who may need support, students who need to keep strengthening their understanding, and students who may be ready to stretch their learning. In addition, teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students.
Universal Design for Learning
Each lesson in the program incorporates opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
- Multiple Means of Engagement: Students engage in both print and digital learning, and are regularly participating in discussions and hands-on activities. Students are invited to build their own challenge for other students to solve, which provides opportunities for choice and
autonomy, as well as joy and play. - Multiple Means of Representation: Students are encouraged to demonstrate their learning using mathematical representations, both print and digital, and regularly engage with their peers in analyzing multiple possible solutions. Classes engage in open-ended discussions about what individual students notice and wonder about mathematical concepts.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Learners differ in how they navigate learning environments and express what they know. Students can communicate their ideas in multiple ways, including in print, sketching, uploading photos, or recording an audio response.
Accessibility
Lesson facilitation supports
Every lesson includes at least one specific suggestion the teacher can use to increase access to the lesson without reducing the mathematical demand of the tasks. These suggestions address the following areas:
- Visual-spatial processing
- Conceptual processing
- Executive functioning
- Memory and attention
- Fine motor skills
Accessibility tools
Students have the ability to control accessibility tools so that each learning experience is customized to their individual needs. In many instances, these tools can be turned on or off at any point of instruction.
- Text to speech: Reads text instructions to students in multiple languages
- Enlarged font: Increases the size of all text on screen
- Braille mode: Includes narration of digital interactions
- Language selection: Toggles between languages
Differentiation: In-Lesson Teacher Moves
Within every lesson activity, teachers can use the suggestions in the Differentiation Teacher Moves table to provide in-the-moment instructional support while students are engaged in the work of the lesson. This table can help teachers anticipate the ways students may approach the activity, and provides prompts that they can use during the lesson to Support, Strengthen, and Stretch individual students in their thinking. Teachers are provided with clear student actions and understanding to look for, each matched with immediately usable suggestions for how to respond to the student thinking illustrated in each row of the table. In addition to using these suggestions in the moment as teachers monitor student work, teachers can review the Differentiation table in advance to help them anticipate how students are likely to approach the activity.
Differentiation: Beyond the Lesson
Teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students needing support, strengthening, and stretching after each lesson. Support, Strengthen, and Stretch resources include:
- Mini-Lessons: 15-minute, small-group direct instruction lessons targeted to a specific concept or skill
- Item Banks: Space for teachers to create practice and assessments by using filters and searching for standards, summative-style items, and more
- Fluency Practice: Adaptive, personalized practice built out for basic operations and more
- Centers (K–5): Lesson-embedded routines and practice for students that are vertically aligned across grade levels
- Extensions: Lesson-embedded Teacher Moves including possible stretch questions and activities for students
- Lesson Practice: Additional practice problems support every lesson
- Math Adventures: Strategy-based math games where students engage with math concepts and practice skills in a fun digital environment
- Lesson Summary Support: Support for students and caregivers that provides efficient explanation of the learning goal with clear examples
Math Identity and Community
The Math Identity and Community feature supports teachers in helping students build confidence in their own mathematical thinking, develop skills to work with and learn from others when doing math, and learn how math is an interwoven part of their broader community. The embedded prompts throughout the lessons are designed to highlight what it means to be good at math, the value of sharing ideas, and the power of flexible and creating thinking. Here are some examples of the Math Identity and Community supports embedded in each lesson:
- I can be all of me in math class. You will work with partners every day in math class. What do you want your partners to know about you?
- We are a math community. What does good listening look like and sound like in a math community?
- I am a doer of math. What math strengths did you use today?
Unit Stories
Every unit in grades K–5 contains a Unit Story. These Unit Stories are brief fiction stories read aloud by the teacher at the beginning of each unit that connect to the math of the unit and introduce characters that students will get to know as they engage in the unit. Teachers read the story aloud from their Teacher Edition while projecting illustrations for students from the story, found in the Teacher Presentation Screens for the story. Across the unit, the Unit Story context and characters are used at appropriate points to inspire and engage students in the math as well as in reflections about their math identity and community.
Math Language Development
Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California includes opportunities for all students to develop mathematical language as they experience the content. Amplify Desmos Math California purposefully progresses language development from lesson to lesson and across units by supporting students in making their arguments and explanations stronger, clearer, and more precise. This systematic approach to the development of math language can be broken down into the following four categories of support:
- Vocabulary: Units and lessons start by surfacing students’ language for new concepts, then building connections between their language and the new vocabulary for that unit. This honors the language assets that students bring into their learning.
- Language goals: Language goals attend to the mathematics students are learning, and are written through the lens of one or more of four language modalities: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
- Math Language Routines: Math Language Routines are used within lessons to highlight student-developed language and ideas, cultivate conversation, support mathematical sense-making, and promote meta-cognition.
- Multilingual/English learner supports: Supports for multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs) are called out at intentional points within each lesson. These specific, targeted suggestions support ML/ELs with modifications that increase access to a task, or through development of contextual or mathematical language (both of which can be supportive of all learners).
Multilingual and English Learner Supports
Partnership with English Learner Success Forum
Amplify partnered with the English Learner Success Forum (ELSF), a national nonprofit organization that advocates for high-quality instructional materials that are inclusive of multilingual learners. ELSF reviewed Amplify Desmos Math California, and provided directional guidance and feedback to ensure that the program reflects their research-based instructional strategies for multilingual/English learners.
Math Language Development Resources
Our Math Language Development Resources book contains lesson-specific strategies and activities for all levels of English Learners (i.e., Emerging, Expanding, Bridging). With support for every lesson, teachers are empowered to help all students, regardless of their language skills, to participate fully, grasp the material, and excel in their mathematical journey.
Multilingual Glossary
Amplify Desmos Math California includes a digital glossary for languages other than Spanish. Translations will be provided for up to nine languages.
Spanish Version
Amplify Desmos Math California will include Spanish student-facing materials beginning in the 2026–27 school year.
Category 5: Instructional Planning and Support
Amplify Desmos Math California includes a variety of embedded instructional supports to empower teachers to lead effectively and gain actionable insights into student growth and progress. Teachers are equipped with a comprehensive set of resources designed to fulfill the requirements of Category 5.
Grade-level concepts
Within the Teacher Edition front matter:
- Scope and sequence
- Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
- Grade level standards
- Standards for Mathematical Practice
- English Language Development Standards
- Environmental Principals and Concepts
Within each Unit and Sub-Unit Overview:
- Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
- Math that Matters Most
- Grade level standards
- Standards for Mathematical Practice
- English Language Development Standards
- Environmental Principals and Concepts
Within each Lesson:
- Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
- Grade level standards
- Standards for Mathematical Practice
- English Language Development Standards
- Environmental Principals and Concepts
How to implement the program
At the course level (within the Teacher Edition front matter):
- Navigating the Program (both print and digital)
- Facilitating Lesson Activities with Launch, Monitor and Connect
- Overview of the Digital Facilitation Tools
At the lesson level:
- Suggestions for timing
- What materials to prep
- How to organize and group students
- Key lesson takeaways with the Synthesis
- Recommendations for Differentiation
- Strategies for intervention and extensions (in the Intervention, Extensions, and Investigation Resources book)
At the activity level:
- Differentiation recommendations
- Accessibility tips
- ML / EL tips
- Teacher look-fors
- Recommended Teacher Moves
- Prompts for guiding student thinking
- Sample student responses
Development of Math Language
A variety of language development supports are provided within the Student and Teacher Editions and Math Language Development Resources book.
At the lesson level:
- Diagrams and visuals
- Sentence frames and word banks
- Graphic organizers, including Frayer models
- Vocabulary routines
- Embedded language supports aligned to the CA ELDs
- Lesson-specific strategies for Emerging, Expanding, and Bridging
At the unit level:
- Words With Multiple Meanings
- Contextual vocabulary
At the course level:
- English/Spanish cognates
- Multilingual Glossary
Other Curriculum Guidance
- Additional Practice Resources book
- Assessment Resources book
- Assess and Respond guidance paired with each assessment opportunity
- Show-What-You-Know activities
- Answer keys and rubrics
- Performance tasks
Create transformation that lasts.
Embarking on educational change takes heart, intention, and determination. It also requires proven strategies and practical tools. With data, resources, and countless stories of successful implementations to guide us, we can take the first step toward true transformation together.
Principles for Educational Change Management
Whether you’re looking for transformative change in math, literacy, or science instruction, some essential principles apply across the board. As a teacher, administrator, or community leader, you’ll find these guiding principles can help you manage your new curriculum implementation and help each student reach their potential.
“This goes out to the interventionists, coaches, and administrators … support your staff. Lead staff trainings, provide push-in support, model and co-teach so that the staff will see that this is not ‘just another initiative.’ Remember, this is the start of a long, powerful journey. Take small steps, do them well, then use data to move on to the next small step.”
Leading instructional shifts across all disciplines
Make the shift to the Science of Reading.
Learn the key steps that will drive the success you need.
Change in math is different.
Managing change in math doesn’t have to mean starting over. It starts with a few simple shifts.
Be a science inspiration.
Intentional shifts help transform students into concerned global citizens ready to take on the world. Find out how.
Let data guide your transformation.
The right data at the right time is crucial in planning lasting instructional change. With specific metrics to guide your implementation, you’ll know exactly how to monitor your progress. Download our literacy assessment infographic as a model for the key data questions to ask at critical points in the school year.
Achieve implementation success.
Ready to navigate educational implementation with confidence? The following resources will help you discover practical strategies for decision-making, managing change, and engaging stakeholders.
Discover five steps to successful implementation.
Balancing decision-making, data collection, and transparent communication doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Discover the five essential steps to making implementation manageable.
Think like a leader.
Strategic leadership requires more than sharp management skills. Find out how the leadership brain model can help you, as a district leader, connect initiatives with your broader vision.
Turn plans into results.
Educational change requires intentional effort. Key leadership imperatives can provide the framework you need for effective implementation.
What district leaders are saying
“In the past we’ve adopted a resource and we’ve left it to the teachers and the buildings to use and to put into practice. I was determined that we needed to do more than just that for both our teachers and our students. That is really where…the leadership brain concept has come into play. [It] provided the framework and key questions that I needed so that I could reflect, process, and determine what was next throughout the first year of implementation.”
What district leaders are saying
“Through the guidance and collaboration of the Amplify Team, our stakeholders participated in thoughtful conversations, relevant hands-on learning, and the development of clear guidelines for moving forward [with Amplify CKLA]. This process led to the creation of our district commitments, which, together with the six leadership imperatives, remain central to the progress we continue to make today.”
What district leaders are saying
“[My advice to other leaders is to] stop trying to fix everything at once. Dig deep with systematic analysis to find your one high leverage problem; then build your entire system around solving it. You can have all the coaching and support in the world, but if you’re not focused on the right problem, those systems won’t translate to classroom impact.”
Educational leaders share their success.
Find out how educational leaders have transformed their districts through successful implementation, revealing the commitment and strategic approach that led to real academic improvements.
Change needs commitment.
Change is achievable when everyone commits to the process. See how one district turned collaboration into a successful implementation of Amplify CKLA.
Existing strengths need focused direction.
Strong district foundations require intentional focus. Learn how systematic analysis helped one district turn comprehensive resources into meaningful impact for teachers.
Shared responsibility transforms implementation.
Managing implementation alone limits success. Discover how one district leader used stakeholder mapping to create shared leadership and building-level ownership.
See implementation in action.
Learn how one district achieved positive test results across grades 1–5 within their first year of adopting Amplify CKLA.
Strategic change delivers results.
Results happen when change is managed strategically. Check out how one district turned thoughtful planning into successful Amplify CKLA adoption.
Curriculum evaluation leads to confident decisions.
Explore how one district implemented Amplify CKLA (after piloting seven different programs!) and achieved powerful kindergarten reading gains.
Regular communication fosters growth.
Structured coaching support transforms implementation outcomes. Find out how regular communication helped one district achieve consistency and sustained student growth with Amplify CKLA.
Preparation creates lasting results.
Comprehensive training creates the foundation for sustained success. Read about how strategic summer preparation and ongoing professional learning helped one county achieve significant academic improvements.
Amplify Science – Oklahoma
Amplify Science – Oklahoma
Welcome, Program 6 reviewers, to Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten!
We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) California Transitional Kindergarten (TK). We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California ELA/ELD Framework and the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations (PTKLF) to life in classrooms across the state.
Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.
Your review samples
Print samples
You will receive three boxes of physical samples as part of your review. Box 1 will contain your Reviewer Binder. This binder contains logistical information and printed copies of the Evaluation Criteria Map and Foundations Alignment Map. Boxes 2 and 3 will contain physical samples. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each box as well as within your Reviewer Binder.
Digital samples
In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log in to our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Access Flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:
- Click the orange button below to access the platform.
- Click “Log in with Amplify.”
- Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Review Credential flyer.
Navigation tips
Before you get started, please review these important functionality notes:
Criteria Map and Standards Maps must be opened on Microsoft Word on your desktop to function as intended. If you open the documents without Microsoft Word on your desktop, citations will be cut off at the bottom of most tables within the document.
Many of our citations are deep-links to PDFs, meaning they will take you to the right page or the first page in the sequence for the citation in question. To ensure this functionality works, please disable any PDF-viewing extensions or plug-ins such as Adobe Acrobat Pro Browser Extension.
[Reviewer navigation video] Amplify CKLA California TK
Category 1: English Language Arts (ELA) content/alignment with Foundations
Alignment documents
The links below provide the alignment documents for Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten.
- Program 6.1: Basic ELA (TK) Evaluation Criteria Map
- ELA Foundations Map for Program 6.1 Learning Foundations alignment
Category 2: Program Organization
Program structure
Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten is a comprehensive English language arts curriculum designed to prepare young children for later reading success by building foundational language and literacy skills. Amplify CKLA California TK materials and instruction provide explicit, systematic support for developing young children’s language, literacy, and content knowledge within the context of developmentally-appropriate early childhood settings, incorporating and reflecting the key themes and practices of the CA PTKLF and Framework.
[Reviewer highlight video] Program organization
The flexible pacing recommendations of the program provide teachers with options to decide how best to keep students engaged while completing Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten instruction (e.g., wiggle breaks, hands-on participation, singing songs, brain breaks, etc.).
[Reviewer highlight video] Lesson organization
The literacy skills, vocabulary, and content knowledge developed in Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten are explicitly designed to provide a foundation for the skills and content taught in TK classrooms. The teacher-directed and student-led activities in Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten reflect all strands of the CA PTKLF foundational language sub-domains:
- Listening and speaking
- Foundational literacy skills
- Reading and writing
Amplify CKLA California TK domains of instruction are carefully chosen and sequenced to build prerequisite knowledge so that students can use that knowledge as they assimilate new, more complex information. The seven domains in Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten are:
- Important People in American History
- All About Me
- Families and Communities
- Classic Tales
- Plants
- Animals
- Habitats
Amplify CKLA California TK empowers teachers to deliver effective instruction and keeps students engaged with with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides
- Flip Books
- Image Cards
- Center Cards
- Activity Pages and Take-Home Pages
- Nursery Rhymes and Songs Posters
- Big Book: Classic Tales
- Trade Books
Activities are play-based, engaging, challenging, and adaptive for the full range of TK learners. Teacher materials also support teachers and aides in facilitating activities, establishing routines, and identifying effective procedures.
Scope and sequence
Click here to view the scope and sequence for Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten.
Category 3: Assessments
Amplify CKLA California TK assessments are designed to provide a snapshot of whether or not each student is mastering specific Core Content and Language Arts Objectives. The program incorporates multiple methods of assessing what students know and are able to do in each domain. Methods of assessments include:
- Observational/anecdotal assessments.
- Reteaching moments with aligned progress monitoring.
- Portfolio Collections (student work samples).
- Task assessments.
- Developmental progression monitoring.
Amplify CKLA California TK provides tools to facilitate collecting, analyzing, and sharing data on student progress and development. These include:
- Ready-made data collection forms with scoring guidelines (Not Yet, Progressing, Ready).
- Caregiver communication letters.
[Reviewer highlight video] Program alignment to Category 3
Category 4: Universal Access
Amplify CKLA California Transitional Kindergarten materials provide students with a range of skills and abilities, with opportunities for participation across all contexts of differentiated instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language.
Examples include the following:
- Teacher Guides feature sidebar differentiation tips.
- Classroom routines, such as taking attendance, rely on both visual and verbal prompts that can be individually tailored to students’ needs.
- Small-group activities often include suggested rounds of play that increase with difficulty and give teachers the choice to move forward to increase the level of challenge or repeat levels of play that prove challenging.
- Extension activities involve materials that can be adapted to scaffold students in a variety of ways; teachers can provide more or less structure and input depending on the needs of the students.
- Differentiation supports grounded in UDL include visuals, realia, multimodal instruction, and other materials relevant to all students.
Category 5: Instructional Planning and Teacher Support
Amplify CKLA California TK empowers teachers to deliver effective instruction with various resources. The program provides comprehensive planning and support materials designed to help teachers prepare for and execute lessons effectively and fulfill the requirements of Category 5.
Teacher materials
Planning and preparation resources
Each Teacher Guide contains all the information needed for each day of instruction. The following sections are included in each Teacher Guide:
- Assessments
- Introduction
- Learning Centers
- Transitions
- Starting the Day
- Skills Instruction
- Listening & Learning Instruction
- Pausing Points
The Domain Calendar shows the titles of activities and read-alouds taught on each day of instruction throughout the entire domain during the three main contexts for instruction:
- Starting the Day
- Skills
- Listening & Learning
Caregiver supports
The home-school connection letter template provides an easy way to share important information and set expectations with caregivers at the beginning of the school year.
Caregiver letters suggest ways parents and caregivers can support and reinforce learning at home through everyday activities. They also include high-quality texts and nursery rhymes and songs that parents can use to support students’ learning.
Welcome, Program 3 reviewers!
We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify California Language Arts. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California ELA/ELD Framework to life in classrooms across the state.
Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.
Your review samples
We’re excited for you to begin your review of Amplify California Language Arts, a comprehensive biliteracy program for kindergarten through grade 6.
Reviewer Binders (K–6)
Your physical samples should have arrived in grade-specific boxes with three Reviewer Binders.
- The first binder will contain logistical program review information and the printed Evaluation Criteria Map.
- The second binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades K–2.
- The third binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades 3–6.
Physical samples (trade books)
Your review of the program will be entirely digital with the exception of the trade books that you will be receiving as physical samples. You can expect to receive 13 boxes of physical materials for your review. Twelve boxes of trade books, one for each grade K–5, in English and Spanish, and one box containing your Reviewer Binders.
As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each box as well as within your Reviewer Binder.
Digital review materials
In order to access your digital review materials, you’ll need to log in to our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Review Credential flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:
- Click the orange button below to access the platform.
- Click “Log in with Amplify.”
- Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Review Credential flyer.
Navigation tips
Before you get started, please review these important functionality notes:
Criteria Map and Standards Maps must be opened on Microsoft Word on your desktop to function as intended. If you open the documents without Microsoft Word on your desktop, citations will be cut off at the bottom of most tables within the document.
Many of our citations are deep-links to PDFs, meaning they will take you to the right page or the first page in the sequence for the citation in question. To ensure this functionality works, please disable any PDF-viewing extensions or plug-ins such as Adobe Acrobat Pro Browser Extension.
[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades K–5
[Reviewer program navigation video] Grade 6
Click here for additional information on navigating the program for grade 6.
Category 1: English Language Arts (ELA) and English Language Development (ELD) content/alignment to standards
Evaluation Criteria Map
Linked below is the Evaluation Criteria Map. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.
ELA Standards Maps
The links below provide the Standards Maps for Amplify California Language Arts for each grade level.
ELD Standards Maps
Category 2: Program organization
Amplify California Language Arts’ biliteracy program is a comprehensive curriculum provides a full year of evidence-based instruction for each grade level, with both integrated and designated English Language Development instruction designed to give multilingual/English learners the tools to thrive. Amplify’s biliteracy program for grades K–6 includes:
- Core English language arts instruction: Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) California (grades K–5) and Amplify ELA California (grade 6) covering knowledge building and foundational skills.
- Provides upper grade foundational skills instruction for grades 3–6.
- Core Spanish language arts instruction: Amplify Caminos California, a fully parallel SLA program that works in tandem with English core instruction across all grades.
- Provides upper grade foundational skills instruction for grades 3–6.
- Designated English Language Development: Language Studio California is the designated English Language Development companion that directly aligns with and supports core English instruction.
- Newcomer Support: Amplify California Language Arts Newcomer Support to facilitate instruction for students who are new to both English and the United States.
Program structure
Amplify’s California Language Arts programs are built on what the research shows: Strong readers need both word recognition and language comprehension. Our comprehensive curriculum suite follows the Simple View of Reading bringing together foundational skills and knowledge building to deliver instruction grounded in the Science of Reading.
This model is integral to the structure of the Amplify biliteracy program, which directly aligns with the CA CCSS ELA and ELD standards by combining rigorous decoding and skills instruction with research-based knowledge and language development instruction. In its early grades, the Amplify biliteracy program uses a two-strand structure—Skills/Lectoescritura and Knowledge/Conocimiento—to effectively address this learning challenge while meeting standards expectations for both language development and academic content mastery.
[Reviewer highlight video] Program organization for Category 2
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades K–2
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 3–5
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grade 6
Amplify Caminos California lessons are designed to allow all students time to work toward learning objectives, including peer collaboration and discussion. Since each lesson activity is aligned to subsequent activities, students’ understanding and analysis develops progressively throughout the lesson.
Each lesson follows a predictable structure with clearly marked components, beginning with warm-up routines, progressing through explicit instruction with guided practice, and concluding with independent application activities. The program provides detailed teacher language, including question stems and discussion prompts, ensuring clear and consistent delivery of instruction.
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify Caminos California empower teachers to deliver effective instruction and keep students engaged with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides
- Assessment Guides
- Authentic texts and trade books
- Knowledge Image Cards
- Knowledge Flip Books
- Remediation and intervention resources
- Decodable readers
- Student Readers and novels
- Student Activity Books
- Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
- Poet’s Journals
- eReaders
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs
- Instructional routine modeling videos
- Assignable Practice Games
- On-demand professional development
Amplify ELA California students stay engaged with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides that include:
- Detailed lesson plans
- Standards alignment and exit tickets
- Real-time differentiation strategies
- Robust reporting
- Student Editions that include:
- High-quality narrative and informational texts
- Videos, audio supports, and digital experiences that capture their attention
- Personal Writing Journal to keep all student writing in one place
- Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
- Trade books
Core literacy philosophy
Support every learner. Meet all learning needs with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that brings together universal screening, scaffolded core instruction, support for multilingual/English learners, and data-driven intervention to ensure every student gets what they need to succeed.
Deliver consistent foundational skills instruction. Daily explicit, systematic skills instruction in grades K–2, with targeted yet flexible support for students still building decoding confidence in grades 3–6, ensures mastery of essential reading foundations.
Build lasting knowledge across all grades. Through coherently sequenced, content-rich instruction that revisits key vocabulary and concepts with increasing complexity, students build meaningful connections that deepen their vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Strengthen reading through writing at every level. Regular writing instruction grounded in the Science of Writing supports reading comprehension, improves sentence-level writing, and provides the foundation for high-quality composition. As students progress through the upper grades, they engage in increasingly complex analytical tasks—synthesizing ideas, drawing generalizations, and interpreting multiple textual layers through both focused quick-writes and comprehensive essays.
Foster oral language development. Structured opportunities for academic conversation and evidence-based dialogue build students’ ability to express complex ideas with precision and allow them to participate confidently in classroom discussions.
Measure growth with comprehensive assessments. Assessments range from in-the-moment checks for understanding to summative assessments that measure progress toward skills mastery and standards proficiency, providing the data needed to drive targeted instruction.
Scope and sequence
Below you can view the scope and sequence documents for each grade level.
- Kindergarten
- Grade 1
- Grade 2
- Grade 3
- Grade 4
- Grade 5
- Grade 6
- Newcomer Support Grades K–6
Routines
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California include several structured instructional routines that provide predictable patterns for both teachers and students:
Discussion and collaboration routines:
- Turn and Talk: Partners discuss text-specific content using sentence starters and frames
- Think-Pair-Share: Students engage in individual thinking, partner discussion, and whole-class sharing
- Partner reading: Students sit shoulder-to-shoulder, taking turns reading and listening
Foundational Skills routines:
- Sound-spelling review: Warm-up activities that reinforce phonics patterns
- Oral blending warm-ups: Teacher-guided practice progressing to independent application
- Finger-tapping: Techniques for blending sounds
- Chaining activities: Students manipulate letters to transform one word into another
- Word Work: Daily short activities focused on domain-specific and academic vocabulary
Knowledge-building routines:
- Teacher modeling: Demonstration of proper intonation, expression, and pacing
- Choral reading: Whole-class reading practice
- Partner reading: Paired fluency practice
Close reading routines
The program includes carefully structured close reading activities that guide students through multiple encounters with complex texts. These routines help students develop deeper comprehension through systematic analysis and discussion.
Each routine includes comprehensive instructional guides with clear-cut directions for implementation, straightforward explanations of concepts, and suggestions for discussion.
Cross-Linguistic Transfer routines
The Cross-Linguistic Transfer (CLT) routines are easy-to-implement, 10–15 minute mini-lessons designed to help bridge English and Spanish literacy and language development. These structured routines are organized by grade bands for K–2, grades 3–5 and grade 6, covering five skill areas:
- Oral language
- Reading
- Vocabulary
- Language
- Writing
[Reviewer highlight video] Amplify’s program alignment to Cross-Linguistic Transfer criteria
Designated English Language Development materials
Language Studio California is a K–8 content-based companion for English language learners. Built on Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California’s carefully sequenced Knowledge Domains, it combines engaging content knowledge with targeted supports and research-based strategies to help students move swiftly toward language proficiency. This program includes:
- Real-world content to provide authentic opportunities to practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
- Scaffolding strategies and differentiated instruction to offer targeted support along five English proficiency levels.
- Progress monitoring tools to help teachers provide consistent and effective support.
- Teacher Guides that:
- Provide impactful progress monitoring tools including formative and summative assessments, and Language Proficiency Assessment rubrics.
- Offer varied differentiation strategies including Support, Challenge, and Access supports in each lesson segment.
- Are organized into thoughtful lesson segments—Talk Time, Building Background, On Stage and more—that make learning objectives concrete.
- Activities that:
- Expand on domain knowledge from core content and read-alouds and prompt collaborative conversation to practice oral fluency.
- Support hands-on language activities to promote authentic interaction in the classroom.
- Help students bridge experiences and knowledge with images, vocabulary activities, graphic organizers, anticipation guides, writing space, and more.
Category 3: Assessments
Systematic MTSS alignment
In alignment with the additional 2025 Guidance 3.1.a, the assessment systems align with MTSS tiers, including universal screening, diagnostic assessments for students demonstrating a need for additional support, and progress monitoring tools that complement California’s required reading difficulties screening schedule per SB 114.
| Tier 1: Universal/ differentiated support | Tier 2: Supplemental/ targeted support | Tier 3: Intensified/ intensive support | |
| Core instruction assessments Frequency of administration | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly |
| Universal screening assessments Frequency of administration | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY |
| Formal progress monitoring assessments Frequency of administration | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura Monthly | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura Bi-weekly |
| Informal progress monitoring assessments Frequency of administration | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California core assessments Daily | Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments When linked to a lesson in the toolkit | Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments When linked to a lesson in the toolkit |
| Diagnostic assessment Frequency of administration | Amplify skill diagnostic assessment Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment Optional after universal screening assessment is administered | Amplify skill diagnostic assessment Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment After universal screening assessment is administered |
Universal assessment system
Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition (K–8) and mCLASS Lectura (K–6) are universal and dyslexia screening assessments that should be administered three times per year (BOY, MOY, and EOY) to all students. The assessments evaluate student literacy risk, determine progress toward grade-level goals, and indicate the level of instructional support a student may need. Beginning-of-year screenings require adequate instructional time before administration, particularly in grades K–1, while mid-year and end-of-year assessments evaluate instructional effectiveness and guide tier placement adjustments. These screenings also identify students at risk for dyslexia. Universal screening provides essential data for targeting instruction and measuring instructional system effectiveness.
Core instruction assessments
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California provide a comprehensive suite of assessments for grades K–6 that range from low-stakes, informal formative assessments to more formal summative assessments. These assessments incorporate a variety of methods and question types, including multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and oral and written responses.
Formative assessments:
- Checks for Understanding: Incorporated into each lesson segment throughout daily instruction. Quick pulse-checks that provide immediate feedback during lesson delivery (grades K–5).
- Daily formative assessments: Highlighted moments within each lesson for teachers to plan to track mastery of Primary Focus objectives and standards of each lesson to get a clear snapshot of individual and whole-class progress (grades K–5).
- Activity pages: Completed as part of lessons and can be used to assess lesson content understanding through various formats (grades K–5).
- Exit Tickets: Located at the end of lessons, these provide a quick gauge of students’ ability to meet the lesson’s focus standards (grade 6).
- Writing Prompts: Prompts integrated throughout lessons during writing activities that provide skill snapshots within lessons and tracks patterns of skill development over time (grade 6).
- Independent reading activities (Solos): At the end of every lesson, students complete an independent reading activity (“Solo”) with reading questions that are scored to measure comprehension (grade 6).
Summative assessments:
- Skills end-of-unit assessments (grades K–2)
- Knowledge end-of-domain assessments (grades K–2)
- End-of-unit assessments (grades 3–5)
- Unit essays: A culminating end-of-unit set of lessons that guide students through crafting an essay with a rubric to score mastery of writing skills (grade 6)
- Unit reading assessments: Auto-scored responses and two constructed response items evaluate comprehension, content understanding, and reading skills using the passages students read during the unit (grade 6)
Performance assessments
Student Performance Assessments are multi-day assessments administered in Grades K–5 at the beginning, middle, and end of year to help teachers gauge student mastery of grade-level Core content. These assessments provide critical data to help teachers set targeted instructional goals and monitor individual and class-wide progress towards core objectives.
Progress monitoring
Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide formal progress monitoring in the discrete skills that are indicative of reading growth and predictive of overall success to provide the most instructionally meaningful information to teachers.
Informal progress monitoring tools can be found within the Intervention Toolkit, including materials for teachers to record, track, and evaluate student progress.
Diagnostic assessment
Interventions within Amplify’s literacy programs are informed by a skill diagnostic assessment that provides detailed data on foundational literacy skill deficits. The Amplify Skill Diagnostic Assessment and Amplify Spanish Skill Diagnostic assessment serve as critical tools in this process, administered specifically to students identified as at risk for reading difficulty through universal screening assessments—particularly those demonstrating mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition or mCLASS Lectura composite scores in the Well Below or Below Benchmark ranges. These diagnostic assessments provide teachers with the precise skills to begin intervention and remediation.
Category 4: Universal Access
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California are developed using the Universal Design for Learning framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.
Universal Design for Learning
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California incorporate opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning.
- Multiple Means of Engagement: The programs incorporate interesting and motivating ways for students to interact with information and content. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students. Scaffolding for students with various levels of need is incorporated into the design of each lesson.
- Multiple Means of Representation: The programs provide multiple means of presenting content to maximize student understanding. This includes digital component files that allow for a range of presentations of images and text to support learning. Amplify provides access to universal supports such as point-of-use audio for all core texts, embedded definitions for critical vocabulary, and glossaries in multiple languages. The programs include clarification on language found throughout the program, with sidebars that include support on transition words and syntax, and illustrations to help students understand the concepts they are learning.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The programs include a range of methods for all students, including Multilingual/English Learners, to navigate and demonstrate learning. This includes physical actions, a range of methods for response, appropriate tools for composition, and varied scaffolding. Lessons provide multiple ways for students to interact with text, allowing their brains to process the language through distinct pathways. Activities harness multiple learning modes, using media tools, digital apps, and a variety of visual and physical experiences to strategically support and enhance student learning.
- Accessibility: Universal access features include visual aids, enlarged materials, physical objects, and multiple learning modalities through activities like Push & Say and Wiggle Cards. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students.
Embedded differentiation
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California provide built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students.
- Pre-teaching supports include mini-lessons on:
- Core vocabulary building
- Core connections
- Essential background information building
- What Have We Already Learned?/What Do We Already Know?
- Differentiated Support for Core Instruction tables, located in the overview of each K–2 Skills Teacher Guide, provide a list of specific opportunities for reteaching and additional support in each lesson based on skill.
- Support and Challenge Sidebars in lesson margins offer educators immediate guidance in implementing point-of-use differentiation techniques.
- Flexible Grouping within lessons provides opportunities for teachers to facilitate small groups, partners, or individualized support based on students’ needs. In the Skills Strand, teachers receive specific guidance for differentiated small group instruction, with targeted support and activities outlined for both Group 1 (students needing additional support) and Group 2 (on-level students) based on data.
- Amplify ELA California and Amplify Caminos California provide point-of-use supports embedded within key core lesson activities with six levels of differentiation. The goal of these supports is to fully enable access to grade-level content for all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and students ready for an additional level of challenge.
- The Universal Access section of Advance Preparation in each lesson includes varied strategies to ensure all students can access and engage in each lesson.
- Frequent use of graphic organizers and visual supports in lessons provide opportunities for differentiation based on need. The program also includes a variety of technological supports, such as eReaders with audio.
- Extension opportunities are suggested throughout lessons, often embedded in writing tasks, which include prompts to use more complex and descriptive vocabulary, figurative language, multi-clause and complex sentences, and informational text characteristics.
Assessment-driven MTSS resources
- The K–6 Intervention Toolkit is available online and provides easy-to-use resources that assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ reading skills, with activities to support print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and other key skills.
- Fluency packets (Grades 2–6)
- Foundational Skills Intervention Program for Grades 3–6 support students who would benefit from direct and explicit intervention instruction in the full continuum of foundational skills in the upper grades
- Flexible Instructional Time including:
- Pausing Points built into the curriculum that provide teachers with dedicated time to address specific student needs through targeted reteaching, remediation, practice, and extension activities
- Pausing Point activities designed to support multilingual/English learners’ competence and confidence through differentiated whole-group, small-group, or individual instruction
- Boost Reading and Boost Lectura are student-led digital intervention programs that follow the scope and sequences of Amplify CKLA California and Amplify Caminos California respectively, to reinforce the same foundational skills taught in core instruction. It integrates easily into daily routines, while the robust data provided by mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition offers a detailed view of how students progress across all instructional tiers.
Category 5: Instructional Planning and Teacher Support
Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, and Amplify ELA California teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with various print and digital resources. The program provides comprehensive planning and support materials designed to help teachers prepare for and execute lessons effectively and fulfill the requirements of Category 5.
Implementation supports across K–6
Planning and preparation resources
- Unit Overviews that provide important background and context for the texts students will read, including highlighted elements within the text and guidance for how students will work with those elements
- Sub-unit Overviews (Grade 6) that provide an overview of Lesson Objectives and reading and writing assignments, as well as a list of any projections, multimedia, or digital apps that can be projected from the teacher’s included digital license
- Lesson-by-lesson preparation checklists (Grade 6) accompanying each Sub-unit Overview
- Lesson Briefs for each individual lesson providing important background and context
- Content knowledge materials regarding topics that students will examine
Point-of-use instructional guidance
- Teacher Editions that feature insets of the same text and activity instructions as the corresponding Student Edition, wrapping teacher instruction around these materials
- Activity guidance at point of use
- Lesson standards clearly called out
- Discussion suggestions embedded in lessons
- Differentiation tips at point of use
- Detailed Instructional Guides in each activity that include sequencing and grouping suggestions, tips for facilitating discussion, possible student responses and exemplars
- On-the-Fly supports (Grade 6)—quick call-outs to the identifying features of “on track” and “needs support” students accompanied by short models of student guidance to foster strong performance
Multimedia and digital support
- Teacher tip videos provide modeling and guidance for implementing key foundational skills routines within the program
- Digital platform access where teachers can access printable PDFs of differentiated support materials for multilingual/English learners and students struggling to read, including translated Unit Background and Context documents and Text Previews
- Teacher Dashboard and reporting tools provide real-time visibility into student progress and work for immediate instructional response
Caregiver supports
Communication and overview resources
- Caregiver Hub available in English and Spanish that provides an overview of the curriculum
- Caregiver Letters for each K–2 Knowledge Domain and unit in Grades 3–5 that provide an overview of the content, the skills students learn, as well as practical methods that continue the learning and knowledge building at home
- Unit-specific Caregiver Letters (Grade 6) that provide detailed information regarding what students will read and learn in each unit, including conversation starters that allow caregivers to ask questions and discuss specific aspects of a unit with their student
- Welcome letters that explain the assessment and placement process while inviting parent involvement and offering support
- Editable Home-School Communication letters available in English and Spanish
- Editable Progress Reports for teachers to update parents and guardians on what their child is learning
Content and learning support materials
- Unit Background and Context documents that provide an introduction and overview to the unit’s topic and themes, available in English and Spanish
- Text Previews that provide a brief introduction to formative, independent reading assignments (called Solos in Grade 6), available in English and Spanish
- Unit Overview and Support documents (Grade 6) designed for caregivers that provide information about important questions, assignments, and key aspects of the unit texts, available in English and Spanish
- Conversation starters included in Knowledge Strand Caregiver Letters to discuss domain topics at home
Home practice and extension activities
- Take-Home pages in the Skills Strand that include copies of decodable passages, enabling students to share their reading progress with families and continue practicing their skills outside of school
- Take-Home Letters in the Skills Strand that provide specific guidance for parents to support skills practice at home, such as sound-sorting activities, with detailed instructions and materials for home practice activities
- Take-Home pages in the Knowledge Strand that provide suggested activities families can do together to reinforce and extend learning beyond the classroom
- Games and activities on Take-Home Pages that extend classroom instruction, including all the materials and instruction necessary to help families assist students in a fun and engaging way
- Digital access to decodable texts through the Amplify Caregiver Hub, allowing students to practice their reading skills both in class and at home
- Weekly spelling lists and directions to decoding activities that can be practiced at home
Welcome, K–8 Program 2 reviewers!
We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify California Language Arts. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California ELA/ELD Framework to life in classrooms across the state.
Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.
Your review samples
We’re excited for you to begin your review of Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) California and Amplify ELA California, Language Studio California for grades K–8. Physical and digital review materials will vary by grade level.
Reviewer Binders (K–8)
Your physical samples should have arrived in grade-specific boxes with three Reviewer Binders.
- The first binder will contain logistical program review information and the printed Evaluation Criteria Map.
- The second binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades K–4.
- The third binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades 5–8.
Physical samples (K–5)
You can expect to receive 15 boxes of physical materials for your review. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each box as well as within your Reviewer Binder. Please note you will not receive any physical samples for grades 6–8 ELA or Language Studio for grades K-8. Your review of the program for grades 6–8 ELA and Language Studio for grades K-8 will be entirely digital.
Digital samples
In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log in to our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Review Credential flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:
- Click the orange button below to access the platform.
- Click “Log in with Amplify.”
- Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Review Credential flyer.
Navigation tips
Before you get started, please review these important functionality notes:
Criteria Map and Standards Maps must be opened on Microsoft Word on your desktop to function as intended. If you open the documents without Microsoft Word on your desktop, citations will be cut off at the bottom of most tables within the document.
Many of our citations are deep-links to PDFs, meaning they will take you to the right page or the first page in the sequence for the citation in question. To ensure this functionality works, please disable any PDF-viewing extensions or plug-ins such as Adobe Acrobat Pro Browser Extension.
[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades K–5
[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades 6–8
Click here for additional information on navigating the digital materials for grades 6–8.
Category 1: English Language Arts (ELA) and English Language Development (ELD) Content/Alignment to Standards
Evaluation Criteria Map
Linked below is the Evaluation Criteria Map for grades K–8. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.
ELA Standards Maps
The links below provide the Standards Maps for Amplify California Language Arts for each grade level. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Standards Maps.
ELD Standards Maps
The links below provide the ELD Standards Maps for Amplify California Core Language Arts for each grade level.
Category 2: Program Organization
The Amplify California Language Arts Program 2 submission includes Amplify CKLA California for Grades K–5, Amplify ELA California for Grades 6–8, and Amplify Language Studio California for Grades K–8. This comprehensive curriculum provides a full year of evidence-based instruction for each grade level, with both integrated and designated English Language Development instruction designed to give English learners the tools to thrive.
Program structure
Amplify’s California Language Arts programs are built on what the research shows: Strong readers need both word recognition and language comprehension. Our comprehensive curriculum suite follows the Simple View of Reading and The Reading Rope–bringing together foundational skills and knowledge building to deliver instruction grounded in the Science of Reading.
Each lesson follows a predictable structure with clearly marked components, beginning with warm-up routines, progressing through explicit instruction with guided practice, and concluding with independent application activities. The program provides detailed teacher language, including question stems and discussion prompts, ensuring clear and consistent delivery of instruction.
[Reviewer highlight video] Program organization for Category 2
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades K–2
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 3–5
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 6–8
Amplify CKLA California empowers teachers to deliver effective instruction and keeps students engaged with with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides
- Assessment Guides
- Authentic texts and trade books
- Knowledge Image Cards
- Knowledge Flip Books
- Remediation and intervention resources
- Decodable readers
- Student Readers and novels
- Student Activity Books
- Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
- Poet’s Journals
- eReaders
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs
- Instructional routine modeling videos
- Assignable Practice Games
- On-demand professional development
Amplify ELA California students stay engaged with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides that include:
- Detailed lesson plans
- Standards alignment and exit tickets
- Real-time differentiation strategies
- Robust reporting
- Student Editions that include:
- High-quality narrative and informational texts
- Videos, audio supports, and digital experiences that capture their attention
- Personal Writing Journal to keep all student writing in one place
- Dedicated ELD support with Language Studio California
- Trade Books
Core literacy philosophy
Support every learner. Meet all learning needs with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that brings together universal screening, scaffolded core instruction, support for English learners, and data-driven intervention to ensure every student gets what they need to succeed.
Provide intentional ELD support. Honor students’ linguistic assets while building academic English through both integrated and designated instruction.
Deliver consistent foundational skills instruction. Daily explicit, systematic skills instruction in grades K–2, with targeted yet flexible support for students still building decoding confidence in grades 3–8, ensures mastery of essential reading foundations.
Build lasting knowledge across all grades. Through coherently sequenced, content-rich instruction that revisits key vocabulary and concepts with increasing complexity, students build meaningful connections that deepen their vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Strengthen reading through writing at every level. Regular writing instruction grounded in the Science of Writing supports reading comprehension, improves sentence-level writing, and provides the foundation for high-quality composition. As students progress through the upper grades, they engage in increasingly complex analytical tasks—synthesizing ideas, drawing generalizations, and interpreting multiple textual layers through both focused quick-writes and comprehensive essays.
Foster oral language development. Structured opportunities for academic conversation and evidence-based dialogue build students’ ability to express complex ideas with precision and allow them to participate confidently in classroom discussions.
Measure growth with comprehensive assessments. Assessments range from in-the-moment checks for understanding to summative assessments that measure progress toward skills mastery and standards proficiency, providing the data needed to drive targeted instruction.
Scope and sequence
Below you can view the scope and sequence for each grade level.
- Kindergarten
- Grade 1
- Grade 2
- Grade 3
- Grade 4
- Grade 5
- Grade 6
- Grade 7
- Grade 8
- Newcomer Support Grades K–8
Routines
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California include several structured instructional routines that provide predictable patterns for both teachers and students:
Discussion and collaboration routines:
- Turn and Talk: Partners discuss text-specific content using sentence starters and frames
- Think-Pair-Share: Students engage in individual thinking, partner discussion, and whole-class sharing
- Partner reading: Students sit shoulder-to-shoulder, taking turns reading and listening
Foundational Skills routines:
- Sound-spelling review: Warm-up activities that reinforce phonics patterns
- Oral blending warm-ups: Teacher-guided practice progressing to independent application
- Finger-tapping: Techniques for blending sounds
- Chaining activities: Students manipulate letters to transform one word into another
- Word Work: Daily short activities focused on domain-specific and academic vocabulary
Knowledge-Building Routines:
- Teacher modeling: Demonstration of proper intonation, expression, and pacing
- Choral reading: Whole-class reading practice
- Partner reading: Paired fluency practice
Close reading routines
The program includes carefully structured close reading activities that guide students through multiple encounters with complex texts. These routines help students develop deeper comprehension through systematic analysis and discussion.
Each routine includes comprehensive instructional guides with clear-cut directions for implementation, straightforward explanations of concepts, and suggestions for discussion.
Designated English Language Development materials
Language Studio California is a K–8 content-based companion for English language learners. Built on Amplify CKLA California’s and Amplify ELA California’s carefully sequenced Knowledge Domains and units, it combines engaging content knowledge with targeted supports and research-based strategies to help students move swiftly toward language proficiency. This program includes:
- Real-world content to provide authentic opportunities to practice reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
- Scaffolding strategies and differentiated instruction to offer targeted support along with five English proficiency levels.
- Progress-monitoring tools to help teachers provide consistent and effective support.
- Teacher Guides that:
- Provide impactful progress monitoring tools including formative and summative assessments and Language Proficiency Assessment rubrics.
- Offer varied differentiation strategies including Support, Challenge, and Access Supports in each lesson segment.
- Are organized into thoughtful lesson segments—Talk Time, Building Background, On Stage and more—that make learning objectives concrete.
- Activities that:
- Expand on domain knowledge from core content and read-alouds and prompt collaborative conversation to practice oral fluency.
- Support hands-on language activities to promote authentic interaction in the classroom.
- Help students bridge experiences and knowledge with images, vocabulary activities, graphic organizers, anticipation guides, writing space, and more.
Category 3: Assessments
Systematic MTSS alignment
In alignment with the additional 2025 Guidance 3.1.a, the assessment systems align with MTSS tiers, including universal screening, diagnostic assessments for students demonstrating a need for additional support, and progress monitoring tools that complement the California’s required universal screening schedule per SB 114.
| Tier 1: Universal/ differentiated support | Tier 2: Supplemental/ targeted support | Tier 3: Intensified/ intensive support | |
| Core instruction assessments Frequency of administration | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly |
| Universal screening assessments Frequency of administration | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY |
| Formal progress monitoring assessments Frequency of administration | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura Monthly | mCLASS DIBELS and Lectura Bi-weekly |
| Informal progress monitoring assessments Frequency of administration | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify Caminos California, Amplify ELA California core assessments Daily | Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments When linked to a lesson in the toolkit | Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments When linked to a lesson in the toolkit |
| Diagnostic assessment Frequency of administration | Amplify skill diagnostic assessment Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment Optional after universal screening assessment is administered | Amplify skill diagnostic assessment Amplify Spanish skill diagnostic assessment After universal screening assessment is administered |
Universal assessment system
Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura are universal and dyslexia screening assessments that should be administered three times per year (BOY, MOY and EOY) to all students. The assessments evaluate student literacy risk, determine progress toward grade-level goals, and indicate the level of instructional support a student may need. Beginning-of-year screenings require adequate instructional time before administration, particularly in grades K–1, while mid-year and end-of-year assessments evaluate instructional effectiveness and guide tier placement adjustments. These screenings also identify students at risk for dyslexia. Universal screening provides essential data for targeting instruction and measuring instructional system effectiveness.
Core instruction assessments
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California provide a comprehensive suite of assessments for Grades K–8 that range from low-stakes, informal formative assessments to more formal summative assessments. These assessments incorporate a variety of methods and question types, including multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and oral and written responses.
Formative assessments:
- Checks for Understanding: Incorporated into each lesson segment throughout daily instruction. Quick pulse-checks that provide immediate feedback during lesson delivery (grades K–5).
- Daily formative assessments: Highlighted moments within each lesson for teachers to plan to track mastery of Primary Focus objectives and standards of each lesson to get a clear snapshot of individual and whole-class progress (grades K–5).
- Activity pages: Completed as part of lessons and can be used to assess lesson content understanding through various formats (grades K–5).
- Exit Tickets: Located at the end of lessons, these provide a quick gauge of students’ ability to meet the lesson’s focus standards (grades 6–8).
- Writing Prompts: Prompts integrated throughout lessons during writing activities that provide skill snapshots within lessons and tracks patterns of skill development over time (grades 6–8).
- Independent reading activities (Solos): At the end of every lesson, students complete an independent reading activity (“solo”) with reading questions that are scored to measure comprehension (grades 6–8).
Summative assessments:
- Skills end-of-unit assessments (grades K–2)
- Knowledge end-of-domain assessments (grades K–2)
- End-of-unit assessments (grades 3–5)
- Unit essays: A culminating end-of-unit set of lessons that guide students through crafting an essay with a rubric to score mastery of writing skills (grades 6–8)
- Unit Reading Assessments: Auto-scored responses and two constructed response items evaluate comprehension, content understanding, and reading skills using the passages students read during the unit (grades 6–8)
Performance Assessments
Student Performance Assessments are multi-day assessments administered in Grades K-5 at the beginning, middle, and end of year to help teachers gauge student mastery of grade-level Core content. These assessments provide critical data to help teachers set targeted instructional goals and monitor individual and class-wide progress towards core objectives.
Progress monitoring
Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide formal progress monitoring in the discrete skills that are indicative of reading growth and predictive of overall success to provide the most instructionally meaningful information to teachers.
Informal progress monitoring tools can be found within the Intervention Toolkit, including materials for teachers to record, track, and evaluate student progress.
Diagnostic assessment
Interventions within Amplify’s literacy programs are informed by a skill diagnostic assessment that provides detailed data on foundational literacy skill deficits. The Amplify Skill Diagnostic Assessment and Amplify Spanish Skill Diagnostic assessment serve as critical tools in this process, administered specifically to students identified as at risk for reading difficulty through universal screening assessments—particularly those demonstrating mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition or mCLASS Lectura composite scores in the Well Below or Below Benchmark ranges. These diagnostic assessments provide teachers with the precise skills to begin intervention and remediation.
Category 4: Universal Access
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California were built on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and reviewed by CAST, a nonprofit education research and development organization. The program is developed using the Universal Design for Learning framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.
Universal Design for Learning
The programs incorporate opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning.
- Multiple Means of Engagement: The programs incorporate interesting and motivating ways for students to interact with information and content. In Amplify CKLA California, the Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students. Scaffolding for students with various levels of need is incorporated into the design of each lesson.
- Multiple Means of Representation: The programs provide multiple means of presenting content to maximize student understanding. This includes digital component files that allow for a range of presentations of images and text to support learning. Amplify provides access to universal supports such as point-of-use audio for all core texts, embedded definitions for critical vocabulary, and glossaries in multiple languages. Amplify CKLA California includes clarification on language found throughout the program, with sidebars that include support on transition words and syntax, and illustrations to help students understand the concepts they are learning.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The programs include a range of methods for all students, including English Learners, to navigate and demonstrate learning. This includes physical actions, a range of methods for response, appropriate tools for composition, and varied scaffolding. In Amplify ELA California, lessons provide multiple ways for students to interact with text, allowing their brains to process the language through distinct pathways. Activities harness multiple learning modes, using media tools, digital apps, and a variety of visual and physical experiences to strategically support and enhance student learning.
- Accessibility: Universal access features include visual aids, enlarged materials, physical objects, and multiple learning modalities through activities like Push & Say and Wiggle Cards. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students.
Embedded differentiation
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California provide built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students.
Throughout the Teacher Guides, point-of-use Differentiation icons provide targeted instructional strategies and supports. These icons indicate specific guidance for advanced learners, students who need additional support, and English learners, allowing teachers to easily identify and implement appropriate scaffolds and extensions during instruction. In addition, teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students.
- Pre-teaching supports include mini-lessons on:
- Core vocabulary words
- Core Connections
- Essential Background Information or Terms
- What Have We Already Learned/What Do We Already Know?
- Differentiated Support for Core Instruction tables, located in the overview of each K–2 Skills Teacher Guide, provide a list of specific opportunities for reteaching and additional support in each lesson based on skill.
- Support and Challenge Sidebars in lesson margins offer educators immediate guidance in implementing point-of-use differentiation techniques.
- Flexible Grouping within lessons provides opportunities for teachers to facilitate small groups, partners, or individualized support based on students’ needs. In the Skills Strand, teachers receive specific guidance for differentiated small-group instruction, with targeted support and activities outlined for both Group 1 (students needing additional support) and Group 2 (on-level students) based on data.
- Amplify ELA California provides point-of-use supports embedded within key core lesson activities with six levels of differentiation. The goal of these supports is to fully enable access to grade-level content for all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and students ready for an additional level of challenge.
- The Universal Access section of Advance Preparation in each lesson includes varied strategies to ensure all students can access and engage in each lesson.
- Frequent use of graphic organizers and visual supports in lessons provide opportunities for differentiation based on need. The program also includes a variety of technological supports, such as eReaders with audio.
- Extension opportunities are suggested throughout lessons, often embedded in writing tasks, which include prompts to use more complex and descriptive vocabulary, figurative language, multi-clause and complex sentences, and informational text characteristics.
Assessment-Driven MTSS resources
- The K–8 Intervention Toolkit is available online and provides easy-to-use resources that assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ reading skills, with activities to support print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and other key skills
- Fluency Packets (Grades 2–5)
- Foundational Skills Intervention Program for Grades 3–8 support students who would benefit from direct and explicit intervention instruction in the full continuum of foundational skills in the upper grades
- Flexible Instructional Time including:
- Pausing Points built into the curriculum that provide teachers with dedicated time to address specific student needs through targeted reteaching, remediation, practice, and extension activities
- Pausing Point activities designed to support English learners’ competence and confidence through differentiated whole-group, small-group, or individual instruction
- Boost Reading is a K–5 student-led digital intervention program. Boost Reading follows Amplify CKLA California’s scope and sequence to reinforce the same foundational skills taught in core instruction. It integrates easily into daily routines, while the robust data provided by mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition offers a detailed view of how students progress across all instructional tiers.
Category 5: Instructional Planning and Teacher Support
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with various print and digital resources. The program provides comprehensive planning and support materials designed to help teachers prepare for and execute lessons effectively and fulfill the requirements of Category 5.
Implementation supports across K–8
Planning and preparation resources
- Unit Overviews that provide important background and context for the texts students will read, including highlighted elements within the text and guidance for how students will work with those elements
- Sub-unit Overviews (Grades 6–8) that provide an overview of Lesson Objectives and reading and writing assignments, as well as a list of any projections, multimedia, or digital apps that can be projected from the teacher’s included digital license
- Lesson-by-lesson preparation checklists (Grades 6–8) accompanying each Sub-unit Overview
- Lesson Briefs for each individual lesson providing important background and context
- Content knowledge materials regarding topics that students will examine
Point-of-use instructional guidance
- Teacher Editions that feature insets of the same text and activity instructions as the corresponding Student Edition, wrapping teacher instruction around these materials
- Activity guidance at point of use
- Lesson standards clearly called out
- Discussion suggestions embedded in lessons
- Differentiation tips at point of use
- Detailed Instructional Guides in each activity that include sequencing and grouping suggestions, tips for facilitating discussion, possible student responses and exemplars
- Student Supports in all core lessons that provide teachers with targeted supports in daily core instruction, addressing which might serve the student best in the moment—support, strengthen, stretch—with additional call-outs for newcomers
Multimedia and digital support
- Teacher tip videos provide modeling and guidance for implementing key foundational skills routines within the program
- Digital platform access where teachers can access printable PDFs of differentiated support materials for English learners and students struggling with reading, including translated Unit Background and Context documents and Text Previews
- Teacher dashboard and reporting tools (Grade 6–8) provide real-time visibility into student progress and work for immediate instructional response
Caregiver supports
Communication and overview resources
- Caregiver Hub available in English and Spanish that provides an overview of the curriculum
- Caregiver Letters for each K–2 Knowledge Domain and unit in Grades 3–5 that provide an overview of the content, the skills students learn, as well as practical methods that continue the learning and knowledge building at home
- Unit-specific Caregiver Letters (Grades 6–8) that provide detailed information regarding what students will read and learn in each unit, including conversation starters that allow caregivers to ask questions and discuss specific aspects of a unit with their student
- Welcome letters that explain the assessment and placement process while inviting parent involvement and offering support
- Editable Home-School Communication letters available in English and Spanish
- Editable Progress Reports for teachers to update parents and guardians on what their child is learning
Content and learning support materials
- Unit Background and Context documents that provide an introduction and overview to the unit’s topic and themes, available in English and Spanish
- Text Previews that provide a brief introduction to formative, independent reading assignments (called Solos in Grades 6–8), available in English and Spanish
- Unit Overview and Support documents (Grades 6–8) designed for caregivers that provide information about important questions, assignments, and key aspects of the unit texts, available in English and Spanish
- Conversation starters included in Knowledge Strand Caregiver Letters to discuss domain topics at home
Home practice and extension activities
- Take-Home pages in the Skills Strand that include copies of decodable passages, enabling students to share their reading progress with families and continue practicing their skills outside of school
- Take-Home Letters in the Skills Strand that provide specific guidance for parents to support skills practice at home, such as sound-sorting activities, with detailed instructions and materials for home practice activities
- Take-Home pages in the Knowledge Strand that provide suggested activities families can do together to reinforce and extend learning beyond the classroom
- Games and activities on take-home pages that extend classroom instruction, including all the materials and instruction necessary to help families assist students in a fun and engaging way
- Digital access to decodable texts through the Amplify Caregiver Hub, allowing students to practice their reading skills both in class and at home
- Weekly spelling lists and directions to decoding activities that can be practiced at home
Welcome, K–8 Program 1 reviewers!
We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify California Language Arts. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California ELA Framework to life in classrooms across the state.
Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.
Your review samples
We’re excited for you to begin your review of Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) California and Amplify ELA California. Physical and digital review materials will vary by grade level.
Reviewer Binders (K–8)
Your physical samples should have arrived in grade-specific boxes with three Reviewer Binders.
- The first binder will contain logistical program review information and the printed Evaluation Criteria Map.
- The second binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades K–4.
- The third binder will contain the printed Standards Maps for grades 5–8.
Physical samples (K–5)
You can expect to receive 15 boxes of physical materials for your review. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside each box as well as within your Reviewer Binder. Please note you will not receive any physical samples for grades 6–8. Your review of the program for grades 6–8 will be entirely digital.
Digital samples (K–8)
In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log in to our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Review Credential flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:
- Click the orange button below to access the platform.
- Click “Log in with Amplify.”
- Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Review Credential flyer.
Navigation tips
Before you get started, please review these important functionality notes:
Criteria Map and Standards Maps must be opened on Microsoft Word on your desktop to function as intended. If you open the documents without Microsoft Word on your desktop, citations will be cut off at the bottom of most tables within the document.
Many of our citations are deep-links to PDFs, meaning they will take you to the right page or the first page in the sequence for the citation in question. To ensure this functionality works, please disable any PDF-viewing extensions or plug-ins such as Adobe Acrobat Pro Browser Extension.
[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades K–5
[Reviewer program navigation video] Grades 6–8
Click here for additional information on navigating the digital materials for grades 6–8.
Category 1: English Language Arts (ELA) and English Language Development (ELD) Content/Alignment to Standards
Evaluation Criteria Map
Linked below is the Evaluation Criteria Map for grades K–8. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.
ELA Standards Maps
The links below provide the Standards Maps for Amplify California Core Language Arts for each grade level. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Standards Maps.
Category 2: Program Organization
The Amplify California Language Arts Program 1 submission includes Amplify CKLA California for Grades K–5 and Amplify ELA California for Grades 6–8. This comprehensive curriculum provides a full year of evidence-based instruction for each grade level, transitioning from foundational literacy to advanced text analysis.
Program structure
Amplify’s California Language Arts programs are built on what the research shows: Strong readers need both word recognition and language comprehension. Our comprehensive curriculum suite follows the Simple View of Reading and The Reading Rope–bringing together foundational skills and knowledge building to deliver instruction grounded in evidence-based literacy practices.
Each lesson follows a predictable structure with clearly marked components, beginning with warm-up routines, progressing through explicit instruction with guided practice, and concluding with independent application activities. The program provides detailed teacher language, including question stems and discussion prompts, ensuring clear and consistent delivery of instruction.
[Reviewer highlight video] Program organization for Category 2
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades K–2
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 3–5
[Reviewer highlight video] Program structure for grades 6–8
Amplify CKLA California empowers teachers to deliver effective instruction and keeps students engaged with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides
- Assessment Guides
- Authentic texts and trade books
- Knowledge Image Cards
- Knowledge Flip Books
- Remediation and intervention resources
- Decodable readers
- Student Readers and novels
- Student Activity Books
- Poet’s Journals
- eReaders
- Sound Library featuring articulation videos and songs
- Instructional routine modeling videos
- Assignable Practice Games
- On-demand professional development
Amplify ELA California students stay engaged with the following resources:
- Teacher Guides that include:
- Detailed lesson plans
- Standards alignment and exit tickets
- Real-time differentiation strategies
- Robust reporting
- Student Editions that include:
- High-quality narrative and informational texts
- Videos, audio supports, and digital experiences that capture their attention
- Personal Writing Journal to keep all student writing in one place
- Trade Books
Core literacy philosophy
Support every learner. Meet all learning needs with a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) that brings together universal screening, scaffolded core instruction, support for English learners, and data-driven intervention to ensure every student gets what they need to succeed.
Deliver consistent foundational skills instruction. Daily explicit, systematic skills instruction in grades K–2, with targeted yet flexible support for students still building decoding confidence in grades 3–8, ensures mastery of essential reading foundations.
Build lasting knowledge across all grades. Through coherently sequenced, content-rich instruction that revisits key vocabulary and concepts with increasing complexity, students build meaningful connections that deepen their vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Strengthen reading through writing at every level. Regular writing instruction grounded in the Science of Writing supports reading comprehension, improves sentence-level writing, and provides the foundation for high-quality composition. As students progress through the upper grades, they engage in increasingly complex analytical tasks—synthesizing ideas, drawing generalizations, and interpreting multiple textual layers through both focused quick-writes and comprehensive essays.
Foster oral language development. Structured opportunities for academic conversation and evidence-based dialogue build students’ ability to express complex ideas with precision and allow them to participate confidently in classroom discussions.
Measure growth with comprehensive assessments. Assessments range from in-the-moment checks for understanding to summative assessments that measure progress toward skills mastery and standards proficiency, providing the data needed to drive targeted instruction.
Scope and sequence
Below you can view the scope and sequence for each grade level.
Routines
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California include several structured instructional routines that provide predictable patterns for both teachers and students:
Discussion and collaboration routines:
- Turn and Talk: Partners discuss text-specific content using sentence starters and frames
- Think-Pair-Share: Students engage in individual thinking, partner discussion, and whole-class sharing
- Partner reading: Students sit shoulder-to-shoulder, taking turns reading and listening
Foundational Skills routines:
- Sound-spelling review: Warm-up activities that reinforce phonics patterns
- Oral blending warm-ups: Teacher-guided practice progressing to independent application
- Finger tapping: Techniques for blending sounds
- Chaining activities: Students manipulate letters to transform one word into another
- Word Work: Daily short activities focused on domain-specific and academic vocabulary
Knowledge-building routines:
- Vocabulary preview: Introduction of new words before reading
- Read-aloud procedures: Established routines for introducing and discussing complex texts
- Text discussions: Structured comprehension conversations with scaffolded questioning
Fluency routines:
- Teacher modeling: Demonstration of proper intonation, expression, and pacing
- Choral reading: Whole-class reading practice
- Partner reading: Paired fluency practice
Close reading routines
The program includes carefully structured close reading activities that guide students through multiple encounters with complex texts. These routines help students develop deeper comprehension through systematic analysis and discussion.
Each routine includes comprehensive instructional guides with clear-cut directions for implementation, straightforward explanations of concepts, and suggestions for discussion.
Category 3: Assessments
Systematic MTSS alignment
In alignment with the additional 2025 Guidance 3.1.a, the assessment systems align with MTSS tiers, including universal screening, diagnostic assessments for students demonstrating a need for additional support, and progress monitoring tools that complement California’s required universal screening schedule per SB 114.
| Tier 1: Universal/ differentiated support | Tier 2: Supplemental/ targeted support | Tier 3: Intensified/ intensive support | |
| Core instruction assessments Frequency of administration | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify ELA California assessments Daily, Weekly, Monthly |
| Universal screening assessments Frequency of administration | mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY |
| Formal progress monitoring assessments Frequency of administration | mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura 3 times per year – BOY, MOY, EOY | mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura Monthly | mCLASS DIBELS and mCLASS Lectura Bi-weekly |
| Informal progress monitoring assessments Frequency of administration | Amplify CKLA California, Amplify ELA California core assessments Daily | Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments When linked to a lesson in the toolkit | Intervention Toolkit progress monitoring assessments When linked to a lesson in the toolkit |
| Diagnostic assessment Frequency of administration | Amplify skill diagnostic assessment Optional after universal screening assessment is administered | Amplify skill diagnostic assessment After universal screening assessment is administered |
Universal assessment system
Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition (K–8) and mCLASS Lectura (K–6) are universal and dyslexia screening assessments that should be administered three times per year (BOY, MOY and EOY) to all students. The assessments evaluate student literacy risk, determine progress toward grade-level goals, and indicate the level of instructional support a student may need. Beginning-of-year screenings require adequate instructional time before administration, particularly in grades K–1, while mid-year and end-of-year assessments evaluate instructional effectiveness and guide tier placement adjustments. These screenings also identify students at risk for dyslexia. Universal screening provides essential data for targeting instruction and measuring instructional system effectiveness.
Core instruction assessments
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California provide a comprehensive suite of assessments for Grades K–8 that range from low-stakes, informal formative assessments to more formal summative assessments. These assessments incorporate a variety of methods and question types, including multiple-choice questions, open-ended questions, and oral and written responses.
Formative assessments:
- Checks for Understanding: Incorporated into each lesson segment throughout daily instruction. Quick pulse-checks that provide immediate feedback during lesson delivery (grades K–5).
- Daily formative assessments: Highlighted moments within each lesson for teachers to plan to track mastery of Primary Focus objectives and standards of each lesson to get a clear snapshot of individual and whole-class progress (grades K–5).
- Activity pages: Completed as part of lessons and can be used to assess lesson content understanding through various formats (grades K–5).
- Exit Tickets: Located at the end of lessons, these provide a quick gauge of students’ ability to meet the lesson’s focus standards (grades 6–8).
- Writing Prompts: Prompts integrated throughout lessons during writing activities that provide skill snapshots within lessons and tracks patterns of skill development over time (grades 6–8).
- Independent reading activities (Solos): At the end of every lesson, students complete an independent reading activity (“Solo”) with reading questions that are scored to measure comprehension (grades 6–8).
Summative assessments:
- Skills end-of-unit assessments (grades K–2)
- Knowledge end-of-domain assessments (grades K–2)
- End-of-unit assessments (grades 3–5)
- Unit essays: A culminating end-of-unit set of lessons that guide students through crafting an essay with a rubric to score mastery of writing skills (grades 6–8)
- Unit Reading Assessments: Auto-scored responses and two constructed response items evaluate comprehension, content understanding, and reading skills using the passages students read during the unit (grades 6–8)
Performance Assessments
Student Performance Assessments are multi-day assessments administered in Grades K–5 at the beginning, middle, and end of year to help teachers gauge student mastery of grade-level Core content. These assessments provide critical data to help teachers set targeted instructional goals and monitor individual and class-wide progress towards core objectives.
Progress monitoring
Amplify’s mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS Lectura provide formal progress monitoring in the discrete skills that are indicative of reading growth and predictive of overall success to provide the most instructionally meaningful information to teachers.
Informal progress monitoring tools can be found within the Intervention Toolkit, including materials for teachers to record, track, and evaluate student progress.
Diagnostic assessment
Interventions within Amplify’s literacy programs are informed by a skill diagnostic assessment that provides detailed data on foundational literacy skill deficits. The Amplify Skill Diagnostic Assessment and Amplify Spanish Skill Diagnostic assessment serve as critical tools in this process, administered specifically to students identified as at risk for reading difficulty through universal screening assessments—particularly those demonstrating mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition or mCLASS Lectura composite scores in the Well Below or Below Benchmark ranges. These diagnostic assessments provide teachers with the precise skills to begin intervention and remediation.
Category 4: Universal Access
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California were built on the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and reviewed by CAST, a nonprofit education research and development organization. The program is developed using the Universal Design for Learning framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.
Universal Design for Learning
The programs incorporate opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning.
- Multiple Means of Engagement: The programs incorporate interesting and motivating ways for students to interact with information and content. In Amplify CKLA California, the Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students. Scaffolding for students with various levels of need is incorporated into the design of each lesson.
- Multiple Means of Representation: The programs provide multiple means of presenting content to maximize student understanding. This includes digital component files that allow for a range of presentations of images and text to support learning. Amplify provides access to universal supports such as point-of-use audio for all core texts, embedded definitions for critical vocabulary, and glossaries in multiple languages. Amplify CKLA California includes clarification on language found throughout the program, with sidebars that include support on transition words and syntax, and illustrations to help students understand the concepts they are learning.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The programs include a range of methods for all students, including English learners, to navigate and demonstrate learning. This includes physical actions, a range of methods for response, appropriate tools for composition, and varied scaffolding. In Amplify ELA California, lessons provide multiple ways for students to interact with text, allowing their brains to process the language through distinct pathways. Activities harness multiple learning modes, using media tools, digital apps, and a variety of visual and physical experiences to strategically support and enhance student learning.
- Accessibility: Universal access features include visual aids, enlarged materials, physical objects, and multiple learning modalities through activities like Push & Say and Wiggle Cards. The Universal Access section in the introduction of each lesson provides specific lesson-level options based on the needs of individual classrooms and students.
Embedded differentiation
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California provide built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students.
- Pre-teaching supports include mini-lessons on:
- Core vocabulary building
- Core connections
- Essential background information building
- What Have We Already Learned?/What Do We Already Know?
- Differentiated Support for Core Instruction tables, located in the overview of each K–2 Skills Teacher Guide, provide a list of specific opportunities for reteaching and additional support in each lesson based on skill.
- Support and Challenge Sidebars in lesson margins offer educators immediate guidance in implementing point-of-use differentiation techniques.
- Flexible Grouping within lessons provides opportunities for teachers to facilitate small groups, partners, or individualized support based on students’ needs. In the Skills Strand, teachers receive specific guidance for differentiated small-group instruction, with targeted support and activities outlined for both Group 1 (students needing additional support) and Group 2 (on-level students) based on data.
- Amplify ELA California provides point-of-use supports embedded within key core lesson activities with six levels of differentiation. The goal of these supports is to fully enable access to grade-level content for all students, including students with disabilities, English learners, and students ready for an additional level of challenge.
- The Universal Access section of Advance Preparation in each lesson includes varied strategies to ensure all students can access and engage in each lesson.
- Frequent use of graphic organizers and visual supports in lessons provide opportunities for differentiation based on need. The program also includes a variety of technological supports, such as eReaders with audio.
- Extension opportunities are suggested throughout lessons, often embedded in writing tasks, which include prompts to use more complex and descriptive vocabulary, figurative language, multi-clause and complex sentences, and informational text characteristics.
Assessment-driven MTSS resources
- The K–8 Intervention Toolkit is available online and provides easy-to-use resources that assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ reading skills, with activities to support print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, and other key skills
- Fluency Packets (Grades 2–5)
- Foundational Skills Intervention Program for Grades 3–8 support students who would benefit from direct and explicit intervention instruction in the full continuum of foundational skills in the upper grades
- Flexible Instructional Time including:
- Pausing Points built into the curriculum that provide teachers with dedicated time to address specific student needs through targeted reteaching, remediation, practice, and extension activities
- Pausing Point activities designed to support English learners’ competence and confidence through differentiated whole-group, small-group, or individual instruction
- Boost Reading is a K–5 student-led digital intervention program. Boost Reading follows Amplify CKLA California’s scope and sequence to reinforce the same foundational skills taught in core instruction. It integrates easily into daily routines, while the robust data provided by mCLASS® DIBELS® 8th Edition offers a detailed view of how students progress across all instructional tiers.
Category 5: Instructional Planning and Teacher Support
Amplify CKLA California and Amplify ELA California teachers are empowered to deliver effective instruction with various print and digital resources. The program provides comprehensive planning and support materials designed to help teachers prepare for and execute lessons effectively and fulfill the requirements of Category 5.
Implementation supports across K–8
Planning and preparation resources
- Unit Overviews that provide important background and context for the texts students will read, including highlighted elements within the text and guidance for how students will work with those elements
- Sub-unit Overviews (Grades 6–8) that provide an overview of Lesson Objectives and reading and writing assignments, as well as a list of any projections, multimedia, or digital apps that can be projected from the teacher’s included digital license
- Lesson-by-lesson preparation checklists (Grades 6–8) accompanying each Sub-unit Overview
- Lesson Briefs for each individual lesson providing important background and context
- Content knowledge materials regarding topics that students will examine
Point-of-use instructional guidance
- Teacher Editions that feature insets of the same text and activity instructions as the corresponding Student Edition, wrapping teacher instruction around these materials
- Activity guidance at point of use
- Lesson standards clearly called out
- Discussion suggestions embedded in lessons
- Differentiation tips at point of use
- Detailed Instructional Guides in each activity that include sequencing and grouping suggestions, tips for facilitating discussion, possible student responses and exemplars
- Student Supports in all core lessons provide teachers with targeted supports in daily core instruction, addressing which might serve the student best in the moment—support, strengthen, stretch—with additional call-outs for newcomers
Multimedia and digital support
- Teacher tip videos provide modeling and guidance for implementing key foundational skills routines within the program
- Digital platform access where teachers can access printable PDFs of differentiated support materials for English learners and readers struggling with text, including translated Unit Background and Context Documents and Text Previews
- Teacher Dashboard and reporting tools (Grade 6–8) that provide real-time visibility into student progress and work for immediate instructional response
Caregiver supports
Communication and overview resources
- Caregiver Hub available in English and Spanish that provides an overview of the curriculum
- Caregiver Letters for each K–2 Knowledge Domain and unit in Grades 3–5 that provide an overview of the content, the skills students learn, as well as practical methods that continue the learning and knowledge building at home
- Unit-specific Caregiver Letters (Grades 6–8) that provide detailed information regarding what students will read and learn in each unit, including conversation starters that allow caregivers to ask questions and discuss specific aspects of a unit with their student
- Welcome letters that explain the assessment and placement process while inviting parent involvement and offering support
- Editable Home-School Communication letters available in English and Spanish
- Editable Progress Reports for teachers to update parents and guardians on what their child is learning
Content and learning support materials
- Unit Background and Context documents that provide an introduction and overview to the unit’s topic and themes, available in English and Spanish
- Text Previews that provide a brief introduction to formative, independent reading assignments (called Solos in Grades 6–8), available in English and Spanish
- Unit Overview and Support documents (Grades 6–8) designed for caregivers that provide information about important questions, assignments, and key aspects of the unit texts, available in English and Spanish
- Conversation starters included in Knowledge Strand Caregiver Letters to discuss domain topics at home
Home practice and extension activities
- Take-Home pages in the Skills Strand that include copies of decodable passages, enabling students to share their reading progress with families and continue practicing their skills outside of school
- Take-Home Letters in the Skills Strand that provide specific guidance for parents to support skills practice at home, such as sound-sorting activities, with detailed instructions and materials for home practice activities
- Take-Home pages in the Knowledge Strand that provide suggested activities families can do together to reinforce and extend learning beyond the classroom
- Games and activities on Take-Home Pages that extend classroom instruction, including all the materials and instruction necessary to help families assist students in a fun and engaging way
- Digital access to decodable texts through the Amplify Caregiver Hub, allowing students to practice their reading skills both in class and at home
- Weekly spelling lists and directions to decoding activities that can be practiced at home
Welcome, LAUSD educators!
Introducing Amplify Desmos Math California, a curiosity-driven TK–12 program that builds lifelong math proficiency.
Our program fully aligns with LAUSD’s screen-time resolution. We are 100% print-based, with optional
technology resources available, in direct accordance with the school board’s newly approved guidelines.
Start by watching our welcome video to the right, then learn more about the program and begin your review below.
Curriculum overview
Watch the videos below for an overview of Amplify Desmos Math California:
Built for California
The Amplify Desmos Math California program is designed around the vision articulated in the Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve to enable all California students to become powerful users of mathematics. Our program incorporates the latest research in student learning, meaning that we:
- Focus on the Big Ideas: Amplify Desmos Math California’s courses, units, and lessons are centered around the Big Ideas. Big Ideas, like standards, are not considered in isolation. In addition to each unit and lesson’s focal Big Ideas, Amplify Desmos Math California also provides connections among the Big Ideas across units and lessons.
- Center on open and engaging tasks: Amplify Desmos Math California is grounded in engaging tasks meant to address students’ often-asked question: “Why am I learning this?” Students are invited into learning with low-floor, high-ceiling tasks that provide an entry point for all. Open tasks in Amplify Desmos Math California provide the space for students to try on multiple strategies and represent their thinking in different ways, and allow student explanation and discussion to serve as the center of the classroom. All lessons offer both print and digital representations.
- Provide enhanced digital experiences: Amplify Desmos Math California includes digitally-enhanced lesson activities, incorporating interactive digital tools alongside print materials. These purposefully-placed resources allow students to visualize mathematical concepts, receive actionable feedback while practicing, encounter personalized learning support from an onscreen tutor, and engage in discussions about their thinking and approaches.
- Treat core instruction and differentiation as integral partners: The Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum provides teachers with lessons, strategies, and resources to eliminate barriers and increase access to grade-level content without reducing the mathematical demand of tasks. Every activity has multiple entry points to ensure that all students are supported and challenged. Intervention and personalized learning activities are directly connected to lesson content and offer students individualized support as they dive into the mathematics.
About the program
Taking the IM content further.
Amplify Desmos Math California is a curiosity-driven program that builds lifelong math proficiency. Each lesson poses problems that invite a variety of approaches before guiding students to connect their understanding of the learning goals.
Students encounter math problems they’re eager to solve, while teachers spend more time where it’s most impactful: creating a collaborative classroom of learners.
We chose to base our program on the extensively field-tested IM K–12 MathTM authored by Illustrative Mathematics. IM K–12 Math is a problem-based curriculum. It asks students to grapple with well-designed and thoughtfully sequenced real-world mathematical problems to build their understanding of how to efficiently solve them.
Begin your review to see how we’ve taken the IM K–12 Math content further.
Begin your review
Using a Google Chrome or Safari web browser, click the orange button below or navigate to learning.amplify.com and select “Log in with Amplify.”
English credentials
- Username: t1.lausdmathdemo@demo.tryamplify.com
- Password: Amplify1-lausdmathdemo
Spanish credentials
- Username: t2.lausdmathdemo@demo.tryamplify.com
- Password: Amplify1-lausdmathdemo
Inspiring the next generation of Oklahoma scientists, engineers, and curious citizens
Amplify Science is an engaging new core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.
A powerful partnership
Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.
Our Instructional Model
The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:
DO
First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit, from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.
TALK
Student-to-student discourse and full class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.
READ
Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation, and importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.
WRITE
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.
VISUALIZE
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.
Resources to support your review
- What’s so phenomenal about phenomena? – ebook
- Phenomena in grades K–5
- Phenomena in grades 6–8
- Student Books in grades K–5
- Literacy-rich science instruction in grades K–5
- Active Reading in grades 6–8
- Engineering in Amplify Science
- Oklahoma standards correlation for grades K–8
- Program structure for grades K–5
- Program structure for grades 6–8
- Oklahoma recommended scope and sequence for grades 6–8
Remote and hybrid learning supports
Oklahoma remote and hybrid overview video
Amplify has launched a new remote learning solution called Amplify Science@Home. Intended to make extended remote learning and hybrid learning easier, Amplify Science@Home includes two useful options for continuing instruction: @Home Videos and @Home Units.
Amplify Science @Home Videos are recordings of real Amplify Science teachers teaching the lessons. For those teachers who are unable to meet synchronously with their students, the recorded lessons are a great way to keep their students on track and engaged with Amplify Science while at home. These videos will be produced for all K–5 units, and for the first four units of each 6–8 grade level. Their release will be rolling, beginning in August.
Amplify Science@Home Units are modified versions of Amplify Science units, strategically designed to highlight key activities from the program. The @Home Units take significantly less instructional time than the complete Amplify Science program and allow students to engage with science at home. @Home Units will be developed for all Amplify Science K–8 units. Each @Home unit includes:
- Teacher overviews explaining how to use the materials, including suggestions for enhancing the @Home Units if synchronous learning or in-class time with students is available.
- Overviews to send home to families.
Student materials are available in two formats:
- @Home Slides (PDF/PPT) + Student Sheets (PDF) for students with access to technology at home.
- Downloadable @Home Packets (PDF) for students without access to technology at home.
Download the Remote and hybrid learning guide.
What’s included
Flexible resources that work seamlessly together
Science articles
The middle school science articles serve as sources for evidence collection and were authored by science and literacy experts at the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Student Investigation Notebooks
Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks provide space for students to:
- Record data
- Reflect on ideas from texts and investigations
- Construct explanations and arguments
Available with full-color article compilations for middle school units.
Digital student experience
Students access the digital simulations and modeling tools, as well as lesson activities and assessments, through the digital student experience. Students can interact with the digital student experience as they:
- Conduct hands-on investigations
- Engage in active reading and writing activities
- Participate in discussions
- Record observations
- Craft end-of-unit scientific arguments
Teacher’s Guides
Available digitally and in print, the Teacher’s Guides contain all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:
- Classroom Slides
- Detailed lesson plans
- Unit and chapter overview documentation
- Differentiation strategies
- Standards alignments
- In-context professional development
Hands-on materials kits
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science. Each unit kit contains:
- Consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials
- Print classroom display materials
- Premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc.)
Scope and sequence
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Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science coverage
Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science (OASS) are closely aligned to the NGSS at K-8. The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional activities that support full coverage of the OASS. You can view the full K–8 OASS correlation here.
Organized by grade level, each section below will outline:
- additional activities that support 100% alignment to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science;
- the standard being addressed with the activities;
- the recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit; and
- PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities.
Standard: 1.ESS3.1: Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
Recommended placement: Animal and Plant Defenses unit, Chapter 1
Materials: The Student Book Investigating Monarchs from the unit Needs of Plants and Animals
Investigating Monarchs emphasizes the needs of monarch caterpillars and butterflies and shows what happens when these animals are not able to meet their needs. The book first introduces the life cycle of monarchs, explaining that monarch caterpillars must eat milkweed to survive and change into butterflies. Their summer habitat must have milkweed. The butterflies then migrate a long distance, from the United States to a forest in the mountains of Mexico, where they take shelter in the trees. Their winter habitat must have trees. Scientists discovered that the monarch population in Mexico was greatly reduced because people were cutting down the trees. The forest was then protected, but the monarch population did not recover as expected. Scientists in the United States found evidence that this was because fields with milkweed are being replaced by farms and buildings. This book could be read with the class either before or after Chapter 1 of the Animal and Plant Defenses unit, which focuses on what plants and animals need to do to survive. Students could be asked to reflect on what the monarchs need to survive (including food and shelter), and how human activities impacted the monarchs’ ability to meet those needs. After reading the book, students could brainstorm ideas for how to reduce the impact of humans on the local environment.
Standard: MS-PS4-2: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
Recommended placement: Metabolism unit, Lesson 3.3, addition to Activity 5
Materials: “What Eyes Can See” science article
As students investigate metabolism and the body systems, the article “What Eyes Can See” should be assigned to deepen their understanding of information processing and sense receptors and connect that understanding to the emerging idea of the interaction of waves with various materials. The article explores how the only thing we can really see is light. Light travels from a light source to the eye, passing through some materials and bouncing off others. Tiny organs inside the eye called rods and cones absorb energy from light, making vision possible. These interactions between light and materials determine our visible world.
Instructions:
Download the PDF “What Eyes Can See” above and remind students of the Active Reading Guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. For example, “Have you ever had an experience where something looked different in one kind of light than in another kind of light? Or where something seemed to appear or disappear when the light changed?”
Standard: MS-PS3-1: Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.
Recommended placement: Harnessing Human Energy unit, Lesson 1.4, after Activity 4
Materials: Force and Motion Simulation; Activity instructions and copymasters
In this activity, students use the Force and Motion Simulation to investigate the relationship between kinetic energy, mass, and velocity.
Instructions
Download the PDF linked above for the Lesson Guide and copymasters needed for the activity. Note that this investigation is typically implemented during the Force and Motion unit. This means the Lesson Guide will contain some incongruous labeling (e.g., unit name), as well as instructions that are out of context and unnecessary for the purposes of addressing this standard at grade 7. We suggest skipping to step 4 of the Instructional Guide to avoid some of this. Your students will get additional exposure to this activity, and indeed the standard as a whole, when they get to the Force and Motion unit in grade 8.
Standards:
- MS-PS2-3: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
- MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
Recommended placement: Force and Motion unit, after Lesson 1.5
Materials: Flextension PDF
This hands-on activity builds on and reinforces students’ understanding of forces that act at a distance, with a focus on electrostatic force. Students explore electrostatic forces, prompted by a set of challenges that they try to accomplish. Next, students generate scientific questions based on their observations. Electrostatic force is less predictable and consistent than magnetic force, and investigating it can be both challenging and intriguing. The purpose of this lesson is for students to gain firsthand experience with electrostatic force and to gain experience generating scientific questions based on observations. You might choose to include this Flextension if you would like your students to have more exposure to electrostatic force, and if you would like to challenge your students to explore and ask questions about a challenging type of force.
Instructions:
Download the PDF linked above for a detailed Lesson Guide and the copymasters associated with the activity. Note that this activity is typically implemented as an add-on Flextension during the Magnetic Fields unit. This means that you will see some information that is out of context (e.g., placement information, unit title), but the activity itself also works for the purposes of the Force and Motion unit. If you have any questions, please reach out to our support team via the chat icon in your account or help@amplify.com.
Explore the Digital Teacher’s Guide
When you’re ready to review, click the orange button below and use your provided login credentials to access the Amplify Science Digital Teacher’s Guide.
To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital Teacher’s Guide, watch our navigational guide videos:
Grades K–5:
Grades 6–8:
Looking for help?
Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We have developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:
- Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans
- Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more
To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com
Timely technical and program support
Our technical and program support is included and available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.
For your most urgent questions:
- Use our live chat within your program
- Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969
For less urgent questions:
Contact us
Contact your South Carolina team representatives:
Jeff Rutter
Field Manager
jrutter@amplify.com
(727) 512-8440
Cathy McMillan
Senior Account Executive
cmcmillan@amplify.com
(904) 465-9904
Amplify Science resources for Richmond Public Schools
Welcome! This site contains supporting resources designed for the Richmond Public Schools adoption of Amplify Science.
Authored by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science is a comprehensive program that blends literacy-rich activities, hands-on investigations, and engaging digital experiences to empower Richmond students to think, read, write, and argue like 21st-century scientists and engineers.
Click here to visit Richmond Public Schools’ Science Department page.
Welcome!
This site contains supporting resources designed for the Richmond Public Schools adoption of Amplify Science for grades 3–8. Here are some resources to get you started, but make sure to check back for exciting updates!
Program-wide resources
Click the button below to explore the Amplify Science Program Guide. You can access the full digital Teacher’s Guide from the Program Guide to explore the program.
- The Amplify Science Program Hub
- Menu of Amplify Science video tutorials
- Tech requirements
- The Caregiver Hub (English and Spanish)
Onboarding videos
To start using Amplify Science quickly in your classroom, check out the following onboarding videos. They cover what you need to know to get started fast, from unpacking materials to logging in and navigating the digital Teacher’s Guide.
Getting Started: K-5
This section allows you to become familiar with the program and to guide you through initial preparation for implementing Amplify in your classrooms. here you will find look-for-tools, pacing/planning guides, and editable documents to support unpacking the unit lessons.
Overview
- Amplify Science K-5: Program Overview
- Amplify Science K-5: Teacher’s Guide Navigation
- Recommended Scope and Sequence for Grades 3–5
Supporting literacy development
Planning resources
Planning Guides
- 3rd Grade RPS Curriculum Guide
- 4th Grade RPS Curriculum Guide
- 5th Grade RPS Curriculum Guide
- 3rd Grade Planning Guide*
- 4th Grade Planning Guide*
- 5th Grade Planning Guide*
- *Sequence of units does not match RPS’ scope and sequence.
Look-for-tools
- Establishing Common Expectations for Amplify Science Classrooms (K-5)
- Amplify Science: Getting started look-for-tool (K-8)
Planning support documents
The following materials lists and videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science classroom kits. For each grade level, we have a video for the first unit in the scope and sequence, and we show you how to unpack the kits for all the units.
NOTE: These materials kits are not specific to the Richmond unit progression. Please reference these Richmond unit progression docs for 3–5 and 6–8 so you’ll know which kits to look for in each grade.
Materials lists
Unpacking videos
Getting Started: 6-8
This section allows you to become familiar with the program and to guide you through initial preparation for implementing Amplify in your classrooms. here you will find look-for-tools, pacing/planning guides, and editable documents to support unpacking the unit lessons.
Overview
- Amplify Science 6-8: Program Overview
- Amplify Science 6-8: Teacher’s Guide Navigation
- Recommended Scope and Sequence for Grades 6–8
Supporting literacy development
Planning resources
Planning/Pacing Guides
- 6th Grade/Integrated Life Science RPS Curriculum Guide
- 7th Grade/Physical Science RPS Curriculum Guide
- 6-8 Pacing Guide
- Grade 6-8 Planning Guide*
- *Sequence of units does not match RPS’ scope and sequence.
Look-for-tools
Planning support documents
The following materials lists and videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science classroom kits. For each grade level, we have a video for the first unit in the scope and sequence, and we show you how to unpack the kits for all the units.
NOTE: These materials kits are not specific to the Richmond unit progression. Please reference these Richmond unit progression docs for 3–5 and 6–8 so you’ll know which kits to look for in each grade.
Materials lists
Unpacking videos
6th grade Integrated
- Metabolism: Reading “How You Are Like a Sneezing Iguana” (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Metabolism: Plant Growth Investigations (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Metabolism: Reading “How Do Trees Grow So Huge Without Eating?” (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Populations and Resources: Reading “The Amazing Variety of Life in a Coral Reef” (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Weather Patterns: Reading “What Makes Water Move?” (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
7th grade Integrated/Physical science
- Harnessing Human Energy: Investigating Electrical Devices (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Harnessing Human Energy: Investigating Non-Touching Forces (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Harnessing Human Energy: Reading About Non-Touching Forces (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Thermal Energy: Designing Hot and Cold Packs (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Phase Change: Reading “Icy Heat” (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Chemical Reactions: Identifying Substances (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Chemical Reactions: Mixtures, Properties, and Separation (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
- Magnetic Fields, Water Wheel Design (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
Additional units
- Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate: Investigating Deep Ocean Currents (Lesson Guide and Copymaster)
Getting Started: Admin
Admin resources
K-5 Frequently-Asked Questions
6-8 Frequently-Asked Questions
Professional learning opportunities
Check back for a list of upcoming sessions!
Frequently asked questions
We get it…pacing your instruction, especially with a new program, can be really challenging. In Amplify Science, students internalize concepts through repeated exposures over multiple days with different modalities. We say students get multiple “at-bats” with each concept. As you move through the lessons, avoid looking for concept mastery each day. Instead, try to move through the lesson according to the timing guidelines, maintaining a quick pace.
In classroom discussion activities in particular, you may be tempted to keep the conversation going to ensure that your students fully master the content in that class period. We recommend, though, if the lesson overview says discuss for 10 minutes, cut it off at 10 minutes.
Every Amplify Science unit includes hands-on investigations. But, just as scientists gather evidence from many types of sources, so do students in Amplify Science. Like scientists, students using Amplify Science also gather evidence from physical models, digital models, texts, videos, photographs, maps, and data sets. Doing so requires using the full range of the practices in multi-dimensional learning. It also offers students different ways of acquiring knowledge and experience, multiple means of expressing their understanding, and a variety of resources through which to engage with the content.
Often, students enjoy hands-on investigations, but don’t sufficiently learn key concepts from those experiences. The Amplify Science investigations are designed for efficiency and effectiveness. For teachers who wish to supplement the lessons with more hands-on activities, optional hands-on “flextension” activities are included in many units. Instructional guidance, student sheets, and other supporting resources for them are included as downloadable PDF files and materials needed are either included in the unit kit or easily sourced.
First, take a breath, and know that you will gradually internalize the program routines and overall flow. Also, remember that your students are experiencing the program for the first time with you. Together, you’ll be peeling the onion one layer at a time.
It can be intimidating to begin the school year with a brand-new curriculum: where do you start? The Richmond Resources Site will help you navigate the different supports and resources we have for new Amplify Science teachers.
The Program Hub is also a great place to direct your own, independent learning about Amplify Science instruction. Once you log into the platform, click on the directory on the top left side. Click into the Program Hub, then Professional Learning, and Getting Started. This will give you access to prioritized resources that will help you plan for your Amplify Science instruction. Additionally, the Amplify Science Help center (also accessible from the Global Navigation menu) is great for short videos about specific topics like supporting EL students, using Classwork, etc.
The variety of multimodal activities that are included in Amplify Science provides students with the opportunity to dive deeply into understanding science ideas, make science exciting to students, and allow for all students to have the benefit of multiple opportunities to access rich science content. Think about how many times you’ve taught a concept and then discovered your students had minimal recall at the end of the week. The truth is, students need multiple, varied exposures to key concepts.
In the program, we make sure that students have the opportunity to DO, TALK, READ, WRITE, and VISUALIZE every important idea. We think of this as providing students with multiple at bats— each encounter with the idea provides students with additional evidence, and the opportunity to develop deeper understanding. Students have multiple opportunities to construct their understanding of the same idea.
This multimodality may feel repetitive, but it is purposeful and impactful. Sometimes the repetition is for 1) hitting other Science and Engineering Practices, and/or 2) giving students multiple and varied opportunities to express their understanding. Many students can easily parrot back what they read and one may think they know it — but ask them to draw a model, and one might see that their understanding is only so deep. Ultimately we believe that this approach not only serves a broader range of students but will also result in more retention in the long run.
Looking for help?
Technical or pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of free support you won’t find from other publishers. Technical and pedagogical support teams are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
For your most urgent questions:
- Use our live chat within your program
- Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969
For less urgent questions, send us an email!
- Technical support: help@amplify.com
- Pedagogical support: edsupport@amplify.comWhat is pedagogical support? We have developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:
- Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans
- Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more
Order exceptions
If you need to arrange for the return or exchange of items, contact help@amplify.com and be sure to identify yourself as a Richmond Public Schools teacher.
Oregon Math State Review for 9–12
Oregon Math State Review for 6–8
Program introduction
Professional learning
What will you find in the Professional Learning section?
Whether you’re launching into a new program or looking to strengthen your skills, Amplify’s professional learning sessions will support your needs.
- Register now to join new and upcoming learning sessions.
- On-demand sessions offer timely insights to support your mCLASS implementation.
- Webinar recordings from 2020-2021 or 2021-2022 ensure you don’t miss a thing.
Amplify is working in partnership with the Kindergarten Assessment Support (KAS) Initiative to provide virtual professional development trainings to teacher, specialists, and campus/district leader users of mCLASS Texas Kindergarten across the state of Texas. These trainings are funded by the KAS Grant and will be provided at no charge to participants. Please note that all content will be focused on kindergarten only.
You will find a list of sessions below that you can register for. Sessions will be updated on an ongoing basis. To register, educators can enter the Session ID number into the Region 4 ESC search bar (https://www.escweb.net/tx_esc_04/) to sign up for the session(s) and to secure a spot or type ‘mclass’ into the search bar; all virtual sessions are capped at 30 participants.
For more information about the KAS Initiative, please visit https://tea.texas.gov/academics/early-childhood-education/data-driven-instruction-best-practices.
View the on-demand sessions for below to gain timely insights to support your mCLASS implementation.
All mCLASS Texas Edition users will have access to free online modules. Contact your district for details about accessing these modules.
For those districts that want to support teachers in a more comprehensive approach we will work to ensure that the professional learning section supporting each mCLASS Texas Edition rollout meets each district’s unique needs. Here is a professional learning catalog to show the breadth and depth of what we offer.
Remote assessment
mCLASS Texas Edition can be administered in many ways, including remotely. This site will give guidance on the various ways to administer mCLASS Texas Edition to best support your students in any learning environment.
Watch the Remote Assessment Guidance Office Hours recording here.
Documents referenced during Office Hours are linked below.
Administrators, welcome to mCLASS Texas Edition!
Here you’ll find information about enrollment and licensing, technical requirements, professional learning resources, and more.
Onboarding: What to expect
Welcome to mCLASS Texas Edition! To help you know what’s coming next, we created the following visual that outlines the steps of the onboarding process. You can use it as a reference.
Enrollment and licensing
Amplify provides services to fit the different types of enrollment needs for various times of year:
- Self-Service Enrollment (SSE) is a batch enrollment tool that you can use to import large amounts of student, staff, and class information into the Amplify system at the beginning of the school year or any time you need to update your enrollment data.
- Auto Self-Service Enrollment (Auto SSE) is a service for automatically sending enrollment data from your computer to Amplify, which does not require intervention after you initiate the process, and which can be run at any time of year. You must have the ability to run scripts in order to use Auto SSE.
- Amplify also offers the Manual Enrollment tools on the Amplify Administration page, which you can use at any time of year to add or update enrollment information by entering the information directly into Amplify, rather than uploading spreadsheets.
Preparing your materials
Click here to access a list of the print materials included in each mCLASS Texas Edition kit.
Technology requirements and guidelines
To ensure that your hardware and network meet the minimum technical requirements for optimal performance and support of your digital curriculum products, please see Amplify’s customer requirements page.
To ensure access to mCLASS, add the URLs on this page to your corresponding district or school-level filters.
Teachers, welcome to mCLASS Texas Edition!
Here you’ll learn about the program, how to set up your device, and how to get help when using mCLASS Texas Edition.
Onboarding: What to expect
Logging in to mCLASS Home
mCLASS Home is where you access mCLASS reporting, instruction, and other helpful resources. Follow these steps to log in:
1. Navigate to mclass.amplify.com.
2. You will need your Amplify user name and password to log in. If you forget your password, you can follow the instructions below to generate a new one.
- Click “Forgot Password”
- Enter your Amplify username and your district or school email address. Click Send. Then follow the instructions in the email you receive to reset your password.
If you have not received an Amplify username and password, please contact your
school or district administrator.
Setting up your assessment device
Assessments are administered using the mCLASS app. The mCLASS app is installed by creating a shortcut from Chrome™ (Safari for iPads) on your device’s desktop or home screen. Click the link for your device for installation instructions:
iPad
Chromebook
Windows device
Note that you need your Amplify username and password to install the mCLASS app. If you have not received it, please contact your school or district administrator.
Dyslexia screening
mCLASS® Texas DIBELS® 8 and IDEL assess the updated skills required for dyslexia screening. We’ve got you covered!
Click here to learn more about the Texas Dyslexia handbook updates.
Looking for help?
Our technical and pedagogical support teams are available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.
For your most urgent questions
- Use our live chat within your program
- Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969
For less urgent questions, send us an email!
- Technical support: help@amplify.com
- Pedagogical support: edsupport@amplify.com
Professional development for assessment and intervention programs
Amplify professional development (PD) provides learning experiences that intentionally develop the knowledge and skills you need for effective and self-sustaining implementation.
Learn how to administer and score your assessment and develop a deeper understanding of reporting and instruction by investing in professional development.
Amplify professional development has been vetted by Rivet Education’s team through a rigorous three-step process and is listed in the Professional Learning Partner Guide.
About Amplify PD
Change is more likely to stick and get results if you take a systemic approach. As our partner, you’ll develop a learning plan that will drive your program implementation, enrich your instructional practices, and increase student impact.
Amplify’s professional development is designed to ensure successful, sustained implementation of our programs. Through strategically bundled packages, our PD sessions provide continuous support that adapts to your educators’ evolving needs.
Our packages include:
- Launch sessions: Propel your teachers into the new school year by introducing them to their Amplify program, laying a strong foundation for effective implementation.
- Strengthen sessions: Boost implementation with mid-year sessions that target specific instructional practices, providing the support needed to enhance program efficacy.
- Coach sessions: Provide tailored guidance and support for educators and leaders to address specific needs, refining and advancing their instructional practices.
About mCLASS Texas® assessment PD packages:
- Begin packages: Ideal for the first year of implementation, these packages help educators transition to evidence-based practices. Each package includes Launch and Strengthen sessions to set the foundation and support the initial phases of program adoption.
- Format options: On-site, Hybrid, Virtual
- Components: One Launch session introduces and supports a strong implementation and one Strengthen session deepens understanding of the program.
- Practice packages: Designed for the second year of implementation and beyond, these packages deepen educators’ knowledge and refine their practice. They focus on continuous improvement, using data to drive instructional decisions and enhance student outcomes.
- Format options: On-site, Hybrid, Virtual
- Components: Two Strengthen sessions expand practice and drive outcomes. We recommend enhancement Coach sessions for ongoing support and addressing customized needs.
About mCLASS Intervention PD sessions:
- Each intervention program offers Launch and Coach sessions for up to 30 participants per program for year one and beyond.
- Our interactive sessions are available on-site or virtually, empowering teachers and leaders anywhere with the tools and skills they need to inspire all students to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves.
About Amplify assessment and intervention programs
Amplify’s high-quality programs make it easier for educators to teach inspiring, impactful lessons that celebrate and develop the brilliance of their students. Empowering teachers with tools to provide robust scaffolding and differentiated instruction, assessment, and intervention programs take the hassle and guesswork out of assessments with real-time, actionable plans personalized for every learner.
Learn how to get the most out of your assessment and intervention program(s) through Amplify’s PD.
Assessment
- mCLASS Texas
- mCLASS Lectura Texas
- mCLASS Texas + Lectura
Intervention
- mCLASS Intervention
We provide PD sessions for all Amplify programs. Contact your account executive to discuss the extended catalog of PD session options or request a quote.
mCLASS Texas Assessments
We’ve created professional development offerings that will help you meet your unique needs this school year. Explore the Begin and Practice packages available for mCLASS Texas Edition and mCLASS Lectura Texas by selecting the session titles to learn more.
Please note that mCLASS Texas and mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy sessions are currently unavailable for the Hybrid 4 and Virtual 4 packages.
Begin packages
Assessment programs
| On-site package (9 hours) |
Hybrid 9 package (9 hours) |
Hybrid 4 package (4 hours) |
Virtual 9 package (9 hours) |
Virtual 4 package (4 hours) |
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| On-site 6 hr. |
On-site 6 hr. |
On-site 3 hr. |
Virtual 6 hr. (2 half-days) |
Virtual 3 hr. |
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| Administration and scoring training for teachers |
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| On-site 3 hr. |
Virtual 3 hr. |
Virtual 1 hr. |
Virtual 3 hr. |
Virtual 1 hr. |
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| Building a data-driven culture for leaders | |
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*Assessment Strengthen sessions should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed for participants to work with their own data.
| Coach session | |||
| Suggested enhancements |
On-site | On-site or virtual | |
| 6 hr. | 3 hr. | ||
Begin: Administration and instruction essentials for teachers
On-site or virtual, 6 hours
Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS Texas assessment program. Learn how to administer and score the assessment and leave ready to leverage mCLASS Texas reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Administration and scoring training for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Learn how to administer and score your mCLASS Texas assessment(s) and leave ready to collect data using standardized guidelines.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Administration and reporting training for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Prepare to implement your assessment program(s) at your school site(s). Determine systems-level actions that will ensure assessment fidelity and leave ready to leverage key admin reports to support data-informed decisions.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English only.
Begin: Creating a data-driven classroom for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive deep into mCLASS Texas reports and instructional recommendations to drive stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS Texas progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust MTSS program.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Building a data-driven culture for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Cultivate a schoolwide culture of data-driven practices. Use mCLASS Texas reports to drill into key school-level data and leave with a systems-level action plan to drive stronger student and teacher outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English only.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Assessing with fidelity for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Fortify your assessment administration with trainer-led practice targeted to your unique needs.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Reporting and instruction basics for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use mCLASS Texas classroom reporting, instructional tools, and resources to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Goal setting and growth outcomes for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use mCLASS Texas Zones of Growth (Zonas de crecimiento for mCLASS Lectura) reports to set meaningful, ambitious, and attainable student goals that drive student progress and growth.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Progress monitoring for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Implement mCLASS progress monitoring and MTSS best practices to track student progress and accelerate growth.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Begin: Strengthen Focus: Reporting basics for leaders
Virtual, 1 hour
Examine your school-level mCLASS benchmark assessment data to identify key levers for improving student outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English only.
Practice packages
| On-site package (6 hours) |
Virtual 6 package (6 hours) |
Virtual 4 package (4 hours) |
Virtual 2 package (2 hours) |
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| Two Strengthen sessions per package | ||||
| Strengthen session titles* | ||||
| On-site 3 hr. |
Virtual 3 hr. |
Virtual 3 hr. and 1 hr. |
Virtual 1 hr. |
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*Assessment Strengthen sessions should be scheduled after the most recent benchmark window has closed for participants to work with their own data.
| Coach session | |||
| Suggested enhancements |
On-site | On-site or virtual | |
| 6 hr. | 3 hr. | ||
Practice: Creating a data-driven classroom for teachers
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Dive deep into mCLASS Texas reports and instructional recommendations to drive stronger student outcomes in your classroom. You will leave ready to leverage mCLASS Texas progress monitoring and grouping tools to support a robust MTSS program.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Practice: Building a data-driven culture for leaders
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Cultivate a schoolwide culture of data-driven practices. Use mCLASS Texas reports to drill into key school-level data and leave with a systems-level action plan to drive stronger student and teacher outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English only.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Assessing with fidelity for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Fortify your mCLASS Texas Edition assessment administration with trainer-led practice targeted to your unique needs.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
New session
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Reporting and instruction basics for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use mCLASS Texas classroom reporting, instructional tools, and resources to accelerate data-driven student outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Practice: Strengthen Focus: Progress monitoring for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Implement mCLASS Texas progress monitoring and MTSS best practices to track student progress and accelerate growth.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
New session for mCLASS Lectura Texas and mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Practice: Goal setting and growth outcomes for teachers
Virtual, 1 hour
Learn how to use mCLASS Texas Zones of Growth (Zonas de crecimiento for mCLASS Lectura Texas) reports to set meaningful, ambitious, and attainable student goals that drive student progress and growth.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English or Spanish.
Practice: Reporting basics for leaders
Virtual, 1 hour
Examine your school-level mCLASS Texas benchmark assessment data to identify key levers for improving student outcomes.
Session options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Texas + Lectura biliteracy
Audience: Leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Language: The mCLASS Lectura Texas session is facilitated in English.
Amplify intervention PD sessions
Intervention programs
Each intervention program offers Launch and Coach sessions for up to 30 participants per program for year one and beyond.
mCLASS Texas Intervention
mCLASS Intervention is a staff-led Tier 2 and Tier 3 reading intervention program that does the heavy lifting of data analysis and lesson sequencing, freeing up teachers to teach the reading skills each student needs. View the table and select the session title to learn more about each mCLASS Intervention PD session.
| On-site or virtual sessions 3 hr. |
Self-paced course | |
| Launch sessions | ||
| Program overview for interventionists | |
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| Program overview for intervention coordinators | |
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| Program overview course for interventionists | |
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Coach sessions
| On-site sessions 6 hr. |
On-site or virtual sessions 3 hr. |
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| Coach session |
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| Coach session |
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Launch
Propel your teachers into the new school year with sessions that introduce them to their Amplify program(s) and support a strong implementation.
Program overview for interventionists
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Prepare to deliver mCLASS Intervention lessons and learn how to administer the diagnostic and progress monitoring measures.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (maximum 30 participants)
Program overview for intervention coordinators
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Intervention coordinators will learn the essentials of coordinating mCLASS Intervention and leave ready to implement the program at their school site.
Audience: Intervention coordinators (maximum 30 participants)
Program overview for interventionists
Online course, self-paced
Prepare to deliver mCLASS Intervention lessons and learn how to administer the diagnostic and progress monitoring measures through this on-demand course. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 3 hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
Coach
Support teachers and leaders with learning experiences tailored to meet their specific needs.
Coach session
On-site, 6 hours
Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS Intervention. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.
Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Coach session
On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS Intervention. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.
Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Enhancement options
Enhancement options are available for assessment programs such as:
- mCLASS Texas
- mCLASS Lectura Texas
Enhancements can be purchased for all teachers/leaders or a subset of educators.
Enhancement offerings for assessment programs
Add the following session to any assessment or intervention package.
| On-site 6 hr. |
Virtual 6 hr. |
On-site or virtual 3 hr. |
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| Coach session for individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders |
|
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Coach session
On-site or virtual, 6 hours; On-site or virtual, 3 hours
Coach sessions focus on building internal school and district capacity and leadership excellence to accelerate data-driven student outcomes for teachers using mCLASS Texas. Coaching is customized to meet a school or district’s needs and can include observations, modeling, real-time coaching, and/or co-planning.
Audience: Individual teachers, grade-level teams, PLCs, and/or instructional leaders (maximum 30 participants)
Online courses
Launch online courses are available for the following assessment programs:
- mCLASS Texas
- mCLASS Lectura Texas
Please view the table below for more information.
Online courses for assessment programs
| Self-paced Online course |
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| Administration and instruction essentials for teachers |
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Administration and instruction essentials for teachers
Online course, self-paced
Dive into the essentials of your mCLASS Texas assessment program through this on-demand course. Learn how to administer and score the assessment and leave ready to leverage mCLASS Texas reports and lessons to accelerate data-driven student outcomes. This subscription includes an individual seat to the course, which takes approximately 8 hours to complete. Participants will be able to access and revisit the course as needed for up to one year.
Course options: mCLASS Texas, mCLASS Lectura Texas, and/or mCLASS Math
Audience: Teachers, instructional staff (individual seat)
Additional assessment and intervention programs
Additional sessions and online courses are available for other mCLASS programs (mCLASS Express, mCLASS Math, and mCLASS Intervention Universal).
To learn more about enhancing your Amplify experience by purchasing other mCLASS Texas programs and/or accompanying PD sessions, contact your account executive.
Contact us
We’re here to provide answers and guidance as you explore your PD options. Fill out the form to connect with us and discover how Amplify PD can enhance your educational journey.
Welcome, North Carolina educators!
Welcome, North Carolina educators!
DPS leaders, welcome to Amplify Science!
Here you’ll find information about enrollment and licensing, materials and shipping logistics, professional learning resources, and more.
Program introduction
Onboarding: What to expect
Welcome to Amplify Science! To help you know what’s coming next, we created the following visual that outlines the steps of the onboarding process. You can use it as a reference.
Technology requirements and guidelines
To ensure that your hardware and network meet the minimum technical requirements for optimal performance and support of your digital curriculum products, please see Amplify’s customer requirements page.
To ensure access to Amplify Science, add the URLs on this page to the corresponding district or school-level filters.
DPS scope and sequence (K–5)
DPS scope and sequence (6–8)
Amplify Science Program Guide
Getting started
The Amplify Science Program Guide details information about the program, including its authorship, development, themes, and more. It serves as a resource for finding out more about the program’s structure, components, supports, how it meets standards, and flexibility.
Navigate through the links below to access more information about the program and to explore resources that can help with your implementation:
Digging deeper
The sections below provide more details on the program’s approach and pedagogy:
Join our community.
Our Amplify Science Facebook group is a community of Amplify Science educators from across the country. It’s a space to share best practices, ideas, and support on everything from implementation to instruction. Join today.
Looking for help?
Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We have developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:
- Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans
- Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more
To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com
Timely technical and program support
Our technical and program support is included and available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.
For your most urgent questions:
- Use our live chat within your program
- Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969
For less urgent questions:
About mCLASS in NC
DPI is committed to providing literacy instruction for all by:
- Aligning core curriculum, instruction, and assessments with Science of Reading.
- Providing appropriate literacy interventions to address difficulty with reading development.
- Implementing practices based on the Science of Reading in every classroom every day.
- Providing aligned resources to parents, guardians and family members.
mCLASS is built on decades of research at the Center on Teaching and Learning at the University of Oregon, a national center for early childhood assessment and instruction. The measures are already in use in many districts in North Carolina. With the additional mCLASS suite including reporting, grouping, lessons and caregiver support, DPI’s early literacy goals for North Carolina students will be met.
North Carolina mCLASS DIBELS 8 requirements
DIBELS 8th Edition fulfills legislative requirements for K-3 students with sub test measures for:
- Phonemic awareness
- Phonics
- Fluency
- Vocabulary
- Comprehension
For the above reasons, the state will begin using DIBELS 8 data for EVAAS purposes effective 2021-22 from MOY-EOY for Kindergarten, BOY-EOY for all 1-2 teachers, and BOG-EOG for grade 3.
| DIBELS measures at each grade level | ||||
| Measure | Grade K | Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Grade 3 |
| Letter naming fluency | |
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| Phonemic segmentation fluency | |
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| Nonsense word fluency | |
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| Word reading fluency | |
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| Oral reading fluency | |
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| Maze (basic comprehension) | |
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| Required additional measures at each grade level below | ||||
| Oral language | |
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Amplify assessment invalidation process
- Teacher requests approval for an invalidation from a school-level administrator and provides a valid reason for requesting the invalidation.
- School-level administrators reach out to the district Read to Achieve (RtA) contact to approve the invalidation.
- District RtA contact approves the request and notifies the school-level administrator who notifies the teacher.
- Teacher invalidates assessment.
Professional Learning
Stay tuned for new registration links!
Stay tuned for new registration links!
Preparing for EOY (Administrators and Enrollment)
North Carolina Online Course
All of our monthly webinars will be linked in the online course. You will access the North Carolina Online Course to view previous webinars.
- When you open your course you will see a navigation panel along the left hand side.
- At the top of this panel, you will see a small back arrow by the title mCLASS in North Carolina Initial Training.
- Click on that back arrow to be taken to the beginning of the course with the introduction.
- When you land on that Introduction page along the left panel, you will see the welcome to the course.
- Scroll down that left panel to the section titled Monthly Recorded Webinars, within that section you will see a link to the page where we are posting the webinars, click on the “this page” link.
mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition online course
As part of the implementation of mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition for the 2023-24 school year, all North Carolina educators will have access to a self-paced online course as a support for a successful implementation and to serve as a resource throughout the school year.
Learn how to:
- Administer and score mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition Interpret student data Identify students’ instructional need Access skills-focused lessons.
- Plan differentiated instruction.
- Please contact your district for access information to the online course. Districts received the link for the course in the DPI memo. Please reach out to your DPI consultant for assistance.
Monthly Webinar recordings will be placed on the Online Course site upon the completion of each session.
In addition, PSUs may purchase additional remote or in-person training sessions. Amplify offers in-person training options pending:
- agreement to Amplify’s Covid safety guidelines, and
- confirmation of availability for the requested training date.
Contact us for more information on additional PD.
Reading Camp
Overview
The Excellent Public Schools Act of 2021 defines “Reading camp” as an additional educational program outside the instructional calendar that the local school administrative unit offers as a literacy intervention to:
- any third-grade student who does not demonstrate reading proficiency and
- any second-grade student who demonstrates difficulty with reading development. Local school administrative units may offer a reading camp as a literacy intervention to any first-grade student who demonstrates difficulty with reading development.
Resources
The resources below review the Summer Benchmark assessment, Reading Camp data, and explain enrollment for Reading Camp.
Please Note: Do not make any manual changes in the Amplify platform prior to June 1st, 2026. Any changes made before this date will be overwritten.
- Districts hosting Reading Camp at each individual school
- Districts merging schools for Reading Camp
- Charters
- Accessing Summer Benchmark Data
Additional support:
We will be hosting office hours each Wednesday from 2:00 pm-2:30 pm EDT starting May 20th, 2026 and continuing through July 15th, 2026. This is a time for you to chat directly with us so we can help answer any questions you may have regarding reading camp.
Click here to join the office hours.
Office hours will occur on the following dates:
- May 20th
- May 27th
- June 3rd
- June 10th
- June 17th
- June 24th
- July 1st
- July 8th
- July 15th
Please note that this is not a presentation, but a chance to ask questions and receive specific support.
Enrollment resources
Each night, DPI extracts rostering files from Infinite Campus and sends them to Amplify. Changes in the enrollment system are captured in mCLASS the next day. As a reminder, no manual changes can take place in mCLASS.
In order to be included in the staff file sent to mCLASS from Infinite Campus, staff members must have a Read to Achieve role assigned to them. It is also important to ensure staff members are active, have a district assignment (Navigation to verify district assignment: Search Staff > Census > Staff > District Assignments), and an email address associated with NCEdCloud; If a staff member receives a “user not found” message when attempting to log in to mCLASS via NCEdCloud, this means they do not have a staff record enrolled in mCLASS.
Additional troubleshooting documents around enrollment can be found here.
Infinite Campus Resources:
mCLASS reporting
mCLASS gives you instant results and clear next steps for each student. Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for teachers, specialists, administrators, and caregivers.
View the mCLASS Reporting Guide to learn more.
Charter Schools
More information coming soon!
Remote assessment
We at Amplify and the team at the University of Oregon are here to provide continued guidance and support around collecting and using DIBELS® 8th Edition data.
This guide offers recommendations for benchmark assessment with DIBELS as well as tips for interpreting benchmark data during our unpredictable school disruptions.
North Carolina remote assessment guidance
Service Hub
Amplify Service Hub Now Live:
The Service Hub is an online portal which allows district- and school-level administrators to create support tickets, check on ticket status, and view reports related to support cases. Educators who have an RtA Admin role have access to the Service Hub. You can access the Service Hub here. Log in with the SSO Login icon and search for North Carolina Public Schools. Your NCEdCloud credentials will enable you to access the Service Hub.
Learn about navigating, viewing insights, and more in the
Spanish in NC
mCLASS Lectura is available for all students enrolled in a Dual Language program. When mCLASS Lectura is used with D8 teachers have access to the dual language report. This report provides side-by-side data of the student’s performance in Spanish and English.
Then mCLASS suggests actual strategies and specific activities to promote cross-linguistic transfer for bilingual students.
If you have students that would benefit from this assessment but are not enrolled in a dual language program, individual licenses can be purchased. Please reach out to your CSM and Jennifer Eason, your Account Executive, for more information.
Science of Reading resources
To continue your own professional learning around the Science of Reading, subscribe and join with your colleagues.
Science of Reading: The Podcast delivers the latest insights from researchers and practitioners in early reading. Further your professional development with each episode by subscribing and downloading them now.
Science of Reading: The Community is built for those committed to fostering conversation around the Science of Reading and implementing best practices in the classroom (including the virtual classroom).
What does classroom instruction look like when it is based on Science of Reading practices? We’ve outlined a Science of Reading action plan to guide your evaluation in our new FREE ebook, Science of Reading: Making the shift.
Caregiver supports
The mCLASS Home Connect website houses literacy resources for parents and caregivers, including at-home lessons organized by skill to help students at home during remote learning. Our mCLASS parent/caregiver letters in English and Spanish ensure that families know how to best support their child.
Support
NCDPI has been provided with its own dedicated support line: +1 (888) 890-2505
The current national support line will remain available and include the North Carolina option on the phone tree throughout the fall.
FAQs
Interested in learning more?
Amplify and NC DPI are collaborating on this FAQ. Please continue to check back, as we are updating this based on questions we receive about mCLASS and the current NC implementation.
Additional Amplify products
Get in touch with us to learn more about bringing other high-quality Amplify programs to your school or district.
Inspiring the next generation of Oklahoma scientists, engineers, and curious citizens
Amplify Science is an engaging new core curriculum designed for three-dimensional, phenomena-based learning.
A powerful partnership
Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.
Instructional model
The Amplify Science program is rooted in the proven, research-based pedagogy of Do, Talk, Read, Write, Visualize. Here’s how each element works:
DO
First-hand investigations are an important part of any science classroom, and Amplify Science has students getting hands-on in every unit—from building models of protein molecules to experimenting with electrical systems.
TALK
Student-to-student discourse and full-class discussions are an integral part of the program. Students are provided with numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful oral scientific argumentation, all while fostering a collaborative classroom environment.
READ
Students read scientific articles, focusing their reading activities on searching for evidence related to their investigation and, importantly, on asking and recording questions as they read through fascinating texts on 21st-century topics.
WRITE
Following real-world practices, students write scientific arguments based on evidence they’ve collected, making clear their reasoning about how a given piece of evidence connects to one of several claims.
VISUALIZE
By manipulating digital simulations and using modeling tools to craft visualizations of their thinking— just as real scientists and engineers do—students take their learning far beyond the confines of what they can physically see in the classroom in an exciting and authentic way.
Oklahoma Instructional Samplers
Video: Oklahoma Spotlight on All Learners (SPED, G & T, EL, DEI)
Resources to support your review
- What’s so phenomenal about phenomena? – ebook
- Phenomena in grades K–5
- Phenomena in grades 6–8
- Student Books in grades K–5
- Literacy-rich science instruction in grades K–5
- Active Reading in grades 6–8
- Engineering in Amplify Science
- Oklahoma standards correlation for grades K–8
- Program structure for grades K–5
- Program structure for grades 6–8
- Oklahoma recommended scope and sequence for grades 6–8
Remote and hybrid learning support
Oklahoma Spotlight Video: Remote and Hybrid Learning
Amplify has launched a new remote learning solution called Amplify Science @Home. Intended to make extended remote learning and hybrid learning easier, Amplify Science@Home includes two useful options for continuing instruction: @Home Videos and @Home Units.
Amplify Science @Home Videos are recordings of real Amplify Science teachers teaching the lessons. For those teachers who are unable to meet synchronously with their students, the recorded lessons are a great way to keep their students on track and engaged with Amplify Science while at home. These videos will be produced for all K–5 units, and for the first four units of each 6–8 grade level. Their release will be rolling, beginning in August 2021.
Amplify Science@Home Units are modified versions of Amplify Science units, strategically designed to highlight key activities from the program. The @Home Units take significantly less instructional time than the complete Amplify Science program and allow students to engage with science at home. @Home Units will be developed for all Amplify Science K–8 units. Each @Home unit includes:
- Teacher overviews explaining how to use the materials, including suggestions for enhancing the @Home Units if synchronous learning or in-class time with students is available.
- Overviews to send home to families.
Student materials are available in two formats:
- @Home Slides (PDF/PPT) + Student Sheets (PDF) for students with access to technology at home.
- Downloadable @Home Packets (PDF) for students without access to technology at home.
Download the remote and hybrid learning guide.
What’s included
Flexible resources that work seamlessly together
Oklahoma Spotlight Video: Instructional Resources: More than a textbook!
Science articles
The middle school science articles serve as sources for evidence collection and were authored by science and literacy experts at the Lawrence Hall of Science.
Student Investigation Notebooks
Available for every unit, the Student Investigation Notebooks provide space for students to:
- record data.
- reflect on ideas from texts and investigations.
- construct explanations and arguments.
Available with full-color article compilations for middle school units.
Digital student experience
Students access the digital simulations and modeling tools, as well as lesson activities and assessments, through the digital student experience. Students can interact with the digital student experience as they:
- conduct hands-on investigations.
- engage in active reading and writing activities.
- participate in discussions.
- record observations.
- craft end-of-unit scientific arguments.
Oklahoma Spotlight Video: Spotlight on Simulations
Teacher’s Guides
Available digitally and in print, the Teacher’s Guides contain all of the information teachers need to facilitate classroom instruction, including:
- Classroom Slides.
- detailed lesson plans.
- unit and chapter overview documentation.
- differentiation strategies.
- standards alignments.
- in-context professional development.
Oklahoma Spotlight Video: Classroom Slides
Hands-on materials kits
Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science. Each unit kit contains:
- consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials.
- print classroom display materials.
- premium print materials for student use (sorting cards, maps, etc).
Scope and sequence
GRADE
UNITS
Kindergarten
- Needs of Plants and Animals
- Pushes and Pulls
- Sunlight and Water
Grade 1
- Animal and Plant Defenses
- Light and Sound
- Spinning Earth
Grade 2
- Plant and Animal Relationships
- Properties of Materials
- Changing Landforms
Grade 3
- Balancing Forces
- Inheritance and Traits
- Environments and Survival
- Weather and Climate
Grade 4
- Energy Conversions
- Vision and Light
- Earth’s Features
- Waves, Energy, and Information
Grade 5
- Patterns of Earth and Sky
- Modeling Matter
- The Earth System
- Ecosystem Restoration
GRADE
UNITS
Grade 6
- Launch: Microbiome
- Metabolism
- Plate Motion
- Plate Motion Engineering Internship
- Rock Transformations
- Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate
- Weather Patterns
- Thermal Energy
- Phase Change
Grade 7
- Launch: Harnessing Human Energy
- Chemical Reactions
- Populations and Resources
- Matter Energy and Ecosystems
- Earth’s Changing Climate
- Earth’s Changing Climate Engineering Internship
- Magnetic Fields
Grade 8
- Launch: Geology on Mars
- Force and Motion
- Force and Motion Engineering Internship
- Light Waves
- Earth, Moon, and Sun
- Traits and Reproduction
- Natural Selection
- Evolutionary History
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science coverage
Amplify Science was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science (OASS) are closely aligned to the NGSS at K–8. The guidance below is meant to provide support for integrating additional activities that support full coverage of the OASS. You can view the full K–8 OASS correlation here.
Organized by grade level, each section below will outline:
- additional activities that support 100% alignment to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Science;
- the standard being addressed with the activities;
- the recommended placement of the activities within a specific Amplify Science unit; and
- PDFs of any accompanying materials that are necessary to implement the activities.
Standard: 1.ESS3.1: Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
Recommended placement: Animal and Plant Defenses unit, Chapter 1
Materials: The Student Book Investigating Monarchs from the unit Needs of Plants and Animals
Investigating Monarchs emphasizes the needs of monarch caterpillars and butterflies and shows what happens when these animals are not able to meet their needs. The book first introduces the life cycle of monarchs, explaining that monarch caterpillars must eat milkweed to survive and change into butterflies. Their summer habitat must have milkweed. The butterflies then migrate a long distance, from the United States to a forest in the mountains of Mexico, where they take shelter in the trees. Their winter habitat must have trees. Scientists discovered that the monarch population in Mexico was greatly reduced because people were cutting down the trees. The forest was then protected, but the monarch population did not recover as expected. Scientists in the United States found evidence that this was because fields with milkweed are being replaced by farms and buildings. This book could be read with the class either before or after Chapter 1 of the Animal and Plant Defenses unit, which focuses on what plants and animals need to do to survive. Students could be asked to reflect on what the monarchs need to survive (including food and shelter), and how human activities impacted the monarchs’ ability to meet those needs. After reading the book, students could brainstorm ideas for how to reduce the impact of humans on the local environment.
Standard: MS-PS4-2: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
Recommended placement: Metabolism unit, Lesson 3.3, addition to Activity 5
Materials: “What Eyes Can See” science article
As students investigate metabolism and the body systems, the article “What Eyes Can See” should be assigned to deepen their understanding of information processing and sense receptors and connect that understanding to the emerging idea of the interaction of waves with various materials. The article explores how the only thing we can really see is light. Light travels from a light source to the eye, passing through some materials and bouncing off others. Tiny organs inside the eye called rods and cones absorb energy from light, making vision possible. These interactions between light and materials determine our visible world.
Instructions:
Download the PDF “What Eyes Can See” above and remind students of the Active Reading guidelines. Before students read the article, invite them to share prior experiences. For example, “Have you ever had an experience where something looked different in one kind of light than in another kind of light? Or where something seemed to appear or disappear when the light changed?”
Standard: MS-PS3-1: Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationships of kinetic energy to the mass of an object and to the speed of an object.
Recommended placement: Harnessing Human Energy unit, Lesson 1.4, after Activity 4
Materials: Force and Motion simulation; Activity instructions and copymasters
In this activity, students use the Force and Motion Simulation to investigate the relationship between kinetic energy, mass, and velocity.
Instructions
Download the PDF linked above for the Lesson Guide and copymasters needed for the activity. Note that this investigation is typically implemented during the Force and Motion unit. This means the Lesson Guide will contain some incongruous labeling (e.g., unit name), as well as instructions that are out of context and unnecessary for the purposes of addressing this standard at grade 7. We suggest skipping to step 4 of the Instructional Guide to avoid some of this. Your students will get additional exposure to this activity, and indeed the standard as a whole, when they get to the Force and Motion unit in grade 8.
Standards:
- MS-PS2-3: Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
- MS-PS2-5: Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
Recommended placement: Force and Motion unit, after Lesson 1.5
Materials: Flextension PDF
This hands-on activity builds on and reinforces students’ understanding of forces that act at a distance, with a focus on electrostatic force. Students explore electrostatic forces, prompted by a set of challenges that they try to accomplish. Next, students generate scientific questions based on their observations. Electrostatic force is less predictable and consistent than magnetic force, and investigating it can be both challenging and intriguing. The purpose of this lesson is for students to gain firsthand experience with electrostatic force and to gain experience generating scientific questions based on observations. You might choose to include this Flextension if you would like your students to have more exposure to electrostatic force, and if you would like to challenge your students to explore and ask questions about a challenging type of force.
Instructions:
Download the PDF linked above for a detailed Lesson Guide and the copymasters associated with the activity. Note that this activity is typically implemented as an add-on Flextension during the Magnetic Fields unit. This means that you will see some information that is out of context (e.g., placement information, unit title), but the activity itself also works for the purposes of the Force and Motion unit. If you have any questions, please reach out to our support team via the chat icon in your account or help@amplify.com.
Explore the Digital Teacher’s Guide
When you’re ready to review, click the orange button below and use your provided login credentials to access the Amplify Science Digital Teacher’s Guide.
To help familiarize yourself with navigating the digital Teacher’s Guide, watch our navigational guide videos:
Grades K–5:
Grades 6–8:
Looking for help?
Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:
- Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans.
- Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs.
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.
To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com
Timely technical and program support
Our technical and program support is included and available from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.
For your most urgent questions:
- Use our live chat within your program.
- Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969.
For less urgent questions:
Contact us
Contact your Oklahoma representative:
Julie Godfrey
Account Executive
jgodfrey@amplify.com
(817) 360-0527
Program overview
Boost Math is a personalized learning math instruction and practice program. The game-based experience engages all students in grade-level mathematics in ways that prepare them for success in, and build enthusiasm around, algebra and later math.
Student experience
When students click on their Curioso icon, they are taken into their quest. Quests consist of brief narrative scenes, punctuated with skill practice in the form of games. Once a student completes a scene, their very own collection of personalized skill games appears on the right side of the screen. Students can play these games in any order.
- Students in grades 1 and 2 will experience games related to comparing numbers, measuring, and more.
- Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will experience games related to fractions, area, multiplication, and more.
- Students will also experience activities known as “Makers,” which are open-ended activities within each quest related to the quest narrative, giving students an opportunity to apply different math applications to the real world.
Note: This is an early subsection of the product. Some content may be appropriate for some students, but difficult for others. This is feedback we want to hear. The designs are also still in-progress, with many aspects yet to be featured. We welcome all suggestions!
Implementation guidelines
We recommend that students should play for a total of 60 minutes per week, broken up into 3–4, 15–20 minute sessions. Consider using Boost Math during the following times:
- Small group or centers time
- Choice time
- During intervention blocks
- After school
- At home
- Remote learning
Getting your students online
Instruct students to navigate to learning.amplify.com, and log in using the method you typically use when logging into Amplify Reading.
Find and click on the icon for Boost Math, as shown above.
Students will then see the screen showing Sequence Falls, the location in which their Boost Math journey takes place.
Troubleshooting guide
To clear your Chrome browser cache/cookies:
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, click the three vertical dots.
- Click More Tools, Clear browsing data.
- At the top, choose a time range, select All time.
- Check the boxes next to “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files.”
- Click Clear data.
- From the Safari menu at the top of the screen, select “Safari”
- Select “Preferences” from the drop-down menu
- Open the “Privacy” tab
- Select the “Manage Website Data” button
- Choose “amplify.com” from the list of sites
- Select the “Remove” button
- Select “Done”, then close the window
Please check to ensure “cookies” are accepted on your device.
If you still receive an error message or blank screen when accessing an Amplify page, please email Aya Bukres.
Please email Jehan Miah to confirm your login credentials.
To reset your Amplify password: click Login with Amplify, then click the Forgot Password link. If you do not receive an email with password reset instructions, please check your Spam folder. To ensure messages to not go to your Spam inbox, make sure to include the following addresses as trusted sources:
- do-not-reply@amplify.com
- noreply@amplify.com
- noreply@welcome.amplify.com
Spanish supports for Amplify Science
Amplify Science is committed to providing support to meet the needs of all learners, and includes multiple access points for Spanish-speaking students. Developed in conjunction with Spanish-language experts and classroom teachers, multiple components are available in Spanish across the Amplify Science curriculum.
Elementary school
| COMPONENT | TEACHER/STUDENT |
|---|---|
| Student Investigation Notebook | Student |
| Student Books | Student |
| Big Books (Grades K–1) | Teacher |
| Assessments and copymasters (included in the Unit Materials Notebook) | Teacher |
| Printed classroom materials (Unit and chapter questions, key concepts, vocabulary cards, etc.) | Teacher |
| COMPONENT | TEACHER/STUDENT |
|---|---|
| Student Books with Spanish audio (delivered as part of the digital classroom library add-on license) | Student |
| Unit Materials notebook, which is located on the Unit Guide and contains all copymasters, print assessments, app guides (i.e. instructions), and video transcripts. | Teacher |
| Projections | Teacher |
| All model teacher talk | Teacher |
| Downloadable PDFs of all print materials | Teacher |
| Copymasters | Teacher |
| Videos, including closed captions | Teacher and student |
| Digital Apps (i.e. Sims, Modeling Tools, etc.) | Teacher and student |
| Completed Argumentation Wall Diagram | Teacher |
Middle school
Amplify Science
A new phenomena-based science curriculum for grades K–5.
Universal Design for Learning
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a research-based framework for improving student learning experiences and outcomes by focusing on careful instructional planning to meet the varied needs of students. UDL is not a special-education initiative. Through the UDL framework, the needs of all learners are considered and planned for at the point of first teaching, thereby reducing the need for follow-up or alternative instruction. Following the principles of UDL, Amplify Science units and lessons are designed to be universal and flexible in allowing choice; different paths toward goals; and multiple means of engagement, representation, action and expression, and assessment, so that all students have an opportunity to learn during lessons and be successful with lesson and unit goals. While Amplify Science lessons are intentionally designed to be universal and flexible, each student is unique and teachers will need to understand their students’ individual learning strengths and needs in order to refine or enhance lessons through differentiation strategies to make them truly universal. All lessons are designed with a range of students in mind, providing multiple points of entry and modalities of learning (e.g. talking to peers, viewing short explanatory videos, reading, writing, conducting investigations, etc.) for students to engage with the content. In addition, to support teachers with the decisions they need to make in order to ensure that all students have access to learning, each lesson contains a Differentiation Brief that outlines specific supports for diverse learners, as well as flexible options for adapting lessons according to students’ needs. UDL principles and guidelines, as well as practical suggestions for classroom teaching and learning, can be found at the National Center for UDL (udlcenter.org).
Differentiation strategies to support all students
Amplify Science provides a differentiated path for all students to thrive in the science and engineering classroom. Following the principles of UDL, lessons and Differentiation Briefs were designed to provide teachers with detailed guidance on supporting students with diverse learning strengths and needs, with a particular focus on English learners and long term English learners, standard English learners, students experiencing stressful living conditions (students living in poverty, foster youth, migrant students), advanced learners, girls and young women, students with disabilities, and students experiencing academic learning challenges.
High Impact Tutoring: ESC Training of Trainers
Administrators, welcome to mCLASS!
Here you’ll find information about enrollment and licensing, technical requirements, professional learning resources, and more.
Onboarding: What to expect
Welcome to mCLASS! There are six basic steps to onboarding. Use this visual as a reference, but also know that our dedicated implementation team will be there to support you during the entire process.
Technology requirements and guidelines
To ensure that your hardware and network meet the minimum technical requirements for performance and support of mCLASS, please see Amplify’s customer requirements page.
You’ll also want to add the URLs on this page to the corresponding district- or school-level filters so that your teachers and students can access their mCLASS materials.
Data sharing agreement
Partnering with Amplify through our data sharing program deepens learning outcomes and gives you the performance analysis you need to make impactful decisions within your district or school. By signing our data sharing agreement, your district will help us to better understand student performance as it relates to your state’s standards. It also allows us to compare results with the curriculum-embedded assessments and state-level assessments. These analyses will help you identify the areas where your teachers and students are excelling or may be experiencing challenges.
Stay tuned for additional updates.
Enrollment and licensing overview
During the enrollment and licensing call, your Amplify implementation partner will walk you through the enrollment process. We recommend exploring the enrollment web tool ahead of the call for suggestions on which enrollment method may be best for your district.
The following guides provide additional information about enrollment methods and the data sharing process.
You can also reference the mCLASS Enrollment Help collection for additional information.
Preparing for your materials
If you have ordered printed assessment kits, you or the materials coordinator at your school or district will receive a shipping logistics survey to ensure a smooth delivery. It is critical that this survey be completed prior to the shipment of materials. If your school or district has not received a survey, reach out to your Amplify implementation manager.
What’s included in the kits?
Below you will find a list of the print materials included in each mCLASS kit.
DIBELS 8th Edition
The mCLASS DIBELS® 8th Edition kits are grade-specific and contain the student materials for assessment with mCLASS software. K–6 (Kits for each grade sold separately):
- How to Get Started with mCLASS one sheet
- Student Benchmark Assessment materials
- Student Progress Monitoring Assessment materials
- Assessment Administration and Scoring manual
Maze administration:
- Maze for grades 2–6 is typically administered online to a group of students, each on their own computer or device. No printed materials are needed.
- If your school does not have sufficient student devices or if your students are not yet ready for online assessment, you may administer Maze with paper and pencil and enter the scores manually. Get more information.
Materials for additional assessments in the mCLASS suite
For customers who use Text Reading and Comprehension (TRC), IDEL®, TRC Spanish, mCLASS® Math, and/or Intervention, we provide the following:
TRC Atlas Benchmark kit
- 76 leveled readers covering levels A–Z (both fiction and nonfiction)
- Tabs to organize books by level grouping
- Information pamphlet
mCLASS: Math
Kindergarten and grade 1 combination kit
- Activities Guide
- Counting chips
- Screening and Progress Monitoring student materials
Grade 2 kit
- Activities Guide
- Counting chips
- Screening and Progress Monitoring Teacher Guide and answer key
- Screening and Progress Monitoring forms 1–10
Grade 3 kit
- Activities Guide
- Screening and Progress Monitoring teacher guide and answer key
- Screening and Progress Monitoring forms 1–10
Multi-grade kit, including K–3
- All materials listed above
IDEL
IDEL Multi-grade kit (K–3):
- Kit includes K–3 student and teacher materials
TRC Spanish
TRC Spanish Benchmark kit (K–3)
- 20 leveled readers covering Descrubriendo la Lectura (DLL) levels 1–24 (both fiction and nonfiction)
- Information pamphlet
- 16 additional texts available online via the mCLASS home training page
Intervention
K–3 and 4–6 kits (sold separately)
- Printed cards
- Puppet
- Whiteboard
- Sticker book
- 25 resealable bags
- Magnifying glass
- Burst® binder
- Burst messenger bag
- User Guides
- Accordion file
- Burst posters
- Light blue carrying case (includes double-tipped markers, dry erase markers, counting chips, and sand timers)
- Assessment books
Announcements
Use stimulus funding to drive transformation
Learn about ESSER I, II, and III funding (or CARES, CRRSA, and ARP) and how to use these funds to help with learning recovery and acceleration. Districts have significant flexibility in how to use the ESSER money, with ESSER II and III specifying that some of the funds should be used to address unfinished learning. All Amplify programs and services meet the criteria for the funding. Get more information about funding and timelines.
Next steps: How do I support my teachers?
Logging in to mCLASS Home
mCLASS Home is where you will access mCLASS Reporting, Instruction, and other helpful resources. Teachers can log in by navigating to mclass.amplify.com.
Setting up your assessment device
Assessments are administered using the mCLASS app. The mCLASS app is installed by creating a shortcut from your school’s preferred web browser on the desktop or home screen of a teacher’s device. Share this link with teachers for best practices specific to their device’s operating system.
Professional development
We partner with every district to make sure the mCLASS rollout meets their unique needs. Check out our professional development site to get a better understanding of what our team has to offer.
Contact us
Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support at no cost to educators using our programs. This free service includes:
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.
- Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans.
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with mCLASS.
To reach our pedagogical team, click the orange icon while logged into mCLASS to get immediate help, call (866) 629-2446, or email edsupport@amplify.com.
Timely technical and program support
Our Customer Care and Support team is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, through a variety of channels:
- Live chat: Click the orange icon while logged into mCLASS to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.
- Phone: Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969.
- Email: Send an email to help@amplify.com.
Join our community
Our mCLASS Facebook group is a community of mCLASS educators from across the country. It’s a space to share best practices, ideas, and support on everything from implementation to instruction. Join today.
Administrators, welcome to Amplify ELA!
Here you’ll find information about enrollment and licensing, technical requirements, professional learning resources, and more.
Onboarding: What to expect
Welcome to Amplify ELA! There are six basic steps to onboarding. Use this visual as a reference, but also know that our dedicated implementation team will be there to support you during the entire process.
Technology requirements and guidelines
To ensure that your hardware and network meet the minimum technical requirements for performance and support of your curriculum products, please see Amplify’s customer requirements page.
You’ll also want to add the URLs on this page to the corresponding district- or school-level filters so that your teachers and students can access their Amplify ELA materials.
Data sharing agreement
Partnering with Amplify through our data sharing program deepens learning outcomes and gives you the performance analysis you need to make impactful decisions within your district or school. By signing our data sharing agreement, your district will help us to better understand student performance as it relates to your state’s standards. It also allows us to compare results with the curriculum-embedded assessments and state-level assessments. These analyses will help you identify the areas where your teachers and students are excelling or may be experiencing challenges.
Stay tuned for additional updates.
Enrollment and licensing overview
During the enrollment and licensing call, your Amplify implementation partner will walk you through the enrollment process. We recommend exploring the enrollment web tool ahead of the call for suggestions on which enrollment method may be best for your district.
The following guides provide additional information about enrollment methods and the data sharing process.
Preparing for your materials
If you’ve purchased the Amplify ELA blended package, each grade level will include the following print materials:
Teacher Kit—one per classroom that includes the following:
- 6 Teacher Editions (one per unit)
- 1 Solo Workbook blackline master
- 6 Writing Journals (one per unit)
- 1 novel
- Poster set (3 posters)
Student Blended Package—one per student that includes the following:
- 1 Student Edition
- 6 Writing Journals (one per unit)
- 1 novel
How many boxes will I receive?
To plan for delivery of print materials and storage space, here’s what to expect:
Teacher Kit—Components are provided in one box per classroom.
Student Blended Package—Components are shipped in cartons, which include materials for multiple students. The maximum weight for any carton is 35 pounds, though the average weight is 15–20 pounds. The number of cartons depends on the number of students in your order. Packing slips will list the contents of each carton against the whole order.
Administrator Reports
Self-service Administrator Reports allow insight into teacher and student usage and student performance data for the current school year.
Access will be limited to district and school administrators. Administrators can directly access these reports at my.amplify.com/admin-reports.
Next steps: How do I support my teachers?
Pre-launch checklist for teachers
Please share our Professional Learning site with your educators. It will provide them with helpful information as they prepare to implement Amplify in their classrooms, including the launch packet. You can also download and share our launch packet here. Amplify login is required to access this site.
Professional development
We partner with every district to make sure the Amplify ELA rollout meets their unique needs. Check out our professional development roadmap to get a better understanding of what our team has to offer.
Advice and answers
The ELA help site is filled with step-by-step resources to address educators’ questions. Encourage your educators to read through these tutorials and search for topics they want to learn more about.
Contact us
Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support at no cost to educators using our programs. This free service includes:
- Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify ELA.
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.
To reach our pedagogical team, click the orange icon while logged into the curriculum to get immediate help, call (866) 629-2446, or email edsupport@amplify.com.
Timely technical and program support
Our Customer Care and Support team is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, through a variety of channels:
- Live chat: Click the orange icon while logged into the curriculum to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.
- Phone: Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969.
- Email: Send an email to help@amplify.com.
Join our community
Our Amplify ELA Facebook group is a community of Amplify ELA educators from across the country. It’s a space to share best practices, ideas, and support on everything from implementation to instruction. Join today.
Administrators, welcome to Amplify Reading!
Here you’ll find information about enrollment and licensing, technical requirements, professional learning resources, and more.
Onboarding: What to expect
Welcome to Amplify Reading! There are six basic steps to onboarding. Use this visual as a reference, but also know that our dedicated implementation team will be there to support you during the entire process.
Technology requirements and guidelines
To ensure that your hardware and network meet the minimum technical requirements for performance and support of your curriculum products, please see Amplify’s customer requirements page.
You’ll also want to add the URLs on this page to the corresponding district- or school-level filters so that your teachers and students can access their Amplify Reading materials.
Data sharing agreement
Partnering with Amplify through our data sharing program deepens learning outcomes and gives you the performance analysis you need to make impactful decisions within your district or school. By signing our data sharing agreement, your district will help us to better understand student performance as it relates to your state’s standards. It also allows us to compare results with the curriculum-embedded assessments and state-level assessments. These analyses will help you identify the areas where your teachers and students are excelling or may be experiencing challenges.
Stay tuned for additional updates.
Enrollment and licensing overview
During the enrollment and licensing call, your Amplify implementation partner will walk you through the enrollment process. We recommend exploring the enrollment web tool ahead of the call for suggestions on which enrollment method may be best for your district.
The following guides provide additional information about enrollment methods and the data sharing process.
Administrator Reports
Self-service Administrator Reports allow insight into activation, usage, growth, progress, and instruction overviews illustrating how students are performing within the adaptive program.
Access will be limited to district and school administrators. Administrators can directly access these reports at my.amplify.com/admin-reports.
Announcements
Summer extension
With summer fast approaching, we recognize that some districts may be extending the school year and/or continuing the use of Amplify curriculum and programs for summer instruction. If your summer instruction will continue past June 30 and/or you need to make rostering or enrollment changes, follow our guidance on extending your rollover date.
Use stimulus funding to drive transformation
Learn about ESSER I, II, and III funding (or CARES, CRRSA, and ARP) and how to use these funds to help with learning recovery and acceleration. Districts have significant flexibility in how to use the ESSER money, with ESSER II and III specifying that some of the funds should be used to address unfinished learning. All Amplify programs and services meet the criteria for the funding. Get more information about funding and timelines.
Next steps: How do I support my teachers?
Professional development
We partner with every district to make sure the Amplify Reading rollout meets their unique needs. Check out our professional development site to get a better understanding of what our team has to offer.
Advice and answers
We have an array of online resources available to address educators’ questions. As they get started with the curriculum, we encourage educators to visit the Amplify Reading help site to read through tutorials and search for topics they want to learn more about.
Contact us
Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support
Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We have developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support at no cost to educators using our programs. This free service includes:
- Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans.
- Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
- Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify Reading.
- Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.
To reach our pedagogical team, click the orange icon while logged into the curriculum to get immediate help, call (866) 629-2446, or email edsupport@amplify.com.
Timely technical and program support
Our Customer Care and Support team is available Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, through a variety of channels:
- Live chat: Click the orange icon while logged into the curriculum to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.
- Phone: Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969.
- Email: Send an email to help@amplify.com.
Join our community
Our Amplify Reading Facebook group is a community of Amplify Reading educators from across the country. It’s a space to share best practices, ideas, and support on everything from implementation to instruction. Join today.
Amplify Desmos Math California
Welcome, Algebra 1 Reviewers!
We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify Desmos Math California. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California Math Framework to life in classrooms across the state.
Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.
Your Review Samples
As a curriculum that incorporates both print and digital resources, it’s important that you explore both our physical materials (delivered to you in grade-specific tubs) and our digital materials (accessible through our platform). We invite you to explore both types of resources using the instructions and tips below.
Print Samples
Your print samples should have arrived in grade-specific tubs with a copy of your Reviewer Binder contained within the Algebra 1 shipping box. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside the tub as well as within your Reviewer Binder.
Digital Samples
In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log into our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Access Flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:
- Click the orange button below to access the platform.
- Click “Log in with Amplify.”
- Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Access Flyer.
Navigation Tips
Below you will find helpful tips for navigating Amplify Desmos Math California. We recommend reading these pages alongside the program’s print materials and digital experience to gain a deeper understanding of the program.
Click the links below to read about navigating program features including:
Built for California
The Amplify Desmos Math California program is designed around the vision articulated in the California Mathematics Framework to enable all California students to become powerful users of mathematics. Our program incorporates the latest research in student learning, meaning that we:
- Focus on the Big Ideas: Amplify Desmos Math California’s courses, units, and lessons are centered around the Big Ideas. Big Ideas, like standards, are not considered in isolation. In addition to each unit and lesson’s focal Big Ideas, Amplify Desmos Math California also provides connections among the Big Ideas across units and lessons.
- Center on open and engaging tasks: Amplify Desmos Math California is grounded in engaging tasks meant to address students’ often-asked question: “Why am I learning this?” Students are invited into learning with low-floor, high-ceiling tasks that provide an entry point for all. Open tasks in Amplify Desmos Math California provide the space for students to try on multiple strategies and represent their thinking in different ways, and allow student explanation and discussion to serve as the center of the classroom. All lessons offer both print and digital representations of lessons.
- Provide enhanced digital experiences: Amplify Desmos Math California includes digitally-enhanced lesson activities, incorporating interactive digital tools alongside print materials. These purposefully-placed resources allow students to visualize mathematical concepts, receive actionable feedback while practicing, encounter personalized learning support from an onscreen tutor, and engage in discussions about their thinking and approaches.
- Treat core instruction and differentiation as integral partners: The Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum provides teachers with lessons, strategies, and resources to eliminate barriers and increase access to grade-level content without reducing the mathematical demand of tasks. Every activity has multiple entry points to ensure that all students are supported and challenged. Intervention and personalized learning activities are directly connected to lesson content and offer students the individualized support as they dive into the mathematics.
Category 1: Mathematics Content/Alignment with the Standards
Standards Map
Linked here is the Standards Map for Amplify Desmos Math California for Algebra 1.
Evaluation Criteria Map
Linked here is the Evaluation Criteria Map Algebra 1. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.
Standards for Mathematical Practice
Linked here is the alignment of Amplify Desmos Math California to the Standards for Mathematical Practice at Algebra 1.
Drivers of Investigation and Content Connections
Amplify Desmos Math California incorporates the Drivers of Investigation (DIs) and Content Connection (CCs) throughout the program. Throughout the year, students engage with open and authentic tasks of varying durations — from lesson activities to unit-level Explore lessons and longer course-level Investigations. Every lesson and investigation opportunity is grounded around the why, how, and what of the learning experience, and helps teachers bring mathematical concepts to life.
California English Language Development Standards
Linked here is the alignment of Amplify Desmos Math California to the California English Language Development Standards for Algebra 1.
California Environmental Principles and Concepts
Select lessons, performance tasks, and investigations across grade levels in Amplify Desmos Math California are aligned to one or more of the California Environmental Principles and Concepts. Click this link to view how the California Environmental Principles and Concepts are represented in Amplify Desmos Math California Algebra 1.
Category 2: Program Organization
Amplify Desmos Math California thoughtfully combines conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application. Each lesson is designed to tell a story by posing problems that invite a variety of approaches before guiding students to synthesize their understanding of the learning goals.
Big Ideas
Amplify Desmos Math California’s courses, units, and lessons are centered around the Big Ideas. Big Ideas, like standards, are not considered in isolation. In addition to each unit and lesson’s focal Big Ideas, Amplify Desmos Math California also provides connections among the Big Ideas across units and lessons. Please refer to Keeping the Big Ideas at the Center, linked here, for the Amplify Desmos Math California Algebra 1 lesson design and alignment to the Big Ideas.
Program Structure
Amplify Desmos Math California combines the best of problem-based lessons, intervention, personalized practice, and assessments into a coherent and engaging experience for both students and teachers.
Lessons and units in Amplify Desmos Math California are designed around a Proficiency Progression, a model that steps out problem-based learning by systematically building students’ curiosity into lasting grade-level understanding.
In the Proficiency Progression, lessons begin by activating students’ natural curiosity and offering opportunities to generate new ideas through collaboration. Teachers are then able to refine ideas through intentional facilitation and guide students to grade-level understanding, while students retain the ability to use different strategies and methods to show their comprehension of the content. Students are provided ample opportunities to develop lasting understanding.
Scope and Sequence
Below you can view the scope and sequence for Amplify Desmos Math California Algebra 1.
Lesson Design and Structure
Amplify Desmos Math California is designed with a structured approach to problem-based learning that systematically builds on students’ curiosity and allows students to grapple with the Big Ideas of the California Framework. Every lesson activity is organized into a Launch, Monitor, Connect format.
Launch: The launch is a short, whole-class conversation that creates a need or excitement, provides clarity, or helps students connect their prior knowledge or personal experience, which ensures that everyone has access to the upcoming work.
Monitor: As students work individually, in pairs, or in groups, teachers explore student thinking, ask questions, and provide support to help move the conversations closer to the intended math learning goal.
Connect: Teachers connect students’ ideas to the key learning goals of the lesson, facilitating class discussions that help synthesize and solidify the Big Ideas.
Each lesson within Amplify Desmos Math California follows the same structure.
Warm-Up: Every Amplify Desmos Math California lesson begins with a whole class Warm-Up. Warm-Ups are an invitational Instructional Routine intended to provide a social moment at the start of the lesson in which every student has an opportunity to contribute. Warm-Ups may build fluency or highlight a strategy that may be helpful in the current lesson or act as an invitation into the math of the lesson.
Lesson Activities: Each lesson includes one or two activities. These activities are the heart of each lesson. Students notice, wonder, explore, calculate, predict, measure, explain their thinking, use math to settle disputes, create challenges for their classmates, and more. Guidance is provided to help teachers launch, monitor, and connect student thinking over the course of the activity.
Synthesis and Show What You Know: The Synthesis is an opportunity for the teacher and students to pull all the learning of the lesson together into a lesson takeaway. Students engage in a facilitated discussion to consolidate and refine their ideas about the learning goals, and the teacher synthesizes students’ learning. Show What You Know is a daily assessment opportunity for students to show what they know about the learning goals and what they are still learning.
Practice and Differentiation: Daily practice problems for the day’s lesson are included both online and in the print Student Edition, including fluency, test practice, and spiral review.
Routines
Amplify Desmos Math California features a variety of lesson routines. Instructional routines and Math Language Routines (MLRs) are used within lessons to highlight student-developed language and ideas, cultivate conversation, support mathematical sense-making, and promote meta-cognition. Both are called out at point-of-use within the Teacher Edition and Teacher Presentation Screens. Below are the types of routines used throughout the Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum:
Math Language Routines
- MLR1: Stronger and Clearer Each Time
- MLR2: Collect and Display
- MLR3: Critique, Correct, Clarify
- MLR5: Co-Craft Questions
- MLR6: Three Reads
- MLR7: Compare and Connect
- MLR 8: Discussion Supports
Instructional Routines
- Decide and Defend
- Notice and Wonder
- Number Talk
- Tell a Story
- Think-Pair-Share
- Which One Doesn’t Belong?
Category 3: Assessments
A variety of performance data in Amplify Desmos Math California provides evidence of student learning, while helping students bolster their skills and understanding.
Unit-Level Assessment
Amplify Desmos Math California has embedded unit assessments that offer key insights into students’ conceptual understanding of math. These assessments provide regular, actionable information about how students are thinking about and processing math, with both auto-scoring and in-depth rubrics that help teachers anticipate and respond to students’ learning needs.
Pre-Unit Check: Each unit begins with a formative assessment designed to identify the student skills that will be particularly relevant to the upcoming unit. This check is agnostic to the standards covered in the following unit and serves not as a deficit-based acknowledgment of what students do not know, but rather as an affirmation of the knowledge and skills with which students come in.
End-of-Unit Assessment: Students engage with rigorous grade-level mathematics through a variety of formats and tasks in the summative End-of-Unit Assessment. A combination of auto-scored (when completed digitally) and rubric-scored items provides deep insights into student thinking. All Amplify Desmos Math California End-of-Unit Assessments include two forms.
Sub-Unit Quizzes: Sub-Unit Quizzes are formative assessments embedded regularly in Algebra 1. In these checks, students are assessed on a subset of conceptual understandings from the unit, with rubrics that help illuminate students’ current understanding and provide guidance for responding to student thinking.
Performance Tasks: At the end of each unit there is a summative assessment performance task provided to evaluate students’ proficiency with the concepts and skills addressed in the unit.
Lesson-Level Assessments
Amplify Desmos Math California lessons include daily moments of assessment to provide valuable evidence of learning for both the teacher and student. Beyond formative, summative, and benchmark assessments, students also have opportunities for self-reflection with Watch Your Knowledge Grow. Students take ownership of their learning by reflecting and tracking their progress before and after each unit.
Show What You Know: Each lesson has a daily formative assessment focused on one of the key concepts in the lesson. Show What You Know moments are carefully designed to minimize completion time for students while maximizing daily teacher insights to attend to student needs during the following class.
Responsive Feedback™: Teachers have the ability to see and provide in-the-moment feedback as students progress through a digital lesson. Responsive Feedback motivates students and engages them in the learning process.
Diagnostic Assessment
Every grade level features an asset-based diagnostic assessment designed to be administered at the beginning of the year. Delivered digitally and to the whole class, our diagnostic assessment is uniquely designed to reveal underlying math thinking and identify what students know about grade-level math. With data beyond just right and wrong, teachers have the type of deeper level of insights need to take the right next step.
CAASPP-Aligned Assessment Preparation
Amplify Desmos Math is designed to support students’ mathematical development through problem-based learning, differentiation, and embedded assessments. The program’s emphasis on conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application aligns with the mathematical practices and content standards assessed by the CAASPP.
Amplify Desmos Math California includes a CAASPP-aligned Item Bank. This standards-aligned bank of questions allows teachers to filter and search by grade and standard to find items. Once assigned on the digital platform, students will experience CAASPP-like practice with the online digital tools.
Data and Reporting
Amplify Desmos Math California provides teachers and administrators with unified reporting and insights so that educators have visibility into what students know about grade-level math—and can plan instruction accordingly for the whole class, small groups, and individual students. Reporting functionality integrates unit assessments, lesson assessments, diagnostic data and progress monitoring for a comprehensive look at student learning. Program reports show proficiency and growth by domain, cluster, standard, and priority concept using performance data from unit assessments, then highlight areas of potential student need to allow teachers to modify their instruction and target differentiated support.
Administrator reporting provides a complete picture of student, class, and district performance, allowing administrators to implement instructional and intervention plans.
Category 4: Access and Equity
The Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum provides teachers with lessons, strategies, and resources to eliminate barriers and increase access to grade-level content without reducing the mathematical demand of tasks. Our lessons are developed using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.
Every activity has multiple entry points to ensure that all students are supported and challenged. Intervention and personalized learning activities are directly connected to the day’s content and offer students the individualized supports they need to be successful.
Each lesson and unit contains guidance for teachers on how to identify students who may need support, students who need to keep strengthening their understanding, and students who may be ready to stretch their learning. In addition, teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students.
Universal Design for Learning
Each lesson in the program incorporates opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
- Multiple Means of Engagement: Students engage in both print and digital learning, and are regularly participating in discussions and hands-on activities. Students are invited to build their own challenge for other students to solve, which provides opportunities for choice and autonomy, as well as joy and play.
- Multiple Means of Representation: Students are encouraged to demonstrate their learning using mathematical representations, both print and digital, and regularly engage with their peers in analyzing multiple possible solutions. Classes engage in open-ended discussions about what individual students notice and wonder about mathematical concepts.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Learners differ in how they navigate learning environments and express what they know. Students can communicate their ideas in multiple ways, including in print, sketching, uploading photos, or recording an audio response.
Accessibility
Lesson facilitation supports
Every lesson includes at least one specific suggestion the teacher can use to increase access to the lesson without reducing the mathematical demand of the tasks. These suggestions address the following areas:
- Conceptual Processing
- Visual-Spatial Processing
- Executive Functioning
- Memory and Attention
- Fine Motor Skills
Accessibility tools
Students have the ability to control accessibility tools so that each learning experience is customized to their individual needs. In many instances, these tools can be turned on or off at any point of instruction.
- Text to speech: Reads text instructions to students in multiple languages
- Enlarged font: Increases the size of all text on screen
- Braille mode: Includes narration of digital interactions
- Language selection: Toggles between languages
Differentiation: In-Lesson Teacher Moves
Within every lesson activity, teachers can use the suggestions in the Differentiation Teacher Moves table to provide in-the-moment instructional support while students are engaged in the work of the lesson. This table can help teachers anticipate the ways students may approach the activity, and provides prompts that they can use during the lesson to Support, Strengthen, and Stretch individual students in their thinking. Teachers are provided with clear student actions and understanding to look for, each matched with immediately usable suggestions for how to respond to the student thinking illustrated in each row of the table. In addition to using these suggestions in the moment as teachers monitor student work, teachers can review the Differentiation table in advance to help them anticipate how students are likely to approach the activity.
Differentiation: Beyond the Lesson
Teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students needing support, strengthening, and stretching after each lesson. Support, Strengthen, and Stretch resources include:
- Mini-Lessons: 15-minute, small-group direct instruction lessons targeted to a specific concept or skill
- Item Banks: Space for teachers to create practice and assessments by using filters and searching for standards, summative-style items, and more
- Fluency Practice: Adaptive, personalized practice built out for basic operations and more
- Extensions: Lesson-embedded Teacher Moves including possible stretch questions and activities for students
- Lesson Practice: Additional practice problems support every lesson
- Math Adventures: Strategy-based math games where students engage with math concepts and practice skills in a fun digital environment
- Lesson Summary Support: Support for students and caregivers that provides efficient explanation of the learning goal with clear examples
Math Identity and Community
The Math Identity and Community feature supports teachers in helping students build confidence in their own mathematical thinking, develop skills to work with and learn from others when doing math, and learn how math is an interwoven part of their broader community. The embedded prompts throughout the lessons are designed to highlight what it means to be good at math, the value of sharing ideas, and the power of flexible and creating thinking. Here are some examples of the Math Identity and Community supports embedded in each lesson:
- I can be all of me in math class. You will work with partners every day in math class. What do you want your partners to know about you?
- We are a math community. What does good listening look like and sound like in a math community?
- I am a doer of math. What math strengths did you use today?
Math Language Development
Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California includes opportunities for all students to develop mathematical language as they experience the content. Amplify Desmos Math California purposefully progresses language development from lesson to lesson and across units by supporting students in making their arguments and explanations stronger, clearer, and more precise. This systematic approach to the development of math language can be broken down into the following four categories of support:
- Vocabulary: Units and lessons start by surfacing students’ language for new concepts, then building connections between their language and the new vocabulary for that unit. This honors the language assets that students bring into their learning.
- Language Goals: Language goals attend to the mathematics students are learning, and are written through the lens of one or more of four language modalities: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
- Math Language Routines: Math Language Routines are used within lessons to highlight student-developed language and ideas, cultivate conversation, support mathematical sense-making, and promote meta-cognition.
- Multilingual/English Learner Supports: Supports for multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs) are called out at intentional points within each lesson. These specific, targeted suggestions support ML/ELs with modifications that increase access to a task, or through development of contextual or mathematical language (both of which can be supportive of all learners).
Multilingual and English Learner Supports
Partnership with English Learner Success Forum
Amplify partnered with the English Learner Success Forum (ELSF), a national nonprofit organization that advocates for high-quality instructional materials that are inclusive of multilingual learners. ELSF reviewed Amplify Desmos Math California, and provided directional guidance and feedback to ensure that the program reflects their research-based instructional strategies for multilingual/English learners.
Math Language Development Resource
Our Math Language Development Resources book contains lesson-specific strategies and activities for all levels of English Learners (i.e., Emerging, Expanding, Bridging). With support for every lesson, teachers are empowered to help all students, regardless of their language skills, to participate fully, grasp the material, and excel in their mathematical journey.
Multilingual glossary
Amplify Desmos Math California includes a digital glossary for languages other than Spanish. Translations will be provided for up to nine languages.
Spanish version
Amplify Desmos Math California will include Spanish student-facing materials beginning in the 2026–27 school year.
Category 5: Instructional Planning and Support
Amplify Desmos Math California includes a variety of embedded instructional supports to empower teachers to lead effectively and gain actionable insights into student growth and progress. Teachers are equipped with a comprehensive set of resources designed to fulfill the requirements of Category 5.
Grade-level concepts
Within the Teacher Edition front matter:
- Scope and sequence
- Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
- Grade level standards
- Standards for Mathematical Practice
- English Language Development Standards
- Environmental Principals and Concepts
Within each Unit and Sub-Unit Overview:
- Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
- Math that Matters Most
- Grade level standards
- Standards for Mathematical Practice
- English Language Development Standards
- Environmental Principals and Concepts
Within each Lesson:
- Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
- Grade level standards
- Standards for Mathematical Practice
- English Language Development Standards
- Environmental Principals and Concepts
How to implement the program
At the course level (within the Teacher Edition front matter):
- Navigating the Program (both print and digital)
- Facilitating Lesson Activities with Launch, Monitor and Connect
- Overview of the Digital Facilitation Tools
At the lesson level:
- Suggestions for timing
- What materials to prep
- How to organize and group students
- Key lesson takeaways with the Synthesis
- Recommendations for Differentiation
- Strategies for intervention and extensions (in the Intervention, Extensions, and Investigation Resources book)
At the activity level:
- Differentiation recommendations
- Accessibility tips
- ML / EL tips
- Teacher look-fors
- Recommended Teacher Moves
- Prompts for guiding student thinking
- Sample student responses
Development of Math Language
A variety of language development supports are provided within the Student and Teacher Editions and Math Language Development Resources book.
At the lesson level:
- Diagrams and visuals
- Sentence frames and word banks
- Graphic organizers, including Frayer models
- Vocabulary routines
- Embedded language supports aligned to the CA ELDs
- Lesson-specific strategies for Emerging, Expanding, and Bridging
At the unit level:
- Words With Multiple Meanings
- Contextual vocabulary
At the course level:
- English/Spanish cognates
- Multilingual Glossary
Other Curriculum Guidance
- Additional Practice Resources book
- Assessment Resources book
- Assess and Respond guidance paired with each assessment opportunity
- Show-What-You-Know activities
- Answer keys and rubrics
- Performance tasks
S2-05: Moving students forward with project-based learning
In this episode, Eric Cross sits with K–5 educator Janis Lodge to chat about building on her own science curriculum to create meaningful project-based learning experiences. Janis shares her work teaching Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), and how to use those practices to help accelerate the learning of all students. Eric and Janis also talk about making time for science within K–5 classrooms. Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.
Janis Lodge (00:00):
To me, the reward of having those kids feel like they accomplished something and the way that they can take ownership of it and go in so many different directions, I cannot take that away from them. That’s such an opportunity that if I have the means to do it, I have to just take it and run with it.
Eric Cross (00:18):
Welcome to Science Connections. I’m your host, Eric Cross. My guest today is Janis Lodge. Janis is a third-grade teacher in Orange County, California, with a specialization in gifted and talented education. Recently, Janis was awarded the Orange County Council for the Gifted and Talented Education Classroom grant. This grant funds a project that provides an extension to her third-grade science unit about environments and survival. Through this project, students will think like a biomimicry engineer as they design a robot that is inspired by an innovation found in nature. In this episode, we discuss how she uses interdisciplinary teaching practices to make time for science learning; why gifted and talented education strategies can benefit all students; and her process for creating a problem-based lesson that ultimately earned her a grant for her classroom. And now, please enjoy my conversation with Janis Lodge. One, welcome! Thanks for being here.
Janis Lodge (01:14):
Of course, I am happy to do it. I’m excited for the opportunity.
Eric Cross (01:17):
Of course! Yeah. Elementary school teachers in science, I feel like there’s so many things to have conversations about. And some of the things that you’ve really focused on, I think, are, really, really important. But I wanna start off with your journey of you becoming a teacher in the classroom. And so, would you kind of give your background, your origin story? How did you end up as a third-grade teacher?
Janis Lodge (01:37):
Well, my story is definitely not a traditional story. Before I was a teacher, I was actually living in Maui, Hawaii. I moved there right after college. I went to Chico State in Northern California. And I got a degree in graphic design. And after I graduated, well, I should give a little bit of a backstory. My last summer before graduating, I spent the whole summer in Maui and I just fell in love with it. So when I graduated, I decided instead of applying for jobs in Northern California, I’m just gonna put some resumes out in Maui and see if I can get a job. And I did. I ended up getting a job doing graphic design and marketing for a kite surf company out there. And I ended up just staying for seven years on the island. And after about seven years, I kind of got a little bit of island fever and decided I wanted to come back to California. I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, but I just had this calling that I need to do something a little more fulfilling with my life. And I started thinking about different ideas and dreams I had. And I actually started thinking about when I was younger, right? I had this dream. If you were to ask me when I was 10 years old what I wanted to be when I grow up, it would be elementary school teacher.
Eric Cross (02:48):
Really?
Janis Lodge (02:48):
Believe it or not. When I was younger, I transformed my bedroom into a classroom. My stuffed animals were my students. I just thought I’m gonna be the next best teacher ever. And you know, as I went through life and kind of went in different directions, I kind of lost sight of that dream a little bit. But for some reason, when I decided to change careers, I just remembered that. And so I just decided to go get my teaching credential and see if it worked out. And it was probably the best decision I made. I feel like everything just fell perfectly into place. I ended up getting a job at an amazing school, and now, five years later, I’m a third grade teacher.
Eric Cross (03:28):
So one of the questions I have to ask, and talking to elementary school teachers, this comes up a lot: How do you make time for science as an elementary school teacher who’s teaching everything? And let me kind of premise this with, at least for those of us in California, and I’m sure the rest of the states too, but we know this; There’s kind of this pressure with pacing and then even, depending on what school you’re at, math and English tend to get the bulk of things. And maybe there’s this perception also of like, well, I gotta teach math and English, and sometimes science gets put to the back burner for different reasons.
Janis Lodge (03:57):
Well, you’re exactly right. The beginning of the year, we were provided with a pacing from the district. And you know, they try to keep us on track, saying, “You should be starting Unit 2 at this time.” But other than that, there’s really no specific guidelines of how many days we’re supposed to be teaching or for how long. But one kind of secret that I’ve discovered is that I can weave science into the other subjects, specifically with language arts. So quite often what I do is I take a look at the language arts standard, and if it’s identifying the key details and the main idea, well I can do that with the science books used from the curriculum. So I’ll just pull those readers and we’ll do the exact same skill, start with the same standard, but we’ll use the content from science. By doing that, we call that kind of like interdisciplinary study. And the students really enjoy that more, too, because they’re using the same skills but they’re diving deeper into the content.
Eric Cross (04:54):
Right.
Janis Lodge (04:55):
And so also that helps build the background knowledge. So then when it comes to time where, if I want to do a science lab or a science investigation, now they already have that background knowledge ’cause we already dove deep into the reading and they can apply that pretty quickly right away into their lab or whatever activity they’re doing.
Eric Cross (05:12):
Can you give an example maybe of how you might pull out something that might be a skill that you’re trying to develop, maybe in an English content, but you would pull that out in a science lesson, maybe? What would you do?
Janis Lodge (05:25):
We’re actually doing that right now. So we’re in our second unit of science and they’re studying inheritance and traits and they’re looking at different organisms to see how they have adaptations to help them survive in their environment. So coincidentally part of the literacy skills is to look at multiple sources, do research, and summarize and make analysis of what they’re reading. And so we have different varied resources. I have websites; I have books, ebooks, videos, and pictures. And they’re choosing which four sources they want to use. And then, then they’re coming up with a summary at the end and then putting together a Google Slides presentation based on whatever organism that they chose.
Eric Cross (06:05):
Did you have a science background before becoming an elementary school teacher?
Janis Lodge (06:11):
Um, none. Besides what I, you know, took in high school and college.
Eric Cross (06:16):
Did you find it easy to kind of lean into the science, or was it something you just kind of jumped into and said, “All right, I’m gonna get after it”?
Janis Lodge (06:23):
What’s interesting is if, you know, throughout my education, my favorite subjects were English and reading and writing and art. And quite honestly, science wasn’t my favorite subject. But I think because of that, that inspires me to come up with creative ways of presenting the information to them and making it exciting and engaging for them, because I don’t want them to feel that way. I want them to be excited about all subjects. And I think that’s the beauty of combining the different subjects like I mentioned before. Like I say, you know, “What would a scholar do? Think like a wildlife biologist. And like with my project, think like a biomimicry engineer.” And so it kind of shifts their thinking. Like, it’s not just, “Oh, we have to study science.” It’s like, “No, you are the scientist; you are a meteorologist; or you are an author. How would an author write about this? How would an illustrator capture this in a photo or a comic strip?” And so, when you really combine those disciplines, you can take it to another level. So even if science isn’t their favorite subject, like maybe it wasn’t for me growing up, they can still take something they’re passionate about and apply the science content to it and they really resonate with them.
Eric Cross (07:37):
You leaned into your strengths. Which are more like, coming into it, you had all these kind of creative strengths. You have that background as a graphics designer. You were into the arts. But then with those strengths, did that kinda give you more confidence to dive into the science work, because you approached it from your assets that you were already coming to the table with?
Janis Lodge (07:55):
Yeah.You said it perfectly. If you look at it from a different lens, there’s all these different ways you can approach science.
Eric Cross (07:59):
I find it in my own science class, too. We’re all teaching the same standards. But how I approach it is through Eric Cross’s kind of personality and understanding and my angle, and another teacher might do it a different way. But we’re all leading to the same destination.
Janis Lodge (08:14):
Exactly.
Eric Cross (08:15):
That kind of leads me to my next question, and this is having to do with the project that you just alluded to. The biomimicry project. So you did a biomimicry project. Would you consider that like a project based-learning assignment?
Janis Lodge (08:26):
Well, this will be the third year that I’ve taught this unit. And when I wrapped it up last year, it’s through the Amplify Science program, and they do a wonderful job of having a lot of investigations and really thinking like a biomimicry engineer. But the final part of the unit was to design a robot inspired by a giraffe, to eliminate invasive plants in a particular environment. And the project part of it at the end was to create a model using Popsicle sticks and pipe cleaners. And then the other part of it was a digital simulation where they would put in different shape structures of teeth, and kind of reconfigure the shape of the mouth. And then they’d put in what they think is effective, and then the computer would say, oh, you’re 98% successful or 70% successful. And I remember at the end of it the students were like, “OK, well when do we make the robots?” And I thought, “Well, we’re just doing the simulation, or we’re just doing this model out of Popsicle sticks; we’re not actually gonna make a robot.” And they just seemed so disappointed. And that’s kind of how the wheels started turning my head like, “Well, what if they actually could make a robot? The only thing stopping me is I don’t have the materials to do it.” So, shortly after that unit wrapped up, coincidentally I saw the email about this grant opportunity that was being offered through the Orange County Council for Gifted Education. And they said, If you have a project that you wanna get funded that would promote GATE strategies within the classroom, then you can submit this proposal. So that’s how the ball got rolling for that proposal. And I researched different robotics kits and different companies and I found one that was really user-friendly for third graders, and not so difficult for me to learn as well.
Eric Cross (10:10):
You’re a risk taker. Like, I’m already seeing this as I’m talking to you. Is that just who you are or do you have a network? Like what keeps you taking these risks?
Janis Lodge (10:18):
I don’t really consider it a risk, because it’s exciting for me. Like I said, I don’t know that much about robotics, but the idea of learning more and then teaching that to my students is exciting. And you know, there was a little bit of risk ’cause I’m deviating a little bit from the curriculum, from the standard lesson, but to me, the reward of having those kids feel like they accomplished something, and the way that they can take ownership of it and go in so many different directions, and on top of that, develop coding skills and computer science skills and robotic skills, to me it was just like I cannot take that away from them. That’s such an opportunity that if I have the means to do it, I have to just take it and run with it. So I think just being inspired by the potential outcomes of what could happen is what made me take that risk.
Eric Cross (11:05):
Did you just kind of create this from scratch? Did you work with a team of people? How did you come to the point where you were ready to present this for the grant?
Janis Lodge (11:12):
Pretty much from scratch. Like I said, the Amplify unit, it does teach them about robotics that were inspired by nature. So some of the materials that they read, and there’s some videos that show really great examples. There’s like a robotic arm that was inspired by an elephant trunk. There’s a book that shows what this field is, biomimicry engineer, they actually show like what they do in that field. And I thought this is a perfect way to apply it because the curriculum’s already pretty much set it up for me; now I just have to add this one final component to it. And essentially it becomes project-based learning at that point, because they’re taking their knowledge and their skills that they’ve learned up to that point. Even the unit that we’re doing doing right now is building up to it. So it’s kind of that final—instead of giving them a test at the end and saying, “OK, tell me what you learned about inheritance and traits and environments,” they can actually take that knowledge and apply it to an innovation or creation that comes out of their own mind, which is so much more powerful.
Eric Cross (12:11):
Do they connect to any other learning goals as they’re doing these projects?
Janis Lodge (12:15):
Well, I think first and foremost, the 21st century skills that from day one I tell them, the four Cs: collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking. All of those are woven in through this lesson. From the beginning, we talked about the whole engineering design process. So from the beginning, they start with a question and oftentimes that actually can be the hardest for them to think about, “What’s a scientific question or a problem that I wanna solve?” If they’re passionate about, maybe, a sport or the environment or something within their school, I go, “There it is. OK, that’s the problem. How can you design something inspired by nature to solve that problem?” And then, from there they go into the planning and the designing and the testing and then the improving. So going through that engineering design process, I think, is what really makes them feel like they are the engineer going through this. And they can make mistakes. They can take risks. A lot of my students I’ve found are afraid to take risks. They wanna make sure they succeed. And they need that challenge to know that if they do fail, that’s OK. We can just revisit this. We can test it. We can look at it in a different way.
Eric Cross (13:27):
You maybe wonder about, how do you assess something like this?
Janis Lodge (13:30):
I think that’s where all those stages along the way are important. Because I wanna make sure that they have a plan and that it’s based on the knowledge that they’ve gained in the unit. I think one of the other things about project-based learning is the final product of how they demonstrate their mastery. And in my classroom I oftentimes give them a choice of how they’re gonna present that to me. So maybe they’re going to write it out like an essay. Maybe they’re gonna create a Google slide. Maybe they’re gonna make a video. Maybe they’re going to—obviously in this part they will have the model, but they’ll have to have some way to explain it to me. And I think giving them that choice gives them the opportunity to show it in the way that’s meaningful to them.
Eric Cross (14:14):
And are you using like a rubric when you’re grading these assignments? Or, how do you actually grade it?
Janis Lodge (14:20):
Yes. So we have a rubric that’s provided to us for the written component that all the students will do at the end. But I can take that same rubric and see if they’ve applied that to the project. So even the verbiage wouldn’t really need to change. I think it’s still important that the students are able to demonstrate this in written form and so all of them will still complete that written component, but to also give them the opportunity to show that in the modality of their choice. I think is really important too.
Eric Cross (14:48):
Right. And you have some students that feel much more comfortable being able to present orally versus—
Janis Lodge (14:53):
Exactly.
Eric Cross (14:53):
—versus writing versus maybe doing a video. I mean, we see that in middle school and in high school too. Students show their knowledge or their understanding of a topic depending on the medium in different ways, and some better than others. Some may find that they can communicate it a lot better orally, but when pen goes to paper or fingers go to keyboard, you might grade it completely different, ’cause they’re not able to transfer what’s in their mind into writing. And the way you’re doing it, and giving that student choice, they probably have so much more buy-in, I’d imagine, because they get to pick what they get to do.
Janis Lodge (15:21):
Right.
Eric Cross (15:22):
You said something earlier and I wanna come back to it. So you mentioned GATE, and GATE is not something that I hear a lot in my world, but it was something I heard a lot when I was in school. There were kind of all of these perceptions and ideas about GATE. You’re a GATE teacher, correct?
Janis Lodge (15:38):
Right.
Eric Cross (15:39):
What is GATE, and what is it like being a GATE teacher? What are the misconceptions, if any, that you might have heard or come across?
Janis Lodge (15:46):
Well, so GATE stands for Gifted and Talented Education. And first and foremost, I think a misconception is that we’re just kind of doing whatever we want; we come up with our own lessons and teach a totally different curriculum. Which is definitely a myth. Because we start with the exact same standards as any other third grade class that you’d walk into. That’s definitely where we start. But I think in addition to the standards, we also implement what are called GATE standards: So they’re Depth, Complexity, Acceleration, and Novelty. And there’s a lot of tools that we use in the classroom, different strategies. You’ll see things like the prompts of Depth and Complexity. We’ll use things like “think like a disciplinarian”; I’m doing “think like a biomimicry engineer.” But really, all they are are just thinking tools and strategies to elevate students thinking and kind of go below that surface level of the content to dive deeper. It also provides opportunities for acceleration. So for example, our last science unit, it was on magnetic force, and there was a handful of students that just grasped the concepts right away, and they’re ready for something else. They’re ready for more rigor. They need some challenge. And so at that point I can kind of pull that group aside and provide some differentiation for them. And I said, “OK, well, you understand the concept of magnetic force, balanced forces. So now what I want you to do is think about something that you’re really passionate about, and how could you use magnetic force somewhere in that field—again to solve a problem, problem-based learning—and present it to me?” So they create this form, it’s like a “think like a disciplinarian” frame, and one of them was “think like a hockey player.” And he’s trying to think of a way that he can incorporate magnetic force. Anyway, I could go on and on. But basically it’s finding what these students’ passions are. And I do that with all my students. And I should probably preface this by saying that even though these are standards that I implement in my classroom because it’s a GATE classroom, these are practices and tools that can be applied to any learner, at any age. And they really just enrich the education for all students.
Eric Cross (18:02):
So your classroom is, is a mixed classroom. There’s GATE students and then general—
Janis Lodge (18:05):
Right.
Eric Cross (18:07):
—students, non-GATE students, in the same class. It’s interesting because I imagine GATE is kind of scaffolding up to a higher level, but then, you also said something that I’ve noticed when I’m creating scaffolds for my students to support them, who may not be at a grade level, maybe in reading or literacy or math, those same scaffolds can help all students.
Janis Lodge (18:27):
So yeah, I don’t just go, “OK, you’re my GATE students; I’m gonna use these practices on you.” I use it for the whole class. But I’m also surprised by having that mix of these different learning styles. A lot of times students are inspired by other students, or, you know, we have this big thing about one of the prompts is Multiple Perspectives. I try to do that as much as I can, because students are inspired by the ideas of their peers. And quite often, if they hear it from a peer, it could be exactly what I just said, but they heard their student say it in a different way and it just clicks and they’re like, “Wow, I get that.”
Eric Cross (19:00):
I think a lot of teachers struggle or, or maybe feel ill-equipped, to support higher-level students. Did you get trained to be a GATE teacher? First lemme ask that question: Did you get special training for this?
Janis Lodge (19:13):
Yes. I went through a course, I think it was like a six-week certification course, through my district.
Eric Cross (19:19):
OK, so you got a special training, which—I’ve been in the classroom for nine years; I teach at a university as an adjunct professor; but I’ve never been trained on teaching gifted or accelerated students. And I’m kind of wondering now, like, do you feel like it made you a better teacher?
Janis Lodge (19:33):
Absolutely.
Eric Cross (19:34):
And if so, how do I get to do this?
Janis Lodge (19:36):
Well, it’s through the county. I mean, anybody can get trained and certified how to teach this way. But, just like you said, I think coming out of that, my eyes were just open, and my biggest takeaway is that these practices, even though they are designed for gifted and talented, it really kind of reshaped my thinking about how I, number one, present material to the students, that I’m doing it in an engaging way, and I’m not just lecturing at them; there’s opportunities for them to collaborate and communicate and use multiple resources. So, you know, how I’m teaching has changed. And then also, how I’m providing opportunities for them to demonstrate their learning. And a lot of that is project-based learning, because once they have the knowledge and skills they need to do something with it. I mean, that’s really the true definition of innovation, is taking the skills or taking something that you’ve learned, and now go with it. Run with it.
Eric Cross (20:32):
How can we take what you’ve learned and then kind of spread it, so teachers have this in their toolkit, too? Like for me, I have multiple ways to be able to support reading and literacy and math and tools and sentence frames. And my students who have special learning plans, I have a have a lot of tool sets for that. I wanna build my tool sets for this other area for my students who want to continue, who wanna run, or go beyond, or even stretch themselves. I think we need to take some of the things that you’re doing and not make them kind of like this exclusive group, but also let’s share it with everyone, ’cause if everybody can access it—
Janis Lodge (21:03):
I agree.
Eric Cross (21:03):
—we might see a lot more potential or a lot more opportunities for students who might not otherwise have them.
Janis Lodge (21:08):
And one thing: My school, I’m really proud to say that my principal has seen that. You know, he’s like, “Well why are we just keeping this in the GATE classroom?” So he’s working on getting all of our teachers certified.
Eric Cross (21:19):
No, I love what you’re doing and your principal sounds, sounds awesome for doing that and recognizing that this can benefit more students than just the ones who, you know, pass the Raisin Test, I think it’s what it was called when I was taking it, or whatever it is back then.
Janis Lodge (21:31):
Exactly.
Eric Cross (21:32):
We’ve talked about project-based learning, the GATE classroom…I kind of wanna come back to you as we wrap up. Thinking about, like, the jobs that you and I do, and the people that listen to this podcast, we have one of the few jobs that people remember us for a lifetime. And I wanna ask you, who was someone that was maybe inspirational in your educational career, that inspired you, or is maybe one of the most memorable? You might have several…but who is someone that was memorable to you in your career, and why? Why were they memorable to you?
Janis Lodge (22:02):
Yeah. Well, obviously, when I was younger, I was definitely inspired by all my teachers. The fact that I turned my bedroom into a classroom…I just was just in awe of this profession. But I think one that really resonated with me was my junior year in high school. I was taking a newspaper class and the teacher was Mrs. Kavanaugh, and she really taught us everything from writing the articles to the editing, to putting the pages together. And I remember in that class I was working on this program called QuarkXPress. I don’t even know if it exists anymore. But I was just fascinated with putting all these pieces together that we’d worked on for so long and getting the articles, picking the pictures, the illustrations and the titles. And I remember her looking at me saying, “You really enjoy this, don’t you?” And I said, “Yeah.” And she said, “Well, I have a computer graphics elective class that you should take next year.” And I thought, “OK, I’d love to do this, this opportunity to expand my knowledge and my skills.” So because of that, I took the computer graphics class the next year and I just remember throughout the whole time, she was just constantly encouraging me and acknowledging my skills. And I find myself doing that as a teacher as well. ‘Cause that really resonated with me. And it’s funny, this summer I was going through some boxes of some old stuff from high school, and I found this handout that I had made, because I remember my senior year of high school, she said, “Janis, you know what? You’re doing such a great job; we have these new, incoming students coming into the newspaper class, and I’d love for you to actually teach them how to do this pagination on this QuarkXPress program. I want you to put something together and actually teach it to them.” I thought, “Wow, she believes in me that much that she’s gonna let me teach this to the incoming students.” But I think my takeaway from that was that she gave me the opportunity to take those skills and actually do something with them, to apply them right away.
Eric Cross (23:53):
Mrs. Kavanaugh. Miss Kavanaugh. Shout-out to Miss Kavanaugh. As you told that story, I heard you as a teacher because I’m hearing she’s applying these GATE strategies in that situation. That’s what that’s what I heard.
Janis Lodge (24:08):
Yeah, absolutely.
Eric Cross (24:09):
She personalized this learning. She created a specialized opportunity. You presented to a real audience that was authentic. It had this personalization in it and this rigor and this challenge and it made a huge impact. And it’s just amazing to listen to you and hear this come full-circle, and now you’re doing this with little ones. And I just wanna thank you for your time in doing the interview, sharing your story with how you became a teacher, your students, the projects that you do. And just like so many teachers, going the extra mile for your kids and bringing in these really important 21st century skills; they’re gonna be so much better off for it. And I know it makes my job easier when I get them in the classroom, so thank you.
Janis Lodge (24:49):
Yeah. Well, thank you for the opportunity.
Eric Cross (24:51):
My pleasure. Thanks so much for listening and we wanna hear more about you and the educators who inspire you. You can nominate them as a future guest on Science Connections by emailing STEM@amplify.com. That’s S -T-E-M at amplify dot com. And be sure to click subscribe, wherever you listen to podcasts, and join our Facebook group, Science Connections: The Community. Until next time.
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Meet the guest
Janis Lodge is a third grade teacher in Orange County, California. Her career in education started six years ago when she decided to follow her passion of making a positive difference in the lives of young scholars. Prior to teaching, Janis lived in Maui, Hawaii for seven years, working in the field of graphic design, marketing, and hospitality. She has found that her interest in innovation, project-based learning, and inquiry-driven exploration has helped shape her into the educator she is today. STEAM is integrated regularly into her classroom, and her students continually develop 21st century skills through a variety of unique projects. Janis is also a PAL (Peer Assistance Leadership) Advisor for her school, where she helps young leaders (4th-6th graders) cultivate their leadership skills and empowers them to make a positive difference in their school and community. Janis was recently awarded the Orange County Council for the Gifted & Talented Education Classroom Grant, which will provide an extension to the third grade Amplify Science Unit: Environments and Survival.
About Science Connections
Welcome to Science Connections! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher. Listen here!
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S1-04: Connecting with students and caregivers in the science classroom: Ryan Rudkin
In this special episode, our host Eric Cross sits down with veteran middle school teacher Ryan Rudkin. Ryan shares her expertise after almost two decades in the classroom, discussing ways to incorporate aspects of problem-based learning into the K–8 science classroom. Eric and Ryan talk about how to increase parent engagement, involve community members, and add excitement to lessons.
Explore more from Science Connections by visiting our main page.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (00:00):
I know there’s other goals in mind, you know, standards and test scores. But at the end of the day, I wanna come back and I want them to come back.
Eric Cross (00:35):
My name’s Eric Cross, host of our science podcast, and I am with Ryan Rudkin, middle-school teacher out here in California just to the north up near Sacramento? El Dorado Hills?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (00:46):
Yeah. 20 miles east of Sacramento.
Eric Cross (00:49):
Nice. And I am down here in San Diego. And so Ryan, to start off, what I wanna do is ask you about your origin story, like a superhero. So how did you become a middle-school science teacher to become part of this elite profession of science folks that get to do awesome things with kids?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (01:08):
I would agree with you that it is definitely an elite profession. I got my credential and I thought I was gonna teach third or fourth grade elementary school. And the second day I got called for a sub job for middle school. And I just thought, “We’ll take it,” you know? And by second period, I knew: This is where I belong. The kids, middle school, students are just a species of their own. And you have to appreciate them. And if you do appreciate them, then you’re in the right spot. And I quickly looked at my coursework and I was able to get authorizations in science, history, and English, and I love science. So I chose science. And the rest is history. It’s been a wild ride and I wouldn’t have changed or asked for anything different. I love it.
Eric Cross (02:02):
I definitely agree with you. So, your history—you’ve been in various middle-school classrooms. Can you tell us a little bit about that? What classrooms have you been in? What disciplines of science have you taught or are currently teaching?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (02:14):
I was hired for seventh grade life science, and then I did that for a few years and then I got moved into eighth physical science, and I was there for 12 years. Love eighth grade science. I love eighth graders. Chemistry and physics are my favorite. There’s just so much opportunity for just awesome labs, great conversations, student discourse, all of that. And then the past three years I’ve been in sixth grade and now we’re integrated. So,a sixth grade integrated science and I also teach social studies and a technology design class.
Eric Cross (02:52):
Oh, nice. What do you do in your technology design class? That sounds cool.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (02:56):
Right now it’s mostly internet media and we use WeVideo, it’s an editing-video program, and we produce and put on our school weekly news bulletin. And then we weave in other projects. We do some interdisciplinary projects. Right now my students are working on a mythology God, Goddess, and Monster project that relates to our social studies curriculum. And we’re learning about Greece. So yeah, we just try to give them added projects and they’re using the WeVideo platform. By sixth grade, they’re coming to us now with wonderful skills with all the tech. I mean, if I need help, I ask them like, “How do you do something on Google Docs?” Or, “How do you do something on Drive?” The kids are definitely tech-savvy.
Eric Cross (03:49):
They must love being the teacher in the classroom. They get to—it kind of switches power roles, where they get to teach the teacher something.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (03:56):
Yes. And especially WeVideo, sometimes we’ve had some hiccups, and the kids show everybody, and that’s part of the design class. They’re trying to solve—we’re teaching them how to solve their own problems. So if there’s any kind of issue with anything with the technology, honestly, I usually tell them, “Go ask a friend,” or we kind of shout out, “Hey, who knows how to troubleshoot this?” And the kids are eager to help each other, which is nice.
Eric Cross (04:21):
And they have this authentic experience where they’re actually doing real problem-solving, as opposed to something that we manufactured. Like, those are real things that we have to deal with in life. And that’s exactly like how we solve it, right? We just go ask people! We look it up, and the ahas are genuine too. Throughout!
Ryan Renee Rudkin (04:36):
Yes, especially thinking on the fly. Especially yesterday, I was in the middle of teaching and my laptop froze, and it’s like, “OK, everybodytake a couple minutes, you know, work on this, this, or that while I switch out laptops!” And so I’m modeling, too, how to solve my own problems. And I think it teaches the kids how to do that too.
Eric Cross (04:59):
I’ve always thought it was interesting that when teachers get to teach in real time, how do we handle stress and frustration when it’s really happening? And I think the tech—at times, failure is the real one where you feel this chill or this sweat that kind of comes over you and you’re trying to present or cast or the video won’t play and things like that. I think I’ve done enough times in my years of teaching where now my students know what to do, or they want to come up and help, and we’re good with it. But I remember in the beginning when those things would kind of glitch or go wrong or the wifi goes down, and you’re like, OK, what do we need now?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (05:33):
I think it’s honestly, after the fact, when I think in the moment, I’m not thinking of feeling stressed, but just afterwards, then I’m like, “Oh my gosh, this has just been a wild day.” But yeah, you just have to kind of go with it. And that’s just the beast of middle school. I just added to the list of why we love it.
Eric Cross (05:53):
You said something about interdisciplinary work, and I wanna kind of ask about that. Because it sounds like you’ve had your hand in several different areas of science and grade levels. Working, doing design courses, working with tech. Are there certain lessons that are your favorites to teach? The ones that you really enjoy, or that no matter what, you’re like, “We need to do this; this is such a rich experience for students”?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (06:17):
Yeah. I definitely try to do lessons or activities along the way. I like to do projects at the end of my units. When I taught physics, we did a project and it was mainly an assessment tool called the Wheeling and Dealing. The kids, they would all get a different car. And then they to sell their car. And so they had to pretend to be a car salesman, and they did that with their knowledge of the physics unit. So everything we did on forces and speed and motion. So I like doing culminating projects like that. And you’re kind of tricking them into assessing them.
Eric Cross (06:57):
When I think about your car salesman project, I’m thinking of a bunch of students, but they’re like on Shark Tank, but they’re just littler versions. And they’re doing these sales pitches, but they’re speaking in scientific terms as they’re trying to do it. Do you record these or do they just exist in the classroom?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (07:12):
No…And that was a long time ago, when I taught eighth grade. I wish I had; I wish I had recorded. That was definitely—it was fun, ’cause the kids, they would get their little piece of paper and they—some of ’em didn’t know what car it was. And so they’re like “A Boo… A Boo-gatti? What’s a Boo-gatti?” And then someone from across the room would be like, “Ooh, I want it! Here, I’ll trade you my Ford Focus!” And <laugh> so they would kind of wheel-and-deal which car they would…and then once they got their choice, then they would do the project.
Eric Cross (07:44):
So they’re really embodying this persona of a car salesman. The wheeling and doing back-and-forth and trying to trade a Bugatti for a Ford Focus. <Laugh>
Ryan Renee Rudkin (07:53):
I know. <Laugh> I like to make my class, my learning environment, enjoyable. You know, I gotta be there; they gotta be there. So I know there’s other goals in mind—you know, standards and test scores—but at the end of the day, I wanna come back, and I want them to come back. And I just have that as a priority.
Eric Cross (08:18):
Well, based on the projects that you’re doing and the way that you approach education with students, I can see why middle-school students would want to come back, even if they had the option not to. Just because of the cool things that you’re doing. Now we’re on this—hopefully, fingers crossed—tail end of COVID in the classroom and schools, and I know it’s impacted all of us differently. Has student engagement changed since COVID and if so, how, and what have you done in these last two years to maybe adjust your approach, to continue that engagement and that richness that you provide for your kids?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (08:57):
I definitely—I think for me, I recognize that when the students are in my classroom, I want them to, I dunno, for lack of a better word, just escape the noise at home. And I know we’ve always had students that are going through divorce situations or their dog died, other things, but I think with COVID, it’s definitely been compounded. And just creating a safe place for the kids to want to be and…it’s hard. We’ve had a lot of students that have been out, absent, for various reasons and on quarantine. And they’re struggling with doing work from home, ’cause their parents are stressed and their parents are dealing with their work issues. And so I think just having grace for the kids and just keeping…I don’t know, I guess like I said, I’ve always had student engagement as top of my list.
Eric Cross (10:06):
It sounds like—the things I hear you say really have to do with who these students are as people.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (10:12):
Yeah.
Eric Cross (10:13):
And then as a second, who they are as students. How do relationships fit into your engagement? ‘Cause I’m hearing this connection that you seem to be making with kids as you’re talking about things that are beyond academics: their home life, how they’re impacted.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (10:28):
Yes.
Eric Cross (10:28):
Is there anything that you do to build these relationships, or to connect with your students, to make them feel wanted or feel connected to the classroom or to you?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (10:37):
Yeah, I do. I do a few things to build those connections. And again, this timeframe in their life is so out of their control, their peer relationships, relationships with their parents. And when they’re in my classroom, I want them to feel loved and appreciated. Something I do it’s called Phone Fridays. And in one of the social media groups, someone posted about it, and I’ve been doing it for over a year now, actually. So on Fridays I call parents and give good news. And so I’ll pick maybe one or two students. And it could be academic reasons. It could be behavior, I’ve seen a slight improvement of behavior. Maybe a role model in the classroom. And my goal is to get everybody every trimester. So everybody gets a phone call by the end of the trimester. And it’s funny ’cause sometimes the parents are a little like “Uh-oh”! When they pick up, they see the caller ID, and their school’s calling. ‘Cause Some kids don’t get good calls. So it’s a really—I would say every single parent that I’ve called, I usually get a follow-up email, either to me or my admin, just saying it’s such a cool idea I do this; thank you so much. And yeah, I just call and give good news and just put ’em on the spot. And usually the kids are a little embarrassed, but you can tell, even though they’re kind of—I think they’re faking it, that they’re embarrassed! ‘Cause You know that they got the Phone Friday, and everybody’s like, “Who’s gonna get the phone Friday?!” And so it’s a very big deal in my class.
Eric Cross (12:07):
What a great way to—I mean, it seems like that hits on so many levels. You’re making these positive calls home. You’re praising publicly, which a lot of times can happen where students can get criticized or redirected publicly and then praised privately, which is a lot of times the reverse what we should be doing. But here you are praising them publicly. And then you’re not only building a relationship with yourself, but you’re also connecting them with their parent or whoever is caring for them, because now when they go home, there’s this, “Hey, your teacher called; you’re doing awesome!” So it’s this kind of triangle that’s forming there. I think that’s super-cool and a great thing for teachers to do.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (12:45):
It takes, you know, the last five minutes of my class. I do it every class. And then I have a system. Like I said, I keep track of all the kids. That way, by the end of the trimester I’ve gotten everybody. Sometimes I let the students, whoever I call first, then I let them pick a peer and I tell them, “OK, we have to have a solid reason. Why are we calling?” And a couple times they’ll have a student, like one of my energized ones, they’ll raise their hand. “How About me? How about me?” And I and the kids kind of laugh a little and I said, “Well, how about this? Let’s make a goal. How about next week we’re gonna make a goal and we’re gonna have a reason to call home.” So just working on the kids that need a little push in the right direction. That’s other reasoning to it. But yeah, it’s fun. I love it.
Eric Cross (13:33):
And you have the community. You have this goal setting. We were talking a little earlier about this transition—so you’re becoming this…your school’s going through the IB process, is that right?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (13:44):
Yes.
Eric Cross (13:44):
And we were talking about the ATL skills and one of them is goal-setting management. You already kind of organically do this in your classroom, which is really neat. I know being an IB teacher, a lot of times I find the things that I’ve already been doing and find, “Oh, this is actually an approach to learning!” or “This is something that has a title!” I just thought it was just being helpful! Ah…So the kids are connected. You have this process where you’re calling parents; it’s working; students are involved, so it’s building this community. Now you’re engaging students. Do you have any favorite student engagement tools that you use in your classroom or when you’re teaching that you feel like you get a lot of bang for your buck? There’s so many things out there these days. And so many approaches, tools, web apps. Do you have any favorites that you use?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (14:40):
No. Nothing comes up top of my mind right now. Mostly just projects, like I said. And being excited. I think having my students see me excited about something…and I’m honest when we’re doing something that’s not quite my favorite, then I’m honest about that too. But just having my—like, we just started thermal energy this week and I told my students, I said, “OK guys, I’m gonna weave in some chemistry in there. I’m gonna weave in some particle motion,” and they’re like, “Oh! That’s when you taught eighth grade, huh!” Cause I talk a lot about when I taught eighth grade before. I don’t know, just showing my own enthusiasm, I think, is a good payoff to me. That’s a bang for your buck. Other things…I try to give ’em cool videos and Mark Grober, he’s definitely a favorite of mine I like to show my students. I like to bring in guest speakers from our community. When I taught eighth grade for physics, I always brought in a local CHP officer and they would bring in the radar and lidar guns and the kids would mark off the parking lot and they would calculate their speed. And then they would verify it with the radar gun. Two years ago when I taught math, I brought in a local landscaper company, a father-and-son outfit, and they showed the kids how they would do bids on jobs. And so, relate it to our chapter on volume and area. So just making that connection with real life. Plus it’s just a nice opportunity, too, for the community to come in. With our design class, put on our newscast. And then one of our units in our sixth grade curriculum is weather. And so I brought in a local weatheruh, chief meteorologist. And he actually talked to the students about his job as a meteorologist and then also being on the news and putting on a newscast. So we got him on our green screen and did a little like Mark Finan, you know, little cameo on our newscast for the week for school. So that was kind of cool.
Eric Cross (16:45):
They must have been excited.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (16:47):
Yeah. They’re pretty starstruck by him. So that was pretty fun.
Eric Cross (16:51):
This person was on their local news? So they would know him?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (16:56):
Yeah, he’s on Channel 3 out of Sacramento. Yeah. KCRA Channel 3, Mark Finan.
Eric Cross (17:00):
So all these guest speakers that you have…how do you reach out to these people? And you sound like you get a lot of success. Do you ever get nos? Like if I’m sitting here listening and that inspires me, but you’re getting celebrities and you see a few people…like, how do you reach out to them? And does everybody say yes? How does it go?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (17:21):
Well, usually at my back-to-school night, I always ask the parents if they have a career or hobby that could lend itself to the curriculum. And so sometimes I’ll hear about—students will talk about, like, “My mom’s a doctor.” And so I’ll reach out to parents and just say, “Hey, you know, your kiddo said, you’re a doctor. May I ask what type?” And most of the time the nos that I’ve received are just because of schedule conflicts. You just have to get creative! Look in your community and see what you have. People want to come and talk to kids. I’ve had some presentations that the person is so intelligent and amazing, but they just, weren’t very kid-friendly. I mean, that happens. Butsomeone knows someone. And just ask! I mean, it doesn’t hurt to ask to have ’em come out, come hang out for the day, with my students. Andone time I had a nurse practitioner she was in the cardiac unit. And so she brought in hearts and led a heart dissection with my students. And we did a station set-up. I’ve had elaborate ones like that, or just a mom come in to tell my students about her job as a nutritionist and relate it to our unit on metabolism. And so just did like a little 15-minute Q&A with the kids on nutrition. And I would just say, look at your community and/or post on social media. I always do that. Post in your school’s PTA groups. So the parents know someone, that’s for sure. Or someone’s retired. One time I had—I think he was a grandfather of one of the kids—he was into rocks. And he had a bunch of meteorites <laugh> and brought in his meteorites.
Eric Cross (19:15):
Bring in your rocks!
Ryan Renee Rudkin (19:15):
I know! Right? And he <laugh> just brought in his meteorite collection! I was like, sure, come on in!
Eric Cross (19:23):
That’s one of the things I love about being a middle-school teacher is that my students have such varied interests and I’ll get the Rock Kid every once in a while and he’ll come in and he’ll have all these rocks and crystals. And a lot of times there’s a grandfather that’s responsible for this inherited geologic treasure that they have.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (19:45):
Yeah, something like that—I mean rocks are not my favorites, but I don’t really tell the kids that. I was like, “Sure, yeah, come on in! We can have a whole-day lesson on rocks!”
Eric Cross (19:55):
<Weakly> “This is great!”
Ryan Renee Rudkin (19:58):
Just utilizing your resources. That’s all it’s about.
Eric Cross (20:02):
Well, I think the back-to-school night was really helpful. That’s something that’s super doable. You have a bunch of parents and you just simply ask, “Who do you know? What do you do?” And then just collecting that and then just asking people to come in. I’ve I’ve been reluctant to do it more often than I’ve wanted to, because I haven’t figured out—and maybe you can help me with this—I have three class periods a day plus other class periods that are not necessarily science. And I don’t want to dominate a person’s schedule. Do they tend to be willing to stay all day? Or do you do, one class gets it, and you record it? Like, how do you balance out the speakers with your school schedule?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (20:39):
Mostly they’ll they’ll just come for the whole day. When I taught eighth grade, I had five classes, so that was easy. That was an all-day thing. And then usually I’ll offer to call lunch, have lunch delivered, or snacks during the day. I mean—
Eric Cross (20:53):
Feeding them is key.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (20:54):
Yeah. Just something kind of nice. Donuts in the morning. I mean, you’d be very surprised. Most people that are in the field or retired, like I said, they’re more than willing to come. And even if they have to wait an hour, while you teach another class that doesn’t pertain to it, then they’ll either leave or come back or just hang out in the back and pretend to be a student during that history class that you have.
Eric Cross (21:20):
It’s my own limiting belief where I feel guilty. I don’t think about it. I need to think about it through the perspective that you do, that these people WANT to talk. I just assume everybody’s so busy. But I do know, the times I’ve had speakers come out, at the end of the day, they’re so energized or they’re so happy or they’re so grateful. ‘Cause They’re like, “This is what it’s like to teach every day?” I’m like, “Yeah, this is what it’s like.”
Ryan Renee Rudkin (21:42):
I think too, a lot of parents…usually being being in the stops at elementary. A Lot of parents don’t get the opportunity to come help out in the classroom, because the middle school kids, you know, it’s not very cool or it’s just not needed like in the elementary classes. So a lot of times, like I said, you’d be surprised. A lot of the parents they’re more than happy to come and hang out. And again, some students, they don’t want their mom or dad to be there, but then I talk it up. I’m like, “Everyone’s gonna be so like impressed that your dad’s a doctor,” or “your mom’s a doctor” or —so then I kind of like downplay it. Like, “Oh, whatever, you’re you’re faking it. It’ll be fine. Don’t be embarrassed.” Leading up to their parent coming into the classroom.
Eric Cross (22:36):
Right. Kind of redirect that energy toward something positive. With guest speakers, projects, pacing, all these awesome things that you have going on, how do you find balance as a teacher, as a person? And what encouragement would you give to new or aspiring teachers? We work in a profession that will take as much as you give it. And you fall asleep at night worrying about other people’s kids and we love it. And teachers by personality can just give and give and give and give. But in order for us to last—I’m thinking about those new teachers who are going into it, who are gonna go in and be there before the sun gets up and stay after the sun gets down. How do you maintain balance, taking care of yourself? You’ve been in education for—how long have you been teaching for?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (23:29):
Sixteen. This is my 16th year.
Eric Cross (23:31):
Enough to be that veteran. So how do you find balance? And then, what encouragement would you give to new or aspiring teachers?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (23:39):
I would say each year, pick one or two things to add on. You can’t add on 10 things, even though you’re gonna find 10 things that are awesome. But just make a little list, put ’em in a file, and every year, just get good at what you do and then just add on one or two things. And reflect on what’s not going well that you can get rid of to make room to add something else. Try to be patient with yourself. And don’t reinvent the wheel. There’s so many things out there that you can borrow and make it your own. Again, I think that’s a time-saver, just leaning on your colleagues. And take lots of notes, because then when you do it again next year, you can refresh yourself and, “Oh yeah, this lesson, wasn’t the best…” What can you add in to make it a little bit better? And yeah, I would say just take on one or two things each year. And then by the time you get to, you know, being a veteran, you can do all these awesome things and it’ll feel natural ’cause you’ve been practicing and just adding in one thing at a time. I coached Science Olympiad a bunch of years ago, and Science Olympiad is so rewarding. It’s just so amazing.
Eric Cross (24:59):
What is Science Olympiad, for the people who’ve never heard of it?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (25:03):
Oh, Science Olympiad is so awesome. Google it. I think it’s just ScienceOlympiad.org. It’s 23 different events across all disciplines of science, different topics. And then you have a team of 15 students. And so your 15 students have to cover the 23 events. So for example, if the student’s on the anatomy team, usually there’s a team of two kids they’re gonna study and learn. They provide all the rules and the guidelines. So the students learn and study whatever the parameters are for that year. And then they take a test. And then they compete against other schools. And there’s build events, the engineering events, they can build things like trebuchets matchbox cars or mousetrap cars. Oh gosh, there’s all kinds of things. There’s like a Rube Goldberg device. It changes every year. And it’s so rewarding to see the kids; they pick their area of science that they love. And sometimes you have to put them on an event that they don’t know, and then they end up loving it. It’s so rewarding as a teacher to see these kids that are just on fire and you know that one day they’re gonna go off and do amazing things. They just commit. They commit to their event. And then they blow it outta the water and they win medals and just the recognition…it’s super, it’s just an amazing program.
Eric Cross (26:42):
One of the competitions that’s really low-tech that I’ve taken into my classroom is Write It, Do It. Have you done that one before?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (26:50):
Oh, yes. Yeah. That’s one. Yep.
Eric Cross (26:52):
It’s such a low-tech, simple one to do, but it teaches such great skills. And for those people who haven’t heard of the Write It, Do It project, you create kinda some abstract art out of random crafts. That’s very difficult to describe. You have pipe cleaners and foam and balls and you know, all these different things. And you make it. And then one person on the team is the writer, and they look at it and they write the procedures, and then their teammate, who’s in a different room and doesn’t get to see it, gets all the materials to build it and the procedures, and they have to rebuild it as closely as possible to the actual original. Even though they don’t get to see the original. So they have to rely on their partner’s ability to write procedures step-by-step. And it was fun to watch my students become teammates in that. And they learned how to communicate in a really fun competition. So I expanded it to do it with all of my students as an activity, just to teach them how write descriptively, to write procedurally, to be technical writers. And it’s, it’s fun! It’s fun to see what they build based on what the students say. <Laugh> And it’s also fun to watch them interact with each other, which for seventh graders, usually it’s conflict. <Laugh> But, like, playful conflict. <Laugh> It’s pretty funny to see what they build.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (28:11):
They’re like, “Man, what are you talking about? That doesn’t mean this; it means this!”
Eric Cross (28:16):
<Laugh> I know part of me feels guilty, but not enough to stop the project. ‘Cause I know for some of ’em, it’s gonna be a really trial by fire being able to practice their skills with writing procedures.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (28:27):
But they’re learning among themselves how to provide more details and to be more thorough with their writing and and their thoughts, put their thoughts onto paper. So yeah, that’s a funny event. Definitely.
Eric Cross (28:41):
Earlier you had mentioned something about connecting your kids with kids and students outside of your classroom. What is it that you do with that? Because I thought that was a really cool project. Can you speak to that a little bit?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (28:57):
Yes, I’ve done—they haven’t had it in a few years, but there’s something called the Pringles Challenge. And if you Google that, I’m sure it’s on the Internet still. So you sign your class up, or your classes, and you get partnered with another school somewhere in the U.S., someplace else. And you decide individually teams, whatever they build. And they make a package to ship a single Pringle chip through the mail. And then you actually mail a Pringle chip through the mail. And then your partner team or partner school, they send their chips to you and then you open everything and then you can take pictures and video. And then there was a whole scoring process where you would score when you receive the chips. And then you input all the data on the website so you can see like how your—and most schools would trade pictures, so that the kids found out how their chip survived. March Mammal Madness is so much fun. Again, Google that.
Eric Cross (30:01):
Did you say March Mammal Madness?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (30:02):
Yes.
Eric Cross (30:03):
Like March Madness, with mammals?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (30:05):
Yes.
Eric Cross (30:05):
- What is this?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (30:06):
It starts up in March. And you can sign your students up. And that one—it’s not too interactive with other schools, but this is opportunity to get the kids interacting within your site or within your district. Or if you have teacher friends at other schools. There’s like 60…I think it’s 64 animals? And they have this massive bracket that they post. And then you can have the students, I did it—it would be very time-consuming to have the kids individually research each animal. So I just gave one animal per student and so as a class we researched all the animals and then, I think it’s every three days or so, they have these bouts. And it’s all posted on YouTube. Google it. It’s kind of fun.
Eric Cross (30:56):
I’ve already got the website up, ready to go! Folks, everybody who needs to Google this: <articulates carefully> March Mammal Madness. And is it Arizona State University? Is that the main site, ASU?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (31:04):
Yes.
Eric Cross (31:04):
So people, listen to this. Check it out. March Mammal Madness. Look, I’m doing this! I’m already,—you’ve already sold me on this.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (31:14):
It is so much fun, oh my gosh. And then, then the kids—each round, they pick their pick, just like basketball. They do their picks and then you wait for the video. And they do it live on—I think it’s live on Instagram, or the next day on YouTube. And then the kids get all excited. And then usually the kids, whatever animal they got as their research animal, they’re rooting for that one to win, the whole thing.
Eric Cross (31:42):
But we still have time; we still have time to—
Ryan Renee Rudkin (31:45):
You can jump in anytime. Even if it’s already started, you can jump into it. It usually lasts—I believe it’s a two-week from beginning to end. When they do the first round, the wild card, and then all the way to the winner, I believe it’s a two-week process. Oh, maybe three, actually.
Eric Cross (31:59):
I’m already seeing this lead-up to the video being watched in class to see…I’m already thinking about like, “How do I prevent my students from finding the video?” Or like, “When does it go live so that I could be the one to show them so they didn’t go find it early?”
Ryan Renee Rudkin (32:13):
It takes time out of the class, but I believe it’s one of those things where you have to just…it takes 10 minutes out of the class, but it’s important. So when they each round and then the next day, they release the YouTube video. Last year, when it got down to the final round, we were on spring break. And so I told my students, “You guys, let’s do some optional Zooms. And so I had a bunch of kids log on and we all watched the videos together. So that was kind of fun. And then this year, the other thing, the first time I’ve ever done this and it’s going really well is—on social media, I was talking with one of the teachers from Ohio who teaches science and she and I decided we’re gonna do penpals for our students this year. Paper-And-Pen penpals. So that’s been a lot of fun. We just partnered up all the students, her students and my students, and once a month we send and receive the letters to each other. So that’s been a really cool experience.
Eric Cross (33:14):
If you keep doing that, and you need more teachers to be involved, can my students be penpals with your students?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (33:20):
Yeah!
Eric Cross (33:20):
If you open it up to more people? I think that, to get a letter, old-school? Letter in the mail? It would be so exciting.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (33:28):
It is. We mail them, the teacher and I, we just put them all together in one package. But yeah, it’s an actual handwritten letter.
Eric Cross (33:37):
The only letters I feel like I get in the mail now are bills.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (33:42):
Right? Exactly.
Eric Cross (33:42):
But I feel like the digital version of that is if someone calls me, it’s probably bad news. I don’t know if I’m the only one that’s like that, but I’m like, “Who’s calling me? Why aren’t you texting me? What’s going on? Text me first, then call! I need to know who’s going on, and if you’re unknown, you’re going to voicemail.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (34:00):
Exactly. The penpals has been a lot of fun.
Eric Cross (34:03):
You’ve been in education for a while. You’re on the other side of what it’s like to be a student in the classroom. Which can be surreal in itself, when we think about our own experiences as being a student. Is there a teacher or a learning experience that’s had an impact on you while you were a student in school that really stands out to you? And you can interpret the question however you want. But is there someone that’s memorable or an experience that’s memorable that you still carry with you today?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (34:32):
Definitely. My favorite teacher, and we actually still keep in contact on social media is Mrs. Sheldon. She was my fifth and sixth grade teacher. I had the pleasure when I was in elementary school, I was in an all-day contained GATE class—Gifted and Talented Education class. I vividly remember doing so many amazing projects. We built this big, giant—she brought in a big ol’, like, TV box. It was big, big, big. And you could stick like three kids inside there, standing up shoulder-to-shoulder. And we built this big dragon. The head, and we had the whole rest of the class in a big sheet behind us, and we would do a little parade around the school. And she had that thing for years after. They had to repair it every year, and they would do the little parade around school. She did a lot of traveling and when we would go on vacation and then come back, that was always the big deal: “Where did Mrs Sheldon go?” And she had sand from Egypt and pictures from the rainforest. And later when I became a teacher and then I looked her up and we reconnected I did ask her, “Did you go to those places? Or did you, like, lie about it? <Laugh> To get us engaged?
Eric Cross (35:52):
You went for the real questions!
Ryan Renee Rudkin (35:54):
I did. And she laughed and thought that was funny. And she did travel for real. But yeah, she’s an amazing woman. We still keep in contact. And I remember, you know, little things…like we would be out there doing our PE time and she’d have her long skirt, you know, dress on, with her tennies, and she’s out there playing kickball with us. Just a very kindhearted, smart, amazing woman. I’m very fortunate and I’m grateful that we are able to keep in contact. Love social media for that reason. So.
Eric Cross (36:33):
Yeah. And that’s Miss Sheldon?
Ryan Renee Rudkin (36:35):
Mrs. Sheldon. Marlene Sheldon. Yeah.
Eric Cross (36:37):
Shout-Out to Marlene Sheldon influencing the next generation of teachers, with engagement with your world travels and all those different things.
Eric Cross (37:04):
Ryan, thank you so much for one, serving our students. And in the classroom, our middle-school students who need us. I think that middle school especially, elementary school, those years are when students are really starting to decide, “What am I good at?” And the experiences that we create for our students really shape what they believe they can do. These really cool, engaging experiences, these projects that you’re giving them, whether they’re doing these car sales, Shark Tanks, or they’re doing penpals, or you have guest speakers, or they’re designing planets. These are things that students don’t forget. And then when they move on to higher grades, they remember more than anything, I think, how they felt about something. And it sounds like you’re crafting these awesome experiences. And so I just wanna thank you for your time. I know as a teacher it’s very short. And I thank you for being on the podcast with us.
Ryan Renee Rudkin (38:04):
Thank you. This has been a great experience. I just—I really enjoy my students. And I feel very, very grateful and very blessed for finding where I belong.
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Meet the guest
Ryan Rudkin is a middle school science educator near Sacremento, California. Although she originally thought she would teach elementary students, Ryan connected with middle school and never looked back. Now in her 16th year in the classroom, Ryan also supports teachers in her district with professional development. Ryan’s favorite part of teaching science is seeing students grapple with concepts and explore phenomena.
About Science Connections: The podcast
Welcome to Science Connections: The Podcast! Science is changing before our eyes, now more than ever. So…how do we help kids figure that out? We will bring on educators, scientists, and more to discuss the importance of high-quality science instruction. In this episode, hear from our host Eric Cross about his work engaging students as a K-8 science teacher.
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S4 – 01. Joyful math teaching with Kanchan Kant
This season on the Math Teacher Lounge podcast, we follow the theme “joyful math” and uncover its meaning.
In this episode, Kanchan Kant joins Bethany Lockhart Johnson and Dan Meyer to discuss the key, early investment she makes at the start of the school year to ensure her math teaching will be joyful for herself and for her students for the rest of the year.
Explore more from Math Teacher Lounge by visiting our main page.
Dan Meyer (00:00):
Okay, we are recording. Hey folks. Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. (laugh)
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:06):
Hardly off to a rocking start.
Dan Meyer (00:06):
Yeah. Yeah. <laugh> Did you like my energy there? Hey folks. Welcome back to Math Teacher Lounge. It’s a new season with your host Dan Meyer. And…
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (00:15):
I’m Bethany, Lockhart Johnson. How’s your summer Dan?
Dan Meyer (00:22):
Summer for me feels really hectic as we prepare, here at Amplify, for the new school year, and everyone’s starting these new math programs. So I’ve been feeling quite amped up, like usual in the summer. But also, my kids started big kid school. So I’ve been seeing the educational system from the role of a parent and all the anxieties and I worry, will I be my kids’ teacher’s most annoying parent <laugh> … So what kind of math curriculum you using? Oh, have you heard of core counting? Can I lead a math center? What’s this worksheet about? I’m really worried my kids are just overall gonna hate my vibe when I come around their classes. Uh, <laugh> so lots going on with me.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:06):
It’s already happening for me and I have a toddler.
Dan Meyer (01:10):
<laugh> There we go. Anyway, that’s what I’m up to. That’s how I’m feeling. I’m curious how you’re doing. We haven’t chatted in a while. We’re excited about the podcast, but it’s been a bit, you know? Bethany got a break from me and my antics over the summer. So, how are we finding you here, as we ramp up to the new season?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:24):
Uhhhh. Well, let me just tell you, I have a toddler. That’s kind of all I need to say. Except that’s not all I will say. Of course, I’ll say more. I am exploring, I’m dipping my toe into the extracurricular toddler activities; the music classes of the toddler world, the creative movement of the toddler world. And yeah, I have lots of opinions and lots of things to say about the teachers. And I’m like, Ugh, I can’t wait to be room mom. And just like…<laugh>
Dan Meyer (01:55):
Just let it rip, you know?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (01:57):
I have opinions on everything and just hope I don’t get kicked out of the class.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:05):
It’s been an eventfully recharging summer and we are ready for this new season. And in fact, we’re so ready that we decided that we were gonna mix up this season. Just a, just a tiny bit. Shall I explain Dan?
Dan Meyer (02:21):
Yeah. Let’s do it.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:22):
So we have loved all the different topics that we have explored in the Math Teacher Lounge world, but we kind of feel like we need to do some more deep dives. So for this season and the foreseeable seasons …
Dan Meyer (02:38):
We’ll see how it goes.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:38):
Let’s stick with this season. For this season. We’re going to be exploring a singular theme.
Dan Meyer (02:46):
We’re not bouncing around. Yep. We’re not bouncing around from a guest to guest going on whatever shiny thing in the river bed catches our eye. We’re gonna take one theme and see where it goes. What we working with here this season?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (02:57):
This season, we are going to be exploring the idea of joyful math, joyful math. And Dan, the question I have for you is, is the term joyful math one that you use on the regular?
Dan Meyer (03:10):
No, it definitely is not. I think that joy and math are very rarely, you know, connected in the popular mind. Number one, and number two, you know, I’m kind of an ornery fellow, so that’s not my natural kind of description of math. But we decided that it feels like an important one at the moment, because a lot of math teaching–a lot of teaching in general, math teaching in particular–math teaching is often not a joyful discipline for students, where, you know, I’ve done some research where you look at what people type into Google. And I looked at like, what they…why am I bad at X? And I looked at that for where X is math, where it’s science, where it’s reading, where it’s history. And it was just wild to see how many more hits there are out there on the Internet for “why am I bad at math?” People don’t really associate math with joy, but also we’re looking at joyful math in terms of joyful math teaching. Math teaching, teaching in general, is a tough field at the moment with a lot of teachers leaving teaching. And those who remain are having a lot of soul searching and thinking about, why am I here and how do I sustain this work? And in an environment that seems hostile to my interests or my talents, or work-life balance. And so that’ll be the theme that we’re gonna kind of uncover over the course of our season, talking to various interesting guests, including one today about, yeah, joyful math teaching and joyful math.
Dan Meyer (04:43):
And to help us think about what joyful math teaching looks like, we figured we’d first look at what UN-joyful math teaching looks like. It happens to be the case that we’ve been in a pandemic as you might be aware, and teaching has been challenging. And the NEA, our National Education Association, surveyed its member teachers and asked them the following question … Gave a list of issues that school employees have experienced and asked, for each one indicate how serious of a problem this is for you. This is a survey where more than half of members said they are more likely to leave or retire sooner than planned because of the pandemic. And this is almost double the numbers from July, 2020. It’s really hard to keep track of teacher departures and unfilled vacancies across states. So I don’t wanna like blow this up out of proportion, but it does indicate some real challenges in teaching. So Bethany, I was curious, what do you think like at the top of the list, like what kinds of factors, issues facing educators would you imagine there are?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (05:48):
So if I’m to understand you correctly, these are reasons someone is not actively experiencing joy in the profession of teaching. Like why would they leave?
Dan Meyer (05:58):
Exactly.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (05:59):
Well, the number one thing that came to mind for me, well, okay. Wait, wait, one other caveat I need to ask about, you said specifically pandemic-related or just in general, because if it’s pandemic-related, then I think, well, there’s health issues, right? That people are concerned about, but in general, the thing that came to mind was a lack of support from administration districts, lack of funding, and overcrowding in classrooms. Like, you know, I saw somebody had 40 students in their classroom. So those are the two things that I can imagine like top on someone’s list that would make them experience less than a joyful day.
Dan Meyer (06:44):
Yeah. There’s a bunch of you’re kind of identifying here. So number seven on the list is lack of respect from parents and the public, which is like 76% of teachers call that out as serious for them. Others that you kind of circled around in terms of resources go like, not enough planning or unstructured time in the job kind of ties into resources. Yeah. But there’s others that are on the list that I’m curious, you wanna take on the swing at it, given what I’ve said here,
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:15):
I feel like too much being asked of them, like being asked to wear too many hats, like they’re being asked to not only teach their class, but also cover all the vacancies and supervise recess and, you know, make a delicious, nutritious lunch. That’s what came to mind. Am am I close?
Dan Meyer (07:33):
Yeah. Number four on the list, unfilled job openings leading to more work for remaining staff. People covering, you know, not just the kind of external to teaching work like you’re describing, but also just taking on like losing your prep period, to take on a class that has been unfilled for all kinds of reasons. Yeah.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (07:54):
Yeah. I’ve only gotten the fourth. Give me one clue, one clue about …
Dan Meyer (07:59):
So, I mean like, so number one is general stress from the coronavirus pandemic, you know, which I feel like …
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:06):
I mentioned that.
Dan Meyer (08:07):
I’ll give you that one. Yep, yep, sure. And then number two, close behind, is feeling burned out, which I think ties into what you’re describing as well. I’m giving Bethany credit on that one. The third one is very different from the ones you’ve been describing. I think I cannot in good faith give you even partial credit for this one. I’ll just say it. Student…
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:28):
Wait! Dan, this is not how you give clues.
Dan Meyer (08:31):
Here’s a clue. It’s student absences due to COVID19. It’s really hard to deal student absences. That’s your clue.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (08:40):
That wasn’t a clue that you told me.
Dan Meyer (08:43):
Yeah, let’s see. I think that’s largely it. There’s also pay is too low, is on the list; student behavioral issues, on the list. And I think that about covers it. So all of that, that basket of items has led to more than half of teachers in this survey, saying that they’re more likely to leave or retire from education sooner than planned. And I don’t know. I think we all know teachers who have bailed.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:08):
I’ve never played a board game with you, Dan, but if we ever play a board game, we’re gonna work on your clue giving, ’cause I want to keep guessing. And you just told me.
Dan Meyer (09:22):
Yeah. Yeah.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (09:22):
In all seriousness, the <laugh>. In all seriousness, I think yes, the stress of the pandemic and students being absent, what some folks are calling unfinished learning, all of those pieces do play into it. But a lot of those things that you’re mentioning on the list are things that are not unique to the pandemic, right? Like those are things that I feel like there is some modicum of control that we could have over shifting the way the culture of the teaching profession is going so that we could create a more joyful experience for educators, administrators, and students.
Dan Meyer (10:03):
Yeah. Good call out. That’s exactly right. We could tax the people who are not in the classrooms more and increase the pay to classroom teachers. You know, there we go.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (10:11):
Oh. Bingo. Why didn’t we ask you sooner Dan, for your wisdom.
Dan Meyer (10:15):
Yeah. I’m … solved by Dan. Yeah, good point though. So I read that and yeah, I think that there’s been some … people have critiqued the NEA for being very alarmist about teacher departures as the year has ramped up. It has not been quite the flood of departing teachers as was predicted and thank heavens for that, but we should still be very bummed if teachers are unhappy and wanting to leave and feel like they can’t leave. That is definitely not good. So we were really excited to bring to the table, someone who is just a very joyful teacher and one in a very intentional way. Someone who has a lot of discipline in how she approaches the job and the students in it and tries to create a joyful environment for herself, Kanchan Kant. Kanchan is a math and computer science teacher at Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts. She’s been sharing her love for math with her students for the past four years, while also being instrumental in setting the culture and ethos of the math department at her school in her role as the assistant department head. We welcome you on the show Kanchan to help us understand joy and math teaching. Thanks for being here.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:29):
Welcome!
Kanchan Kant (11:30):
Thank you for having me. I really appreciate it.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (11:33):
One of my friends, her son was asked as his first math homework assignment to write out his math bio. And I loved that idea because we got to hear a little bit about your bio from like a broader perspective. But if we were to ask about your math bio, I will speak for myself to say like, automatically certain images flash into my mind, right? To think about my relationship, my evolving relationship with math. But I’m so curious if I was to ask you, what’s your math bio? How did you become the person, mathematically speaking, that you are today? Would you mind sharing a bit about that?
Kanchan Kant (12:10):
Of course I would love to. So I was born and raised in India and I belong to a family which considers mathematics to be extremely important to succeed in life. My father used to have me add and subtract license plates since I was four years old, when we were out and about. I loved math in school, it just made like complete sense to me. It was logical and you know, it was my favorite subject. I loved it all through high school. I had a confidence speed breaker in undergrad. When in my second semester I almost failed the engineering math course that I took. That was the first time math felt like too much and not like my best friend, which it was supposed to be. So it was a while before I could summon the courage to take on another math course in college.
Kanchan Kant (12:56):
But once I did that, it was like old times. I realized I had to persevere through the challenging bits. And once I did that, it started to make sense again. And through my journey, as an educator speaking to people from various backgrounds and like coming to the United States, I realized that math is challenging for everyone at one time or another. For some people that is elementary school. And for some others, it is college or even later. Either way does not mean that you are not a math person. When I was in college, I felt I was not a math person. Whereas my sister, my very own sister said the same thing about math in middle school. Both of us use math every day. And we are definitely, definitely math people. So for me to be a math person is to persevere, to approach problem-solving in a logical manner, and to find the joy in the process ,as well as the answer.
Dan Meyer (13:47):
That’s wonderful. Yeah. A lot of people, have a moment where they feel like almost betrayed by what they thought was a close friend of theirs, with math, where it’s like, wait, I thought we were tight. You know, I thought we were cool. You and me. And there’s that moment. And I wonder if that’s been a useful moment for you to, you know, bring back now and then as a teacher with students who might feel that even, you know, in high school or in a secondary school as a kid.
Kanchan Kant (14:15):
Absolutely. Like when I talk to students and tell them, yes, I had difficulty in math too. It has not always been easy for men and there are still things I struggle with sometimes, then it’s like more modeling for them that you have to persevere, you should persevere. And once you do that, it makes sense and you can feel successful. So, almost every year I end up sharing the story with my students.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (14:38):
There’s so much value in that, right? That you are sharing that vulnerability with students. And to say your relationship with mathematics has not been, you know, smooth sailing the whole way through. There were times when you had to work harder than others.
Dan Meyer (14:55):
Yeah. Really fun to hear about you and your father as well. I tried to ask my five-year-old to do some skip counting the other day, like, okay, cool, you’re hot stuff. You can count, you know, up by ones, but what about by twos? And the moment really fell flat. And I watched myself becoming the kind of parent who is whose enthusiasm for math is one day resented by his children. I feel a lot of, yeah, I felt your anxiety Kanchan, with math itself. And now I feel anxiety as like someone who loves math and loves to teach math and may one day alienate the people closest to him. <laugh>
Kanchan Kant (15:31):
I don’t like that future. I have a three-month-old. I do not like this future of mine. If I have to go through what you’re going through. Uh, oh, <laugh>
Dan Meyer (15:38):
You got this. So Kanchan, you’re going back to the classroom coming up here at the time of this recording. It’s a few weeks out. And we’re thinking about like the kind of ways that math teachers sustain a disposition that is joyful. How are you feeling right now, as far as going back to class after this summer? Are you feeling excited, anxious, some combo, tell us about it.
Kanchan Kant (16:01):
I would say combo, but more excited than anxious. I was on maternity leave, as I mentioned, before the school year ended, and I missed the students dearly. Like, my students are what gives me hope in the darkest times. They are thoughtful. They’re empathetic. They’re so eager to learn. And very soon into my teaching career, I realized that if I take the time to get to know my students and make them feel safe and seen in my class, teaching them math would be so much easier and so much more fun. So I’m a little worried about this being like fourth year into the pandemic, but let’s see. Last year I felt the students were finding it difficult to interact with and work with their classmates because they had not been doing it for so long. So I’m hoping this year would go a little better and I’m really looking forward to working with them and building community and see how it goes.
Dan Meyer (16:53):
So if I’m understanding you correctly, you are feeling very well recharged here. You had basically an extended summer with this maternity leave, basically just like a lot of rest and relaxation over the last, like several months. Um, if I get you here. So anyway, I’m glad for that for you. And, yeah. I also hear you on the difficulties of teaching post pandemic or mid pandemic. Anyway, thanks for sharing that.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (17:19):
What I love is I hear you being so intentional, like thinking about those relationships and thinking about that community that you want to build, you know? How do you hope that you’re gonna cultivate joy in your teaching this year? I mean like, are there certain routines or disciplines that you specifically call forth or that you think other teachers should think about?
Kanchan Kant (17:41):
So at the start of every school year, I dedicate like about three to four weeks to set up the classroom culture, both social and academic. I call my classroom a learning community. We start with community circles, we do icebreaker activities, group building and all those kinds of things. But most importantly, we do a lot of collective problem solving. So I try to present students with problems, which can be solved using multiple strategies and have multiple entry points, basically they are low floor, high ceiling problems. These could be stretch problems that they have seen before, like concepts that they already know or logical puzzles, or just wrapping their heads around different problems. Then I have students share their strategies. The more strategies they have on the board, the more successful I think the problem was. Every year, inevitably, students come up with strategies that I’ve never ever seen before for the same problems that I do.
Kanchan Kant (18:35):
And so I have students come up to the board, they would share their strategies. If they’re not ready for that, they would walk me through their strategies. And I would write their name on the board with different colored markers and everything. Basically to give them choice and agency. It also shows them that the process of doing the problem is so much more important than just getting the right answer and that it is okay to make mistakes in our learning community. I use a lot of vertical whiteboards, some concepts and problems align so well with the vertical surfaces, especially when students can explore together, learn from each other. So I do a lot of that. As for routines, I would say consistency is the key. I consistently reinforce that I want to hear multiple strategies, that it is okay to make mistakes. I am willing to learn from you as much as you’re willing to learn from me. So all like that consistency in culture more than the routines, is I feel important to bring that joy.
Dan Meyer (19:29):
That’s super interesting. Thanks for that. So I’ve heard, I hear two common objections or two common concerns to using rich tasks or doing problem solving. And I think I heard like answers to those two common reservations within what you described there, but I wonder if we can kind of bring it to the surface. And so one of the reservations is around the time that those problems take and another is that teachers often feel like, well, I might be surprised, you know, I might not know what to do with what a student does. And I thought I was hearing like some very interesting answers to both of those kinds of reservations from you, but would you just surface those up if you have some.
Kanchan Kant (20:09):
So in terms of time, I feel if I spend the time at the beginning of the year, setting up that community and doing those problems, it makes learning the math and learning the concepts much more faster throughout the rest of the year. And even when I am trying, like, even throughout the year, if we are doing a warm up problem, as I call it, which has multiple strategies, that’s gonna clarify so many more concepts when we talk about those five, 10 strategies of doing the same problem, then going through multiple problems to clarify those concepts. So for me, it actually saves time instead of taking more time.
Dan Meyer (20:43):
Hmm. That’s super interesting. It’s an investment I’m hearing from you that, yeah, you might not be hitting the curriculum quite as hard early on, but that all of a sudden you’re in the spring and it’s like, oh wow, we’ve been moving so much faster through territory that has been more challenging. What would you say to you know, comfort concerned educators or to address the concern that I don’t know what I’ll do with these five, 10 different strategies. You say, I always see strategies that I’ve never anticipated. Like, it’s a good thing, you know, like you’re happy about that. I think that’s a very intimidating thing for lots of educators. What would you say to that?
Kanchan Kant (21:19):
I think like, for me, it’s a good kind of discomfort. That means like a student is teaching me something, which is actually doing two things. One modeling for them that I’m willing to learn and that I don’t know everything. And two, also telling them that they’re mathematicians. They know what they’re doing. They’re not just receivers of math, they’re actually creating it. So for me, that is very, very important.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (21:43):
I love that so much. When you think about your students and you’re about to start this new school year, how do you hope your students will experience math in your classroom?
Kanchan Kant (21:53):
So I hope my students can see the beauty and joy of math. They can see that math is a way to see the world and not as something we have to do to get through school. So my hope for my classroom is that we can learn to problem-solve and persevere through problems and learn from each other and not just get through the curriculum. Because like, I think math is a wonderful way to learn these skills, which are so important when you get out of high school. Most importantly, I just wanna make sure that my students see themselves as mathematicians. And like one of the things that like I have to share with you that, because one of my highlights for the year has to be the Desmos art project. I do it every year for the past three years, I think since I’ve started teaching sophomores. And I do it as a unit assessment for functions and my students design something that is meaningful to them, using all the different kinds of functions and colors and shading and everything that you can think of in Desmos.
Kanchan Kant (22:49):
Thank you so much for that though. It is such a cool way for me to see them do that. Like I have seen such amazing creations. One of my students once made a scaled working model of a solar system wherein the planets were rotating at relative speed. The Saturn had rings and they were like asteroids and everything. And then it was beautifully done. Then there was another one who did a very, very detailed whale scenery, her reasoning. I wanna be a Marine biologist and I wanna study whales. So this is what is meaningful to me. So like that one project is just a culmination of everything that I want students to see in math and in my classroom. And like I do more of those kinds of things, but that is one thing that it’s one of the highlights of my year.
Dan Meyer (23:32):
That’s awesome. I love hearing that. Yeah. Shout out to the team at Desmos Studio for building and continuing to develop a tool list that so good for art and animation, even, in addition to some mathematics with a more computational kind. Yeah, that’s really exciting. What’s interesting to me is that you teach high school, and I think that like students at that age have a very well-defined sense of what math is and who they are as mathematicians. And then along you come, you know, and like offer this really interesting disruption, you know, in their sophomore year of high school that like, oh, this can be totally different, this relationship who I am. And that’s just really exciting. I imagine it’s a very surprising year. I would imagine that first month, I would imagine is a very surprising month for a lot of your sophomores.
Kanchan Kant (24:20):
Yeah, it is. I mean, that’s why I take that time to build that community because then that sets the tone and the relationship that we’re gonna have for the rest of the year. Students get to know how to work with each other. They get to know each other, that whole piece is like super important because of that.
Dan Meyer (24:35):
Yeah. That’s awesome. So here’s the thing, like we’re exploring these ideas about joyful math teaching and what it will take to cultivate restore, reclaim joy in math, teaching this next year. And you’ve offered us these really interesting ideas some, some very, you know, philosophical and some technical about how you spend time in ways that lead to joy in the spring for you and your students. Love that. We don’t want to as hosts, as researchers, investigators of this joyful math teaching idea, we don’t wanna say it’s all up to teachers to change their mindset, to do different technical practices, and that will lead to joy. We also wanna be really attentive to the environment that surrounds you, the people who are around to support you, the policy makers, the social structures that influence your joy in very significant ways. So what we would love to know from you is, how are you supported by the greater educational community in keeping your joy in your work? I’m thinking, especially about administrators, you know, front office, staff, parents, even, can you name a few ways for those sorts of people who listen to this podcast, how they can cultivate a math teacher’s joy this coming year?
Kanchan Kant (25:54):
I would say trust. I think more than anything, educators want administrators, parents, the greater educational community, to trust them to be professionals and experts in what they do. That does not mean that we don’t want to learn, that we don’t want feedback, that we don’t wanna get better. It just means that we keep the wellbeing of our students as our top priority. And we would like to be trusted to do just that. Also just keeping in mind that whether we like it or not, we are still adjusting to the new normal while recovering from the worst of the pandemic times. A lot of us are recovering from trauma, a lot of our students are recovering from trauma, and we need time and space for our social and emotional wellbeing.
Dan Meyer (26:35):
Yeah. I’m really curious, Kanchan, you’ve done a lot of work in your area with your grading team and in thinking about equitable and biased resistant instruction. I’m curious how you see those efforts lining up with creating joyful math learning conditions for all students, not just students from a dominant culture of math doing, let’s say.
Kanchan Kant (26:55):
For me, creating an equitable environment in a classroom is most important because once you have that, that’s when you have the relationships, that’s when you have the culture, that’s when all students actually thrive. So to that end, our school and our department has been doing a lot of work around grading practices. We actually assess how we grade students, where the bias is, what we can do to make them more bias resistant. Should we move to mastery based grading? Like that’s something I’ve been experimenting with for the past two years. Through the pandemic, I started doing mastery based grading so that my students can get more opportunities to show that they have learned the content. And so like just little things which help bridge the opportunity gap. I would say another project that our school undertakes is called the calculus project wherein we have students in Black, Latinx, and low income families sign up for that and are recommended for that. And then we do summer classes and yearlong support to preview the material for next year, not as a remedial class, but to actually set students up for success in AP classes for the coming year. So we have the community buildup. We have the courses we have like math support. It’s a very beautiful thing actually. And I’ve been working with that program for four years now. So yeah, so those are my ways of creating more equity in our school.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (28:19):
That’s so beautiful and I deeply, deeply wish you had been my high school math teacher. And I have to say that the theme that I kind of keep hearing is this intentionality. How you are so intentional about your work, not just with what your students are learning, but how they’re learning it, how they are engaging with this subject and how they are building their own relationship. You talked a little bit about your relationship over the years with mathematics, but how are your students building that relationship? And so I’m just very appreciative of you sharing that with us and with our listeners. And we are so excited to have learned a little bit about, like, I feel like I got a little mini peek into your classroom.
Kanchan Kant (29:03):
Thank you.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:04):
And can I say that if you are listening to this prior to October at NCTM Los Angeles, you will get to hear Kanchan Kant speak at Shadow Con. Can I give that away, Dan? Is that, is that …
Dan Meyer (29:23):
You can drop that. Yeah, It’s pretty top secret.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:26):
Can I drop it?
Dan Meyer (29:27):
Yeah. Do it. Yeah.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (29:28):
Dan and I will be in the audience cheering you on. It’s been a joy to learn with and from you, and we are so excited to just, you know, kind of keep marinating on some of these ideas about how we can continue to be intentional about creating joyful math spaces for our students. Thank you so much for joining us today.
Kanchan Kant (29:49):
Thank you so much. It was a real pleasure.
Dan Meyer (29:57):
So Bethany, I loved hearing Kanchan talk about both her, just her joyful personality, but how she cultivates joy through craft and technique through, you know, through the various ways she interacts with students in intentional ways, that those make the job more joyful for her. And I thought it was really interesting to hear her talk about how autonomy is the thing that she needs most in her job environment to feel like she can be joyful in her work. In that context, I saw … something on Twitter popped up for me in my, you know, my many Twitter wanderings. This is a segment we might call, Dan finds something on Twitter and shares it with Bethany. Which we’ll tighten that up a little bit, but I’m sending this over to you right now, and I’d love to know as you check this out, what you’re seeing and what you’re thinking and we’ll chat about how it relates to our interview here in a moment.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (30:47):
All right. I’m ready, send it over. It’s opening. So this appears to be a document by the way, outlining, maybe it’s a district, maybe it’s administration, they’re outlining expectation type and expectation guidelines. Hmm. Okay. And these are lesson plan expectations. Expectation type. Timeliness. Plans are due no later than 6 p.m.. Friday prior to the week of instruction. Comprehensive, all activities for the week for all subjects taught should be included and complete by due date and time. Plans should have at minimum, the following, see template for detail. Okay. So then it goes through the things that the plans need to have, the topic title, target, the objective, the activities, the sequence, the display agendas to be displayed backward design. Okay. So basically <laugh>, we were just talking about, overwhelm. And when I see this document, listeners, have you ever received something from your administrator or anyone, let’s take it more broadly, that is requesting something of you that would take so much time to complete and be so out of touch with your lived reality that it really genuinely sucks the joy out of the experience.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (32:25):
So the first thing that I see that this document, and again, the goal of whichever district’s plan this is, is that these expectations will lead–now, mind you, I am a fan of like, you know, looking ahead, I’m not a like, oh, hey, what am I gonna teach in five minutes? No, but the idea that then it lays out all of the things in such detail that you’re gonna be teaching feels like one of those pacing guides where, oh, move on to the next page, whether or not your students have any sort of sense making whatsoever. So my first thought is, oh, sad. I have to stay here. I’ll be there past 6 p.m. But I’m gonna be there trying to make the plans for the next week based on what I think my students have learned. Hmm it’s sounds like a little bit of a bummer. Dan, what did you think when you saw this and did I do a fair description of what it is?
Dan Meyer (33:25):
No, it’s, it’s a tough one to describe, ’cause it’s basically a wall of text and commands from an administrator who like, I just have to imagine has just like acres and acres of teachers trying to beat down their door to teach at this school, if this is how you’re gonna treat your teachers. I mean just, yeah. The idea of having a week… I’m with you, you don’t wanna just like, just jump in by the seat of your pants, but the idea of having a full week of lessons for every section you teach, every prep you teach, planned and submitted with every minute, basically morseled out to different goals. It says down here, you gotta like, for all of these, download a CSV of grades and whatnot and attach those. It’s the sort of thing, like you said, there are some edicts that you get from administration where you just have to laugh or just like, you have definitely missed like what I am willing to do here. It’s so far beyond. Yeah. I can’t imagine it. And it just felt like, yeah, it was a great way to get teachers like Kanchan to feel like a real lack of autonomy. Like it’s this would not work. I don’t think.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (34:33):
And it’s not even like willing to do. Like, let’s say you’re even willing to produce it. Let’s say that me, the rule follower is like, okay. I’m gonna attempt to meet these demands. One, most teachers were just, you know, they probably would put baloney down there anyway. Not saying that I would, but I’m saying like, it’s clearly just a hoop that they’re having to jump through and two…
Dan Meyer (35:04):
Yeah. Compliance, right?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (35:05):
Yeah. Compliance, compliance. There you go. And two, yeah, it feels like it’s about control and not trusting the teacher. And I love that. Kanchan said that trust is what she needs. Right? You’re hiring me. Yes. I still have lots to learn, but you’re trusting me and you’re creating an environment where I can continue to learn from and with my students. And if I was being asked to submit this tome every Friday before six, that is predicting, what does it say, anticipating the steps necessary for student mastery? You know, I kind of feel like maybe it’s like that one or two teachers where maybe they feel like, oh, I don’t trust that teacher or that teacher isn’t doing a good job, whatever. We better do this for all of the teachers, but then it’s not gonna change the practices of that one teacher and all the other teachers are gonna be resentful.
Dan Meyer (36:00):
Like if there was like feedback that came back to you on, you know, on lesson plans or there was some like something that was very constructive or productive, like maybe that would be different, but it really just feels like these are gonna go into a digital drawer somewhere and not be looked at, at all.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (36:15):
Yes. The digital drawer. Like I’m gonna send you this report and then nothing is going to happen with it. Except that four hours of my time. Well, you wouldn’t do it, but <laugh>…
Dan Meyer (36:29):
You’ve worn me down. You’ve worn me down. I’m now putty in your hands and more compliant for the next thing. And I also just wanna shout out the administrator today, who I emailed asking about like a teacher participating in a project and this administrator said, I have a standing policy not to email teachers over summer break, which you know, as administrators out there doing just the good work, you know, trusting teachers, watching out for them, trying to be a force multiplier for teachers, making the road wider, the way easier for teachers. So shout out to y’all doing the out there. Really appreciate that.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (37:04):
Okay. Wait, wait. About that email thing, quick question. Did you ever check your email over the summer?
Dan Meyer (37:11):
Uh, yeah. That’s one way in which I was the, you know, I just love email, you know? Oh. Someone wanted to reach out. Oh, oh, Banana Republic wants to tell me about new clothes that are on offer. <laugh> I mean like, it’s just, I love those personal emails. So yeah, I did check my email over the summer.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (37:26):
Somebody emailed me recently and they emailed me at like two in the morning. And because I currently have a toddler, I received the email at four in the morning because you know, the best thing to help myself fall back asleep is to hop on my phone, right? Like I’m already up trying to get my toddler back to sleep. I might as well start scrolling. Anyway, so the person had this little thing at the bottom of their email and it said, I have, something to the effect of, I have really like wonky work hours. I may be sending this outside of the like more standard nine to five. But please don’t feel pressure in any way to respond outside of your time. Would you appreciate that, seeing that or does it make you feel like you should respond? ‘Cause I almost responded at four in the morning, and maybe that says something about …
Dan Meyer (38:15):
They’re telling you not to respond.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (38:16):
I know it was helpful.
Dan Meyer (38:18):
It says don’t, but you’re like, what if they’re saying that because they really expect me to respond and this is one of many ways that you and I are different. I’m always happy to see that.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (38:29):
Do you respond? I’ve texted you in the evening because you know I have some wonky hours. Do you respond to things, like where’s your boundary there? Or when you were in the classroom, where was your boundary there? Did parents have your phone number?
Dan Meyer (38:43):
No. I gave kids my cell phone number for a couple years and it was a wobbly experiment. But parents will email, you know, back and forth with you. And I think the best thing to like … I love just like adding some friction, some latency into the kind of the chain, you know, like I hate going like back and forth, like da, da, da, da, and then like respond and then da, da da respond. And it just like goes back and forth. So just like just sitting back for an hour or two hours, you know, not responding, just let someone cool down, calm down. Email just gets you more email. That’s like if you send an email, you are just making it more likely to get more email. It’s a, you know, it’s a problem.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:20):
Are you one of the zero people?
Dan Meyer (39:23):
My inbox is at zero. Most days before work.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:26):
You’re joking!
Dan Meyer (39:28):
I end work every day with inbox, at zero.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:31):
You’re joking!
Dan Meyer (39:32):
That’s just, you know.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:33):
Who are you?
Dan Meyer (39:34):
You know, you should take my life coaching, Bethany. I’ll give you a discount since we’re math teacher, lunch pals. But, um yeah. I can help.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (39:44):
Thank you for qualifying where our pal-dom lives. I wouldn’t even tell you how many are in my inbox. Point is, if you are actively starting the school year, we celebrate you and we are here and over the next few months, we’re gonna be diving into joyful math and that definition’s gonna keep evolving. But I wanna say something that is making me feel a little joyful, Dan. You ready?
Dan Meyer (40:15):
Tell me.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:16):
You and I, in person, at NCTM, the National Council for Teachers and Mathematics. It’s coming up and we are going to be recording Math Teacher Lounge, live. Live, in person! And I hear there’s gonna be like a t-shirt cannon and there’s gonna be, you know, like musicians marching through the aisles or something.
Dan Meyer (40:46):
A marching band?
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:46):
A marching band!
Dan Meyer (40:46):
Trained animals. Yeah.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (40:48):
But the point is, I’m so excited, Dan. And you know, when I see you, I might just, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Dan. I’d love to give you a big old embrace.
Dan Meyer (41:04):
You might just, you might just cry. Yeah. Yeah. It’ll be great. Yeah. It’s gonna be awesome for you folks to see me and Bethany have a real awkward first hug since the pandemic. And, uh, but it’s gonna be a blast to hang with us in person. We’ll have some special guests, probably, some interesting segments. You folks should stop on by at NCTM, if you’re gonna be there. Highly recommended.
Bethany Lockhart Johnson (41:29):
Now, we will be broadcasting that episode. You’re gonna get to hear … we’re gonna record it live. It’s gonna happen. In the meantime, you can find us at MTLshow on Twitter, or you can find us in our Facebook group, Math Teacher Lounge. We can’t wait to hear from you. And we’d love to hear what makes math joyful for you? Where can we add a little bit more joy to you this, this season? So thrilled to be back. Thanks for listening.
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Meet the guest
As a math and computer science teacher at Newton North High School, Newton, MA, Kanchan has been sharing her love for math with her students for the past four years. Kanchan is instrumental in setting the culture and ethos of the mathematics department at her school in her role as the Assistant Department Head. Kanchan also leads the Math Department Grading Team and has been instrumental in making grading policies which are more equitable and bias resistant. In her new role as a Transformative Leaders of Massachusetts Fellow in collaboration with Springpoint and Barr Foundation, Kanchan looks forward to making equity and joy of learning the foundation of many more classrooms.
About Math Teacher Lounge: The podcast
Math Teacher Lounge is a biweekly podcast created specifically for K–12 math educators. In each episode co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson (@lockhartedu) and Dan Meyer (@ddmeyer) chat with guests, taking a deep dive into the math and educational topics you care about.
Join the Math Teacher Lounge Facebook group to continue the conversation, view exclusive content, interact with fellow educators, participate in giveaways, and more!
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Welcome, Utah K-8 reviewers!
Amplify Desmos Math California
Welcome, Math 1 Reviewers!
We’re honored to introduce you to Amplify Desmos Math California. We’re confident you’ll find this comprehensive program to be a powerful tool for bringing the vision of the California Math Framework to life in classrooms across the state.
Please start with the video on the right to learn how to navigate the program and access key features referenced within our submission. Below you’ll find additional resources to support your review.
Your Review Samples
As a curriculum that incorporates both print and digital resources, it’s important that you explore both our physical materials (delivered to you in grade-specific tubs) and our digital materials (accessible through our platform). We invite you to explore both types of resources using the instructions and tips below.
Print Samples
Your print samples should have arrived in grade-specific tubs with a copy of your Reviewer Binder contained within the Math 1 shipping box. As you begin the process of organizing your materials, please refer to the inventory checklist found inside the tub as well as within your Reviewer Binder.
Digital Samples
- In order to access your digital samples, you’ll need to log into our platform using your unique login credentials found on a Digital Access Flyer inside of your Reviewer Binder. Once you have located the flyer:
- Click the orange button below to access the platform.
- Click “Log in with Amplify.”
- Enter the username and password provided on your Digital Access Flyer.
Navigation Tips
Below you will find helpful tips for navigating Amplify Desmos Math California. We recommend reading these pages alongside the program’s print materials and digital experience to gain a deeper understanding of the program.
Click the links below to read about navigating program features including:
Built for California
The Amplify Desmos Math California program is designed around the vision articulated in the California Mathematics Framework to enable all California students to become powerful users of mathematics. Our program incorporates the latest research in student learning, meaning that we:
- Focus on the Big Ideas: Amplify Desmos Math California’s courses, units, and lessons are centered around the Big Ideas. Big Ideas, like standards, are not considered in isolation. In addition to each unit and lesson’s focal Big Ideas, Amplify Desmos Math California also provides connections among the Big Ideas across units and lessons.
- Center on open and engaging tasks: Amplify Desmos Math California is grounded in engaging tasks meant to address students’ often-asked question: “Why am I learning this?” Students are invited into learning with low-floor, high-ceiling tasks that provide an entry point for all. Open tasks in Amplify Desmos Math California provide the space for students to try on multiple strategies and represent their thinking in different ways, and allow student explanation and discussion to serve as the center of the classroom. All lessons offer both print and digital representations of lessons.
- Provide enhanced digital experiences: Amplify Desmos Math California includes digitally-enhanced lesson activities, incorporating interactive digital tools alongside print materials. These purposefully-placed resources allow students to visualize mathematical concepts, receive actionable feedback while practicing, encounter personalized learning support from an onscreen tutor, and engage in discussions about their thinking and approaches.
- Treat core instruction and differentiation as integral partners: The Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum provides teachers with lessons, strategies, and resources to eliminate barriers and increase access to grade-level content without reducing the mathematical demand of tasks. Every activity has multiple entry points to ensure that all students are supported and challenged. Intervention and personalized learning activities are directly connected to lesson content and offer students the individualized support as they dive into the mathematics.
Category 1: Mathematics Content/Alignment with the Standards
Standards Map
Linked here is the Standards Map for Amplify for Math 1.
Evaluation Criteria Map
Linked here is the Evaluation Criteria Map for Math 1. Please note that you will need to be logged into the digital platform to access the links in the Evaluation Criteria Map.
Standards of Mathematical Practice
Linked here is the alignment of Amplify Desmos Math California to the Standards for Mathematical Practice at Math 1.
Drivers of Investigation and Content Connections
Amplify Desmos Math California incorporates the Drivers of Investigation (DIs) and Content Connection (CCs) throughout the program. Throughout the year, students engage with open and authentic tasks of varying durations — from lesson activities to unit-level Explore lessons and longer course-level Investigations. Every lesson and investigation opportunity is grounded around the why, how, and what of the learning experience, and helps teachers bring mathematical concepts to life.
California English Language Development Standards
Linked here is the alignment of Amplify Desmos Math California to the California English Language Development Standards for Math 1.
California Environmental Principles and Concepts
Select lessons, performance tasks, and investigations across grade levels in Amplify Desmos Math California are aligned to one or more of the California Environmental Principles and Concepts. Click this link to view how the California Environmental Principles and Concepts are represented in Amplify Desmos Math California Math 1.
Category 2: Program Organization
Amplify Desmos Math California thoughtfully combines conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application. Each lesson is designed to tell a story by posing problems that invite a variety of approaches before guiding students to synthesize their understanding of the learning goals.
Big Ideas
Amplify Desmos Math California’s courses, units, and lessons are centered around the Big Ideas. Big Ideas, like standards, are not considered in isolation. In addition to each unit and lesson’s focal Big Ideas, Amplify Desmos Math California also provides connections among the Big Ideas across units and lessons. Please refer to Keeping the Big Ideas at the Center, linked here, for the Amplify Desmos Math California Math 1 lesson design and alignment to the Big Ideas.
Program Structure
Amplify Desmos Math combines the best of problem-based lessons, intervention, personalized practice, and assessments into a coherent and engaging experience for both students and teachers.
Lessons and units in Amplify Desmos Math California are designed around a Proficiency Progression, a model that steps out problem-based learning by systematically building students’ curiosity into lasting grade-level understanding.
In the Proficiency Progression, lessons begin by activating students’ natural curiosity and offering opportunities to generate new ideas through collaboration. Teachers are then able to refine ideas through intentional facilitation and guide students to grade-level understanding, while students retain the ability to use different strategies and methods to show their comprehension of the content. Students are provided ample opportunities to develop lasting understanding.
Scope and Sequence
Below you can view the scope and sequence for Amplify Desmos Math California Math 1.
Lesson Design and Structure
Amplify Desmos Math California is designed with a structured approach to problem-based learning that systematically builds on students’ curiosity and allows students to grapple with the Big Ideas of the California Framework. Every lesson activity is organized into a Launch, Monitor, Connect format.
Launch: The launch is a short, whole-class conversation that creates a need or excitement, provides clarity, or helps students connect their prior knowledge or personal experience, which ensures that everyone has access to the upcoming work.
Monitor: As students work individually, in pairs, or in groups, teachers explore student thinking, ask questions, and provide support to help move the conversations closer to the intended math learning goal.
Connect: Teachers connect students’ ideas to the key learning goals of the lesson, facilitating class discussions that help synthesize and solidify the Big Ideas.
Each lesson within Amplify Desmos Math California follows the same structure.
Warm-Up: Every Amplify Desmos Math California lesson begins with a whole class Warm-Up. Warm-Ups are an invitational Instructional Routine intended to provide a social moment at the start of the lesson in which every student has an opportunity to contribute. Warm-Ups may build fluency or highlight a strategy that may be helpful in the current lesson or act as an invitation into the math of the lesson.
Lesson Activities: Each lesson includes one or two activities. These activities are the heart of each lesson. Students notice, wonder, explore, calculate, predict, measure, explain their thinking, use math to settle disputes, create challenges for their classmates, and more. Guidance is provided to help teachers launch, monitor, and connect student thinking over the course of the activity.
Synthesis and Show What You Know: The Synthesis is an opportunity for the teacher and students to pull all the learning of the lesson together into a lesson takeaway. Students engage in a facilitated discussion to consolidate and refine their ideas about the learning goals, and the teacher synthesizes students’ learning. Show What You Know is a daily assessment opportunity for students to show what they know about the learning goals and what they are still learning.
Practice and Differentiation: Daily practice problems for the day’s lesson are included both online and in the print Student Edition, including fluency, test practice, and spiral review.
Routines
Amplify Desmos Math California features a variety of lesson routines. Instructional routines and Math Language Routines (MLRs) are used within lessons to highlight student-developed language and ideas, cultivate conversation, support mathematical sense-making, and promote meta-cognition. Both are called out at point-of-use within the Teacher Edition and Teacher Presentation Screens. Below are the types of routines used throughout the Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum:
Math Language Routines
- MLR1: Stronger and Clearer Each Time
- MLR2: Collect and Display
- MLR3: Critique, Correct, Clarify
- MLR5: Co-Craft Questions
- MLR6: Three Reads
- MLR7: Compare and Connect
- MLR 8: Discussion Supports
Instructional Routines
- Decide and Defend
- Notice and Wonder
- Number Talk
- Tell a Story
- Think-Pair-Share
- Which One Doesn’t Belong?
Category 3: Assessments
A variety of performance data in Amplify Desmos Math California provides evidence of student learning, while helping students bolster their skills and understanding.
Unit-Level Assessment
Amplify Desmos Math California has embedded unit assessments that offer key insights into students’ conceptual understanding of math. These assessments provide regular, actionable information about how students are thinking about and processing math, with both auto-scoring and in-depth rubrics that help teachers anticipate and respond to students’ learning needs.
Pre-Unit Check: Each unit begins with a formative assessment designed to identify the student skills that will be particularly relevant to the upcoming unit. This check is agnostic to the standards covered in the following unit and serves not as a deficit-based acknowledgment of what students do not know, but rather as an affirmation of the knowledge and skills with which students come in.
End-of-Unit Assessment: Students engage with rigorous grade-level mathematics through a variety of formats and tasks in the summative End-of-Unit Assessment. A combination of auto-scored (when completed digitally) and rubric-scored items provides deep insights into student thinking. All Amplify Desmos Math California End-of-Unit Assessments include two forms.
Sub-Unit Quizzes: Sub-Unit Quizzes are formative assessments embedded regularly in Math 1. In these checks, students are assessed on a subset of conceptual understandings from the unit, with rubrics that help illuminate students’ current understanding and provide guidance for responding to student thinking.
Performance Tasks: At the end of each unit there is a summative assessment performance task provided to evaluate students’ proficiency with the concepts and skills addressed in the unit.
Lesson-Level Assessments
Amplify Desmos Math California lessons include daily moments of assessment to provide valuable evidence of learning for both the teacher and student. Beyond formative, summative, and benchmark assessments, students also have opportunities for self-reflection with Watch Your Knowledge Grow. Students take ownership of their learning by reflecting and tracking their progress before and after each unit.
Show What You Know: Each lesson has a daily formative assessment focused on one of the key concepts in the lesson. Show What You Know moments are carefully designed to minimize completion time for students while maximizing daily teacher insights to attend to student needs during the following class.
Responsive Feedback™: Teachers have the ability to see and provide in-the-moment feedback as students progress through a digital lesson. Responsive Feedback motivates students and engages them in the learning process.
Diagnostic Assessment
Every grade level features an asset-based diagnostic assessment designed to be administered at the beginning of the year. Delivered digitally and to the whole class, our diagnostic assessment is uniquely designed to reveal underlying math thinking and identify what students know about grade-level math. With data beyond just right and wrong, teachers have the type of deeper level of insights need to take the right next step.
CAASPP-Aligned Assessment Preparation
Amplify Desmos Math is designed to support students’ mathematical development through problem-based learning, differentiation, and embedded assessments. The program’s emphasis on conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application aligns with the mathematical practices and content standards assessed by the CAASPP.
Amplify Desmos Math California includes a CAASPP-aligned Item Bank. This standards-aligned bank of questions allows teachers to filter and search by grade and standard to find items. Once assigned on the digital platform, students will experience CAASPP-like practice with the online digital tools.
Data and Reporting
Amplify Desmos Math California provides teachers and administrators with unified reporting and insights so that educators have visibility into what students know about grade-level math—and can plan instruction accordingly for the whole class, small groups, and individual students. Reporting functionality integrates unit assessments, lesson assessments, diagnostic data, and progress monitoring for a comprehensive look at student learning. Program reports show proficiency and growth by domain, cluster, standard, and priority concept using performance data from unit assessments, then highlight areas of potential student need to allow teachers to modify their instruction and target differentiated support.
Administrator reporting provides a complete picture of student, class, and district performance, allowing administrators to implement instructional and intervention plans.
Category 4: Access and Equity
The Amplify Desmos Math California curriculum provides teachers with lessons, strategies, and resources to eliminate barriers and increase access to grade-level content without reducing the mathematical demand of tasks. Our lessons are developed using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to proactively ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.
Every activity has multiple entry points to ensure that all students are supported and challenged. Intervention and personalized learning activities are directly connected to the day’s content and offer students the individualized supports they need to be successful.
Each lesson and unit contains guidance for teachers on how to identify students who may need support, students who need to keep strengthening their understanding, and students who may be ready to stretch their learning. In addition, teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students.
Universal Design for Learning
Each lesson in the program incorporates opportunities for engagement, representation, action, and expression based on the guidelines of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
- Multiple Means of Engagement: Students engage in both print and digital learning, and are regularly participating in discussions and hands-on activities. Students are invited to build their own challenge for other students to solve, which provides opportunities for choice and
autonomy, as well as joy and play. - Multiple Means of Representation: Students are encouraged to demonstrate their learning using mathematical representations, both print and digital, and regularly engage with their peers in analyzing multiple possible solutions. Classes engage in open-ended discussions about what individual students notice and wonder about mathematical concepts.
- Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Learners differ in how they navigate learning environments and express what they know. Students can communicate their ideas in multiple ways, including in print, sketching, uploading photos, or recording an audio response.
Accessibility
Lesson Facilitation Supports
Every lesson includes at least one specific suggestion the teacher can use to increase access to the lesson without reducing the mathematical demand of the tasks. These suggestions address the following areas:
- Conceptual Processing
- Visual-Spatial Processing
- Executive Functioning
- Memory and Attention
- Fine Motor Skills
Accessibility Tools
Students have the ability to control accessibility tools so that each learning experience is customized to their individual needs. In many instances, these tools can be turned on or off at any point of instruction.
- Text to speech: Reads text instructions to students in multiple languages
- Enlarged font: Increases the size of all text on screen
- Braille mode: Includes narration of digital interactions
- Language selection: Toggles between languages
Differentiation: In-Lesson Teacher Moves
Within every lesson activity, teachers can use the suggestions in the Differentiation Teacher Moves table to provide in-the-moment instructional support while students are engaged in the work of the lesson. This table can help teachers anticipate the ways students may approach the activity, and provides prompts that they can use during the lesson to Support, Strengthen, and Stretch individual students in their thinking. Teachers are provided with clear student actions and understanding to look for, each matched with immediately usable suggestions for how to respond to the student thinking illustrated in each row of the table. In addition to using these suggestions in the moment as teachers monitor student work, teachers can review the Differentiation table in advance to help them anticipate how students are likely to approach the activity.
Differentiation: Beyond the Lesson
Teachers are provided with recommendations for resources to use with each group of students needing support, strengthening, and stretching after each lesson. Support, Strengthen, and Stretch resources include:
- Mini-Lessons: 15-minute, small-group direct instruction lessons targeted to a specific concept or skill
- Item Banks: Space for teachers to create practice and assessments by using filters and searching for standards, summative-style items, and more
- Fluency Practice: Adaptive, personalized practice built out for basic operations and more
- Extensions: Lesson-embedded Teacher Moves including possible stretch questions and activities for students
- Lesson Practice: Additional practice problems support every lesson
- Math Adventures: Strategy-based math games where students engage with math concepts and practice skills in a fun digital environment
- Lesson Summary Support: Support for students and caregivers that provides efficient explanation of the learning goal with clear examples
Math Identity and Community
The Math Identity and Community feature supports teachers in helping students build confidence in their own mathematical thinking, develop skills to work with and learn from others when doing math, and learn how math is an interwoven part of their broader community. The embedded prompts throughout the lessons are designed to highlight what it means to be good at math, the value of sharing ideas, and the power of flexible and creating thinking. Here are some examples of the Math Identity and Community supports embedded in each lesson:
- I can be all of me in math class. You will work with partners every day in math class. What do you want your partners to know about you?
- We are a math community. What does good listening look like and sound like in a math community?
- I am a doer of math. What math strengths did you use today?
Math Language Development
Every lesson in Amplify Desmos Math California includes opportunities for all students to develop mathematical language as they experience the content. Amplify Desmos Math California purposefully progresses language development from lesson to lesson and across units by supporting students in making their arguments and explanations stronger, clearer, and more precise. This systematic approach to the development of math language can be broken down into the following four categories of support:
- Vocabulary: Units and lessons start by surfacing students’ language for new concepts, then building connections between their language and the new vocabulary for that unit. This honors the language assets that students bring into their learning.
- Language Goals: Language goals attend to the mathematics students are learning, and are written through the lens of one or more of four language modalities: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
- Math Language Routines: Math Language Routines are used within lessons to highlight student-developed language and ideas, cultivate conversation, support mathematical sense-making, and promote meta-cognition.
- Multilingual/English Learner Supports: Supports for multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs) are called out at intentional points within each lesson. These specific, targeted suggestions support ML/ELs with modifications that increase access to a task, or through development of contextual or mathematical language (both of which can be supportive of all learners).
Multilingual and English Learner Supports
Partnership with English Learner Success Forum
Amplify partnered with the English Learner Success Forum (ELSF), a national nonprofit organization that advocates for high-quality instructional materials that are inclusive of multilingual learners. ELSF reviewed Amplify Desmos Math California, and provided directional guidance and feedback to ensure that the program reflects their research-based instructional strategies for multilingual/English learners.
Math Language Development Resource
Our Math Language Development Resources book contains lesson-specific strategies and activities for all levels of English Learners (i.e., Emerging, Expanding, Bridging). With support for every lesson, teachers are empowered to help all students, regardless of their language skills, to participate fully, grasp the material, and excel in their mathematical journey.
Multilingual Glossary
Amplify Desmos Math California includes a digital glossary for languages other than Spanish. Translations will be provided for up to nine languages.
Spanish Version
Amplify Desmos Math California will include Spanish student-facing materials beginning in the 2026–27 school year.
Category 5: Instructional Planning and Support
Amplify Desmos Math California includes a variety of embedded instructional supports to empower teachers to lead effectively and gain actionable insights into student growth and progress. Teachers are equipped with a comprehensive set of resources designed to fulfill the requirements of Category 5.
Grade-level concepts
Within the Teacher Edition front matter:
- Scope and sequence
- Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
- Grade level standards
- Standards for Mathematical Practice
- English Language Development Standards
- Environmental Principals and Concepts
Within each Unit and Sub-Unit Overview:
- Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
- Math that Matters Most
- Grade level standards
- Standards for Mathematical Practice
- English Language Development Standards
- Environmental Principals and Concepts
Within each Lesson:
- Big Ideas, Drivers of Investigation, and Content Connections
- Grade level standards
- Standards for Mathematical Practice
- English Language Development Standards
- Environmental Principals and Concepts
How to implement the program
At the course level (within the Teacher Edition front matter):
- Navigating the Program (both print and digital)
- Facilitating Lesson Activities with Launch, Monitor and Connect
- Overview of the Digital Facilitation Tools
At the lesson level:
- Suggestions for timing
- What materials to prep
- How to organize and group students
- Key lesson takeaways with the Synthesis
- Recommendations for Differentiation
- Strategies for intervention and extensions (in the Intervention, Extensions, and Investigation Resources book)
At the activity level:
- Differentiation recommendations
- Accessibility tips
- ML / EL tips
- Teacher look-fors
- Recommended Teacher Moves
- Prompts for guiding student thinking
- Sample student responses
Development of Math Language
A variety of language development supports are provided within the Student and Teacher Editions and Math Language Development Resources book.
At the lesson level:
- Diagrams and visuals
- Sentence frames and word banks
- Graphic organizers, including Frayer models
- Vocabulary routines
- Embedded language supports aligned to the CA ELDs
- Lesson-specific strategies for Emerging, Expanding, and Bridging
At the unit level:
- Words With Multiple Meanings
- Contextual vocabulary
At the course level:
- English/Spanish cognates
- Multilingual Glossary
Other Curriculum Guidance
- Additional Practice Resources book
- Assessment Resources book
- Assess and Respond guidance paired with each assessment opportunity
- Show-What-You-Know activities
- Answer keys and rubrics
- Performance tasks
1. Service Overview
As a provider of technology solutions to schools, Amplify’s commitment to data privacy and security is essential to our organization. This overview of Amplify’s Information Security Program describes physical, technical and administrative safeguards Amplify implements to protect student data in our care.
Company profile
Amplify Education, Inc. (Amplify) is a privately held company founded in 2000 as Wireless Generation. Amplify’s products include curriculum and instruction, assessment and intervention, professional development services and consulting services for K-12 education.
Service hosting
Amplify leverages Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its cloud hosting provider. Within AWS, Amplify utilizes Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), which provide an isolated cloud environment within the AWS infrastructure. External network traffic to a VPC is managed via gateway and firewall rules, which are maintained in source code control to ensure that the configuration remains in compliance with Amplify security policy. In addition, the production VPCs and the development VPCs are isolated from each other and maintained in separate AWS accounts.
2. Policies & standards
Information security program
Amplify maintains a comprehensive information security program based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework and the NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 family of information security controls. These provide a robust framework of best practices from which an organization can build its security policies and protocols based on identified risks, compliance requirements, and business needs. They cover critical practice areas, including access control, configuration management, incident response, security training, and other information security domains.
Governance
Amplify’s Information Security Committee has primary responsibility for the development, maintenance, and implementation of the Amplify information security program. The Information Security Committee is responsible for all information risk management activities within the company and is composed of technology, business and legal leaders from the organization. The Committee meets weekly and includes a dedicated VP of Information Security and a program manager to oversee, direct and coordinate its activities.
Policy execution
Adherence to the internal Amplify information security policy is an obligation of every Amplify employee. Amplify conducts a series of internal monitoring procedures to verify compliance with internal information security policies, and all Amplify employees undergo annual criminal background checks. In addition, any third-party contractors who come into contact with systems that may contain student data are contractually bound to maintain security and privacy of the data.
3. Data access controls
Access control
Amplify’s access control principles dictate that all student data we store on behalf of customers is only accessible to district-authorized users and to a limited set of internal Amplify users who may only access the data for purposes authorized by the district. Districts maintain control over their internal users and may grant or revoke access.
In limited circumstances and strictly for the purposes of supporting school districts and maintaining the functionality of systems, certain Amplify users may access Amplify systems with student data. All such access to student data by Amplify technicians or customer support requires both authentication and authorization to view the information.
Encryption
Data encryption is an important element of our protection of sensitive data at rest and in transit, and is reviewed and updated as appropriate annually, based on the latest standards and guidelines published by OWASP and NIST.
- In transit: Amplify encrypts all student data in transit over public connections, using Transport Layer Security (TLS), commonly known as SSL, using industry-standard protocols, ciphers, algorithms, and key sizes.
- At rest: Amplify encrypts student data at rest using the industry-standard AES-256 encryption algorithm.
4. Application security by design
Building the right roles into applications
Permissions within Amplify applications are designed on the principle that school districts control access to all student data. To facilitate this, Amplify applications are designed so that roles and permissions flow from the district to the individual user. For example, applications that offer schools a way to collect and report on assessment results have a web interface that requires district administrators to authorize individuals to view student data.
Security controls within applications are used to ensure that the desired privacy protections are technically enforced within the system. For example, if a principal is supposed to see only the data related to his or her school, Amplify ensures that, throughout the design and development process, our products restrict principals from seeing records for any students outside his or her school.
To make sure Amplify applications properly enforce permissions and roles, our development teams conduct reviews early in the design process to ensure roles and permissions are an essential component of the design of new applications.
Building security controls into applications
Amplify applications are also developed to minimize security vulnerabilities and ensure industry-standard application security controls are in place.
As part of the development process, Amplify has a set of application security standards that all applications handling student data are required to follow, including:
- Student data is secured using industry standard encryption when in transit between end-users and Amplify systems.
- Applications are built with password brute-force attack prevention.
- User sessions expire after a fixed period of time.
We also conduct manual and automated static code analysis as well as dynamic application security testing to preemptively identify vulnerabilities published by industry leaders such as OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project)
5. Proactive security
Risk assessments
Amplify periodically engages a security consulting firm to conduct risk assessments, aimed at identifying and prioritizing security vulnerabilities. The Information Security Committee coordinates remediation of the vulnerabilities. The security consulting firm also provides ongoing advice on current risks and advises on remediation of vulnerabilities and incident response.
Penetration testing
Amplify engages third-party firms to continually conduct application penetration testing. The purpose of this testing is to test for application security vulnerabilities in the production environment. We work with third party penetration testing program partners. Third-party testing involves a combination of automated and manual testing.
Vulnerability management
Amplify ensures that its systems are free of known vulnerabilities in several ways. Every production server runs vulnerability detection software that compares the installed software against a global database of known vulnerabilities. Secondly, we employ real time network monitoring that reports on any potentially malicious traffic. In addition, a third-party security firm continually reviews all of our system logs for potential security breaches. Lastly we continually test our applications against common malicious internet traffic. Violations in any of these areas will alert one of our operations teams, who are available around the clock.
In addition, Amplify participates in a private bug bounty program through HackerOne, working with the security community to find security vulnerabilities and support our efforts to keep our data and systems safe and secure.
Endpoint security
Access to production systems at Amplify is restricted to a limited set of internal Amplify users to support technical infrastructure, troubleshoot customer issues, or other purposes authorized by the district. In addition, Amplify requires multi-factor (MFA) authentication methods for access to all production systems. MFA involves a combination of something only the user knows and something only the user can access. For example, MFA for administrative access could involve entering a password as well as entering a one-time passcode sent via text message to the administrator’s mobile phone. The use of MFA reduces the possibility that an unauthorized individual could use a compromised password to access a system.
Infrastructure security
Network filtering technologies are used to ensure that production environments with student data are properly segmented from the rest of the network. Production environments only have limited external access to enable customers to use our web interfaces and other services. In addition, Amplify uses firewalls to ensure that development servers have no access to production environments.
Other measures that Amplify takes to secure its operational environment include system monitoring to detect anomalous activity that could indicate potential attacks and breaches.
Security training
At Amplify, we believe that protecting student data is the responsibility of all employees. We implemented a comprehensive information security awareness training program that all employees undergo upon initial hire, with an annual refresher training. We also provide information security training and annual social engineering tests for specific departments based on role.
6. Reactive security
Monitoring
Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) are in place to analyze the network device logs, monitor the network and report anomalous activity for appropriate resolution.
Incident response
Amplify maintains a comprehensive Security Incident Response Policy Plan, which sets out roles, responsibilities and procedures for reporting, investigation, containment, remediation and notification of security incidents. Amplify works with reputable firms for incident response and digital forensics support, as well as annual table-top exercises in coordination with cybersecurity experts.
Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery
Amplify maintains a comprehensive Business Continuity Planning and Disaster Recovery Plan (BCP/DR), to guide personnel in procedures to protect against business disruptions caused by an unexpected event. The plans and related operations processes are tested on a semiannual basis, with ensuing operations improvement and remediation work.
7. Compliance
Audits
In addition to penetration testing and other proactive security testing and monitoring outlined above, Amplify undergoes annual SOC 2 Type 2 examinations of controls relevant to security. The examination is formally known as a Type 2 Independent Service Auditor’s Report on Controls Relevant to Security. The most recent examination was conducted by Schellman & Company, LLC and covers the period from April 1, 2024–March 31, 2025. The report states that Amplify’s systems meet the criteria for the security principle and opine on management’s description of the organization’s system and the suitability of the design of controls to protect against unauthorized access, use, or modification.
The Type 2 report also opines on the operating effectiveness of controls over the review period. This means that our auditors confirmed that we have continued to follow established security controls over the period of time of the review.
Certifications
SOC 2: Amplify successfully completed the SOC 2 Type 2 examination of controls relevant to security (see above, under “Audits”).
Privacy
Amplify’s products are built to facilitate district compliance with applicable data privacy laws, including FERPA and state laws related to the collection, access and review and disclosure of student data. Amplify’s Customer Privacy Policy describes the types of information collected and maintained on behalf of our school district customers and limitations on use and sharing of that data.
8. Supporting documentation
In the course of customer security assessment, the following documentation can be provided by Amplify upon customers’ request:
- Penetration Testing Report
- Risk Assessment Report
- SOC 2 Type 2 Report
9. Report a vulnerability
To report a security vulnerability, click here.
Customer Privacy Policy
Last Modified: January 23, 2026 | Update History
Most recent update: This Privacy Policy has been updated to address additional rights for individuals in the European Union/UK.
We advise you to read this Privacy Policy in its entirety, including the jurisdiction-specific provisions in the appendix. Click here to review Our U.S. Notice At Collection.
Customer Privacy Policy: K–12 Schools
Who We Are
Amplify Education, Inc. (“Amplify”) is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Amplify’s programs provide teachers with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of each student and use data in a way that is safe, secure, and effective.
Our Products and Services
Amplify’s products support classroom instruction and learning and include Amplify CKLA, Amplify ELA, Amplify Caminos, Amplify Science, Amplify Desmos Math, Boost Reading, Boost Math, mCLASS, Mathigon, associated professional development and tutoring services, and services at classroom.amplify.com (for creating and assigning activities) and student.amplify.com (for use of the activities or curricula as directed by an instructor), and any other product or service that links to this Privacy Policy (together, the “Products”).
Our Approach to Student Data Privacy
In the course of providing the Products to Schools and their Authorized School Users, Amplify collects, receives, generates, or has access to Student Data (defined below). We consider Student Data to be confidential and we collect and use Student Data solely for educational purposes in connection with providing our Products to, or on behalf of the School as described in this Privacy Policy and our Agreements (defined below). We work to maintain the security and confidentiality of Student Data that we collect or store, and we enable Schools to control the use, access, sharing, and retention of Student Data.
Our Products are geared towards K–12 students (“Students”), and the educators, agents and staff members who use the Products as authorized by their School (“Educators”). Information that directly relates to an identifiable Student (“Student Data”) is owned and controlled by the School, and Amplify receives Student Data as a “school official” under Section 99.31 of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”) for the purpose of providing the Products hereunder. In addition, we rely on the School acknowledging that it is acting as the parent’s agent and consenting on the parent’s behalf to process personal information of Students under the age of 13 (“Child Users”) in accordance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”).
Our collection and use of Student Data is governed by our Agreements with Schools, including this Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”), and applicable laws which may include FERPA, COPPA, the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (“PPRA”), as well as other applicable federal, state, and local privacy laws and regulations (“Applicable Laws”). As noted above, with respect to FERPA, Amplify receives Student Data as a “school official” under Section 99.31 of FERPA for the purpose of providing its Products, and such Student Data is owned and controlled by the School.
Schools may provide authorization in two ways:
- by the School agreeing to our Customer Terms and Conditions located at amplify.com/customer-terms or another written agreement between Amplify and the School, as applicable; or
- by an Educator agreeing to the Acceptable Use Policy located at amplify.com/acceptable-use-policy/ (“AUP”) on behalf of the School as outlined in the AUP.
In each case, we collect Student Data and provide these Products solely for the use and benefit of the School and for no other commercial purpose. We require all Schools to review this Privacy Policy, available at amplify.com/customer-privacy, and to make a copy of the Privacy Policy available to the parents or guardians of Child Users.
We also provide limited opportunities for individual users to sign up for an account for use of our Products at-home or otherwise outside of the authorization of a School (“Home Users”). See the Appendix–Supplemental Disclosures for additional information that applies to our Home Users.
What This Privacy Policy Covers
This Customer Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) describes how Amplify collects, uses, and discloses personal information through the provision of Products.
For purposes of this Privacy Policy, “you” and “your” means Authorized Users (defined below).
This Privacy Policy does not apply to Amplify’s handling of:
- information collected from users of Amplify’s company website, which is governed by our Website Privacy Policy.
- job applicant data that we process in accordance with our applicant privacy notice.
There may be different contractual terms or privacy policies in place with some Schools. Such other terms or policies supersede this Privacy Policy for information collected or released under those terms. If you have any questions as to which legal agreement or privacy policy controls the collection and use of your personal information, please contact us using the information provided below. Unless expressly superseded, this Privacy Policy is incorporated into and is subject to the Agreement that governs your use of the Products.
Our Role
Amplify as a processor/service provider: Our School customers are the controllers of Student Data (as well as certain other Educator personal information to the extent required by law or Amplify’s agreement with the School) (together “School Data”).
Amplify acts as a processor/service provider for our School customers with respect to School Data, which means when we use School Data, we do so solely on the instruction of the School. School Data is subject to the School’s privacy policies; therefore, you will need to contact the School directly if you have any questions or would like to exercise your rights with respect to School Data.
Amplify as a controller: We are the controller of all other personal information we collect from non-Student Authorized Users (“Amplify Data”) and can be reached by email at privacy@amplify.com or by mail at Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington St.#800, Brooklyn, NY, 11201.
Policy
1. Definitions
Capitalized terms not defined in this section or elsewhere in this Privacy Policy will have the meaning set forth by Applicable Laws.
“Agreement” means the underlying contractual agreement between Amplify and the School.
“Authorized Users” means all users of our Products, including Authorized School Users, parents and legal guardians, and Home Users.
“Authorized School Users” means Students and Educators.
“Local Education Authority” means a local education agency or authority, school district, school network, independent school, or other regional education system.
“Non-Student Data” means information that is linked or linkable to Authorized Users who are not Students.
“School” means the Local Education Authority or State Agency.
“State Agency” means the educational agency primarily responsible for the supervision of public elementary and secondary schools in any of the 50 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, or other territories and possessions of the United States, as well as a national or regional ministry or department of education in other countries, as applicable.
2. What personal information do we collect?
When you access or use our Products, you may choose to provide us with personal information, including Student Data. This information may be provided to us directly (e.g. when an account is created or through communications with us) or through your interactions with our Products.
Student Data. Below is a list of the categories of Student Data that may be collected by Amplify or its Products, either directly or through the Authorized School User’s use of the various features and configurations of the Products:
- Identifier and Enrollment Data, such as name, email, school / state ID number, username and password, grade level, homeroom, courses, teacher names.
- Why? Most of Amplify’s Products require some basic information about who is in a classroom and who teaches the class—Student or teacher Identifier and Enrollment data. This information is provided to Amplify by the School, either directly from the School’s student information system or via a third party with whom the School contracts to provide that information.
- Demographic Data, such as date of birth, socioeconomic status, race, national origin, and preferred or primary language.
- Why? To support school instructional and reporting requirements, Amplify’s Products allow Schools to view reports and analyze data using Demographic Data. Generally, Demographic Data is provided on a voluntary basis by the School. For example, a School may wish to analyze Student literacy assessment results based on English Language Learner status to better tailor classroom instruction, and in that case, the School may provide Demographic Data to enable that reporting.
- School Records, such as grades, attendance, assessment results, and whether an Individualized Education Plan (IEP or local equivalent) is in place.
- Why? Some of our Products support grading assignments and administering formative, diagnostic, and curriculum-based assessments. Teachers use that information to support Students’ progress in the program or help with instructional decisions. We do not collect specific details from an IEP, nor do we collect protected health information or other sensitive information.
- Schoolwork and Student Generated Content, which includes any information contained in Student assignments and assessments, including information in response to instructional activities and participation in collaborative or interactive features of our Products, such as Student responses to academic questions and Student-written essays, as well as images, video, and audio recordings.
- Why? As part of the digital learning experience, some of our Products may enable Students to write text and create and upload images, video, and audio recordings. For example, in Amplify ELA, students may write essays or submit short-form responses in our platform as part of a lesson on literature. As another example, in Boost Reading, student interactions with reading skills games are recorded to keep track of the student’s progress to level up in the program and to provide visibility to teachers on how students are mastering the skills.
- Teacher Comments and Feedback, such as scores, written comments, or other feedback that Educators may provide about Student responses or student course performance.
- Why? To enable teachers to track the performance and provide feedback to their students.
- Non-Student Data. We may collect the following types of personal information from all other Authorized Users:
- Contact Information, such as name and email address, as well as grade level taught, school name and school location, whether you are an Educator or Home User that creates an account or uses our Products or communicates with us.
- Account Information, such as user login and password, for account creation and access purposes.
- Survey Responses, which you provide in response to surveys or questionnaires.
- Device and Usage Data. Depending on the Product, we may collect certain information about the device used to connect to our Product, such as device type and model, browser configurations, and persistent identifiers, such as IP addresses and unique device identifiers. We may collect device diagnostic information, such as battery level, usage logs, and error logs, as well as usage, viewing, and technical information (e.g., email open rates), such as the number of requests a device makes, to ensure proper system capacity for all Authorized Users. We may collect IP addresses and use that information to approximate device location to support operation of the Product. To the extent that we collect this information, this data is solely used to support operation of the Product and is not linked to Student Data. For purposes of clarity, Amplify does not use Student Data for marketing or advertising purposes (see section 6 of this Privacy Policy for more information about our commitments regarding Student Data).
- Why? We use this information to remember returning users and facilitate ease of login, to customize the function and appearance of the Products, and to improve the learning experience. This information also helps us track product usage for various purposes, including website optimization, to ensure proper system capacity, troubleshoot and fix errors, provide technical assistance and customer support, provide and monitor the effectiveness of our Products, monitor and address security concerns, and compile analytics for product improvement and other internal purposes.
- How? Cookies and Similar Technologies. We collect device and usage data through “cookies,” Web beacons, HTML5 local storage, and other similar technologies, which are used in some of our Products solely to support operation of the Products as described above. While we may use third party cookies and similar technologies for advertising and marketing purposes on our website (in accordance with our Website Privacy Policy), we do not permit such tracking technologies to be present on Student-facing portions of the Products. In particular, we only use the following types of cookies in our Products:
- Strictly necessary cookies – These are cookies that are required for the operation of our websites and applications that host our Products. They include, for example, cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our Products. These cookies are not generally stored beyond the browser session and are less likely to include personal information. This category of cookies cannot be disabled.
- Functionality Cookies – We use these cookies so that we recognize you on the websites and apps that host our Products and remember your previously selected preferences. These cookies are stored on your device between browsing sessions but expire after a pre-defined period. These cookies enable us to “recognize” you when you use our Products, including your preferences such as your preferred language, time, and location. A mix of first party (placed by us) and third-party cookies (placed by third parties) are used.
- Performance Cookies – These cookies help us and service providers acting on our behalf compile statistics and analytics about users of our Products that are accessed via websites and apps, including Device and Usage Information.
- Learn how to opt out of cookies and similar technologies by reading the “What Rights and Choices Do You Have?” section of this Privacy Policy below.
3. How do we use personal information?
Student Data. Amplify uses Student Data for educational purposes, to provide the Products, and to ensure secure and effective operation of our Products, including:
- to provide and improve our educational Products;
- to support School and Authorized School Users’ activities;
- to ensure secure and effective operation of our Products;
- for purposes requested or authorized by the School or Authorized School User or as otherwise permitted by Applicable Laws;
- for customer support purposes, to respond to the inquiries and fulfill the requests of the School and their Authorized School Users;
- to enforce Product access and security controls; and
- to conduct system audits and improve protections against the misuse of our Products, or to detect and prevent fraud and other harmful activities.
- to enable the adaptive and personalized learning features of the Products.
Non-Student Data. Amplify may use Non-Student Data for the purposes for which Student Data is used as set forth above. In addition, Amplify may use Non-Student Data to provide customized content, advertising and marketing in limited circumstances (e.g. to periodically send newsletters and other promotional materials) directed to Educators and Home Users. For sake of clarity, we do not use Student Data for marketing purposes and we do not direct marketing to Students. Amplify may also use Non-Student Data for internal research and analytics, including generating insights on the use of our Products by Educators in certain Schools so that we can better serve those communities. We will also use Non-Student Data as otherwise required or permitted by law, or as we may notify you at the time of collection. Learn how to opt out of these communications by reading the “What Rights and Choices Do You Have?” section of this Privacy Policy below.
Amplify may use aggregate or de-identified data as described in the Aggregate/De-identified Data section below.
4. To whom do we disclose personal information?
Student Data. We disclose Student Data to third parties only as needed to provide the Products under the Agreement, as directed or permitted by the School or Authorized School User, and as required by law. Such disclosures may include but are not limited to the following:
- to other Authorized School Users of the School entitled to access such data in connection with the Products;
- to our service providers, subprocessors, or vendors who have a legitimate need to access such data in order to assist us in providing or supporting our Products, such as platform, infrastructure, and application software. We contractually bind such parties to protect Student Data in a manner consistent with those practices set forth in this Privacy Policy and in accordance with Applicable Laws. A list of Amplify subprocessors is available at https://www.amplify.com/subprocessors;
- to comply with the law, respond to requests in legal or government enforcement proceedings (such as complying with a subpoena), protect our rights in a legal dispute, or seek assistance of law enforcement in the event of a threat to our rights, security, or property or that of our affiliates, customers, Authorized Users, or others;
- in the event Amplify or all or part of its assets are acquired or transferred to another party, including in connection with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings, provided that successor entity will be required to comply with the privacy protections in this Privacy Policy with respect to information collected under this Privacy Policy, or we will provide the School with notice and an opportunity to opt out of the transfer of such data prior to the transfer; and
- except as restricted by Applicable Laws or contracts with the School, we may also share Student Data with Amplify’s affiliated education companies, provided that such disclosure is solely for the purposes of providing Products and at all times is subject to this Policy.
Non-Student Data. Amplify discloses Non-Student Data for the purposes for which Student Data is used as set forth above. Amplify may also disclose Non-Student Data as otherwise required or permitted, or as disclosed at the time of collection. Please note that we do not share mobile information or opt-in consent with third parties / affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes.
5. Aggregate/De-identified data
Amplify may use de-identified or aggregate data for purposes allowed under FERPA and other Applicable Laws, to research, develop, and improve educational sites, services, and applications and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Amplify Products. Amplify will not attempt to re-identify de-identified data. We may use aggregate information (which is information that has been collected in summary form such that the data cannot be associated with any individual) for analytics and reports. For example, our promotional materials may note the total number of students served by our programs in the prior year, but that information cannot be used to identify any one student. We may also share de-identified or aggregate data with research partners to help us analyze the information for product improvement and development purposes.
Records and information are de-identified when all personal information has been removed or obscured, such that the remaining information does not reasonably identify a specific individual. We de-identify Student Data in compliance with Applicable Laws and in accordance with the guidelines of NIST SP 800-122. Amplify has implemented internal procedures and controls to protect against the re-identification of de-identified Student Data. Amplify does not disclose de-identified data to its research partners unless that party has agreed in writing not to attempt to re-identify such data.
6. Data prohibitions, Advertising, Advertising limitations
Amplify will not:
- sell Student Data to third parties;
- use or disclose Student Data to inform, influence, or enable targeted advertising to a Student based on Student Data or information or data inferred over time from the Student’s usage of the Products;
- use Student Data to develop a profile of a Student for any purpose other than providing the Products to a School or Authorized School User, or as authorized by a parent or legal guardian;
- use Student Data for any commercial purpose other than to provide the Products to the School or Authorized School User, or as permitted by Applicable Laws.
7. External third-party services
This Privacy Policy applies solely to Amplify’s Products and practices. Schools and other Authorized Users may choose to connect or use our Products in conjunction with third-party services and Products. Additionally, our sites and Products may contain links to third-party websites or services . This Privacy Policy does not address, and Amplify is not responsible for, the privacy, information, or other practices of such third parties. Schools should carefully consider which third-party applications to include among the Products and services they provide to Students and vet the privacy and data security standards of those providers.
Authorized Users may be able to log in to our Products using third-party sign-in services such as Clever, ClassLink or Google. These services authenticate your identity and provide you with the option to share certain personal information with us, including your name and email address, to pre-populate our account sign-up form. If you choose to enable a third party to share your third-party account credentials with Amplify, we may obtain personal information via that mechanism. You may configure your accounts on these third-party platform services to control what information they share.
8. Security
Amplify maintains a comprehensive information security program and uses industry standard administrative, technical, operational, and physical measures to safeguard Student Data in its possession against loss, theft and unauthorized use, disclosure, or modification. Amplify performs periodic risk assessments of its information security program and prioritizes the remediation of identified security vulnerabilities. Please see https://amplify.com/security for a detailed description of Amplify’s security program.
In the event Amplify discovers or is notified that Student Data within our possession or control was disclosed to, or acquired by, an unauthorized party, we will investigate the incident, take steps to mitigate the potential impact, and notify the School in accordance with Applicable Laws.
Non-Student Data
Outside of Student Data, Amplify uses commercially reasonable administrative, technical, personnel, and physical measures to safeguard personal information in its possession against loss, theft, and unauthorized use, disclosure or modification.
9. Data Storage and Transfers
We are a United States Company, and our servers are hosted, managed, and controlled by us in the United States. If you are outside of the United States, we use industry standards to protect your data when it leaves your country of residence and your data will always be protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy, Applicable Laws and our Agreement regardless of the storage location.
Additionally, where we transfer your personal information to service providers outside of the United Kingdom (UK), European Economic Area (EEA), or other region that offers similar protections, we use specific appropriate safeguards to contractually obligate such service providers to protect personal information in accordance with Amplify’s commitment to privacy and security and applicable data protection laws.
If you have questions or wish to obtain more information about the international transfer of your personal information or the implemented safeguards, please contact us using the contact information below.
10. Data Retention / Deletion
Student Data
Upon request, we provide the School the opportunity to review and delete the personal information collected from Students. We will retain Student Data for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy and our Agreement with the School. We do not knowingly retain Student Data beyond the time period required to support the School or Authorized School User’s educational purpose, unless authorized by the School or Authorized School User. Upon request, Amplify will return, delete, or destroy Student Data stored by Amplify in accordance with applicable law and customer requirements. We may not be able to delete all data in all circumstances, such as information retained in technical support records, customer service records, back-ups, and similar business records. All such information will be protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy and our Agreement until it has been permanently deleted. Unless otherwise notified by the School, we will delete or de-identify Student Data after termination of our Agreement with the School.
Non-Student Data
Outside of Student Data, we keep personal information as long as it is necessary or relevant for the practices described in this Privacy Policy or as otherwise required by our Agreement with the School, if applicable. We determine the appropriate retention period for personal information on the basis of the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal information being processed, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure of the personal information, whether we can achieve the purposes of the processing through other means, and on the basis of applicable legal requirements (such as applicable statutes of limitations).
11. What rights and choices do you have?
What Choices Do You Have?
Marketing/Advertising
As noted above, we do not use Student Data for marketing purposes and we do not direct marketing to Students. Amplify does not use third party cookies and similar technologies for advertising and marketing purposes on Student-facing portions of the Products. The choices below apply to Non-Student Authorized Users.
Opt-out of Marketing Communications. If you want to stop receiving promotional materials from Amplify, you can follow the unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of each email or email us at privacy@amplify.com. Amplify does not send marketing communications to Students.
Opt-out of Cookies and Similar Tracking Technologies. With respect to cookies, you may be able to reject cookies through your browser or device controls. Note that you have to opt-out of cookies on each browser or device that you use. If you replace, change, or upgrade your browser or device, or delete your cookies, you may need to use these opt-out tools again. Please be aware that disabling cookies may negatively impact your experience as some features may not work properly. To learn more about browser cookies, including how to manage or delete them, check the “Help,” “Tools,” or similar section of your browser.
What Rights Do You Have?
Individuals in the U.S.
- What Rights Do You Have With Respect to Student Data?
- Review and Correction. FERPA requires schools to provide parents with access to their children’s education records, and parents may request that the school correct records that they believe to be inaccurate or misleading.
- If you are a parent or guardian and would like to review, correct, or update your child’s data stored in our Products, contact your School. Amplify will work with your School to enable your access to and, if applicable, correction of your child’s education records.
- If you have any questions about whom to contact or other questions about your child’s data, you may contact us using the information provided below.
- Other Privacy Rights? Please see section 3 of our supplemental disclosures: “Additional U.S. State Privacy Law Rights” for more information about your U.S. privacy rights
Individuals in the EU/UK
Please see section 4 of our supplemental disclosures: “Notice for European Economic Area and United Kingdom Customers” for more information about your EU/UK privacy rights.
12. COPPA
We do not knowingly collect personal information from a Child User unless and until a School or Educator, with the permission of the School, has authorized us to collect such information to provide the Products. Amplify relies on the School acknowledging that it is acting as the parent’s agent and consenting on the parent’s behalf to process personal information of Child Users in accordance with all applicable provisions of COPPA. To the extent COPPA applies to the information we collect, we process such information for educational purposes only, and no other commercial purpose, at the direction of the School and on the basis of the School’s authorization. If you are a parent or guardian and have questions about your child’s use of the Products and any personal information collected, please direct these questions to your child’s school.
Please refer to the Appendix–Supplemental Disclosures if you are a Home User.
13. Updates to this Privacy Policy
We may change this Privacy Policy in the future. For example, we may update it to comply with new laws or regulations, to conform to industry best practices, or to reflect changes in our product offerings. When these changes do not reflect material changes in our practices with respect to use and/or disclosure of Authorized Users’ personal information, including Student Data, such changes to the Privacy Policy will become effective when we post the revised Privacy Policy on our website. In the event there are material changes in our practices that would result in Authorized Users’ personal information being used in a materially different manner than was disclosed when the information was collected, with respect to Student Data, we will notify the School, and with respect to other information, we will notify you via email and provide an opportunity to opt out before such changes take effect.
14. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: privacy@amplify.com
Mail: Amplify Education, Inc.
55 Washington St.#800
Brooklyn, NY, 11201
Phone: (800) 823-1969
Attn: General Counsel
To report a security vulnerability, visit https://amplify.com/report-a-vulnerability/.
Appendix – Supplemental Disclosures
1. Mathigon and Amplify Classroom accounts
While our Products are geared towards Schools we do provide a limited opportunity for Home Users to use the Products at home—outside of the school context. We do not allow persons under the age of 13 (or those under the age of consent in any applicable jurisdiction) to register for an account with us outside the school context.
If you are a Home User, you are prohibited from collecting or providing any personal information from students or minors. You are permitted to access the platform for instructional purposes, but you may not enroll or roster minors, create accounts for minors, or input any personal information of minors into the Product.
Please note that most parts of Mathigon can be used without creating an account or providing any personal information that directly identifies you.
What Rights Do You Have? If you are a Child User who is 13 or older with a legacy Mathigon account (or the parent or guardian of a Child User with a legacy Mathigon account), you may request that we provide for your review, delete from our records, or cease collecting any Child User personal information. To the extent that you are unable to exercise these rights through self-service features within your account with us, please contact us by sending an email to: help@amplify.com and we will provide assistance.
2. U.S. Notice at Collection
| Personal Information We Collect | How We Use Personal Information |
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Student Data, which includes:
|
|
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Authorized Users, which includes:
|
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Some of the information described above may be considered “sensitive” under the laws of certain jurisdictions (i.e., account credentials and race/national origin) (“Sensitive Information”). We use Sensitive Information for necessary or reasonably expected purposes – specifically, to provide you with our Services (i.e., account credentials are used to allow account logins and race/national origin are used for the School’s reporting purposes when voluntarily provided by the School).
We do not sell or share your personal information, as described in California law.
We retain your personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes disclosed in the chart above. Additional information about our retention of Student Data and personal information from other Authorized Users can be found in Section 10 of this Privacy Policy.
Please see the Additional U.S. State Privacy Law Rights section of this appendix for information about your privacy rights pursuant to applicable U.S. law.
Notice of Financial Incentive
From time to time, to support our services, we offer opportunities to complete surveys and questionnaires. As an incentive for completing the survey or questionnaire, you can voluntarily provide personal information as an entry into a raffle drawing or to obtain other benefits, discounts, offers, or deals that may constitute a financial incentive under California law (“Financial Incentive”). The categories of personal information required for us to provide the Financial Incentives include: contact information and any other information that you choose to provide when you complete the survey.
Participation is voluntary and you can opt out at any time before the survey is complete. We do not allow students to participate in our surveys.
The value of the personal information we collect in connection with our Financial Incentives is equivalent to the value of the benefit offered.
3. Additional U.S. State Privacy Law Rights
Note for Requests Relating to Student Data: Because Amplify provides the Products to Schools as a “School Official,” we collect, retain, use, and disclose Student Data only for or on behalf of the School for educational purposes, including the purpose of providing the Products specified in our Agreement with the School and for no other commercial purpose. Accordingly, we act as a “service provider” for the School with respect to School Data. We work with the School to support and assist them in addressing privacy requests relating to School Data. Please reach out to your School directly if you wish to exercise any privacy rights that may be available to you.
For all other requests: With respect to Amplify Data, individuals residing in certain U.S. states have the following rights, regarding your personal information (each of which is subject to various exceptions and limitations):
- Access. You have the right to request, up to two times every 12 months, that we disclose to you the categories of personal information collected about you; the categories of sources from which the personal information is collected; the categories of personal information sold or shared; the business or commercial purpose for collecting, selling, or sharing the personal information; the categories of third parties with whom personal information was shared; and the specific pieces of personal information collected about you.
- Correction. You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information collected from you.
- Deletion. You have the right to request that we delete the personal information that we maintain about you. Even after the deletion of your account, some personal information may remain on our servers, such as in technical support logs, server caches, data backups, or email conversations. These will be automatically deleted after a reasonable amount of time, unless we are legally required to retain information for longer, or unless there is a legitimate business reason (e.g. security and fraud prevention or financial record-keeping). We are not required to delete any information which has been aggregated or de-identified in accordance with Section 5.
- No Discrimination. You have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights.
- Appeals. You have a right to appeal decisions concerning your ability to exercise your consumer rights.
See Submitting Requests section below for details on submitting a request to exercise these rights.
4. Notice for European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom (UK) Customers
As detailed at the beginning of our Privacy Policy (under the section titled “Our Role”), Amplify operates primarily as a processor that collects personal information on behalf of the School, and we act as a controller in limited circumstances where we offer Products outside the school context.
If you represent a School in the EEA or the UK, please note that we process personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy, our Acceptable Use Policy, and our standard Data Protection Agreement, which sets out our responsibilities when it comes to our processing activities. Schools must send an email to privacy@amplify.com to enter into that DPA.
Lawful Basis for Processing
We rely on the following lawful bases for our processing activities:
- Consent;
- We obtain your consent to use cookies to collect and process device and usage data to understand how individuals use our Products.
- Pursuant to a contract for use of our Products;
- We process School Data to provide our Products (e.g., to create, authenticate and manage your account, to verify your identity, to manage our Products) pursuant to the Agreement between us and the School, as required in order for us to perform our obligations.
- To comply with our legal obligations;
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to ensure the safety and security of our Products where we are complying with security requirements under data protection and cyber and information security law.
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to comply with our legal obligations which includes, for example, to access, retain or share certain personal information where we receive a valid request from a government body, law enforcement body, judicial body regulator or similar, to deal with legal claims and prospective legal claims, and to ensure we are complying with applicable laws.
- When we have a legitimate interest in doing so, which is not outweighed by the risks to the individual.
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to support the provision, effective management, and improvement of our Products where such activities are not strictly required under our contract. This is in our legitimate interests to ensure that we are providing the best possible service.
- We process all categories of personal information that we collect to ensure the safety and security of our services where this is important but not required under the data protection law or cyber and information security laws. This is in our legitimate interests to ensure the security of our services and systems, to prevent threats, abuse or fraudulent or unlawful activity, to promote safety and security and to ensure our Products are used in accordance with our terms and conditions.
- We process the contact information of Non-Student Authorized Users to manage our relationship, including to respond to queries or otherwise communicate with you in relation to our Products and the operation of our business where this is not strictly required under a contract with you. This is in our legitimate interests to communicate with and resolve queries from users of our Products and to ensure that we are providing the best possible service.
We process the contact information and survey data of Non-Student Authorized Users for internal research and marketing purposes in limited circumstances (e.g. to periodically send newsletters and other promotional materials), which will not be based on Student Data or directed to Students. This is in our legitimate interests to understand our customers and prospective customers, understand how our products and services are perceived in the market, to promote our products, and to grow and develop our business.
Your Data Subject Rights
Note for Requests Relating to School Data: Amplify acts as processor to its School customers with respect to all School Data. We work with our School customers to support and assist them in addressing privacy requests relating to School Data. Please reach out to your School directly if you wish to exercise any privacy rights that may be available to you.
For all other Requests – With respect to Amplify Data, you have the following rights if you are in the EEA or UK, subject to certain exceptions:
- Right of access: You have the right to ask us for confirmation on whether we are processing your personal information and access to that personal information.
- Right to correction: You have the right to have your personal information corrected.
- Right to erasure: You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information.
- Right to withdraw consent: You have the right to withdraw consent that you have provided.
- Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
- Right to restriction of processing: You have the right to request the limiting of our processing under limited circumstances.
- Right to data portability: You have the right to receive the personal information that you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and you have the right to transmit that information to another controller, including to have it transmitted directly, where technically feasible.
- Right to object: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal information
See Submitting Requests section below for details on submitting a request to exercise these rights.
5. Submitting Requests
To exercise any of the rights described in sections 2 and 3 of this appendix, email us at privacy@amplify.com and specify which privacy right you intend to exercise. We may require additional information from you to allow us to confirm your identity. The verification steps will vary depending on the sensitivity of the personal information and whether you have an account with us. Please note that your rights may not apply in all cases. For example, we may need to retain your personal information to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud and enforce our agreements. We will inform you if we are not able to fully respond to your requests. You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. When submitting the request, please ensure the authorized agent identifies himself/herself/itself as an authorized agent and can show written permission from you to represent you. We may contact you directly to confirm that you have authorized the agent to act on your behalf or confirm your identity.
Complaints
If you have any issues, you have the right to lodge a complaint with an EEA or UK supervisory authority. We would, however, appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you approach a data protection regulator and would welcome you directing an inquiry first to us. To do so, please contact us by email at privacy@amplify.com or by mail at Amplify Education, Inc., 55 Washington St.#800, Brooklyn, NY, 11201.
6. Google APIs
Amplify uses Google’s Application Programming Interface (API) Services to enable Authorized Users to log in to Amplify, import classes and rosters from Google Classroom, create assignments in Google Classroom, and copy, edit, and publish Amplify content using Google Slides. Amplify will use and transfer information received from Google’s API in accordance with Google API Service User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Update History:
Update: 6/13/2025: This Policy has been updated to align with product updates and to provide additional context for authorized educational use of Amplify’s Products.
Update 6/27/2024: The Policy has been updated to include an explanation regarding Google APIs in the Appendix — Supplemental Disclosures section.
Update 6/30/2023: This Privacy Policy has been updated to address new state law data privacy requirements.
S9 E3: Know the non-negotiables in a program aligned to the Science of Reading, with Kari Kurto
Meet Our Guest(s):
Kari Kurto
Kari Kurto is the National Science of Reading Project Director at The Reading League. She directs all work related to The Reading League Compass, the Curriculum Evaluation Guidelines, and the Curriculum Navigation Reports. She also leads work to support multilingual and English learners and runs several communities of practice. Kari is a Path Forward advisory group member and has presented to schools, districts, professional organizations, and state education departments. She formerly worked as a literacy specialist at the Rhode Island Department of Education, leading statewide efforts to implement the Rhode Island Right to Read Act. Kari is an Orton Gillingham practitioner who worked at Middlebridge School in Narragansett, RI and Rawson Saunders School in Austin, TX. Before her career in education, Kari worked as a casting director in Los Angeles. She and her three wonderful children live in southern Rhode Island.
Meet our host, Susan Lambert
Susan Lambert is the Chief Academic Officer of Elementary Humanities at Amplify, and the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast. Throughout her career, she has focused on creating high-quality learning environments using evidence-based practices. Lambert is a mom of four, a grandma of four, a world traveler, and a collector of stories.
As the host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, Lambert explores the increasing body of scientific research around how reading is best taught. As a former classroom teacher, administrator, and curriculum developer, Lambert is dedicated to turning theory into best practices that educators can put right to use in the classroom, and to showcasing national models of reading instruction excellence.
Quotes
“[On dyslexia instruction] It's instruction that we know that all students should have, because that's the instruction that is most aligned to the scientific evidence. But it's instruction that they need with multiple practice opportunities and multiple repetitions.”
“Just because we have this report and we say, ‘All right, this curriculum has all the stuff,’ if you don't teach it, then you're a red flag of your own.”
“Thank you to those folks who have been listening. Thank you to the folks who are curious about learning more, those who have spent years implementing and tweaking and improving literacy outcomes for our country's next generation. I mean, that's huge.”
“It's a movement of improvement, right? We're constantly striving to improve. And don't give up. Share your stories; share your success stories.”