Exploring the Science of Writing

Discover the captivating journey of writing with our new guide, Science of Writing: A Primer. This resource delves into the history of writing, highlights the crucial link between combining reading and writing instruction, and reveals why handwriting still matters in today’s digital world. Designed to complement CKLA 3rd Edition and our other literacy tools, this primer is set to become a trusted companion, just like those before it.

The science of teaching reading, coupled with the art of change management

Shifting to the Science of Reading isn’t just an overnight curriculum swap—it’s a profound culture change with multiple stages and stakeholders. We’ve helped educators succeed in that shift for years, and now we’re here to guide you every step of the way. Through each stage of implementation, our Change Management Playbook will help you mobilize your practice, process, and people to make the shift that matters most.

What is the Science of Reading?

Learning to read is not innate, but it can be taught—and science tells us how. The Science of Reading refers to the vast body of growing research that deconstructs how children learn to read, and the instructional practices that can get them there.

Reading fluency requires a complex combination of skills, taught explicitly and systematically. There are two main frameworks that can help us break it all down: The Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Rope.

Science of Reading starter kit for new teachers

New to the classroom? We’ve compiled a collection of resources and insights about the Science of Reading to help you acquire more knowledge and build confidence. You’ll find the tools, information, and support you need to foster successful readers and writers in your classroom this school year—and beyond.

The Simple View of Reading

The Simple View of Reading, formulated by Philip Gough and William Tunmer in 1986, is the theory that proficient reading requires two main components:

• Converting written words into speech, otherwise known as decoding.
• Understanding that speech, otherwise known as reading comprehension.

Why undertake this crucial change?

When we bring proven methods based on the Science of Reading into schools, we make sure kids are learning to read and help teachers and caregivers support a culture of reading. Together, we can solve the reading crisis and make literacy a reality everywhere.

Program overview

mCLASS Intervention is a staff-led, supplemental Tier 2/3 intervention program that covers the five big ideas of reading, using the continuum illustrated below. Each hexagon represents a skill taught in mCLASS Intervention. Skills to the left are generally precursors to skills on the right.

The strength of mCLASS Intervention comes from its technology-powered algorithm. Using sophisticated software algorithms, mCLASS Intervention automatically:

• Analyzes DIBELS 8th Edition and diagnostic measure results collected via the mCLASS platform.
• Determines which skills each student already knows and which they are ready to learn next.
• Puts students into small homogeneous groups of 4–6.
• Compiles detailed lessons that target the specific needs of each group.

Here is a brief example of how mCLASS Intervention identifies the right target for each student.  The image below shows the MOY Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) results for two first-grade students—Student A and Student B.

They both scored 29, which is Well Below Benchmark for this time of year. In spite of the students having the same score, mCLASS Intervention employs automatic analysis of item-level responses to detect that they are actually at different points in the continuum. For Student A, mCLASS Intervention recommends a focus on letter-sound knowledge, and sounding out and blending. For Student B,  mCLASS Intervention recommends a focus on Regular & Irregular Word recognition. (mCLASS Intervention spirals instruction by having students work in two strands at the same time.) Without mCLASS Intervention, this type of analysis would take educators hours to complete and, as a result, could only be completed sporadically. The automatic nature of mCLASS Intervention’s data analysis algorithm makes it possible for busy educators to complete this analysis regularly, which in turn enables them to continually target intervention instruction at students’ evolving needs, day after day. 

The mCLASS Intervention algorithm not only determines the ideal instructional focus for each student, but also automatically forms small groups of 4–6 students who share the same instructional focus and builds a 10-day plan with detailed lessons that target the specific needs of each group.

Each 10-day plan systematically builds skills. For example, in the 10-day plan below, mCLASS Intervention has a particular group of students work on phonological awareness and letter sound knowledge. And within phonological awareness, mCLASS Intervention first introduces the group to phoneme segmentation; moves students through phoneme identification and substitution in subsequent days; then finishes with first, last, and middle sound segmentation.

This systematic move from less advanced to more advanced skills allows for spaced practice over time, which research has shown to have significant impact on student literacy growth. 

In a Tier 2 intensity, mCLASS Intervention lessons last 30 minutes per day and are delivered daily in groups of 4–6 students. Each session has five activities and each activity is 5–8 minutes long. In a Tier 3 intensity, mCLASS Intervention lessons can be 30 or 60 minutes per day and are delivered daily in groups of 3–4 students. 

Below is an example of a middle sound segmentation activity.

We want to highlight two things from this example: 1) The instructional approach is explicit, and 2) the guidance provided is very detailed.

Explicit instructional approach: All mCLASS Intervention activities begin with a Model (“I Do”) followed by a Practice (“You Do”). During the Model section, the instructor demonstrates how to do the activity. During the Practice section, the instructor has students practice. mCLASS Intervention uses subtle but impactful moves to maximize students’ independent thinking during the Practice portion of an activity. For example, in this activity, mCLASS Intervention has the instructor call on a student only after posing the question to all students in the group and giving the group 3–5 seconds of “think time.” This approach helps instructors keep all students mentally engaged because, should they take the opposite approach of calling on one student and then asking the question, the students who were not called on would tune out and inadvertently rob themselves of crucial practice opportunities they need to catch up to their grade-level peers.  

Detailed guidance: Because mCLASS Intervention activities are detailed, both certified educators and paraprofessionals with little or no training in early elementary reading can deliver mCLASS Intervention with impact. This detailed guidance gives schools a range of options when it comes to staffing intervention, and that added flexibility is vital—especially for moderate and high need schools, which often struggle to provide intervention to all students in need.

Keep in mind that an activity such as the one above represents just 1/5th of a lesson. The additional four activities that round out a 30-minute intervention lesson are short (5–8 minutes each) and varied. Some cover one skill of focus, while others cover the other skill of focus. mCLASS Intervention also regularly incorporates game-based, kinesthetic, peer-to-peer approaches to further increase student engagement and, as a result, educators often report that mCLASS Intervention is their students’ favorite part of the day.  We think this is because students get more attention in a small group; the instruction is targeted to their needs so they are neither bored nor overly frustrated; and the 30 minutes are filled with short, varying, fast-paced, high-energy activities.

The swift pace of mCLASS Intervention is present in the activities that older students work on as well. These students often work on fluency and comprehension at the same time. In the 10-day plan below, you can see how their lessons include the same structure of short and varying activities.

Program components

Site License

Each school needs a site license to the mCLASS Intervention software.  This provides access to the tools interventionists use throughout the year, such as:

• An assessment app for conducting progress monitoring.
• A grouping tool that forms small groups of 4–6 students with similar skill profiles.
• A lesson builder that delivers customized 10-day lesson plans for groups.

See sample 10-day lesson plans

• Analytical reports for reviewing progress.
• A practice app for K–2 students to use outside of intervention time.

mCLASS Intervention Kit

mCLASS Intervention kits are recommended, but optional. These kits include the following materials that interventionists bring to lessons:

We recommend one mCLASS Intervention kit per interventionist serving K–3 and one mCLASS Intervention kit per interventionist serving 4–6. 

If a school is not able to purchase one kit per interventionist, educators can assemble the materials themselves using our directions here.

DIBELS 8th Edition Kit

Educators administer DIBELS 8th Edition and proprietary diagnostic probes to place intervention students into the program.

Schools can purchase DIBELS 8th Edition kits through Amplify or download forms from the University of Oregon’s site here. 

For the proprietary diagnostic probes, educators can find the assessment forms in the mCLASS Intervention kit or download them from our teacher portal here. 

Getting mCLASS Intervention up and running

We have step-by-step guides with training videos and detailed FAQs to help educators get mCLASS Intervention running smoothly in their schools.

• Schools that screen with DIBELS via mCLASS follow these steps to get Intervention up and running.
• Schools that screen with another reading assessment (e.g., paper/pencil DIBELS, iReady, NWEA MAP) follow these steps to get Intervention up and running.

Take a tour

Professional development

For more than a decade, Amplify has provided high-quality customized professional development to meet the specific needs of educators at all levels and improve student outcomes across multiple schools, districts, and states. Our professional development opportunities extend beyond initial product trainings and are proven to leverage data to support effective implementation, consistent administration, focused progress monitoring, skill-focused data analysis, and instructional planning.

There are two distinct roles in mCLASS Intervention critical to ensuring its success at a school site. Professional development is designed to target these different roles:

• Intervention Coordinator:
  Oversees the mCLASS Intervention program, groups students, determines group assignments, adjusts schedules, and works closely with Interventionists. 
• Interventionists:
  Instructors who deliver the daily mCLASS Intervention program to small groups of students and monitor students’ progress every two weeks. 

We deliver professional development sessions through multiple formats, including:

• Onsite:
  Sessions are delivered in person (30 participants).
• Virtual:
  Sessions are delivered remotely through webinars (15 participants).
• On demand:
  Resources are posted on the training platform and can be accessed anytime (Individually).

We offer two types of training to support implementation of mCLASS Intervention: Initial Training Sessions and Coaching Sessions.

TRAINING TYPE	PURPOSE	DATE
Initial Training Sessions	Introduce all stakeholders to mCLASS Intervention and the responsibilities of their individual roles.	Beginning of year
Coaching Sessions	Support Intervention Coordinators with data management and fidelity, and support teachers with lesson delivery, progress monitoring, and data analysis.	As identified by school

Our Coaching Sessions are also offered in multiple formats, to include full- and half-day in-person sessions, and hourly remote sessions.

Coaching Sessions
Training title	Modality	Objectives
One-day Coaching	1-day onsite	Objectives for these sessions will depend on the content needs determined by the school. Topics can include but are not limited to: Observing Intervention lessons and providing feedback. Analyzing mCLASS Intervention data. Reviewing student progress, and planning next steps. Refining groups and schedules. Co-planning and modeling Intervention lessons.
Half-day Coaching	½-day onsite
Hourly Coaching	1-hour remote

FAQ’s

Do schools need to screen with mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition to use mCLASS Intervention?

No. Amplify has an mCLASS Intervention offering designed for schools that use their own reading screener. These schools use the results from their own reading assessment to determine who’s at risk. Then they administer DIBELS 8th Edition and Amplify’s proprietary diagnostic measure via mCLASS to the students who will receive mCLASS Intervention. Of course, we highly recommend using mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition for screening the entire class, as it would efficiently serve as both a screener and placement tool into mCLASS Intervention.

How does placement into mCLASS Intervention work?

You can learn on our teacher portal site. Here are the placement procedures for schools that:

Screen with mCLASS DIBELS 8

Screen with their own reading assessment

Does mCLASS Intervention teach skills that are taught in previous grades?

Yes, mCLASS Intervention was designed to detect students’ earliest skill gaps and provide teachers with high-quality resources for addressing them. 

How do teachers set goals?

mCLASS Intervention comes with a goal-setting tool that helps educators choose goals for students. It does this by providing score ranges that represent average, above average, and well above average growth in the skills being worked on.

Prepare You’ll understand research-based practices to support new program implementation. Prepare learning experiences will help shift literacy and math instruction in areas such as the Science of Reading and/or problem-based approaches to math.

Begin You’ll build the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to begin teaching with your Amplify program(s). Program-aligned packages will support those who are new to Amplify’s programs.

Practice You’ll refine instrucional skills, expand knowledge of your Amplify program(s), and explore more advanced insturctional strategies. Program-aligned packages will support those who have experience using Amplify’s programs.

Advance You’ll deepen understanding of content and pedagogy and build-in house capacity to support a robust, sustainable implementation. Program-aligned offerings will support advanced implementation, build capacity for instructional leaders, certify in-house trainers to deliver Launch sessions, and more.

Empower teachers to continuously improve.

Professional development helps teachers stay motivated and inspired to grow professionally. Demonstrate your commitment to your staff by empowering them with professional development packages that include on-site or virtual Launch, Strengthen, or Coach sessions, all of which will orient you and your team to the full features of Amplify programs.

You can also personalize your learning experience by adding enhancement sessions to base packages.

Commit to sustainable change for long-term impact.

Learning may ebb and flow between phases depending on your teachers’ and leaders’ needs, experiences, and professional goals. Amplify PD aims to continually grow, develop, and refine instructional practices to support student learning and achievement.

Additional learning

Once you become an Amplify customer, you’ll have access to many opportunities to continue learning how to get the most out of your Amplify program(s).

To get a sense of our support, check out some of our free resources:

• Featured blog posts on the Amplify blog
• Webinars or other online events
• Video content on Youtube

Biliteracy supports

Sessions are available to support educators teaching with both Amplify ELAR and Amplify SLAR core programs, or both mCLASS Texas Edition and mCLASS Lectura Texas assessment programs.

Facilitated in both English and Spanish, these specialized sessions should be scheduled for biliteracy teachers using both curriculums and/or assessments. Substitute a biliteracy session for the six-hour initial training in your package, or add these sessions on to your package for your biliteracy teachers.

Speak to our team to learn more!

Community of collaboration

Connect with fellow Science of Reading, math, or science advocates in one of our public Facebook groups. Join a community or tune into one of our podcasts today:

• Science of Reading: The Podcast and The Community
• Science Connections: The Podcast and The Community

Amplify customers can join our exclusive, program-specific Facebook communities to ask pedagogical questions, share Amplify teaching hacks, and more!

Our experts

We are educators supporting educators. Every member of Amplify’s national team of highly experienced and qualified facilitators is a former educator with years of hands-on classroom and/or administrative experience. Our facilitators are passionate about supporting educators in the implementation of their Amplify programs and creating transformational change for all students.

Get in touch with a PD expert

We’re here to provide answers and guidance as you explore your PD journey. Fill out the form to connect with us and discover how Amplify PD can enhance your educational journey.

Program questions

Technical questions

To ensure that your hardware and network meet the minimum technical requirements for optimal performance and support of your digital curriculum products please see Amplify’s customer requirements page.

mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition is Oregon approved!

mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition and mCLASS Rapid Automatic Naming (RAN) helps teachers identify COVID-related learning loss and literacy needs firsthand through a quick, five-minute assessment that can be done virtually or in person. What’s more, it helps teachers take immediate instructional action that’s right for each and every student.

What is mCLASS?

mCLASS® with DIBELS® 8th Edition and mCLASS RAN is an integrated, gold standard literacy system for grades K–6.

The mCLASS comprehensive system includes efficient one-minute measures, a built-in Enhanced Early Learning Measures screener, teacher-led and student-driven instruction, intervention, and robust reports for teachers and administrators.

With mCLASS, you can say goodbye to cobbling together tools and second guessing the results of other screeners.

Why mCLASS?

It’s a single solution that meets all of the state’s requirements for Early Screening of Dyslexia.

• It’s a universal early literacy screener, dyslexia screener, and a diagnostic tool in one.
• It allows for real-time assessment and instant scoring as well as offline assessment capabilities.
• It includes explicit literacy instruction and intervention strategies based on student performance.
• It’s flexible and can be implemented in a variety of scenarios, including in-person, remote, and hybrid learning environments.
• It includes a variety of parent notification resources and at-home reading strategies.
• It’s continually enhanced with new features and regular updates that are made available to our entire user community.

Instant data and action

Quick and actionable reports provide detailed insight into students’ reading development across foundational literacy skills for classroom teachers and literacy specialists, principals and district leaders, and parents and guardians at home.

What’s more, mCLASS^® with DIBELS^® 8th Edition and mCLASS RAN gives you instant results and clear next instructional steps for each and every student.

Dyslexia screener

Early intervention is critical. That’s why we help you meet state dyslexia legislation with one single powerful tool—no additional assessment system required.

Our additional measures in vocabulary, spelling, and rapid automatic naming (RAN) address the full range of skills associated with dyslexia risk and help identify students at varying levels of risk for reading difficulties, including dyslexia.

Assess anywhere

mCLASS has created a collection of resources to help you plan for a variety of assessment scenarios.

Whether your school is engaged in in-person, hybrid, or remote instruction, we know how important it is for teachers and administrators to have a full (and firsthand!) picture of every student’s literacy development.

Personalized practice

Amplify Reading is the practice and remediation companion to mCLASS. At its heart, there are three main areas that make Amplify Reading a unique and essential supplemental learning program.

• The program meets all students where they are with powerful individualized instruction and practice.
• Age-appropriate narratives create a learning experience that leaps off the screen.
• Research shows Amplify Reading improves student performance–particularly among English Learners–reducing the overall percentage of students at risk of reading difficulty.

Funding

Schools may utilize Early Literacy Grants or federal CARES Act funds to purchase assessments to meet Oregon’s screening legislation.

Resources

Get in touch

Ready to discuss how mCLASS can support your specific needs? A brief 30-minute call is all we need to determine if mCLASS with DIBELS 8th Edition is the right fit for you.

Simply fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch.

Patric Momsen

District Manager

Jonathan Cohen

Account Executive

Immanuel Moon

Field Manager

Program introduction

Onboarding videos

To start using Amplify Science California quickly in your classroom, check out the following onboarding videos. They cover what you need to know to get started fast, from unpacking materials to quickly start using Amplify Science in your classroom and navigating the digital Teacher’s Reference Guide.

Program pacing

Hands-on materials kit

The following videos give you a quick look into our Amplify Science California classroom kits. For each grade level, you’ll find a “How to unpack your kit” video for the first unit of the program.

• Kindergarten: Needs of Plants and Animals unpacking video
• Grade 1: Animal and Plant Defenses unpacking video
• Grade 2: Plant and Animal Relationships unpacking video
• Grade 3: Balancing Forces unpacking video
• Grade 4: Energy Conversions unpacking video
• Grade 5: Patterns of Earth and Sky unpacking video

Teacher digital resources

Watch this video to understand the basic organization of the digital teacher experience and how to navigate the platform.

Want some practice? Download this exploration guide to practice toggling between teacher view, presentation view, and student view.

Our new digital experience also makes it easy to assign work through our LMS integrations.

Our new digital experience also makes it easy to view student work in real time.

Student digital resources

Watch this video to take a peek at the various student digital resources available to your class.

Use this Student Login Click Path document to support students and families logging in from home.

Essential resources

Your Teacher’s Reference Guide is a tremendously rich resource. It’s also packed! That’s why teachers getting started with Amplify Science love our condensed Unit Guides, lesson planners, and device calendars.

Unit Guides

These short and sweet guides provide a big picture overview of each unit’s phenomenon and storyline, the key questions that guide learning, and how the storyline develops from chapter to chapter. We even spoil the big reveal at the end by pointing out ahead of time what students figure out throughout the unit.

Kindergarten

• Needs of Plants and Animals Unit Guide
• Pushes and Pulls Unit Guide
• Sunlight and Weather Unit Guide

Grade 1

• Animal and Plant Defenses Unit Guide
• Light and Sound Unit Guide
• Spinning Earth Unit Guide

Grade 2

• Plant and Animal Relationships Unit Guide
• Properties of Materials Unit Guide
• Changing Landforms Unit Guide

Grade 3

• Balancing Forces Unit Guide
• Inheritance and Traits Unit Guide
• Environments and Survival Unit Guide
• Weather and Climate Unit Guide

Grade 4

• Energy Conversions Unit Guide
• Vision and Light Unit Guide
• Earth’s Features Unit Guide
• Waves, Energy, and Information

Grade 5

• Patterns of Earth and Sky Unit Guide
• Modeling Matter Unit Guide
• Earth System Unit Guide
• Ecosystem Restoration Unit Guide

Lesson planners

Our lesson planners give you easy access to direct links to key resources within the program.

Kindergarten

• Needs of Plants and Animals lesson planner
• Pushes and Pulls lesson planner
• Sunlight and Weather lesson planner

Grade 1

• Animal and Plant Defenses lesson planner
• Light and Sound lesson planner
• Spinning Earth lesson planner

Grade 2

• Plant and Animal Relationships lesson planner
• Properties of Materials lesson planner
• Changing Landforms lesson planner

Grade 3

• Balancing Forces lesson planner
• Inheritance and Traits lesson planner
• Environments and Survival lesson planner
• Weather and Climate lesson planner

Grade 4

• Energy Conversions lesson planner
• Vision and Light lesson planner
• Earth’s Features lesson planner
• Waves, Energy, and Information lesson planner

Grade 5

• Patterns of Earth and Sky lesson planner
• Modeling Matter lesson planner
• Earth System lesson planner
• Ecosystem Restoration lesson planner

Teacher-provided materials

Your Amplify Science classroom kit includes a wide variety of consumable and non-consumable items. In fact, each kit contains enough non-consumables to support a class of 36 students working in small groups, and enough consumables to support 72 student uses.

In addition to these provided items, there are some teacher-provided items required in each unit. For a consolidated list of teacher-provided items per unit, download the appropriate PDF below.

• Kindergarten: Teacher-provided materials lists
• Grade 1: Teacher-provided materials lists
• Grade 2: Teacher-provided materials lists
• Grade 3: Teacher-provided materials lists
• Grade 4: Teacher-provided materials lists
• Grade 5: Teacher-provided materials lists

Device calendars

Our at-a-glance device calendars make device management and sharing between grade-level colleagues a breeze. With one calendar per unit (beginning in grade 2), you can easily see which lessons utilize devices.

• Grade 2: Device calendars for all units
• Grade 3: Device calendars for all units
• Grade 4: Device calendars for all units
• Grade 5: Device calendars for all units

Approach to assessment

The Amplify Science California assessment system is grounded in the principle that students benefit from regular and varied opportunities to demonstrate understanding through performance. In practice this means that conceptual understanding is revealed through engagement in the science and engineering practices.

Assessment types at a glance

In your classroom, you’ll be utilizing a variety of formative (F) and summative (S) assessments:

• End-of-Unit Assessment (S): Assessments toward the end of each unit feature a combination of targeted discussions, student-generated models, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.
• Pre-Unit Assessments (F): Discussion, modeling, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge.
• On-the-Fly Assessments (OtFA) (F): Multi-dimensional tasks integrated regularly throughout the lessons. OtFA opportunities were designed to help teachers make sense of student activity during a learning experience (e.g., student-to-student talk, writing, and model construction) and to provide evidence of how a student is coming to understand core concepts and developing dexterity with SEPs and CCCs. Three-dimensional assessment opportunities make measuring progress toward NGSS learning goals possible.
• Self-assessments (F): One per chapter; brief opportunities for students to reflect on their own learning, ask questions, and reveal ongoing wonderings about unit content.
• Critical Juncture Assessments (F): Variety of multidimensional performance tasks intended to assess student progress, occurring at the end of each chapter. Examples include writing scientific explanations, engaging in argumentation, developing and using models, and designing engineering solutions. Based on student performance on the assessment, teachers have access to recommendations for targeted student interventions, suggested follow-ups, or differentiating classroom instruction.
• End-of-Unit Assessment (S): Assessments toward the end of each unit feature a combination of targeted discussions, student-generated models, and written explanations to gauge students’ knowledge and growth.

Pre-Unit Assessments

Most Pre-Unit assessments are embedded within an activity of the first lesson of a unit. In kindergarten and grade 1, the Pre-Unit assessment (as well as the End-of-Unit assessment) is oral. In grades 2–5 they are typically written. Refer to the Digital Resources area of the Lesson Brief for materials needed for the assessment activity, such as the Clipboard Assessment Tool (K–1 only), copymasters (grades 2–5 only), and an Assessment Guide that will help you interpret and leverage students’ responses.

If you and your students have Interactive Classroom licenses, students can complete their assessment digitally instead of using the copymaster.

When students complete the assessment pages digitally, you’ll be able to review their work on the View Work page.

Critical Juncture Assessments

Critical Juncture assessments typically occur towards the end of each chapter. The Materials and Preparation section will indicate when there is a Critical Juncture to prepare for, but you can also tell when an activity is designed to be a Critical Juncture assessment by the hummingbird icon that will appear within it. Selecting the hummingbird icon will tell you how to assess students’ understanding with the activity, and how to tailor instruction based on what you find. If you need guidance on the “answers” to the assessment activity, refer to the “Possible Responses” tab.

If you are using Classroom Slides or Interactive Classroom, you’ll see a hummingbird or “Critical Juncture” label in the bottom right corner of one of the slides of the activity.

The notes about assessing understanding and tailoring instruction are located in the notes of that slide (on the right-hand side of the Teacher’s Guide tab in the Interactive Classroom experience; underneath the slide in Classroom Slides).

End-of-Unit Assessments

End-of-Unit assessments are typically the last lesson of a unit. In some units, these are two-part assessments that take place over two lessons. The easiest way to find the End-of-Unit assessment is to skim through the lesson titles. Lessons containing End-of-Unit assessments will always have that noted in the title.

Like the Pre-unit assessment, you can find materials for the End-of-unit assessments in the Digital Resources area of the Lesson Brief.

On-the-Fly Assessments

These embedded assessments leverage the formative opportunities in the learning experience students are already engaged in, such as creating models, analyzing data, actively reading, conducting investigations, and more. Refer to the Critical Juncture section above for guidance on finding information about using them.

Unit-level assessment information

You can find overall information about an individual unit’s assessments in the “Assessment System” resource, which is located within the Teacher References section on the Unit Overview page.

The Assessment System resource contains a comprehensive list of all of the assessment opportunities in the unit, including the assessment’s location, a brief indication of what students are doing in that particular activity, what type of assessment it is, which Disciplinary Core Ideas, science and engineering practices, and cross-cutting concepts it specifically addresses, and the kind of evaluation guidance you can expect for it. If you are in a kindergarten or first grade unit, you will also find information on the Clipboard Assessment Tool (used for supporting oral assessment) in this section.

If you’re interested in focusing on information related to the unit’s Critical Juncture and On-the-Fly assessments in particular, check out the “Embedded Formative Assessments” resource, also located within the Teacher References section on the Unit Overview page.

Three-dimensional assessment connections

All assessment opportunities within Amplify Science California include clear labeling around the Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs), Crosscutting Concepts (CCCs), and Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs) to help teachers connect formative and summative assessments to specific NGSS dimensions.

Coming soon

Unlike other publishers, we don’t make you wait until your next adoption to get the latest and greatest from Amplify. We’re always launching new and exciting features. In fact, on this page is a list of new features you can look forward to using during the 2023-2024 school year.

FAQs

Program questions

Digital questions

Looking for help?

For login or technology issues, please submit an EGUSD Heat ticket. For curriculum and pedagogical questions, please refer to the support resources below.

Powerful (and free!) pedagogical support

Amplify provides a unique kind of support you won’t find from other publishers. We’ve developed an educational support team of former teachers and administrators who provide pedagogical support for every Amplify curriculum, assessment, and intervention program. This service is completely free for all educators who are using our programs and includes:

• Guidance for developing lesson plans and intervention plans.
• Information on where to locate standards and other planning materials.
• Recommendations and tips for day-to-day teaching with Amplify programs.
• Support with administering and interpreting assessment data and more.

To reach our pedagogical team, use our live chat within your program, call (800) 823-1969, or email edsupport@amplify.com

Timely technical and program support

Our technical and program support is included and available from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday, through a variety of channels, including a live chat program that enables teachers to get immediate help in the middle of the school day.

For your most urgent questions:

• Use our live chat within your program.
• Call our toll-free number: (800) 823-1969.

For less urgent questions:

Connect with other teachers

Georgia Teachers and Leaders

Get two years of mCLASS for the price of one! 

mCLASS^® is an all-in-one system for Science of Reading-based universal screening, dyslexia screening, progress monitoring, and instruction for grades K–3.  mCLASS^® is state-approved for literacy. Powered by DIBELS^® 8th Edition, mCLASS helps you measure and strengthen the foundational skills that all students need to become confident readers.

Ready to learn more? Register below and learn more about our special offer for Georgia.

Ready to learn more?

This session will inform educators about how DIBELS 8th Edition measures and help them use this data to enhance their classroom instruction.

The power to know every student

Precise one-minute measures based on predictive data allow mCLASS to provide individualized instruction.

Immediate support for at-risk students

Universal and dyslexia screening in one validated assessment tool identifies your at-risk students at the earliest levels.

Deep insights

Intuitive reporting for teachers and administrators supports data-driven decisions to achieve student growth.

Rigorous, teacher-led intervention

Receive the analytical tools and resources needed to deliver targeted, staff-led intervention to students.

Explore more programs

Unlock the power of our full literacy suite with programs designed to build robust foundational skills, enabling student growth at all reading levels. Learn more about our related programs here.

mCLASS Intervention

Follows a research-based, targeted skills progression and uses mCLASS benchmark and progress monitoring data to create groups and daily lesson plans for 10-day cycles.

Learn more

Amplify CKLA

Built on the Science of Reading, Amplify CKLA features an explicit, systematic approach that leverages multisensory instruction and provides equitable instruction for all.

Learn more

Boost Reading

Delivers adaptive instruction, practice, and intervention support through highly engaging games and activities, freeing educators up to work with small groups.

Learn more

Hello, Colorado teachers and leaders!

We’re excited to continue to support Early Literacy Assessment Tool (ELAT) schools in Colorado.

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! Schools that participate in ELAT will receive the following mCLASS® tools and supports:

• mCLASS DIBELS 8th Edition & mCLASS Lectura: CDE’s only approved interim assessment for ELAT
• Additional Screening Measures to support students at risk for reading differences, including dyslexia 
• 2026-27 mCLASS BOY checklist of ELAT Colorado teachers
• Individualized and group instructional supports for teachers to use with students
• Family and caregiver resources
• Ongoing professional development and resources

Amplify Tutoring in Colorado

Learn about how Amplify Tutoring meets the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) High-Impact Tutoring Program (HITP) Grant requirements.

To help schools and districts take advantage of CO HITP Grant funds, Amplify is hosting a series of informational sessions designed to provide an overview of Amplify Tutoring.

Go to Amplify Tutoring site 

Additional Resources

Check out Amplify for the most up-to-date information and resources provided by Amplify, such as:

• Science of Reading–Foundational Skills
• Science of Reading Podcast
• Literacy blog

Meet the team.

Alexandra Ludtke

Director, Customer Success

ALUDTKE@amplify.com 

Kim Ballentyne

Professional Development Strategist

kballentyne@amplify.com 

CDE ELAT support

elat@cde.state.co.us 

Need more help?

Log in at learning.amplify.com, and click the gray chat button in the bottom right corner to chat live with our support team.

Our Help Center contains searchable articles and resources to answer many of your questions.

If you need additional support, please contact our support team.

Math that motivates your K–5 students

As a K–5 teacher, your day is a constant balance of subjects, personalities, and priorities. With so many different dynamics and responsibilities, math class shouldn’t be another struggle to muscle through!

That’s why we’ve compiled a wealth of resources and activities to help you engage students; meet instructional goals; and encourage fluency, number sense, and discussion in your classroom. 

Three practices to support problem-based learning

As educators, we want all students to develop a rich and deep understanding of the math they experience in our classrooms. A problem-based learning approach supports this by centering problem-solving in ways that build lifelong mathematical proficiency. Read this guide for practical tips on introducing problem-based learning and deeper conceptual understanding into your math classroom.

More free resources for K–5 educators

K–5 Insider

Sign up for our monthly email to get new K–5 content and activities directly in your inbox.

sign up 

K–5 instructional routine cards

Find easy-to-implement routines to keep students interacting and engaged with a lesson.

Download

Math that motivates: Success stories

See how real teachers and students are unlocking new levels of engagement and comprehension, proving that everyone can be a math person.

LEARN MORE 

FAQ for K–5 educators

Amplify Desmos Math for NYC Public Schools

Welcome! This site contains supporting resources for New York City Public Schools Amplify Desmos Math implementation.

What’s new?

• Gearing up for the 2026-2027 School Year: Check out our Getting Started section on this page for support — including login support, materials lists, program overviews and more!
• Check out the new Admin Reports views coming in SY 2026-2027 for district and school leaders! Click here to learn more.
• Have a question about Amplify Desmos Math? This FAQ doc answers top questions about access, implementation, and features.
• Need help? Check here for who can help! Our dedicated phone number, just for NYC, has team members ready to help! 1-888-960-0380

About the program

Amplify Desmos Math New York is a core K-12 mathematics curriculum designed specifically for NYC Public Schools. It combines problem-based learning with Desmos Classroom technology to build conceptual understanding and align directly with the New York State Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards. With beautiful print resources, and robust practice, differentiation supports, assessment and reporting, Amplify Desmos Math has received all-green ratings from EdReports. Read the review on EdReports.

Amplify Desmos Math is built on four core tenets:

• Math can motivate students.
• A structured approach to problem-based learning can best tend to all aspects of rigor.
• Student thinking is valuable and visible.
• Students can catch up while keeping up with grade-level math.

Getting started

• Program overviews
  • Grades K-5
  • Grades 6-8 (Algebra 1)
  • High School (Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2)
• Demo login
  • Explore Amplify Desmos Math New York to review content from all grades, K-12, by following these steps.
• Materials
  • Ordering checklist (K-12)
  • K-5 packing list
  • 6-8 packing list
  • High School packing list
• Family resources
  • Amplify Desmos Math Caregiver Hub (Grades K-5)
  • Amplify Desmos Math Caregiver Hub (Grades 6-12)

• Logging in during the school year
  • Teachers: Log in with Amplify steps 1–3 and steps 4–6 or TeachHub (district-preferred login method)
  • Administrators: Log in with Amplify or TeachHub (district-preferred login method)
  • Students: Log in with Amplify steps 1–3 and steps 4–6 or TeachHub (district-preferred login method)
• Additional login support
  • How to reset student(s) password
  • How to log my class out of a shared device
  • Clever class logout instructions
  • Single session codes

Powerful digital lessons

Amplify Desmos Math lessons are powerful in their ability to elicit student thinking and spark interesting, productive discussions. The lessons pose problems that invite a variety of approaches with their dynamic and interactive learning experiences on devices, as well as experiences on paper that are flexible, creative, and engaging.

Engaging student experience

Relevant content and interactive math tools create an intuitive and engaging student experience. Plus, working together in real time allows students to see that communicating their ideas and learning from each other are important parts of math class.

Visibility into student thinking

Imagine having more visibility into your students’ mathematical thinking. Now imagine that students have access to this same information. With our collaborative lesson interface and teacher dashboard, students have awareness their own thinking and that of their peers—exposing them to a wider variety of approaches to solving the same problem.

Ready-to-teach lessons

Each grade level includes 150 ready-to-teach lessons, complete with slides, step-by-step teaching notes, suggested student and teacher responses, tips for incorporating instructional routines, support for developing mathematical language, and links to useful resources. Teachers can manage what slides students see, controlling the pace of the lesson to suit the needs of the class.

Planning for instruction

Amplify Desmos Math is customized specifically to meet the New York State Next Generation Math Learning Standards. Within each document below, you’ll find direct links to lessons and activities where each individual standard is addressed.

• Grades K-5 correlation
• Grade 6 correlation
• Grade 7 correlation
• Grade 8 correlation
• Algebra 1 correlation
• High School correlation (AGA)

The program is also aligned with the expectations outlined in the New York City Department of Education Definition of Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education and the New York State Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework. 

• Grades K-5 CR-SE Alignment
• Grades 6-8 CR-SE Alignment
• High School CR-SE Alignment

Scope and sequence

• Amplify Desmos Math K-5 Scope and Sequence
• Amplify Desmos Math 6-A1 Scope and Sequence
• Amplify Desmos Math Accelerated Scope and Sequence
• Amplify Desmos Math AGA Scope and Sequence

Ready to plan for the 2026-27 school year? These pacing guides (coming soon!) are designed to provide structure, not rigid mandates and resources for NYC.     

Multilingual learner supports

• Grades K-5
• Grades 6-12

Implementation resources

• Examples of implementation
• Implementation considerations

Lesson Sampler

Amplify Desmos Math delivers the instructional power of student-centered learning packaged in a lesson format that’s teacher-friendly and manageable.

With easy-to-follow instructional support, implementing a problem-based program becomes more effective and enjoyable for both you and your students. Paired with the Desmos Classroom digital experience, math class is suddenly fun and dynamic, with plenty of opportunities for students to talk through their reasoning, work with their peers, and gain new understanding.

Grade 6 Lesson Sampler

learn more

Grade 7 Lesson Sampler

learn more

Grade 8 Lesson Sampler

learn more

Additional features

• How to access teacher reporting for administrators
• Teacher Reporting Overview for Leaders

Universal design

Every student is brilliant, and every student has brilliant mathematical ideas worth sharing and cultivating. Incorporating principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into lessons brings students’ brilliance to the forefront. UDL is a research-based framework designed to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Diversity and representation

Helping students develop strong, healthy, and flexible math identities is a cornerstone of our program. Throughout the curriculum, students are taught that they themselves are mathematicians, that today’s math has been shaped by a diverse range of mathematicians who deserve to be celebrated, and that learning is never finished.

Assessments

Less exciting, but essential for learning: assessments. Amplify Desmos Math features a robust variety of formative and summative assessments, including readiness checks, exit tickets, quizzes, end-of-unit tests, and benchmarks aligned with New York State Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards.

Reporting

Not only do our reports reveal progress toward standard mastery, but they also include details on how students performed against the standard in the past and how many encounters are yet to come. This feature alone helps teachers prioritize instruction and intervene with additional resources when necessary.

NYC webinar series

Figuring out how to implement a problem-based learning approach to mathematics can be fun—and challenging. Rest assured that you won’t be alone on this journey; Amplify will be by your side every step of the way. Our back-to-school math webinar series for K–8 administrators and teachers:

• Introduces the new NYC Solves initiative.
• Establishes the foundation for all educators to effectively understand and implement the NYCPS Shifts in Mathematics in their classrooms.
• Provides an overview of Amplify Desmos Math, the pre-approved NYCPS curriculum chosen to ensure that every school can successfully implement these math shifts and is supported with high-level, tailored professional development and coaching throughout the process.

Please see the specific webinars and the recordings below to learn more!

On-demand webinar 1

Would you like to learn more about the NYCPS Shifts in Mathematics and enhance your understanding of each of the five shifts?

Explore how the NYCPS math shifts are transforming mathematics education from a procedural approach to a more engaging, discoverable, and connected learning experience.

Listen to the Understanding the NYCPS Shifts in Mathematics session recording.

On-demand webinar 2

Let’s unpack the why, what, and how to unlock every student’s mathematical mind and build math proficiency for life! In this webinar, we discuss the power of teaching our children to be skilled mathematicians through a structured approach to problem-solving.

Listen to the Unlocking Mathematical Minds: A Structured Approach to Problem-Based Learning session recording.

On-demand webinar 3

For some educators, transitioning to problem-based learning might seem daunting. There’s often concern that the open-ended nature of the approach could derail students from achieving mathematical goals. However, by finding the right balance between open-ended opportunities and structured classroom activities, teachers can encourage students to share their thinking while meeting key learning targets. Uncover simple shifts that educators can implement to foster the perfect balance of open-ended student thinking and focus on mathematical instructional goals.

Listen to the Making the Shift to Problem-Based Learning session recording.

On-demand webinar 4

Amplify Desmos Math New York K–A1 is math that motivates! During this session recording, you’ll experience a grade 6 lesson that captures the essence of NYC Solves.

Listen to the Learn More and Experience Amplify Desmos Math LIVE, an NYCPS-Approved Math Curriculum session recording.

Looking for help?

Support is always within reach. Our team is dedicated to supporting you throughout your review. You can be reached at any time by emailing or calling us directly.

• Support pathways for NYC Core Orders
• Chat: Click the orange icon while logged in to get immediate help.
• Support Portal: Fill out this form, and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
• Phone: Call our toll-free NYC Support number: (888) 960-0380.
• Email: Send an email to AmplifyNYC@amplify.com.

Program questions

Technical questions

To ensure that your hardware and network meet the minimum technical requirements for optimal performance and support of your digital curriculum products please see Amplify’s customer requirements page.

FAQ

Link to FAQ

About Amplify

At Amplify, we strive to engage all students deeply with challenging content while also providing teachers with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student.

Is your school or district looking to save time through digital data collection? Amplify is the only licensed digital provider of DIBELS 8th Edition through mCLASS ^®, a platform that takes the manual paperwork out of DIBELS assessment. mCLASS analyzes DIBELS data, generates student grouping and targeted instruction, and provides detailed reporting for classrooms, schools, and districts. To learn about switching to mCLASS, get in touch with a program expert.

How to pay

To pay by credit card, click here and follow the prompts to enter your payment.

If needed, Amplify’s W-9 can be found here.

If you need any additional vendor paperwork, please contact: accountsreceivable@amplify.com 

If you have any other questions or are paying a district-wide invoice and require an itemization by school, please contact: help@amplify.com

Connect with our sales team about DIBELS Data System and DIBELS Courses

Resources to support your use of the program

What is Boost Close Reading?

Boost Close Reading is a digital reading program that provides middle school students with rich instruction and practice around the critical work of close reading.

No matter the setting or core curriculum in place, Boost Close Reading offers a personalized, differentiated experience that helps students learn how to deeply analyze complex informational and literary texts, in just 45 minutes of independent practice a week.

• [Video] What is Boost Close Reading?
• [PDF] Boost Close Reading standards alignment
• [PDF] How Boost Close Reading aligns with Amplify ELA 1st Edition
• [PDF] How Boost Close Reading aligns with Amplify ELA 2nd Edition

How do I get started with Boost Close Reading?

Good news! Boost Close Reading has already been enabled within your Amplify account. To get started with the program, you’ve got only two steps left: adjusting your students’ support levels (Core or Extra Support) and setting up your student devices. The video below will walk you through how to complete both steps.

• [Video] Boost Close Reading quick start tutorial for teachers

What else can you tell me about Boost Close Reading?

Unlike other reading supplementals which rely solely on assessment questions and feedback, Boost Close Reading seamlessly weaves digital instruction with assessment within an immersive story where the analysis of text is a critical element in the plot. What’s more, with optional scaffolding designed specifically for EL students and struggling readers, every student can experience the same story from beginning to end.

• [PDF] Boost Close Reading FAQ

Where to get support

Getting started webinar

Everything you need to get started with the program is provided above. However, if you prefer learning through webinars, we have those too! A pre-recorded, on-demand webinar is available anytime at the link below. Live webinar dates are currently being scheduled. Check back for days and times!

• [Webinar] Getting started with Boost Close Reading

Intercom chat

Our Intercom feature gives you the ability to chat with customer support, technical support, and pedagogical support teams in real time directly from the digital platform. This ensures that issues that arise in the classroom can be addressed as quickly as possible. Support teams can be reached from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday.

Email

Our customer support, technical support, and pedagogical support teams can be reached by email at help@amplify.com from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EDT, Monday through Friday.