Exciting updates are coming for Boost Reading!
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.
mCLASS Professional Development
Implementing evidence-based instruction: 5 essential tips
Implementing evidence-based instruction: 5 essential tips
Exciting updates for Amplify CKLA
Big things are coming next school year! Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) 3rd Edition is introducing new enhancements to save you time, extend your impact, and support you in delivering the dynamic learning experiences your students deserve.
Updates
Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition program improvements
For the next school year, you can expect several exciting updates to your Amplify CKLA experience, including:
- Caregiver-facing letters that summarize student performance on each end-of-unit assessment.
- The availability of K–2 Read-Aloud Videos to support student absences.
- Teacher Presentation Screens assignable to students, either allowing you to share the slides as they are or turn them into digital activities with the ability to control pacing and view student work digitally.
- Lesson screens will be downloadable and printable for offline viewing.
- Teacher Moves that will be easier to use in Companion Mode on a second device or in another tab.
- New resources for kindergarten, including guidance on letter naming routines and engaging digital practice games that can be assigned to students.
- More guidance resources including strategies for teachers to support students with varied needs; writing building block routines for each grade level; instructional guidance and feedback toolkit.
Digital assessment enhancements
We’re making digital assessments more comprehensive for the new school year, adding in open-ended questions (for Grades 2–5) and a three-point scoring rubric. These features will make them an even more powerful tool to gather data about the students in your classroom! You will also be able to download caregiver-facing letters that summarize student performance on each end-of-unit assessment. As you teach the program, digital assessments will help you understand if students are learning to comprehend text and vocabulary, as well as develop various components of comprehension.
New instructional routines videos
Modeling videos demonstrate best practices and help you implement Amplify CKLA K-2 Skills instruction with confidence. The instructional routine modeling videos and paired PDF guides will be embedded directly in the program to streamline your lesson preparation and delivery.
Amplify Classroom updates
This back-to-school season, we’re improving the overall classroom experience with platform enhancements that make lessons easier to navigate and instruction easier to manage.
- We’re making updates to our Recently Visited section on Educator Home. You’ll see both activity and units reflected there, and have the ability to star a unit or lesson to pin it to the front of your list
- Presentation tools are expanding with Companion Mode, Projector Mode, and Sketch Everywhere, making it easier to facilitate lessons, annotate in real time, and manage instruction from anywhere in the room.
- You will also have the option to use our redesigned Activity pages, which feature a left sidebar, informational tabs, and lesson screens at the top of the page. This reconfiguration allows you to immediately see each lesson and more easily access relevant resources and tools. You will be able to turn on the new design—or turn it off to return to the original design—with a toggle located on the page.
- As of December, you are able to filter Stream by student name and see all assignments for a particular student. This includes the ability to preview student work right from the Stream to check in on student progress. You can also now assign digital activities to select students and even name the group they’ve selected for future use in the Assign feature. Named groups will be saved in the Admin Portal. You should also use the Admin Portal to create or edit groups, as well as add or remove staff or students.
AI-powered teacher tools
We’ve developed new tools to enhance your ability to connect and collaborate with families! These AI-powered tools streamline home connections by allowing you to generate your own caregiver materials. You will be able to access the three tools below in your global navigation bar to create PDFs that can be easily downloaded or printed:
- Newsletter generator
- Decodable passage generator
- Caregiver letter translator
New supplemental program: Language Studio for Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition
Releasing for the coming back-to-school season, Language Studio is an add-on program that uses the same structure, knowledge sequence, and Science of Reading foundation of Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition to help multilingual/English learners (ML/ELs) access core content and strengthen language skills. These lessons preview and reinforce Amplify CKLA 3rd Edition content to meet the needs of all K–5 ML/ELs.
This supplemental program is available to purchase for an extra cost.
Language Studio Teacher Guide Grade 4. Unit 2: Knights and Castles: Europe’s Middle Ages: Lesson 1
Language Studio Student Activity Book Grade 4. Unit 2: Knights and Castles: Europe’s Middle Ages: Lesson 1
New Grades 4 and 5 Skills supplements
Also available for the new school year: Grades 4 and 5 Skills instruction. Similar to Grade 3 Skills, Grades 4 and 5 Skills supplements are a flexible component for reteaching and additional practice. You can use these extra lessons to support core instruction or serve as an intervention, depending on your students’ needs. Instruction follows a familiar sequence and can be taught flexibly, in either two 15-minute sessions or one 30-minute session.
This supplemental program is available to purchase for an extra cost.
Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition
We’re thrilled to announce Amplify Caminos 3rd Edition, our Spanish language arts program and companion to Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) 3rd Edition, which creates a cohesive path to biliteracy for students in bilingual and dual language programs. Built from the ground up for Spanish, it offers everything you need to teach with clarity and purpose: foundational skills instruction, authentic texts, knowledge-rich content, and alignment with Amplify CKLA.
This program is available to purchase for an extra cost.
Noteworthy features
Free content for you to explore
You can use the Discover button to access free content from other Amplify programs, and even assign these free activities to your students via the digital platform.
Caregiver Hub
Throughout the school year, teachers can share the Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos Caregiver Hubs with students’ caregivers. These sites provide curriculum details, an overview of what caregivers can expect throughout the school year, and resources they can use with students at home.
Elk Grove Science K5
Getting started with Amplify Science California
Dear Elk Grove K–5 teachers,
Welcome to the Amplify Science California family! Below you’ll find everything you need to successfully kick off your science instruction this year.
– Your California team
Program introduction
Onboarding videos
To start using Amplify Science California 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 quickly start using Amplify Science in your classroom and navigating the digital Teacher’s Reference Guide.
Program pacing
Hands-on materials kit
The following videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science California classroom kits. For each grade level, you’ll find a “How to unpack your kit” video for the first unit of the program.
- Kindergarten: Needs of Plants and Animals unpacking video
- Grade 1: Animal and Plant Defenses unpacking video
- Grade 2: Plant and Animal Relationships unpacking video
- Grade 3: Balancing Forces unpacking video
- Grade 4: Energy Conversions unpacking video
- Grade 5: Patterns of Earth and Sky unpacking video
Teacher digital resources
Watch this video to understand the basic organization of the digital teacher experience and how to navigate the platform.
Want some practice? Download this exploration guide to practice toggling between teacher view, presentation view, and student view.
Our new digital experience also makes it easy to assign work through our LMS integrations.
Our new digital experience also makes it easy to view student work in real time.
Student digital resources
Watch this video to take a peek at the various student digital resources available to your class.
Use this Student Login Click Path document to support students and families logging in from home.
Essential resources
Your Teacher’s Reference Guide is a tremendously rich resource. It’s also packed! That’s why teachers getting started with Amplify Science love our condensed Unit Guides, lesson planners, and device calendars.
Unit Guides
These short and sweet guides provide a big picture overview of each unit’s phenomenon and storyline, the key questions that guide learning, and how the storyline develops from chapter to chapter. We even spoil the big reveal at the end by pointing out ahead of time what students figure out throughout the unit.
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
- Plant and Animal Relationships Unit Guide
- Properties of Materials Unit Guide
- Changing Landforms Unit Guide
Grade 3
- Balancing Forces Unit Guide
- Inheritance and Traits Unit Guide
- Environments and Survival Unit Guide
- Weather and Climate Unit Guide
Grade 4
- Energy Conversions Unit Guide
- Vision and Light Unit Guide
- Earth’s Features Unit Guide
- Waves, Energy, and Information
Grade 5
- Patterns of Earth and Sky Unit Guide
- Modeling Matter Unit Guide
- Earth System Unit Guide
- Ecosystem Restoration Unit Guide
Lesson planners
Our lesson planners give you easy access to direct links to key resources within the program.
Kindergarten
- Needs of Plants and Animals lesson planner
- Pushes and Pulls lesson planner
- Sunlight and Weather lesson planner
Grade 1
- Animal and Plant Defenses lesson planner
- Light and Sound lesson planner
- Spinning Earth lesson planner
Grade 2
- Plant and Animal Relationships lesson planner
- Properties of Materials lesson planner
- Changing Landforms lesson planner
Grade 3
- Balancing Forces lesson planner
- Inheritance and Traits lesson planner
- Environments and Survival lesson planner
- Weather and Climate lesson planner
Grade 4
- Energy Conversions lesson planner
- Vision and Light lesson planner
- Earth’s Features lesson planner
- Waves, Energy, and Information lesson planner
Grade 5
- Patterns of Earth and Sky lesson planner
- Modeling Matter lesson planner
- Earth System lesson planner
- Ecosystem Restoration lesson planner
Teacher-provided materials
Your Amplify Science classroom kit includes a wide variety of consumable and non-consumable items. In fact, each kit contains enough non-consumables to support a class of 36 students working in small groups, and enough consumables to support 72 student uses.
In addition to these provided items, there are some teacher-provided items required in each unit. For a consolidated list of teacher-provided items per unit, download the appropriate PDF below.
- Kindergarten: Teacher-provided materials lists
- Grade 1: Teacher-provided materials lists
- Grade 2: Teacher-provided materials lists
- Grade 3: Teacher-provided materials lists
- Grade 4: Teacher-provided materials lists
- Grade 5: Teacher-provided materials lists
Device calendars
Our at-a-glance device calendars make device management and sharing between grade-level colleagues a breeze. With one calendar per unit (beginning in grade 2), you can easily see which lessons utilize devices.
- Grade 2: Device calendars for all units
- Grade 3: Device calendars for all units
- Grade 4: Device calendars for all units
- Grade 5: Device calendars for all units
Approach to assessment
The Amplify Science California assessment system is grounded in the principle that students benefit from regular and varied opportunities to demonstrate understanding through performance. In practice this means that conceptual understanding is revealed through engagement in the science and engineering practices.
Assessment types at a glance
In your classroom, you’ll be utilizing a variety of formative (F) and summative (S) assessments:
- End-of-Unit Assessment (S): Assessments toward the end of each unit feature a combination of targeted discussions, student-generated models, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.
- Pre-Unit Assessments (F): Discussion, modeling, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge.
- On-the-Fly Assessments (OtFA) (F): Multi-dimensional tasks integrated regularly throughout the lessons. OtFA opportunities were designed to help teachers make sense of student activity during a learning experience (e.g., student-to-student talk, writing, and model construction) and to provide evidence of how a student is coming to understand core concepts and developing dexterity with SEPs and CCCs. Three-dimensional assessment opportunities make measuring progress toward NGSS learning goals possible.
- Self-assessments (F): One per chapter; brief opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning, ask questions, and reveal ongoing wonderings about unit content.
- Critical Juncture Assessments (F): Variety of multidimensional performance tasks intended to assess student progress, occurring at the end of each chapter. Examples include writing scientific explanations, engaging in argumentation, developing and using models, and designing engineering solutions. Based on student performance on the assessment, teachers have access to recommendations for targeted student interventions, suggested follow-ups, or differentiating classroom instruction.
- End-of-Unit Assessment (S): Assessments toward the end of each unit feature a combination of targeted discussions, student-generated models, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.
Pre-Unit Assessments
Most Pre-Unit assessments are embedded within an activity of the first lesson of a unit. In kindergarten and grade 1, the Pre-Unit assessment (as well as the End-of-Unit assessment) is oral. In grades 2–5 they are typically written. Refer to the Digital Resources area of the Lesson Brief for materials needed for the assessment activity, such as the Clipboard Assessment Tool (K–1 only), copymasters (grades 2–5 only), and an Assessment Guide that will help you interpret and leverage students’ responses.
If you and your students have Interactive Classroom licenses, students can complete their assessment digitally instead of using the copymaster.
When students complete the assessment pages digitally, you’ll be able to review their work on the View Work page.
Critical Juncture Assessments
Critical Juncture assessments typically occur towards the end of each chapter. The Materials and Preparation section will indicate when there is a Critical Juncture to prepare for, but you can also tell when an activity is designed to be a Critical Juncture assessment by the hummingbird icon that will appear within it. Selecting the hummingbird icon will tell you how to assess students’ understanding with the activity, and how to tailor instruction based on what you find. If you need guidance on the “answers” to the assessment activity, refer to the “Possible Responses” tab.
If you are using Classroom Slides or Interactive Classroom, you’ll see a hummingbird or “Critical Juncture” label in the bottom right corner of one of the slides of the activity.
The notes about assessing understanding and tailoring instruction are located in the notes of that slide (on the right-hand side of the Teacher’s Guide tab in the Interactive Classroom experience; underneath the slide in Classroom Slides).
End-of-Unit Assessments
End-of-Unit assessments are typically the last lesson of a unit. In some units, these are two-part assessments that take place over two lessons. The easiest way to find the End-of-Unit assessment is to skim through the lesson titles. Lessons containing End-of-Unit assessments will always have that noted in the title.
Like the Pre-unit assessment, you can find materials for the End-of-unit assessments in the Digital Resources area of the Lesson Brief.
On-the-Fly Assessments
These embedded assessments leverage the formative opportunities in the learning experience students are already engaged in, such as creating models, analyzing data, actively reading, conducting investigations, and more. Refer to the Critical Juncture section above for guidance on finding information about using them.
Unit-level assessment information
You can find overall information about an individual unit’s assessments in the “Assessment System” resource, which is located within the Teacher References section on the Unit Overview page.
The Assessment System resource contains a comprehensive list of all of the assessment opportunities in the unit, including the assessment’s location, a brief indication of what students are doing in that particular activity, what type of assessment it is, which Disciplinary Core Ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting concepts it specifically addresses, and the kind of evaluation guidance you can expect for it. If you are in a kindergarten or first grade unit, you will also find information on the Clipboard Assessment Tool (used for supporting oral assessment) in this section.
If you’re interested in focusing on information related to the unit’s Critical Juncture and On-the-Fly assessments in particular, check out the “Embedded Formative Assessments” resource, also located within the Teacher References section on the Unit Overview page.
Three-dimensional assessment connections
All assessment opportunities within Amplify Science California include clear labeling around the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), and Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) to help teachers connect formative and summative assessments to specific NGSS dimensions.
Coming soon
Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. In fact, on this page is a list of new features you can look forward to using during the 2023-2024 school year.
FAQs
Program questions
Amplify Science California is a flexible, blended K–8 science curriculum that addresses 100 percent of the Next Generation Science Standards for California and a significant number of the California English Language Development Standards and Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects, and Math. Together, the units deliver three-dimensional instruction across the following disciplines: Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Engineering Design.
Amplify Science California does indeed feature some powerful and engaging digital components, which are gradually introduced beginning at grade 2. However, as a fully blended and flexible program, Amplify Science California can be (and has been) implemented in a wide variety of scenarios.
All lessons were designed with device sharing in mind, and never assume that every student has a separate device. While 1:1 scenarios are great, they aren’t required. When devices are necessary for students to fully experience a concept, teachers can opt to share devices across pairs or small groups, or simply display the Sim or Modeling Tool to the whole class and allow students to “drive” using your device.
Rather than introducing a concept on Monday, testing for mastery on Friday, and knowing students will forget everything by the next Tuesday, we set out to help students build meaningful and lasting knowledge that they can retain and transfer over the course of the entire unit. We accomplish this by giving students multiple opportunities (a.k.a. “at-bats”) to encounter, explore, and experience a concept. Said another way, Amplify Science California is actually made up of a series of multi-modal “mini-lessons.” This intentional, cyclical, and iterative design mirrors the 5Es, allows teachers the flexibility to speed up or skip ahead once students have demonstrated mastery, and empowers students to learn concepts more deeply than any other program.
Yes. Rather than separating performance expectations into physical science units, earth and space science units, and life science units, Amplify Science California units are organized around anchoring phenomena designed to give students opportunities to dive deeply into certain Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) while also drawing from or applying to others. In organizing the Amplify Science California middle school units, we’ve carefully sequenced these ideas within each grade level to support the development of deep and coherent understanding.
Many real-world phenomena cross the domain boundaries of life, physical, or earth and space science (as well as engineering). Each Amplify Science California unit begins with an intriguing real-world phenomenon that poses a problem that needs to be understood and/or solved. By the end of the unit, students will have analyzed the anchor phenomenon across multiple scientific domains, possibly designed and tested an engineering solution, and applied what they’ve learned in a different context.
For example:
In the Light Waves unit, students investigate the anchoring phenomenon of why Australia has a much higher skin cancer rate than countries at similar latitudes like Brazil. The focus of this unit is on Disciplinary Core Ideas related to wave properties (PS4.A) and electromagnetic radiation (PS4.B). Students explore these physical science ideas deeply within the unit, and also draw on ideas from earth science (e.g., latitudinal variation of the sun’s energy) and life science (e.g., the effect of energy on the DNA in the nucleus of a cell) in order to explain the central phenomenon.
Absolutely. Hands-on learning is at the heart of Amplify Science California. Integrated into every unit are opportunities for students to take on the role of scientists and engineers as they gather evidence, think critically, solve problems, and develop and defend their claims.
In addition, our unique combination of focus and flex activities means teachers have more options, opportunities, and materials to make learning active. Each hands-on activity provides clear instructions for the teacher, with more complex activities supported by video demonstrations and illustrations.
What’s important to remember is that more hands-on doesn’t necessarily mean better, at least according to the California NGSS. That’s because only two of the eight Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) are directly related to hands-on learning.
Just as scientists gather evidence from many types of sources, students in the Amplify Science California program gather evidence not just by making physical models, but also by making and interpreting digital models; reading texts; watching videos; and analyzing photographs, maps, and data sets. By doing do, students are provided with more opportunities than any other program to use all of the practices called out in the California NGSS Framework:
- Asking questions
- Developing and using models
- Planning and carrying out investigations
- Analyzing and interpreting data
- Using mathematics and computational thinking
- Constructing explanations
- Engaging in arguments from evidence
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
While all of our units engage students in gathering evidence from a rich collection of sources, the reliance on different types of evidence (and evidence sources) varies according to unit. For instance, some units lend themselves to meaningful hands-on experiences, while in other units the phenomena students are investigating are too slow, too dangerous, or too big to be observed directly. In those units, students rely more heavily on other evidence sources such a physical models or simulations.
Unit types in grades K–5
In each K–5 grade, there is one unit that emphasizes investigation, one that emphasizes modeling, and one that emphasizes design. In addition, in grades 3–5, there is also one unit that emphasizes argumentation.
Unit types in grades 6–8
Each 6–8 grade features three types of units: Launch, Core, and Engineering Internships. Each year has one Launch unit, six Core units, and two Engineering Internships.
For teachers who want to supplement the lessons with even more hands-on activities, optional “flextension” activities are included in many units.
Yes indeed. Amplify Science California integrates all four STEM disciplines—science, technology, engineering, and math, in addition to English Language Arts—throughout the curriculum. In addition, each grade level features specific units that emphasize engineering design.
Yes, the program includes multiple opportunities for summative assessments.
End-of-unit assessments: At grades K–1 these look like targeted conversations, at grades 2–5 we incorporate written responses, and at grades 6–8 we assess through a combination of auto-scored multiple-choice questions and rubric-scored written responses. These summative assessments for each unit are designed to provide valid, reliable, and fair measures of students’ progress and attainment of three-dimensional learning.
Benchmark assessments: Delivered four times per year in grades 3–5 and three times per year in grades 6–8, benchmark assessments report on students’ facilities with each of the grade appropriate DCIs, SEPs, CCCs, and performance expectations of the California NGSS.
Science Seminars and final written arguments (formative and summative components): In grades 6–8, culminating performance tasks for each core unit invite students to figure out a new real-world problem. They collect and analyze evidence, examine a number of claims, and then engage in a full-class discussion where they must state which claims are best supported by the evidence, all while making clear their reasoning that connects the evidence to the claims. After the seminar, students then individually write their final scientific argument, drawing on the DCIs, SEPs, and CCCs they have used over the course of the unit to develop a sophisticated and convincing argument that addresses the problem they’ve been investigating. Rubrics, scoring guides, and examples of student responses at each scoring level are provided to teachers to support the assessment of students’ understanding of concepts and specific practices.
Amplify Science California provides more than enough instructional content to fill 180 days of instruction. However, unlike other programs that expect you to complete 180 discrete lessons, Amplify Science California includes built-in wiggle room.
For example, the typical elementary classroom delivers science instruction only two times per week. Rather than asking teachers to wade through unnecessary content, we designed our program to address 100 percent of the California NGSS in just 66 days at grades K–2 and 88 days at grades 3–5. When it comes to middle school, we address 100 percent of the California NGSS in 146 lessons.
Some classes might last longer than one session due to a number of reasons (e.g., enthusiastic student conversations, challenging topics requiring deeper dives, more time needed to accommodate diverse learners, etc.). Also, teachers might want to supplement Amplify Science California with some of their own favorite lessons. Lastly, we’ve accounted for the inevitable assembly days, class trips, testing schedules, etc. For teachers that want to go deeper or expand upon a unit topic, we also offer a number of additional lessons that are not core to each unit.
Amplify Science California lessons are designed to be completed in the following time frames:
Lessons in grades K–1 are designed for 45 minutes of science instruction.
Lessons in grades 2–5 are designed for 60 minutes of science instruction.
That said, it’s not a problem if you can’t allocate 45 minutes of science instruction every day at K–1, or 60 minutes per day at 2–5. Since there are a total of 66 lessons to address 100 percent of California NGSS at grades K–2, and 88 lessons to address 100 percent of California NGSS at grades 3–5, you can easily teach the lessons in smaller blocks and cover all of the content over the course of the school year.
Each lesson of every Amplify Science California unit includes point-of-use differentiation strategies and embedded teacher and student supports for diverse learners, including English learners, students who need more support, and students who are ready for more challenge. These strategies and methods ensure that all students have access to the same content as their peers.
Two notable categories of suggested modifications are:
- English-learner-specific strategies such as English/Spanish glossaries, native language supports, and provision of cognates and other content-specific language scaffolds are provided in each unit.
- Relatively small alterations and additional scaffolds that provide students with greater access to the content.
These types of scaffolds benefit all learners and include suggestions such as providing graphic organizers, practice with multiple-meaning words, etc.
With Amplify Science California, the use of technology is always purposeful.
For example:
- The curriculum has a strong emphasis on literacy, with students reading and analyzing informational texts, and writing scientific explanations and arguments.
- Digital elements are gradually introduced to students in grades 2–3, with the greatest use of digital elements taking place in grades 4–5, as the phenomena at these grades become more challenging to observe directly.
- The curriculum’s readers and interactive notebook pages are available in both print and digital across all K–5 units.
This curriculum addresses a significant number of the standards as they pertain to science. Throughout each unit, students read science texts, engage in science talk and argumentation, and write evidence-based science explanations. The curriculum supports vocabulary, language, and reading comprehension development. Students also use measurement tools with precision, record and analyze data, make sense of scientific phenomena, and develop solutions to problems experienced in the real world.
Digital questions
Teacher Support notes including sample teacher talk, student responses, pedagogical support, and possible student responses are provided within your student-facing slides. Simply click “Teach” and reference your private Teacher Guide tab. Students will only see the lesson slides that you are presenting.
You, the teacher, must “Start class” to launch the presentation tab. (Remember, without the presentation tab, students would be able to see your teacher notes.)
Clicking “Starting class” also brings students to the correct slide, which is particularly important for young students who are learning to navigate.
Teachers can either press the “End class” button in the bottom right corner of the slide navigation, or they can simply close the presentation tab.
Clicking “End class” also enables students to navigate through the lesson on their own. That means they’ll be able to return to slides and books to review content, to the Sims and Modeling Tools to replay them, or to notebook pages to update their work.
You can click on the “Student preview” option in the bottom right corner (within the menu that opens when you click the three dots) to open a new browser tab where you can preview the student view using your teacher account.
Any work you complete in this student preview (or elsewhere in the teacher experience) will be automatically saved to your account.
Looking for help?
For login or technology issues, please submit an EGUSD Heat ticket. For curriculum and pedagogical questions, please refer to the support resources below.
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 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT, 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:
Connect with other teachers
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.
