Mathematically Correct
Mathematics Program Reviews
for Grades 2, 5, and 7

Summary of Overall Ratings by Publisher

** These books may be considered 8th grade texts in some areas, but
should be considered for seventh grade students where possible,
and were evaluated based on seventh grade criteria.

There was only one Publisher with programs consistently rated in the "A" range - SRA/McGraw Hill. For grades 2 and 5, these programs came the closest to supporting the achievement levels sought in these reviews.

Overall, there were four publishers whose products were consistently in the "B" range - McGraw Hill, Harcourt Brace, Scott Foresman/Addison Wesley, and Silver Burdett Ginn. Only one text was evaluated for Prentice Hall and it was also in the "B" range. All of these programs, to varying degrees, support modest achievement but are not up to the level of expectations established for this series of reviews.

There were two publishers whose products were consistently seen as too inadequate to be recommended - Everyday Learning and Dale Seymour. These programs were not envisioned as providing a consistent basis of support even for modest achievement levels.

The remaining publishers - Glencoe/McGraw Hill, Saxon, and McDougal Littell received grades in different ranges as a function of the fact that multiple offerings were evaluated for grade 7. The only texts in the "A" range for grade 7 were three programs that could be classified as pre-algebra texts. Thus, the safest option for a solid grounding that leads to algebra-readiness by grade 8 is to insure the use of a good pre-algebra program in grade 7.

As support for pre-algebra, the strongest program leading up to grade 7 was the SRA/McGraw Hill program. Outside of this program, substantial supplementation would appear to be required to support readiness for pre-algebra by grade 7. This level of supplementation places inordinate demands on teachers and is not likely to be implemented. The picture that emerges overall is of a curriculum that is still not generally on-track for this level of achievement. This means that students who are ready for success in pre-algebra by grade 7 will most likely be those who have been able to achieve beyond the curriculum offerings. Thus, even if it is possible to implement pre-algebra programs in grade 7, most of the programs do not appear to be designed to support readiness for this level of achievement. Until this situation is rectified, the curriculum itself must be seen as placing a cap on achievement and, ultimately, making the goal of algebra-readiness by eighth grade a difficult one to achieve.