of 16

Current View
What does it mean?
Why
does it matter?
What do
you need to do?
HQIM?!

TEACHERS,

YOU’RE NOT ALONE

Helping you find time for what you

do best

ADMINISTRATOR, EDUCATOR,

COUNSELOR, CURRICULUM

DIRECTOR

Four experts describe

their experiences

RELENTLESS INNOVATION

Our six guiding principles of high-

quality instructional materials
You are the reason
we created Imagine IM.
You’re a mathematician. You think about
problems, share ideas, learn from mistakes,
and get curious about what others are thinking.
Every lesson in Imagine IM is full of opportunities
for you to engage in all of these activities!
This is your community, where you can explore,
listen to others’ reasoning, and connect the
mathematics you learn to things you care about.
Lesson by lesson, you’ll build confidence
—both through familiar routines and by trying
out different strategies to solve problems.
Start exploring now!
Student Workbook
8GRADE
STUDENT WORKBOOK • GRADE 8 • UNITS 7 • 8 • 9
9
8
7UNITS
Exponents and Scientific Notation
Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers
Putting It All Together

www.twigscience.com
MODULE
THE RESOURCE RACEMODULE
THE PLASTIC TIDE
Integrated
5VO L U M E
Integrated • Volume 5 • Twig Journal
TSVN-MS-IV05-TJ-USEN-ED02-01

Imagine Classroom

workbooks engage

students and give them

opportunities to record

their learning journeys.

2 | Imagine Classroom
4The Case for HQIM Demand for high-quality instructional materials
has grown in recent years. Why does that matter

and what do you need to do about it?

6
Teachers, You’re Not AloneTeachers take responsibility for a huge range
of tasks — how can HQIM help them find more

time for what they do best?

7
POV: The EducatorTim L. talks about time-saving sources in
Imagine Classroom’s Traverse (social studies).

8
A Foundation for EquityHow HQIM help to mitigate the “educational
lottery.”

8
(cont.)
POV: The School Counselor
Akin A. on why Imagine Learning EL Education
(English language arts) makes students feel like

they’re part of the story.

9
Empowering EducatorsWhy research shows teachers have as much
to gain from HQIM as students.

POV: The Administrator
Allison F. describes the impact of Imagine
Classroom core curricula in her school.

10
Relentless Innovation: Six Guiding
Principles
Laying out the foundations of Imagine
Classroom’s core curricula.

12
A Brighter FutureTransformative educational experiences for all.
POV: The Curriculum Director
Nicole R. on how introducing Imagine IM
(math) to students and teachers resulted in

performances skyrocketing.

13
Sources
14
Imagine Classroom: Core PortfolioPresenting Imagine Learning’s flagship
programs: Imagine Learning EL Education,

Imagine IM, Twig Science, and Traverse.

Contents

High-Quality Instructional Materials | 3
4 | Imagine Classroom
A t Imagine Learning, we know
t h a t h i g h- q u a l i t y i n s t r u c
-
tional materials (HQIM) play

a crucial role in the education land
-
scape, significantly influencing student

engagement and achievement and

teacher effectiveness. And in recent

years, with greater understanding of

the role curriculum plays in student

success, the demand for HQIM has

grown, with states and districts increas
-
ingly prioritizing these resources.

Imagine Classroom, our innovative

portfolio of core curricula — compris
-
ing Imagine Learning EL Education

(English language arts), Imagine IM

(math), Twig Science (science), and

Traverse (soc ial studies) — exem
-
plifies the impact of HQIM through

inquiry-based learning that integrates

hands-on experiences, digital investiga
-
tions, and real-world connections.

How Can I Identify HQIM?

HQIM are educational resources that

align closely with educational standards

and are designed to be user friendly for

both teachers and students, as defined by

EdReports
1, a leading third-party curric-
ulum reviewer — and many states have

similar criteria of their own. But there are

other characteristics frequently shared

by HQIM: the use of evidence-backed

pedagogical approaches, a commitment

to equity and inclusion, and compre
-
hensive teacher support, with short-

term training for implementation and

ongoing professional learning.

The adoption of HQIM across many

states and districts has been driven by

the recognition that learning materials

with these qualities make teachers’ lives

easier and get more students engaged in

learning, with improved outcomes.

THE CASE
FOR HQIM
Learning materials

make teachers'

lives easier and get

students engaged.

SCIENCE

High-Quality Instructional Materials | 5
A cross US education, teachers
are largely responsible for what

and how students learn — a

huge responsibility. Often, they supple
-
ment district-mandated materials with

content sourced from the internet — in

fact, around 90% of teachers blend digital

resources into their teaching.
2 This can’t
help but result in substantial variability

in educational quality and consistency

across classrooms, leading to unequal

educational experiences and outcomes

for students. It also takes a lot of time.

Teachers on average spend seven hours

weekly searching for and five hours creat
-
ing materials
3 — despite lacking formal
training in curriculum integration.

I nte r n a t i o n a l ly, to p -p e r fo r m
-
ing nations such as Finland, South

Korea, and Canada implement rigor
-
ous, content-rich curricula at national

or provincial levels, resulting in supe
-
rior student performance. US studies

support the idea that our studies would

benefit from more widespread imple
-
mentation of HQIM — for example,

TEACHERS,
YOU’RE NOT ALONEresearch indicates that the choice of
ELA
4, math5, and science6 programs
has significant effects on assessment

scores, and other studies suggest that

the most marked impact of HQIM

occurs when they’re put in the hands

of less experienced teachers.
7
Many US districts have success
-
f ully implemented HQIM, leading

to marked improvements in student

performance, and states such as Loui
-
siana and Tennessee have made signifi
-
cant strides in HQIM adoption, achiev
-
ing near-universal access to high-quality

curricula in math and ELA .
8
Teachers spend

seven hours weekly

searching for and

five hours creating

materials.

6 | Imagine Classroom
Imagine Classroom’s social studies curriculum, Traverse, incorporates
high-quality primary and secondary sources to enhance student learning.

POV: THE EDUCATOR

“One of the reasons why Traverse [social

studies] is so valuable is because of the sources

that have been selected. Most of them are

really great quality and they’ve already been

pared down. I think that’s incredibly important,

not just for engaging students but also saving

teachers time. It takes a ton of time for teachers

to find sources.

With Traverse you have a source set for

each chapter, a question already developed,

activities for each source, additional source

information in the Teacher Edition that you

wouldn’t know about unless you did some

next-level investigation on your own. And it’s

so easily customizable, so let’s say there are

six sources in the Traverse source set and I know we only have time to look

at three or four, I just have to click a button and then those aren’t assigned to

the kids. It just saves people a ton of time.”

Timothy L., Imagine Learning implementation specialist

and former social studies teacher

High-Quality Instructional Materials | 7
T he c u r r ic u l a t ha t ma ke u p
Imagine Classroom are designed

to foster equitable and inclu
-
sive learning environments in which

all students have ac c ess to rigor
-
ous, standards-aligned content.

A s p r o d u c e r s o f H Q I M , we

want to prov ide a foundation for

equity by offering consistent, high-

level learning opportunities regard
-
less of students’ backgrounds.

This consistency is crucial in miti
-
gating what is known as the “educa
-
tional lottery,” where student success

can depend heavily on where their

learning takes plac e. High- quality

c ontent exp o s e s ever y s t udent to

grade-appropriate assignments and

high expectations, critical for academic

growth and closing achievement gaps.

It meets various student needs, ensur
-
ing that all learners can access and

benefit from the curriculum. It also

promotes inclusivity by incorporat
-
ing diverse perspectives and valuing

all voices within the curriculum.

Th i s exp o s ure help s st udent s

from all backgrounds see themselves

represented in their learning mate
-
rials, fostering a sense of belong
-
ing and engagement, enriching class
-
room discussions, and broadening

understanding of a w ide range of

different cultures and viewpoints.

POV: THE STUDENT

COUNSELOR

“Now that Imagine Learning has hit the

scene, you guys are creating a real diverse

and inclusive curriculum that students feel

like, ‘Yo, I can learn from this because that

person looks like me or that person acts like

me.’ It’s amazing for them. They feel included,

they feel like they are part of the story, which

influences their love of reading, influences

their love of storytelling and their desire to

learn more.”

Akin A., School Counselor, Pendergast

Elementary School District AZ

A FOUNDATION FOR
EQUITY
“The average cost-effectiveness ratio of

switching curriculum was almost 40 times

that of class-size reduction.”

8 | Imagine Classroom
I t’s important to keep in mind that
the purpose of HQIM isn’t to reduce

the importance of the teacher’s role

in the classroom. There’s no doubt that

effective teaching is the most important

thing for student outcomes. Accord
-
ing to research organization RAND,

educators have the highest impact

on student achievement compared to

“any other aspects of schooling.”
9
But over the last decade, a grow
-
ing body of research has also linked

positive student outcomes to HQIM.

In fact , the ev idence sug gests that

c h o i c e o f i n s t r u c t i o n a l m a te r i a l s

has an impac t at least as g reat as

teacher quality, and while improv
-
ing teacher quality is difficult, making

the decision to use HQIM is relatively

straightfor ward and inexpensive.
10
Similarly, the Center for American

Progress reported that “ the average

c ost- effec tiveness ratio of sw itch
-
ing curriculum was almost 40 times

that of class-size reduction.”
11
H Q I M s u p p o r t g o o d t e a c h
-
ers by providing a robust framework

that enhances their ability to deliver

effective and engaging lessons. These

materials free teachers from the task

of developing content from scratch,

allowing them to focus on pedagogy

and personalized student suppor t .

By ensuring that all students receive

consistent, high-quality content, HQIM

empower teachers to maximize their

impact, leading to better educational

o u t c o m e s f o r a l l s t u d e n t s .

POV: THE ADMINISTRATOR

“The impact that this program has had on my teachers? Really, it’s that impact on

their instruction and on what they do every day with their data and with the kids

that are in front of them. And that’s made a huge

change, which then causes teachers to be more

confident and they feel like math teachers instead

of being unsure going into every math block.

We did that first training the very first year [with

Imagine Learning], and our teachers wanted

more, they wanted more. And every time we gave

them a little bit more, they were able to continue

to grow and add on to what they’ve gotten in

previous professional developments.

Our math scores have gone up pretty

dramatically. We have students who were

impacted by the pandemic and really we’ve been

able to take what they know and move them

forward while also continuing to fill those holes.”

Allison F., Principal, Meeker School District, CO

EMPOWERING
EDUCATORS
High-Quality Instructional Materials | 9
SIX GUIDING PRINCIPLES
I
magine Learning pursues relentless
innovation at the intersection of tech
-
nology, people, and curricula, and

we’ve been at the forefront of the develop
-
ment of HQIM, creating K–12 digital-first

solutions fueled by insights from educa
-
tors to support 15 million students in

over half of the districts nationwide.

I n s h o r t , t h e i d e a o f H Q I M

matters to us, and we believe that

Imagine Classroom — our portfolio

of core curricula covering ELA, math,

science, and social studies — repre
-
sents the best available resources for

teachers and students today.

Definitions of HQIM may vary, but

at their core they share vital components.

With Imagine Classroom, our approach is

rooted in six guiding principles that form

the foundation of our curricula.

Standards alignment: Meticulously crafted curricula aligned with state and
national standards

Best-practice pedagogy: Research-backed teaching methods and strategies
to promote student engagement and understanding

Equity and inclusion: Diverse perspectives and resources to meet the needs
of all learners

Teacher and student experience: Intuitive and easy-to-implement curricula,
facilitating enriching learning experiences

Measuring student learning: Comprehensive tools to track growth and
personalize instruction to individual needs

Professional learning: Ongoing support and training opportunities to help
teachers refine their skills and practices

RELENTLESS
INNOVATION
10 | Imagine Classroom
Examples of high-quality
multimedia to engage students in

Imagine Classroom curricula.

That final principle is key. HQIM alone

are not sufficient. To maximize the impact

of HQIM, it is essential to combine these

materials w ith in-program teacher

support, implementation guidance, and

ongoing professional learning.
12
At Imagine Learning, we don’t lose

sight of this vital stage in the success

of our programs. Imagine Classroom

includes numerous teaching aids at

point of use and a comprehensive

professional learning offering that builds

on the pedagogical principles of the

core products, incorporating authen
-
tic demonstrations, meaningful collab
-
oration, and structured planning to

make teaching and learning visible for

leaders, coaches, and teachers.

Ongoing
Learning
It is essential to

combine these

materials with

teacher support,

implementation

guidance, and

professional

learning.

High-Quality Instructional Materials | 11
W e believe that high-quality
instructional materials are

a cornerstone of effective

education, with benefits for student

achievement, equity, and teacher effi
-
ciency. We built Imagine Classroom

c ore curricula to alig n w ith rigor
-
ous standards, employ best-practice

pedagogy, and support teachers with

ongoing professional development

i n orde r to c re a te t ra n s for ma t ive

educational experiences for all.

As states and districts continue to

recognize the value of HQIM such as

Imagine Classroom, the future of educa
-
tion looks brighter, with more students

achieving their full potential and teachers

empowered to excel in their roles.

POV: THE CURRICULUM DIRECTOR

“We knew we wanted a strong focus on grade level standards. We also

wanted to make sure that there was equitable access for all students to

engage in math instruction.

Our math performance has skyrocketed [with Imagine IM]. We had

an increase of 30% of our students on or above grade level from fall to

spring, and that is absolutely due to having a high-

quality curricular resource in front of our students

and giving our teachers the support that they need

to implement that well.

Going into classrooms, I’m able to see immediately

a difference in how kids are engaging with math

and how our teachers are really understanding

those high-quality practices.”

Nicole R., Executive Director of Curriculum and

Instruction, Community Consolidated School

District 59, Illinois

A
BRIGHTER FUTURE
12 | Imagine Classroom
Sources
1.
EdReports, “Why Materials Matter” —
https://edreports.org/impact/why-materi
-
als-matter

2.
Rand (2020), “Digital Instructional Mate-
rials: What Are Teachers Using and What

Barriers Exist?” https://www.rand.org/pubs/

research_reports/RR2575z17.html

3.
Education World (2017), “Survey Finds
Teachers Spend 7 Hours Per Week Search
-
ing for Instructional Materials” https://www.

educationworld.com/a_news/survey-finds-

teachers-spend-7-hours-week-searching-in
-
structional-materials-490526015

4.
Thomas J. Kane et al., (2016) “Teach-
ing Higher: Educators’ Perspec
-
tives on Common Core Implementa
-
tion,” https://cepr.harvard.edu/files/

cepr/files/teaching-higher-report.

pdf?m=1454988762

5.
Ibid.
6.
EdReports and NextGenScience (2021),
“Critical Features of Instructional Mate
-
rials Design for Today’s Science Stand
-
ards,” https://www.nextgenscience.org/

resources/critical-features-instruction
-
al-materials-design-today%E2%80%99s-sci
-
ence-standards

7.
Kirabo Jackson, Alexey Makarin (2016),
“Simplifying Teaching: A Field Experiment

with ‘Off-the-Shelf’ Lessons” https://www.

ipr.northwestern.edu/documents/work
-
ing-papers/2016/wp-16-11.pdf

8.
David Steiner (2024), “The Unrealized Prom-
ise of High-Quality Instructional Materi
-
als,” State Education Standards, https://

www.nasbe.org/the-unrealized-prom
-
ise-of-high-quality-instructional-materi
-
als/

9.
RAND, “Teachers Matter” — https://www.
rand.org/education-and-labor/projects/

measuring-teacher-effectiveness/teach
-
ers-matter.html

10.
Matthew M. Chingos and Grover J. “Russ”
Whitehurst (2012), “Choosing Blindly:

Instructional Materials, Teacher Effec
-
tiveness, and the Common Core —

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/

choosing-blindly-instructional-materi
-
als-teacher-effectiveness-and-the-com
-
mon-core/

11.
Center for American Progress (2015), “The
Hidden Value of Curriculum Reform,”

https://www.americanprogress.org/arti
-
cle/the-hidden-value-of-curriculum-re
-
form/

12.
Center for American Progress (2019),
“Successful Implementation of High-Qual
-
ity Instructional Materials,” https://www.

americanprogress.org/article/success
-
ful-implementation-high-quality-instruc
-
tional-materials/

High-Quality Instructional Materials | 13
SCIENCE
Twig Science was designed from the

ground up for the NGSS/3-D science by

award-winning STEM education special
-
ists. Students investigate and make sense

of phenomena through multiple modali
-
ties — from hands-on activities and digi
-
tal and video investigations to collabo
-
rative projects — empowering each and

every student to connect with science in

the world around them.

SCIENCE


GRADES PRE-K–8

Imagine Learning EL Education is

a comprehensive, digital-first , core

language arts program in which students

focus on mastery of knowledge and skills

and produce high-quality work while

building habits of character. It employs

a content-based approach to literacy

instruction, using compelling real-world

texts to engage and excite learners.

ELA


GRADES K–8

CORE
PORTFOLIO
14 | Imagine Classroom
Powered by high-quality media and
driven by inquiry, Traverse is a digital-for
-
ward, one-stop social studies curriculum

with flexible, customizable content. It

enables teachers to approach instruc
-
tion with confidence and students to

experience engaging content in a variety

of modalities to appeal to different learn
-
ing styles.

SOCIAL STUDIES


GRADES 6–12

Imagine IM is the premium certified

Illustrative Mathematics curriculum,

optimized by Imagine Learning for

engagement, accessibility, and usability.

Imagine IM’s print and digital solution is

enhanced with tools and features to drive

student discourse, build focus, coherence,

and rigor, and equip students to thrive.

MATH


GRADES K–12

High-Quality Instructional Materials | 15
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