How to score. Two reviewers score each criterion separately, then agree a final score. Score from the materials themselves: sample at least three full lessons and one unit assessment in grades K, 2, and 4. 2 = clearly built in, every unit. 1 = present but inconsistent, or left to the teacher. 0 = missing or contradicted.
Gateway rule. A program must score 2 on every gateway criterion before the rest is scored. Standards coverage alone never passes a program.
Gateway criteria (both subjects)
| Criterion | What to check in the materials | Principle |
|---|
| New content is taught explicitly | Lessons explain and model new content before independent work; no "discover it first" as the default for beginners | 2 |
| Built-in review from memory | Daily review questions reach back to earlier lessons and units | 6, 7 |
| Checks for every student | Lessons tell the teacher when and how to check all students, and what to reteach | 4 |
Math, K–5
| Criterion | What to check in the materials | Principle |
|---|
| Worked examples | New problem types come with solved examples paired with practice | 3 |
| Mixed practice | Practice and homework mix problem types from earlier units, not only today's | 8 |
| Fact fluency | Daily fact practice with a planned sequence; multiplication facts expected to be automatic by end of grade 3 | 1, 7 |
| Fractions as numbers | Fractions placed on number lines, not only shown as shaded areas | 11 |
| Clear sequence | Skills build in a logical order; prerequisites come first | 13 |
ELA, K–5
| Criterion | What to check in the materials | Principle |
|---|
| Systematic phonics (K–2) | A set phonics sequence, daily practice, and decodable texts that match taught patterns | 9 |
| No guessing strategies | No cues to guess words from pictures or first letters | 9 |
| Knowledge-building units | Multi-week units on science, history, and arts topics, sequenced across grades | 10 |
| Vocabulary taught directly | Key words for each unit taught and revisited | 10 |
| Writing about reading | Students write about the content they read, not only about personal topics | 10 |
Evidence of effectiveness (reported, not scored)
- Has this program, in a version close to the one being sold, been tested in a randomized trial or a well-matched comparison study? Link it.
- Is it reviewed by the What Works Clearinghouse? What did that review find?
- If there is no outcome evidence, say so in the report.
| Section | Contents |
|---|
| Gateway result | Pass or fail, with the evidence for each score |
| Scores | Each criterion, 0–2, with a page or lesson reference |
| Evidence of effectiveness | What exists and what it found |
| Implementation notes | What teachers will need to use it as designed |
