{"id":18075,"date":"2025-09-18T12:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T16:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/?p=18075"},"modified":"2025-09-22T11:36:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T15:36:58","slug":"5-steps-to-evaluating-supplemental-curriculum-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nearpod.com\/blog\/5-steps-to-evaluating-supplemental-curriculum-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for evaluating a supplemental math curriculum"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Upon evaluating a curriculum, it may become clear your math instruction<\/a> needs additional aid, and supplemental math programs can provide that support. Because while the basics of mathematics remain unchanged (two plus two still equals four, after all), high quality math instruction has evolved as research deepened and pedagogy improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Educators have been challenged to consider and incorporate edtech tools, from introducing the electronic calculator in the classroom in the 1970s to navigating the ethical and technical aspects of AI today. With so many answers readily available to students, how do you refocus their learning objectives and instructional practices on logic, critical thinking, and problem-solving strategies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the landscape of education continues to evolve, educators need to be intentional about their math curricula and the programs and tools they use to teach math skills to students of all ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is it important to evaluate a math curriculum?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When evaluating a supplemental math curriculum, it\u2019s important to consider how it aligns with curriculum development goals to enhance mathematics instruction effectively. Math textbook adoptions vary state by state, and it can take years for new editions and updates to be approved. Yet the rapid advances in edtech have armed teachers with more supplemental math resources than ever, and with them, the opportunity to use them to help present information in a new way, reinforce concepts, and give kids with different learning styles multiple ways to explore, practice, and master math. As a result, many teachers are now trying to figure out how best to evaluate and choose which of these new supplemental math programs is the most comprehensive and provides the support that will benefit their students the most. But how do you know if the materials and resources you find meet your (or your school\u2019s or district\u2019s) requirements? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why this task should not be left to teachers alone. To have cohesive, consistent instruction across a school or district, a math curriculum needs to be properly evaluated\u2014and this is where a rubric can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can a rubric be used?<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rubrics are well-known assessment tools that typically act as a scoring guide to help instructors assess and communicate expectations for an assignment or class. The goal of a rubric is to improve the consistency, transparency, and fairness of such a scoring process.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an educator, the idea of rubrics may not be new, but have you ever considered using a rubric to evaluate instructional materials? This would enable you to assess whether the curriculum is effectively meeting the needs of the students and aligning with educational standards, as well as identify areas for improvement that can guide necessary adjustments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nearpod’s math curriculum evaluation rubric<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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\"Supplemental<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Nearpod has designed a rubric and a scoring checklist to help you evaluate your supplemental math program and resources. We wanted to see how Nearpod measured up against educator expectations and instructional needs. With that in mind, we used research and feedback gathered directly from current educators to determine our criteria, standards, and scoring. From there, we crafted this downloadable rubric and checklist<\/a> for all educators to use not only in evaluating Nearpod but also in assessing other supplemental math programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Download the rubric<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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New to Nearpod? <\/strong><\/strong>Teachers can sign up for free below to access and create interactive lessons. Administrators can schedule a call with an expert to explore <\/em>Nearpod Math<\/em><\/a> and unlock the full power of Nearpod for schools and districts!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Teachers: Sign up for free<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Administrators: Schedule a call<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tips for evaluating a supplemental math curriculum<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Understand the rubric\u2019s structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nearpod\u2019s supplemental math rubric and checklist have outlined six areas for evaluation:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Content & Pedagogy <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Lesson Delivery <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Reporting  <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Program Organization <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Professional Development & Support <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Technical Aspects <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Each section contains a set of criteria, which can earn a score between 0 and 3, corresponding to the following:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n