In a new round of reviews this week, our math curriculum received another stamp of approval from EdReports, this time for our 3rd–5th grade math courses.
Like the results for our 6th–8th grade curriculum, our elementary curriculum received perfect scores for the first two gateways that focus on alignment to Common Core State Standards.
Read the full report at EdReports.org
EdReports engages panels of expert educators who use a rigorous rubric to assess the quality of full-course instructional materials. The materials must pass each of three gateways to continue through the review process.
Learn more about the review process and rubrics at EdReports.org
Our 3rd–5th grade math curriculum partially met expectations for Gateway 3 in EdReports' initial review, scoring 29 out of a possible 38. For this review of our core, free curriculum, we did not expect to meet expectations for usability.
Fishtank Plus, our new subscription option, is designed to provide more usability support for teachers using the free, core Fishtank curriculum. We will be launching the pilot phase of Fishtank Plus for 3rd–5th grade math in February, and plan to submit the updated materials for review again later this year.
“Designing an open-source curriculum from scratch has been an incredibly complex task, with a lot of factors to weigh,” says Director of Elementary Math Curriculum, Sarah Britton. “Our goal has always been to create a curriculum that is well-aligned to Common Core State Standards, flexible for teachers, and responsive to the needs of our users. So having EdReports put their stamp of approval on the curriculum is a huge honor, since their objective process really shows us that that we've been making the right decisions. We hope it will also give teachers a sense of reassurance that they are using a high-quality, well-aligned curriculum. We're excited to continue to improve our curriculum and create new products to pass all three gateways soon!”
EdReports has reviewed 30 elementary math curricula to date, and given only one other publisher perfect scores for both alignment gateways. We are also proud to be recognized as the OER option with the highest ratings for alignment.
Most of all, we are grateful that these reviews can help teachers and schools currently using the Fishtank curriculum feel confident about their choice, and allow more educators to learn about the resources that we offer.
If you’re new to Fishtank, take a moment to explore our highly rated elementary math curriculum, where you’ll find a full library of teacher resources, including unit and lesson plans, vocabulary, and assessments, all available for download with a free account.