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
mCLASS:Acadience Reading tutorials
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

  • One computer for video conferencing and sharing student materials.
  • One touchscreen device for scoring in mCLASS.
Modified set up
  • One computer.

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
  • Before the assessment begins, press the recording button on your video conferencing tool.
  • After the virtual meeting, listen to recording and rescore in mCLASS if needed.
  • Pick a decision rule for how to score ambiguous items and be consistent. For example, if you decide that you will give a student the benefit of the doubt and mark ambiguous similar sounding items correct when you can’t quite hear their answer, do this for all students you assess.
Use a phone
  • Before the assessment begins, call caregiver’s phone using your phone (type *67 before your number if you want your number to be hidden).
  • Ask the caregiver to press the speaker button. 
  • Mute yourself and your student on the virtual learning platform.

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)
    • To provide student credentials and instructions to English-speaking caregivers, consider sending this email and video. To provide student credentials and instructions to Spanish-speaking caregivers, consider sending this email and video.
  • 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:

  • Click “Remote Control” and select your student’s name in the dropdown.
  • Ask your student to use their cursor to point to words 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.

Student materials

  Benchmark Progress monitoring
Acadience Reading (formerly known as DIBELS Next) Available for free download on the Acadience Learning website

Welcome, Great Falls reviewers!

Authored by UC Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, Amplify Science was designed from the ground up for the Next Generation Science Standards to teach students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers. The program combines literacy-rich activities with hands-on learning and digital tools to engage students in exploring a compelling real-world phenomenon in every unit.

On this site, you will find easy-to-follow instructions and resources to support your review.

Getting started

Thank for you taking the time to review Amplify Science. Before you get started, we’ve put together a short video for Great Falls that will help you better navigate your review process.

A powerful partnership

Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at the University of California, Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.

The University of California, Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science is a recognized leader in PreK–12 science education, producing groundbreaking curriculum products for more than 40 years, including the international award-winning Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading®. The Hall’s curriculum materials are used in one in four classrooms across the nation.

Amplify has been pioneering digital education products for more than 15 years, empowering teachers across the country to offer more personalized instruction and accelerate the potential of their students to become more active, engaged learners. Amplify has supported more than 200,000 educators and three million students in all 50 states.

Grades K–5 overview

Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.

Learn more about the program structure
Download the K–5 unit sequence
NGSS correlations
Hear from K–5 teachers
Why Amplify Science?
What’s so phenomenal about phenomena?
Phenomena in grades K–5
Reading in Amplify Science 
View example of a three-dimensional statement

Amplify Science blends physical materials with a suite of digital tools, presenting students with the three-dimensional resources they need to investigate real-world problems, and empowering and supporting teachers as they lead instruction and gain insight into student growth and progress.

Reading and literacy integration in K–5
Assessments in K–5
Hands-on and print materials (“kits”)
Digital simulations (grades 4–8)
Supporting ELLs
Spanish resources K–5

Grades 6–8 overview

Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.

Learn about the program structure
Download the 6-8 unit sequence
NGSS correlations
Learn about the flexible, blended program
Why Amplify Science?
What’s so phenomenal about phenomena?
Phenomena in grades 6–8
View example of a three-dimensional statement

Amplify Science blends physical materials with a suite of digital tools, presenting students with the three-dimensional resources they need to investigate real-world problems, and empowering and supporting teachers as they lead instruction and gain insight into student growth and progress.

Assessments in 6–8
Hands-on and print materials (“kits”)
Digital simulations (grades 4–8)
Supporting ELLs
Spanish resources 6–8

Ready to look inside Amplify Science?

Video introductions

A powerful partnership

Amplify Science was developed by the science education experts at the University of California, Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science and the digital learning team at Amplify.

The University of California, Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science is a recognized leader in PreK-12 science education, producing groundbreaking curriculum products for more than 40 years, including the international award-winning Seeds of Science/Roots of Reading®. The Hall’s curriculum materials are used in one in four classrooms across the nation.

Amplify has been pioneering digital education products for more than 15 years, empowering teachers across the country to offer more personalized instruction and accelerate the potential of their students to become more active, engaged learners. Amplify has supported more than 200,000 educators and three million students in all 50 states.

The critical elements of a well-designed NGSS curriculum

From learning about to figuring out
A true next generation science program must facilitate an approach by which students “figure out” science, thus transitioning the instructor’s role from one of “giver of information” to facilitator of scientific exploration. Please review sections 1–4 of our approach from the Amplify Science Program Guide.

Amplify ensures that instructors understand exactly what students are figuring out and how their progress will build across chapters by offering unit maps. Unit maps are available in the teacher guides for each unit. Please take a moment to review a unit map from the elementary school unit, Balancing Forces (grade 3), and a unit map from the middle school unit, Inheritance and Traits.

Phenomena is critical
The real-world phenomena used in a next generation program must be rich and complex enough to engage students throughout the entire unit of study. Next generation program phenomena needs to support a progressively deeper level of understanding that allows students to build increasingly complex explanations. Learn more about phenomena here in our guide, What’s so phenomenal about phenomena.

In each Amplify Science unit, students are asked to inhabit the role of a scientist or engineer in order to investigate a real-world problem. These problems provide relevant, 21-century contexts through which students investigate different scientific phenomena. Please take a moment to review Amplify Science’s unit phenomena:

Three-dimensional design and instruction are coherent
Three-dimensional instruction must be coherently designed with the intention of a strategic build that coaches students to think like scientists and engineers, grapple with core scientific principles, and support deep learning of concepts that cut across domains. Students must able to develop expertise in all Science and Engineering Practices and deep understanding of Disciplinary Core Ideas and Crosscutting Concepts through repeated experiences within a wide variety of contexts.

To help ease the transition into three-dimensional instruction, we’ve put together 3-D statements for each unit, chapter, and lesson of Amplify Science. We invite you to review Amplify Science’s 3-D statements in our Program Guide.

Assessment must link to the science and engineering practices 
In a true next generation science program, conceptual understanding is revealed through engagement in the science and engineering practices. The Amplify Science assessment system is grounded in the principle that students benefit from regular and varied opportunities to demonstrate understanding through performance. Please take a moment to learn more about our assessment opportunities:

Grades K–5 overview

Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.

Grades 6–8 overview

Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.

What do users of Amplify Science say?

Ready to look inside Amplify Science?

Utah – USBE Data Analysis for K-3 Reading Assessment Program – New

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Welcome, Iowa reviewers!

Designed from the ground up for the NGSS to teach students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers, Amplify Science combines literacy-rich activities with hands-on learning and digital tools to engage students in exploring compelling phenomena in every unit.

A badge for EdReports Review Year 2023, two students at a computer, two students discussing with a tablet, and an educational diagram of a spider on a screen.

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.

Learn more about the Lawrence Hall of Science.

Grades K–5 overview

Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.

Amplify Science blends physical materials with a suite of digital tools, presenting students with the resources they need to investigate real-world problems, and empowering and supporting teachers as they lead instruction and gain insight into student growth and progress.

Student Investigation Notebooks for every unit allow students to interact with content while taking notes, answering questions, and conducting investigations. Review a sample from the Grade 2 Plant and Animal Relationships unit.

Student Books enhance science topics and allow students to practice reading within the science content area.

Instructional materials for teachers. The Amplify Science curriculum website hosts all lesson content, media, digital simulations, and more, and is the primary tool “open” for teachers during class time. You can view complete unit samples by accessing the curriculum at the bottom of this page.

Robust digital simulations (grades 4–5) and digital applications, developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program. Supported devices include: iPad 3+, Chromebook, Windows PC, and MacBook.

Unit kits for each unit in the program including consumable and nonconsumable hands-on materials, printed classroom display materials, and the students books.

Embedded formative and summative assessments are meant to support and guide student instruction.

Grades 6–8 overview

Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.

Amplify Science blends physical materials with a suite of digital tools, presenting students with the resources they need to investigate real-world problems, and empowering and supporting teachers as they lead instruction and gain insight into student growth and progress.

Student Investigation Notebooks for every unit allow students to interact with content while taking notes, answering questions, and conducting investigations. Review a sample from Metabolism.

Instructional materials for teachers. The Amplify Science curriculum website hosts all lesson content, media, digital simulations, and more, and is the primary tool “open” for teachers during class time. You can view complete unit samples by accessing the curriculum at the bottom of this page.

Robust digital simulations and digital applications, developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program. Supported devices include: iPad 3+, Chromebook, Windows PC, and MacBook.

Unit kits for each unit in the program including consumable and non-consumable hands-on materials, and printed classroom display materials.

Embedded formative and summative assessments are meant to support and guide student instruction.

Ready to look inside Amplify Science?

Contact

Tammy Tvetene
District Manager

Email: ttvetene@amplify.com
Phone: (314) 619-8846

Amplify Science

Amplify Science is Chicago Public Schools’ recommended K–8 core science instructional material. Looking for support ordering? Contact ScienceCPS@amplify.com or (855) 559-5757.

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.

Learn more about the Lawrence Hall of Science.

Looking for pricing or ordering support? Email scienceCPS@amplify.com or call (855) 559-5757.

What sets Amplify Science apart?

  • Authored by the industry-leading science curriculum team at U.C. Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, who have 50 years of experience in K–12 science education and who will continue to enhance and update the program for years to come
  • New curriculum built to meet 100% of the Next Generation Science Standards
  • State-of-the-art, highly engaging curriculum that invites students to take on the role of a scientist or engineer in every unit to solve relevant real-world problems
  • Flexible, truly blended program that combines comprehensive print components and compelling online content with hands-on learning in every unit
  • Robust teacher support for ease of use by a wide range of teachers in diverse classroom contexts, with carefully crafted lessons, standards alignment, differentiation strategies, and ELL supports throughout the program
  • Embedded assessments throughout the program, including both formative and summative assessments for every grade level

Grades K–5 overview

Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.

Learn more about the program structure
Download the K–5 unit sequence
NGSS correlations
Hear from K–5 teachers

Amplify Science blends physical materials with a suite of digital tools, presenting students with the resources they need to investigate real-world problems, and empowering and supporting teachers as they lead instruction and gain insight into student growth and progress.

  • Student Investigation Notebooks for every unit allow students to interact with content while taking notes, answering questions, and conducting investigations. Review a sample from the Grade 2 Plant and Animal Relationships unit.
  • Student Books enhance science topics and allow students to practice reading within the science content area.
  • Instructional materials for teachers. The Amplify Science curriculum website hosts all lesson content, media, digital simulations, and more, and is the primary tool “open” for teachers during class time. You can view complete unit samples by accessing the curriculum at the bottom of this page.
  • Robust digital simulations (grades 4–5) and digital applications, developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program. Supported devices include: iPad 3+, Chromebook, Windows PC, and MacBook.
  • Unit kits for each unit in the program including consumable and nonconsumable hands-on materials, printed classroom display materials, and the students books.
  • Embedded formative and summative assessments are meant to support and guide student instruction.

View an on-demand webinar.

Grades 6–8 overview

Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.

Beginning in school year 2018-19, Chicago Public Schools recommends that schools follow the integrated scope and sequence for middle school science. The decision to shift from discipline-specific to integrated science was informed by a group of 30 CPS middle school science teachers who served on an Advisory Team during school year 2017-18 as well as guidance from other state and national committees with expertise in implementing the Next Generation Science Standards. Amplify’s 6–8 curriculum and CPS’ 2018-19 REACH Performance Tasks align to the integrated scope and sequence.

Learn about the program structure
Download the 6–8 unit sequence
NGSS correlations
Learn about the flexible, blended program

Amplify Science blends physical materials with a suite of digital tools, presenting students with the resources they need to investigate real-world problems, and empowering and supporting teachers as they lead instruction and gain insight into student growth and progress.

  • Student Investigation Notebooks for every unit allow students to interact with content while taking notes, answering questions, and conducting investigations. Review a sample from Metabolism.
  • Instructional materials for teachers. The Amplify Science curriculum website hosts all lesson content, media, digital simulations, and more, and is the primary tool “open” for teachers during class time. You can view complete unit samples by accessing the curriculum at the bottom of this page.
  • Robust digital simulations and digital applications, developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program. Supported devices include: iPad 3+, Chromebook, Windows PC, and MacBook.
  • Unit kits for each unit in the program including consumable and nonconsumable hands-on materials, and printed classroom display materials.
  • Embedded formative and summative assessments are meant to support and guide student instruction.

View an on-demand webinar.

Science and literacy

The Amplify Science program capitalizes on the wealth of opportunities provided by science to learn about the world via reading and writing, and on the strong link between science and literacy practices. It is a core science program designed for three-dimensional learning and can also be considered a supplementary literacy program because it addresses the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts (ELA) related to disciplinary literacy.

Through its integration of literacy practices authentic to science, Amplify Science addresses the ELA Anchor Standards as well as the standards for Reading Informational Text, Writing, Listening/Speaking, and Language that are related to acquiring and using academic vocabulary. (Less discipline-specific reading standards, such as the “Reading: Foundational Skills” and “Reading: Literature,” fall outside the purview of the Amplify Science program. Please see each unit’s Overview of Standards and Goals for a list of which Common Core ELA standards are addressed in the program.)

The focus of literacy instruction in Amplify Science is on increasing students’ facility with reading informational text, engaging in scientific discussions, and writing scientific explanations and arguments. The program takes into account the specific needs of young students as they are learning to read, write, and discuss science concepts, but does not take full responsibility for teaching basic skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, or writing mechanics.

Learn more

Access and equity

Diversity in the science and engineering classroom is an asset. It offers countless opportunities for creativity and innovation and opens the door to multiple perspectives and cross-cultural understanding. Historically, however, certain groups of students — including ethnically diverse students, English learners, standard English learners, students with disabilities, girls and young women, foster children and youth, and students experiencing poverty — have not had equitable opportunities for intellectually stimulating, language-rich, and culturally relevant science and engineering education. The vision of the new standards is “all standards, all students.” Amplify Science is designed to fulfill this vision by providing quality and supportive materials for teachers so that every student — regardless of their background, where they live, the language they speak at home, or their learning characteristics — has access to and benefits from deep and engaging science and engineering learning opportunities. Two overarching conceptual frameworks informed Amplify Science’s approach to ensuring access and equity for all students: Universal Design for Learning and Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Teaching.

Learn more

Start your review

Amplify Science is not a textbook. Each lesson in the program consists of a sequence of activities that engage students with a variety of materials, including scientific texts, hands-on materials, digital simulations, engaging media, formative and summative assessments, and so much more. Learn more about the grades K–8 program by reviewing the following pages:

Looking for support ordering?
ScienceCPS@amplify.com
(855) 559-5757

Winter Professional Learning Schedule for Chicago Public Schools

Ready to look inside Amplify Science?

Amplify CKLA Review for Alabama

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What is a professional learning specialist (PLS)?

About this role

Amplify professional learning specialists deliver professional development for educators that drives change, leading to increased and effective use of our Amplify programs and positive impacts on students’ learning. New professional learning specialists:

  • Are selected and supported by Amplify.
  • Receive onboarding and become certified with an Amplify program, with opportunities to extend product certifications throughout the year.
  • Deliver virtual and on-site sessions for schools and districts throughout the country.

Dive deeper into the responsibilities, requirements, and compensation of the professional learning specialist role within the professional learning specialist overview flipbook!

Why join?

The PLS advantage

Professional development for educators is one of the most powerful levers to shift learning, action, and beliefs. 

As a professional learning specialist, you’ll be able to impact educators—and, ultimately, students—nationwide and see how schools across the country are driving success. Over time, you’ll also deepen your facilitation and leadership skills and build relationships with fellow professional learning specialists who are current or former educators.

Uncover additional advantages of being in the professional learning specialist network (pages 714).

Is this right for me?

Becoming a PLS is ideal for:

Current educators*Former educatorsRetired educators
who want to gain a new perspective and develop leadership and adult facilitation skills.who are seeking part-time, contract work and a more flexible schedule.who want to stay connected to a network of education leaders and continue to make an impact.

Availability requirements:

  • 15-20 hours per week of paid remote onboarding in May or June, with one mandatory in person training at the end of week 4 of onboarding.
  • Available to deliver in person PD a minimum of 18 business days (average of 3 days per week) from July 13th – August 21st.

More information:

Further evaluate if this is the right role for you (pages 25–29).

This year, nearly 30% of our professional learning specialists were current educators and 70% were former or retired educators. While our professional learning specialists are in different places within their classroom or educational leadership careers, they all have several key qualities in common. These include:

  • A deep knowledge of high-quality instruction and adult learning principles.
  • The drive to be a strong colleague and team player.
  • Proven excellence in delivering in-person and online professional development.
  • Exceptional customer service skills.
  • High comfort with navigating ambiguity and responding confidently to in-the-moment challenges.

Access more detailed requirements of the role (pages 16–29).

What is Amplify CKLA?

Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades PK–5 that delivers:

  • A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
  • A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
  • Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
  • Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
A colorful rope diagram shows strands for language comprehension and word recognition, with images of reading and phonics materials near respective strands.

How does Amplify CKLA work?

Daily instruction

Grade PreK: Developmentally appropriate foundational knowledge

Our PreK program delivers developmentally appropriate instruction and activities that do more than lay the groundwork for foundational skills—they offer content knowledge, incorporating research that shows true literacy requires background knowledge in history, science, art, and literature. Amplify CKLA PreK easily fits into any class routine, with 45 minutes of interactive instruction designed to accommodate full-day or half-day schedules.

Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction
Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Skills Strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Knowledge Strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.

Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction
In Grades 3–5, Knowledge and Skills are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.

Formative and summative assessments

A young boy in a light blue shirt writes in a notebook at his desk in a classroom, with other students working nearby.

Amplify CKLA features a progression of moment-by-moment assessments to benchmark assessments. Assessment and feedback give teachers the information they need to differentiate instruction effectively.

Checks for Understanding
Each lesson segment incorporates checks for understanding to increase engagement and to let teachers make real-time adjustments to their instruction.

Formative Assessment
Each lesson goal is tied to a formative assessment opportunity, allowing teachers to see which students need more support with a benchmark.

Mid- and End-of-Unit Assessments
Mid-Unit and End-of-Unit Assessments provide valuable information on the skills and content students have mastered. Digital end-of-unit assessments are available on a variety of platforms.

Benchmark and Placement Assessments
Benchmark and Placement Assessments help teachers set goals and monitor the growth of each student, providing a baseline at the beginning of the year and ensuring students are advancing toward grade-level objectives.

Download our CKLA Assessment Sampler

What makes Amplify CKLA different?

Integration with mCLASS DIBELS 8

Amplify CKLA is the only core ELA program that integrates with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition.

The CKLA Connect feature matches your students with targeted CKLA lessons based on their mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition assessment data. In other words, it aligns your assessments more closely with your core curriculum while recommending effective differentiated instruction.

Download this guide to connecting mCLASS DIBELS 8 with Amplify CKLA

A digital dashboard displays lesson plans for CKLA Connect and a group labeled "Letter Sound Knowledge" with two students, showing progress and learning needs.

Built on the Science of Reading

Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in foundational knowledge in PreK, both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2, and an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

Explicit systematic skills instruction

Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
  • Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature interesting plots and relatable characters.
  • An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
  • An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.

Coherent knowledge instruction

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
  • Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.
Illustration montage featuring scenes of learning: a cartoon character with books, two people shoveling snow under the stars, and an astronaut on a lunar landscape, with educational interfaces.

Embedded differentiation for all learners

Amplify CKLA provides built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students, including supports for English language learners and Standard English learners.

  • Access supports for ELLs: Integrated ELD supports in each lesson segment for English learners and Standard English learners are specific to students’ mastery of the lesson’s objectives.
  • Support and Challenge for all learners: Lessons include Support and Challenge suggestions that provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson. These supports are suitable for all learners, including ELLs.
  • 30 minutes of Additional Support in every Skills lesson: In the Skills Strand, every lesson concludes with an Additional Support section of recommendations for 30 minutes of extended instruction and activities, directly aligned to the skills taught in the lesson to assist students who need more support in mastering the lesson’s objectives.
  • Intervention Toolkit: The Intervention Toolkit provides easy-to-use resources to assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ foundational skills. Teachers will find of hundreds of activities to support phonics, fluency, comprehension, handwriting, and other key skills.

Designated ELD with Language Studio

Amplify CKLA’s designated English Language Development (ELD) component—Language Studio—helps English learners preview and revisit key content within core instruction, building a foundation of academic vocabulary and background knowledge. Core instruction lessons include point-of-use supports for English learners and Support and Challenge strategies for all learners.

Young boy with his hands over his mouth, looking up in wonder, beside a diagram labeled "language studio" with educational elements.

This carefully developed program follows the CKLA Knowledge domains, previewing and reinforcing skills and content from core instruction using instruction specifically built for English learners. The program is also designed around frequent formative assessment, including assessment of language proficiency, giving you effective ways to guide and support your English learners.

Language Studio supports teachers and English learners through the following:

  • 30 minutes of instruction with lesson segments are carefully designed around Content Knowledge, Meaning Making, Language Development, Effective Expression, and Foundational Skills.
  • Every Language Studio lesson accompanies a core lesson, helping English learners deepen domain and academic vocabulary that will help them access core content.
  • Culminating tasks support core projects and target the same skills as primary instruction.

Writing emphasis with Writing Studio

With Writing Studio, students in Grades K-5 focus deeply on the three key text types informative, narrative, and opinion–while applying both the skills and knowledge from the core program.

Writing Studio supports students through:

  • Expanding on core writing instruction to develop analytical thinking through writing.
  • Lessons that focus on writing standards, providing intensive focus and application to strengthen skills.
  • Opportunities to apply knowledge in new contexts and deepen comprehension through writing.
  • Scaffolded writing projects to help all students find success within the stages of the writing process.
Covers of four "Writing Studio Teacher Guide" books for different grades, featuring educational icons in orange, purple, blue, and teal color schemes.

Writing Studio lessons:

  • Allow teachers to differentiate through Support and Challenge prompts for students at all levels, and Access Supports for ELLs.
  • Spark creativity with authentic writing projects that call on students to engage deeply with rich topics and sources.
  • Implement careful design and provide rubrics so that students’ writing skills can visibly grow throughout the year.

A culminating project in each grade asks students to apply their knowledge and understanding of text types and to select the appropriate text type for a final piece of writing.

Personalized practice with Boost Reading

Boost Reading is the student-driven skill practice program within CKLA, providing differentiated, digital instruction in both foundational skills and comprehension strategies. Because Boost Reading is built on the same approach to reading as CKLA, students are able to extend their learning from the core program further, at their own pace.

Amplify CKLA and Boost Reading reinforce each other through:

  • An aligned scope and sequence and instructional approach: In both programs, students get instruction and practice in phonological awareness and phonics, with the most common, least ambiguous spellings first.
  • Consistent vocabulary words: Many Amplify CKLA words are taught and practiced in Boost Reading vocabulary games.
  • Complementary texts: Fiction and nonfiction books within Boost Reading reinforce Amplify CKLA knowledge domains.
  • Seamless integrations between platforms: Students can easily access Boost Reading directly from the Amplify CKLA Student Hub.
Educational website interface showing icons for theater, sounds, library, and activities with a greeting "hello student!" and a grade level indicator.

Ready-to-go slides and all-in-one platform

The slides-based Amplify CKLA digital experience enhances instruction while saving you time. Everything you need is all in one place, making it easier than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.

  • Simplify planning and instruction: Teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive
    experience—through Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
  • Interactive student activities: Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactive resources from one simple dashboard.
  • Your teacher command center: You’re provided with the tools you need to ensure a productive digital experience that’s personalized to meet your students’ needs. This includes a teacher home from which to launch and track lessons, LMS integrations such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, and other customizations based on classroom needs.
  • Get real-time insights into your students’ work: The innovative live review tool enables you to keep an eye on students drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.

Navigating the program

Digital navigation walkthrough

Physical materials walkthrough

Sample materials

Demo access

A laptop screen displays the Amplify login page with options to log in using Google, Clever, Amplify, QR code, or District SSO. Help and sign-up links are also visible.

Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.

  • Click the CKLA Demo button below.         s1.mcps2024@demo.tryamplify.net
    • Enter the password: Amplify1-mcps2024
    • Click the desired program on the left side of the page.

Additional resources

Amplify CKLA review resources:

What is Amplify CKLA?

Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades K–5 that delivers:

  • A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
  • A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
  • Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
  • Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
Reading rope showing knowledge-building and skill development strands, and the merging of language comprehension and word recognition

How does Amplify CKLA work?

Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction
Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Skills Strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Knowledge Strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.

Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction
In Grades 3–5, Knowledge and Skills are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.

How does Amplify CKLA integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?

Amplify CKLA + mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition

Amplify CKLA integrates with your mCLASS assessment through the CKLA Connect feature, which matches your students with targeted CKLA lessons based on their mCLASS assessment data. In other words, it aligns your assessments more closely with your core curriculum while recommending effective differentiated instruction.

Screenshot of an educational platform. It shows lesson plans for a group on "Letter Sound Knowledge" under the heading "CKLA Connect." Group 2 has 2 students. Activities for phonics skills are listed below.

Amplify CKLA + Amplify Reading

Amplify Reading is the student-driven skill practice program within CKLA, providing differentiated, digital instruction in both foundational skills and comprehension strategies. Because Amplify Reading is built on the same approach to reading as CKLA, students are able to extend their learning from the core program further, at their own pace.

Amplify CKLA and Amplify Reading reinforce each other through:

  • An aligned scope and sequence and instructional approach: In both programs, students get instruction and practice in phonological awareness and phonics, with the most common, least ambiguous spellings first.
  • Consistent vocabulary words: Many Amplify CKLA words are taught and practiced in Amplify Reading vocabulary games.
  • Complementary texts: Fiction and nonfiction books within Amplify Reading reinforce Amplify CKLA knowledge domains.
  • Seamless integrations between platforms: Students can easily access Amplify Reading directly from the Amplify CKLA Student Hub.
Educational website interface showing icons for theater, sounds, library, and activities with a greeting "hello student!" and a grade level indicator.

What makes Amplify CKLA different?

Built on the Science of Reading

Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

Explicit systematic skills instruction

Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
  • Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature interesting plots and relatable characters.
  • An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
  • An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.

Coherent knowledge instruction

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
  • Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.
Illustration montage featuring scenes of learning: a cartoon character with books, two people shoveling snow under the stars, and an astronaut on a lunar landscape, with educational interfaces.

Embedded differentiation for all learners

Amplify CKLA provides built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students, including supports for English learners and Standard English learners.

  • Access supports for ELs: Integrated ELD supports in each lesson segment
    for English learners and Standard English learners are specific to students’ mastery of the lesson’s objectives.
  • Support and Challenge for all learners: Lessons include Support and Challenge suggestions that provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson. These supports are suitable for all learners, including ELs.
  • 30 minutes of Additional Support in every Skills lesson: In the Skills Strand, every lesson concludes with an Additional Support section of recommendations for 30 minutes of extended instruction and activities, directly aligned to the skills taught in the lesson to assist students who need more support in mastering the lesson’s objectives.
  • Intervention Toolkit: The Intervention Toolkit provides easy-to-use resources to assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ foundational skills. Teachers will find of hundreds of activities to support phonics, fluency, comprehension, handwriting, and other key skills.

Designated ELD

Amplify CKLA’s designated English Language Development (ELD) component—Language Studio—helps English learners preview and revisit key content within core instruction, building a foundation of academic vocabulary and background knowledge. Core instruction lessons include point-of-use supports for English learners and Support and Challenge strategies for all learners.

Young boy with his hands over his mouth, looking up in wonder, beside a diagram labeled "language studio" with educational elements.

This carefully developed program follows the CKLA Knowledge domains, previewing and reinforcing skills and content from core instruction using instruction specifically built for English learners. The program is also designed around frequent formative assessment, including assessment of language proficiency, giving you effective ways to guide and support your English learners.

Language Studio supports teachers and English learners through the following:

  • 30 minutes of instruction with lesson segments are carefully designed around Content Knowledge, Meaning Making, Language Development, Effective Expression, and Foundational Skills.
  • Every Language Studio lesson accompanies a core lesson, helping English learners deepen domain and academic vocabulary that will help them access core content.
  • Culminating tasks support core projects and target the same skills as primary instruction.

Ready-to-go slides and all-in-one platform

The slides-based Amplify CKLA digital experience enhances instruction while saving you time. Everything you need is all in one place, making it easier than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.

  • Simplify planning and instruction: Teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive
    experience—through Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
  • Interactive student activities: Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactive resources from one simple dashboard.
  • Your teacher command center: You’re provided with the tools you need to ensure a productive digital experience that’s personalized to meet your students’ needs. This includes a teacher home from which to launch and track lessons, LMS integrations such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, and other customizations based on classroom needs.
  • Get real-time insights into your students’ work: The innovative live review tool enables you to keep an eye on students drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.

Navigating the program

Digital navigation walkthrough

Physical materials walkthrough

Sample materials

Demo access

Laptop screen displaying a login page for "amplify" with multiple sign-in options including google, clever, a qr code, and district sso.

Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.

  • Click the CKLA Demo button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • To explore as a teacher, enter this username: t1.alaskareads@demo.tryamplify.net
  • To explore as a student, enter this username: s1.alaskareads@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-alaskareads
  • Click the Programs and apps menu
  • Select CKLA Teacher Resource Site
  • Select the desire grade level

Check out these additional resources

Amplify CKLA review resources:

What is Amplify CKLA?

Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades TK–5 that delivers:

  • A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
  • A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
  • Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
  • Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
  • Equitable and authentic Spanish language arts instruction with Amplify Caminos.
Reading rope showing knowledge-building and skill development strands, and the merging of language comprehension and word recognition

How does Amplify CKLA work?

Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction
Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Skills Strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Knowledge Strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.

Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction
In Grades 3–5, Knowledge and Skills are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.

What makes Amplify CKLA different?

Built on the Science of Reading

Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

Explicit systematic skills instruction

Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
  • Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature interesting plots and relatable characters.
  • An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
  • An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.

Coherent knowledge instruction

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
  • Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.
Illustration montage featuring scenes of learning: a cartoon character with books, two people shoveling snow under the stars, and an astronaut on a lunar landscape, with educational interfaces.

Embedded differentiation for all learners

Amplify CKLA provides built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students, including supports for English learners and Standard English learners.

  • Access supports for ELs: Integrated ELD supports in each lesson segment
    for English learners and Standard English learners are specific to students’ mastery of the lesson’s objectives.
  • Support and Challenge for all learners: Lessons include Support and Challenge suggestions that provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson. These supports are suitable for all learners, including ELs.
  • 30 minutes of Additional Support in every Skills lesson: In the Skills Strand, every lesson concludes with an Additional Support section of recommendations for 30 minutes of extended instruction and activities, directly aligned to the skills taught in the lesson to assist students who need more support in mastering the lesson’s objectives.
  • Intervention Toolkit: The Intervention Toolkit provides easy-to-use resources to assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ foundational skills. Teachers will find of hundreds of activities to support phonics, fluency, comprehension, handwriting, and other key skills.

Designated ELD

Amplify CKLA’s designated English Language Development (ELD) component—Language Studio— helps English learners preview and revisit key content within core instruction, building a foundation of academic vocabulary and background knowledge. Core instruction lessons include point-of-use supports for English learners and Support and Challenge strategies for all learners.

Young boy with his hands over his mouth, looking up in wonder, beside a diagram labeled

Built on the California ELA/ELD Framework, our carefully developed program follows the CKLA Knowledge domains, previewing and reinforcing skills and content from core instruction using instruction specifically built for English learners. The program is also designed around frequent formative assessment, including assessment of language proficiency, giving you effective ways to guide and support your English learners.

Language Studio supports teachers and English learners through the following:

  • 30 minutes of instruction with lesson segments are carefully designed around Content Knowledge, Meaning Making, Language Development, Effective Expression, and Foundational Skills.
  • Every Language Studio lesson accompanies a core lesson, helping English learners deepen domain and academic vocabulary that will help them access core content.
  • Culminating tasks support core projects and target the same skills as primary instruction.

Ready-to-go slides and all-in-one platform

The slides-based Amplify CKLA digital experience enhances instruction while saving you time. Everything you need is all in one place, making it easier than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.

  • Simplify planning and instruction: Teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive
    experience—through Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
  • Interactive student activities: Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactive resources from one simple dashboard.
  • Your teacher command center: You’re provided with the tools you need to ensure a productive digital experience that’s personalized to meet your students’ needs. This includes a teacher home from which to launch and track lessons, LMS integrations such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, and other customizations based on classroom needs.
  • Get real-time insights into your students’ work: The innovative live review tool enables you to keep an eye on students drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.

How does Amplify CKLA integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?

Amplify CKLA + mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition

Amplify CKLA integrates with your mCLASS assessment through the CKLA Connect feature, which matches your students with targeted CKLA lessons based on their mCLASS assessment data. In other words, it aligns your assessments more closely with your core curriculum while recommending effective differentiated instruction.

Screenshot of an educational platform. It shows lesson plans for a group on "Letter Sound Knowledge" under the heading "CKLA Connect." Group 2 has 2 students. Activities for phonics skills are listed below.

Amplify CKLA + Amplify Reading

Amplify Reading is the student-driven skill practice program within CKLA, providing differentiated, digital instruction in both foundational skills and comprehension strategies. Because Amplify Reading is built on the same approach to reading as CKLA, students are able to extend their learning from the core program further, at their own pace.

Amplify CKLA and Amplify Reading reinforce each other through:

  • An aligned scope and sequence and instructional approach: In both probrams, students get instruction and practice in phonological awareness and phonics, with the most common, least ambiguous spellings first.
  • Consistent vocabulary words: Many Amplify CKLA words are taught and practiced in Amplify Reading vocabulary games.
  • Complementary texts: Fiction and nonfiction books within Amplify Reading reinforce Amplify CKLA knowledge domains.
  • Seamless integrations between platforms: Students can easily access Amplify Reading directly from the Amplify CKLA Student Hub.
Educational website interface showing icons for theater, sounds, library, and activities with a greeting "hello student!" and a grade level indicator.

Navigating the program

Digital navigation walkthrough

Physical materials walkthrough

Check out these additional resources

Amplify CKLA review resources:

What is Amplify CKLA?

Amplify CKLA is a core ELA program for grades TK–5 that delivers:

  • A unique research-based approach truly built on the Science of Reading.
  • A combination of explicit foundational skills with meaningful knowledge-building.
  • Embedded support and differentiation that gets all students reading grade-level texts together.
  • Opportunities for students to see the strengths and experiences that all people share while also celebrating each others’ unique identities and experiences.
  • Authentic Spanish language arts instruction with Amplify Caminos.
A visual diagram shows strands for language comprehension and word recognition skills intertwining, with related educational materials pictured alongside each set of skills.

How does Amplify CKLA work?

Grades K–2: Dedicated knowledge-building and explicit skills instruction
Every day, students in Grades K–2 complete one full lesson that explicitly and systematically builds foundational reading skills in the Skills Strand, as well as one full lesson that builds robust background knowledge to access complex text in the Knowledge Strand. Through learning in each of these strands, students develop the early literacy skills necessary to help them become confident readers and build the context to understand what they’re reading.

Grades 3–5: Integrated instruction
In Grades 3–5, Knowledge and Skills are integrated in one set of instructional materials. Lessons begin to combine skills and knowledge with increasingly complex texts, close reading, and a greater writing emphasis. Students can then use their skills to go on their own independent reading adventures.

What makes Amplify CKLA different?

Built on the Science of Reading

Built out of the latest research in the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA delivers explicit instruction in both foundational literacy skills (systematic phonics, decoding, and fluency) and background knowledge in grades K–2 with an integrated approach to explicit instruction in grades 3–5.

Review this Science of Reading toolkit to learn more about the Science of Reading best practices integrated throughout CKLA.

Explicit systematic skills instruction

Great reading instruction starts with helping kids develop great decoding skills. By building a solid foundation of phonological awareness and phonics, reading the words on the page becomes automatic so that comprehension and critical thinking can happen. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Step-by-step lessons with multisensory approaches, clear lesson objectives, and embedded formative assessments.
  • Decodable books and student readers with ebook and audiobook versions that feature interesting plots and relatable characters.
  • An engaging sound library with fun songs and videos that develop phonological awareness.
  • An interactive Vocab App featuring engaging activities with immediate feedback and automated, customized instruction based on student performance.

Coherent knowledge instruction

Students build grade-appropriate subject-area knowledge and vocabulary in history, science, literature, and the arts while learning to read, write, and think creatively and for themselves. Our instruction is supported by:

  • Knowledge builders that provide a quick overview of each domain with its key ideas.
  • Interactive Read-Alouds designed to build knowledge and vocabulary.
  • Content-rich anchor texts that support students as they tackle increasingly complex text and sharpen their analytical skills.
  • Social and emotional learning paired with lessons in civic responsibility.
Illustration montage featuring scenes of learning: a cartoon character with books, two people shoveling snow under the stars, and an astronaut on a lunar landscape, with educational interfaces.

Embedded differentiation for all learners

Amplify CKLA provides built-in differentiation strategies in every lesson for all students, including supports for English learners and Standard English learners.

  • Access supports for ELs: Integrated ELD supports in each lesson segment
    for English learners and Standard English learners are specific to students’ mastery of the lesson’s objectives.
  • Support and Challenge for all learners: Lessons include Support and Challenge suggestions that provide assistance or opportunities for more advanced work toward the goal of the lesson. These supports are suitable for all learners, including ELs.
  • 30 minutes of Additional Support in every Skills lesson: In the Skills Strand, every lesson concludes with an Additional Support section of recommendations for 30 minutes of extended instruction and activities, directly aligned to the skills taught in the lesson to assist students who need more support in mastering the lesson’s objectives.
  • Intervention Toolkit: The Intervention Toolkit provides easy-to-use resources to assist teachers in filling gaps in students’ foundational skills. Teachers will find of hundreds of activities to support phonics, fluency, comprehension, handwriting, and other key skills.

Designated ELD

Amplify CKLA’s designated English Language Development (ELD) component—Language Studio— helps English learners preview and revisit key content within core instruction, building a foundation of academic vocabulary and background knowledge. Core instruction lessons include point-of-use supports for English learners and Support and Challenge strategies for all learners.

Young boy with his hands over his mouth, looking up in wonder, beside a diagram labeled

Built on the California ELA/ELD Framework, our carefully developed program follows the CKLA Knowledge domains, previewing and reinforcing skills and content from core instruction using instruction specifically built for English learners. The program is also designed around frequent formative assessment, including assessment of language proficiency, giving you effective ways to guide and support your English learners.

Language Studio supports teachers and English learners through the following:

  • 30 minutes of instruction with lesson segments are carefully designed around Content Knowledge, Meaning Making, Language Development, Effective Expression, and Foundational Skills.
  • Every Language Studio lesson accompanies a core lesson, helping English learners deepen domain and academic vocabulary that will help them access core content.
  • Culminating tasks support core projects and target the same skills as primary instruction.

Ready-to-go slides and all-in-one platform

The slides-based Amplify CKLA digital experience enhances instruction while saving you time. Everything you need is all in one place, making it easier than ever to plan lessons, present digital content, and review student work.

  • Simplify planning and instruction: Teachers have access to ready-to-use and customizable lesson presentation slides, complete with all the prompts from the print Teacher Guide embedded in the teacher view. As teachers deliver each lesson, students can engage with the content in one cohesive
    experience—through Activity Books, slides, digital components, videos, Student Readers, and more.
  • Interactive student activities: Through the Student Home, students can easily access digital lessons with slides, Activity Pages, ebooks, videos, and other interactive resources from one simple dashboard.
  • Your teacher command center: You’re provided with the tools you need to ensure a productive digital experience that’s personalized to meet your students’ needs. This includes a teacher home from which to launch and track lessons, LMS integrations such as Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams, and other customizations based on classroom needs.
  • Get real-time insights into your students’ work: The innovative live review tool enables you to keep an eye on students drawing, recording audio, uploading and capturing images, and typing or writing in pre-placed text boxes in their Activity Pages.

How does Amplify CKLA integrate with the other parts of the literacy system?

Amplify CKLA + mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition

Amplify CKLA integrates with your mCLASS assessment through the CKLA Connect feature, which matches your students with targeted CKLA lessons based on their mCLASS assessment data. In other words, it aligns your assessments more closely with your core curriculum while recommending effective differentiated instruction.

A digital dashboard shows lesson summaries for CKLA Connect and a group of two students focusing on letter sound knowledge and related activities.

Amplify CKLA + Amplify Reading

Amplify Reading is the student-driven skill practice program within CKLA, providing differentiated, digital instruction in both foundational skills and comprehension strategies. Because Amplify Reading is built on the same approach to reading as CKLA, students are able to extend their learning from the core program further, at their own pace.

Amplify CKLA and Amplify Reading reinforce each other through:

  • An aligned scope and sequence and instructional approach: In both probrams, students get instruction and practice in phonological awareness and phonics, with the most common, least ambiguous spellings first.
  • Consistent vocabulary words: Many Amplify CKLA words are taught and practiced in Amplify Reading vocabulary games.
  • Complementary texts: Fiction and nonfiction books within Amplify Reading reinforce Amplify CKLA knowledge domains.
  • Seamless integrations between platforms: Students can easily access Amplify Reading directly from the Amplify CKLA Student Hub.
Screenshot of the CKLA Hub interface showing options for Theater, Sounds, Library, and Activities, with a note indicating access to Amplify Reading.

Navigating the program

Digital navigation walkthrough

Physical materials walkthrough

Sample materials

Demo access

A laptop screen displays the Amplify login page with options to log in using Google, Clever, Amplify, QR code, or District SSO.

Follow the instructions below to access your demo account.

  • Click the CKLA and Caminos Demo button below.
  • Select Log in with Amplify.
  • To explore as a teacher, enter this username: t1.westadackla@demo.tryamplify.net
  • To explore as a student, enter this username: s1.westadackla@demo.tryamplify.net
  • Enter the password: Amplify1-westadackla
  • Click the Programs and apps menu
  • Select CKLA Teacher Resource Site
  • Select the desire grade level
  • Use the toggle to switch between English (CKLA) and Spanish (Caminos) resources.

Note: Your demo account access expires on January 19, 2023.

Check out these additional resources

Amplify CKLA review resources:

Students take on the role of a scientist or engineer every day.

Amplify Science is a blended curriculum developed to align with the New York City PK–8 Science Scope and Sequence that meets the New York State Science Learning Standards.

Amplify Science for grades K–8 has been rated all-green by EdReports.

Read the review on EdReports.

Check out the New York City Resource Site for supporting resources designed for the New York City Department of Education Amplify Science adoption for grades K–8.

An illustration of a whale with jellyfish and turtles from Amplify Science

Begin your review

What sets Amplify Science apart?

  • Aligned to the New York City PK–8 Science Scope and Sequence, and meets New York State Science Learning Standards.
  • State-of-the-art, highly-engaging curriculum that invites students to take on the role of a scientist or engineer in every unit to solve relevant real-world problems.
  • Flexible, truly blended program that combines comprehensive print components and compelling online content with hands-on learning in every unit.
  • Robust teacher support for ease of use by a wide range of teachers in diverse classroom contexts, with carefully crafted lessons, standards alignment, differentiation strategies, and ELL supports throughout the program.
  • Embedded assessments throughout the program, including both formative and summative assessments for every grade level.
  • Authored by the industry-leading science curriculum team at U.C. Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science, who have 50 years of experience in K–12 science education and who will continue to enhance and update the program for years to come. To learn more about how the Lawrence Hall of Science collected research, designed the curriculum, and field tested the program with teachers, download our research base document.

The Amplify Science approach

The scope and sequence of the program is designed to show that scientific concepts are interconnected and multifaceted. Each unit focuses on a specific learning goal in the form of an overarching unit question. Rather than following linear steps in an experiment, the program leaves room for students to make connections across concepts and make their own discoveries. In this way, Amplify Science replicates the realities and ambiguities of scientific research and thinking.

Each course in Amplify Science K–5 consists of 3–4 units, with each unit containing 22 lessons. Each lesson in grades K and 1 is written for a 45-minute session, while lessons in grades 2–5 are written for 60-minute sessions. Teachers can always expand or contract the timing to fit their needs.

Each course in Amplify Science 6–8 consists of 7-9 units, with each core unit containing 19 lessons, each launch unit containing 11 lessons, and each engineering internship containing 10 lessons. Each lesson in grades 6–8 is written for a 45-minute session. Teachers can always expand or contract the timing to fit their needs..

Download the K–5 unit sequence

Download the 6–8 unit sequence

Components overview

Amplify Science blends physical materials with a suite of digital tools, presenting students with the resources they need to investigate real-world problems, and empowering and supporting teachers as they lead instruction and gain insight into student growth and progress.

Grades K–5

  • Student Investigation Notebooks (K–2) for every unit allow students to interact with content while taking notes, answering questions, and conducting investigations. Review a sample from the Grade 2 Plant and Animal Relationships unit.
  • Student Books enhance science topics and allow students to practice reading within the science content area.
  • Instructional materials for teachers. The Amplify Science curriculum website hosts all lesson content, media, digital simulations, and more, and is the primary tool “open” for teachers during class time. Print Teacher’s Guides are included. You can view complete unit samples by accessing the curriculum at the bottom of this page.
  • Robust digital simulations and digital applications, developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program. Supported devices include: iPad 3+, Chromebook, Windows PC, and MacBook.
  • Unit Kits for each unit in the program including consumable and nonconsumable hands-on materials, printed classroom display materials, and the students books.
  • Embedded formative and summative assessments are meant to support and guide student instruction.
  • Pacing guides have been developed for teachers to support the implementation of the program.

Grades 6–8

  • New York City Student Editions enhance science topics and allow students to practice reading within the science content area.
  • Special “NYC Companion Lessons” directly target the additional standards in NYSSLS not found in the NGSS.
  • Instructional materials for teachers. The Amplify Science curriculum website hosts all lesson content, media, digital simulations, and more, and is the primary tool “open” for teachers during class time. Print Teacher’s Guides are included. You can view complete unit samples by accessing the curriculum at the bottom of this page.
  • Robust digital simulations and digital applications, developed exclusively for the Amplify Science program. Supported devices include: iPad 3+, Chromebook, Windows PC, and MacBook.
  • Unit Kits for each unit in the program including consumable and nonconsumable hands-on materials and printed classroom display materials for 5 uses of a class of 40 students.
  • Embedded formative and summative assessments are meant to support and guide student instruction.
  • Pacing guides have been developed for teachers to support the implementation of the program.

Review grades K–5

Amplify Science K-5 is an elementary science curriculum that provides teachers with the tools and practices necessary to meet the expectations of the NYSED P–12 Science Learning Standards. The program also aligns to the new NYCDOE PK–8 Science Scope and Sequence. Learn more about Amplify Science K-5 by reviewing the following::

Click the orange button below to access the digital Teacher’s Guide and begin your review.

Review grades 6–8

Amplify Science 6–8 New York City Edition is a new blended curriculum developed to align to 100 percent of the New York City PK–8 Science Scope and Sequence 2018 that meets 100 percent of the New York State Science Learning Standards. Learn more about Amplify Science 6-8 New York City Edition by reviewing the following:

Click the orange button below to access the digital Teacher’s Guide and begin your review.

Watch an overview

Watch curriculum experts walk through the Amplify Science K–5 and 6–8 programs and share information on how you can start to make the shifts to the NGSS with a literacy-rich approach to science instruction.

Ready to order?

When you are ready to place an order for Amplify Science, please reference the ordering checklist on the Core Curriculum Ordering Guide, and then head to:

Language comprehension: Building mental models

©Alexander Huth / The Regents of the University of California

Throughout this five-part series, we will cover the main components of the Science of Reading (SoR) and provide additional resources and research to guide your exploration and implementation of this important movement.

Say you’re given a passage of text to read. This particular paragraph describes half an inning of a made-up baseball game.

After you read the passage, you are asked to reenact the scene.

Which is more likely to aid your success?

A. Your ability to read

B. Your knowledge of baseball

C. It makes no difference

Would you be surprised to know the answer is actually B?

In part one of our series, “What is the Science of Reading anyway?,” we discussed the two main components of the Science of Reading: decoding (converting written words into speech) and language comprehension (understanding that speech). We also provided in-depth coverage of both learning and teaching how to decode the symbols of the English alphabet and strengthen the reading muscle.

LANGUAGE COMPREHENSION

In 1988, two young researchers and 64 students took part in an experiment that has forever changed how we think about reading and comprehension. One by one, the students were handed the same story covering half an inning of a made-up baseball game and asked to reenact it.

To the researchers’ surprise, they found that reading ability had little impact on how well kids understood the story—but knowledge of baseball did. In fact, students who were weak readers did as well as strong readers if they had knowledge of baseball.

Teaching knowledge explicitly improves reading comprehension. As Willingham has said, “Reading tests are knowledge tests in disguise.”

Researchers at the Haskins Lab at Yale tested this theory and found an extraordinarily high correlation between how well a 7-to-9-year-old child can recognize words and how well they comprehend text.

Common teaching mistake — Strategy instruction

So if reading comprehension is driven by a student’s vocabulary and knowledge, are widely taught strategies like finding the main idea equally critical?

Many strategies make intuitive sense: Stopping and re-reading when comprehension breaks down, for instance, is helpful for many children. But teaching the main idea strategy over and over is less helpful.

It is hard to find the main idea of a piece of writing if you don’t really understand any of the ideas in it. And even if you know a strategy — like re-reading when stuck — you also need to be well-versed in when to apply the strategy. You need to notice that you didn’t understand the text.

Often, strategy instruction neglects to offer students practice with identifying the situations in which they should use the strategy.

In the 1940s, a skills shift began to take place in education systems throughout the world. Its effects can be traced in the U.K., Sweden, Germany, and, most recently, France. This shift brought an emphasis on reading and math, squeezing out the broader knowledge taught in the sciences and social sciences. Some have linked the decline in standardized test scores—the SAT in the U.S. and the DEPP national exam in France—to this shift.

The National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education reported that today, classes in grades K–3 spend just 19 minutes per day on science and 16 minutes per day on social science.

To counter this loss of broader knowledge in our students, research suggests that we teach comprehension strategies in moderation and use the freed-up time to build knowledge (and vocabulary).

But simply exposing students to everyday speech doesn’t build a strong vocabulary. In a typical conversation, there are around 20 unusual words—such as dismayed or zeal—per 1000 words. Newspapers and books contain more than twice as many. Rich vocabulary, then, is gained not solely through speech, but through reading. Rich vocabulary, then, is gained not solely through speech, but through reading—especially when reading a variety of text types.

Mental models

Some readers with good word recognition, vocabulary, and knowledge are still weak comprehenders. Why might this be the case?

After students read a passage, they aren’t likely to recall the precise wording, but they will probably remember the ideas. Researchers use the term mental model to describe the structure you create in your mind to perform this feat of comprehension. Think of the process of building a mental model as a sort of micro-comprehension. Weak comprehenders build poor models. Hence, when asked prediction or mapping character development questions, they answer poorly.

There are four critical skills students need to improve their mental modeling:

  1. Decoding the usage of anaphoras (she, they, him). Some early readers can’t reliably figure out who the pronoun is referring to, especially in ambiguous text.
  2. Understanding the use of markers to signal ways that the text fits together — connectives, (like so, though, whenever) structure cues, and directions. Inexperienced readers may not know that but, though, yet, and however signal that something opposite follows.
  3. Writers make assumptions about what can be left unstated. For instance, when they read “Carla forgot her umbrella and got very wet today,” good readers will use their prior knowledge to conclude that it rained. Weaker readers who fail to make these gap-filling inferences wind up with gaps in their mental model.
  4. When something doesn’t make sense, you stop, re-read, and try to figure it out. Weaker readers just keep going—not because they’ve failed to figure it out, but because they’ve failed to notice that they don’t understand. They need explicit instruction in monitoring comprehension as they read.

Overview

Think of reading as a suitcase that you need two keys to open. The first key is word-level decoding, a skill that becomes automatic and fluent. The second key is language, vocabulary, and domain-specific knowledge. The more words you can decode, the more new words — and their meanings — you can learn. Similarly, the more knowledge you have on a topic, the more you can soak up on the same topic — and on related topics.

These two keys make up the Science of Reading. When schools focus heavily on one key or the other, the suitcase doesn’t open. So now the greater task of applying this knowledge in the classroom awaits us.

For more in-depth examples, brain scans, and information about the Science of Reading, download our free primer:

Science of Reading – Make the Shift Today

What is a professional learning specialist (PLS)?

About this role

Amplify professional learning specialists deliver professional development for educators that drives change, leading to increased and effective use of our Amplify programs and positive impacts on students’ learning. New professional learning specialists:

  • Are selected and supported by Amplify.
  • Receive onboarding and become certified with an Amplify program, with opportunities to extend product certifications throughout the year.
  • Deliver virtual and on-site sessions for schools and districts throughout the country.

Dive deeper into the responsibilities, requirements, and compensation of the professional learning specialist role within the professional learning specialist overview flipbook!

Why join?

The PLS advantage

Professional development for educators is one of the most powerful levers to shift learning, action, and beliefs. 

As a professional learning specialist, you’ll be able to impact educators—and, ultimately, students—nationwide and see how schools across the country are driving success. Over time, you’ll also deepen your facilitation and leadership skills and build relationships with fellow professional learning specialists who are current or former educators.

Uncover additional advantages of being in the professional learning specialist network (pages 714).

Two women, one middle-aged and one younger, working together on a laptop in a library, with two other people in the background.

Is this right for me?

Becoming a PLS is ideal for:

Current educators*Former educatorsRetired educators
who want to gain a new perspective and develop leadership and adult facilitation skills.who are seeking part-time, contract work and a more flexible schedule.who want to stay connected to a network of education leaders and continue to make an impact.

*Must be available to onboard in May or June and facilitate on-site sessions from July through August.

Further evaluate if this is the right role for you (pages 25–29).

This year, nearly 30% of our professional learning specialists were current educators and 70% were former or retired educators. While our professional learning specialists are in different places within their classroom or educational leadership careers, they all have several key qualities in common. These include:

  • A deep knowledge of high-quality instruction and adult learning principles.
  • The drive to be a strong colleague and team player.
  • Proven excellence in delivering in-person and online professional development.
  • Exceptional customer service skills.
  • High comfort with navigating ambiguity and responding confidently to in-the-moment challenges.

Access more detailed requirements of the role (pages 16–29).

Apply now

Are you interested in helping shape professional development for educators?

Review the job descriptions for our current roles Professional Learning Specialist, Bilingual Literacy and Professional Learning Specialist, Literacy or STEM.