7-Social Studies Curiculum Scoring Sheet.pdf

Social Studies Curriculum Adoption

Evaluation Notes

Reviewer:

Date:

School/Position:

Grade Level Evaluated:

Title/Publisher

Evaluation Scale:

1 – Does not meet criteria

2 – Somewhat meets criteria

3 – Meets criteria

4 – Exceeds criteria

Alignment with Utah Social Studies Standards

Important: A low score on any item in this section may indicate that the materials do not meet essential requirements and may result in discontinuing further review.

1a

Instructional materials in all formats, may include print, digital and/or online materials, are aligned to the Utah

Core Standards for Social Studies.

1 2 3 4

1b

Materials reflect the intent of the standards, emphasizing disciplinary thinking, inquiry, and application rather than isolated fact memorization.

1 2 3 4

1c

Adheres to Utah State Law & Student Data Privacy

Regulations.

Possible Look-fors:

● Updated for current law changes

Teacher Resources and Materials

2a

Availability of comprehensive, current, and editable teacher resources that support effective planning and instruction.

Possible Look-fors:

● Suggested discussion questions, inquiry prompts, and higher-order thinking tasks

● Scope and sequence builds student proficiency

1 2 3 4

2b

Materials engage students in historical and social science inquiry.

Possible Look-fors:

● Compelling and supporting questions

● Opportunities for investigation and discussion

● Use of evidence to support claims

2c

Materials include a variety of primary and secondary sources.

Possible Look-fors:

● Documents, images, maps, data, artifacts

● Source analysis (sourcing contextualization, corroboration)

1 2 3 4

2d

Content supports deep understanding of key concepts rather than broad superficial coverage.

● Thematic organization (e.g. cause/effect, change over time)

● Connections across units or disciplines

1 2 3 4

2e

Materials support development of informed and engaged citizens.

Possible Look-fors:

● Opportunities for discussion of civic issues

● Application of current or real-world contexts

● Understanding of governmental systems and civic responsibility

2f

Instructional materials accurately and respectfully represent diverse cultural and social perspectives.

● Historically accurate

● Culturally sensitive

Student Accessibility and Differentiation

3a

Materials support differentiated access for all learners, including multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and advanced learners.

Possible Look-fors:

● Language supports

● Scaffolded questions (Depth of Knowledge -

DOK)

● Academic vocabulary

● Enrichment opportunities

● Differentiated instruction for Tier 1 outlined

● Enrich, Reteach, Tier 2, ELL, etc.

3b

Materials provide appropriate scaffolding, differentiation, and support.

Possible look-fors:

● Tiered tasks

● Structured supports for reading complex texts

● Academic vocabulary

● Opportunities for extension and intervention

3c

Materials are visually balanced, age-appropriate, and accessible to student learners.

3d

Materials support disciplinary literacy development

(reading, writing, speaking in social studies contexts).

Possible look-fors:

● Writing from sources

● Academic vocabulary supports

● Structured discussion protocols

Instructional Design and Engagement

4a

Pacing guides outline reasonable timeframes for instruction and assessment across a full course or year.

Possible Look-fors:

● Lesson and unit pacing (days per concept, etc.)

● Length of individual lessons are reasonable

● Program completion within approx. 165 days

(including all assessment)

4b

Includes a variety of instructional approaches such as inquiry, collaboration, simulations, and project-based learning.

1 2 3 4

4c

Lesson design includes a balance of:

● Direct instruction

● Inquiry-based learning

● Collaborative learning

● Independent application

1 2 3 4

4d Units and lessons are coherently organized and build towards clear learning outcomes.

1 2 3 4

4e Materials support flexible implementation (full curriculum or modular use).

Assessment Design

5a

Diagnostic/formative and summative assessments support teachers in differentiating instruction to meet the needs of individuals and groups of students.

● Formative assessment opportunities for each learning target

● Quick-check questions throughout the lesson to check understanding

5b

Provides multiple, skill-based formative and summative assessments.

Possible Look-fors:

● Editable

● Integrate with digital tools

5c

Assessments measure understanding of content and disciplinary skills (analysis, argumentation, use of evidence).

1 2 3 4

5d

Assessment tasks reflect a range of Depth of

Knowledge (DOK) levels.

Possible Look-fors:

● Writing tasks

● Document-based questions (DBQs)

● Performance tasks

1 2 3 4

5e Assessments can be customized, edited, and shared at district, school, and teacher levels.

1 2 3 4

5f Assessment reports are accessible and useful for informing instruction.

Training, Service, and Support

6a

Agency offers initial and ongoing training and support both on site and digital.

Possible Look-fors:

● Knowledgeable & capable specialists to guide

● Training of trainers

● Available personnel for immediate assistance

6b

Access to digital and physical materials, for professional development and preparation, available for summer

(June and August) teacher trainings.