EdReports Green Lights Stepping Stones 2.0

What is EdReports?

EdReports is an independent nonprofit organization that focuses on improving K-12 education in the United States. They provide unbiased and rigorous reviews of instructional materials such as textbooks and digital resources. The goal of EdReports is to help teachers, administrators, and curriculum leaders make informed decisions about the materials they use in their classrooms, with the aim of improving student learning outcomes.

ORIGO Education & Stepping Stones 2.0

ORIGO Education specializes in elementary math curriculums, supplemental resources, and professional learning. Our goal is to make learning mathematics enjoyable and effective for students by providing teachers with high-quality resources and support.

Stepping Stones 2.0 is a core math curriculum designed for students in kindergarten through grade six and is based on the latest research in mathematics education. Stepping Stones 2.0 offers a blend of digital and print resources, including online interactive tools, games, and activities, as well as traditional textbooks and workbooks.

All Green Scores from EdReports

We were thrilled, but not surprised, when ORIGO’s Stepping Stones 2.0 elementary math curriculum received all-green scores from EdReports, K–12’s independent, gold-standard leader in evaluating instructional resources. Although an EdReports green rating doesn’t preclude a district or school’s need to independently assess materials, it does provide you with a rich, in-depth source of information about every aspect of every grade of the materials evaluated. And of course, a green rating assures a high-quality, standards-aligned program, providing your students with access to superior instructional materials.

EdReports rankings are based on the careful analysis of teacher-reviewers who go through a rigorous training process. Reviewers take between 4–6 months to review materials, assessing every page and pixel of the curriculum, evaluating findings, and determining final rankings. An all-green rating means that a program has met expectations for all three gateways: focus and coherence, rigor and mathematical practices, and usability. ORIGO’s Stepping Stones 2.0 swept gold (or in this case green) in all three categories.

EdReports Math Curriculum Review

According to EdReports, only 40% of elementary math curriculums meet standards, and only 18% of K–12 teachers believe that their instructional materials are standards-aligned. ¹ A green rating therefore provides not only decision makers, but classroom teachers as well, with the confidence that the math curriculum they are using helps students meet standard-based learning goals. This means that teachers spend more time planning and teaching and less time searching for or creating instructional resources.

EdReports research also shows that 72% of K–12 teachers believe materials that provide support for multilingual learners (MLLs) are somewhat to extremely important. ² Yet more than 75% of teachers think the curriculum they are using does notmeet the needs of multilingual learners. At ORIGO, we strongly agree that instructional materials should answer the needs of all students. And while we can’t address all the languages of MLLs, our Stepping Stones 2.0 math program provides parallel Spanish-language (70% of MLLs are Spanish-language speakers) materials for all grades.

At ORIGO, we believe that a math curriculum program is only as effective as a teacher’s ability to implement it with integrity. EdReports research shows however that only 12% of teachers feel the professional learning (PL) they receive thoroughly prepares them to effectively use curriculum materials. ³ ORIGO’s Stepping Stones 2.0 received a perfect score for the quality of teacher guidance provided which includes research-based preparatory resources, pedagogy overviews, differentiation suggestions, extension problems, Step In, Step Up, Step Ahead support, instructional videos, and more. Additionally, Stepping Stones 2.0 includes an integrity tool that helps schools determine where teachers need help with implementation and identifies embedded professional learning supports. Furthermore, ORGIO offers customized PL—centered around the most pressing needs of classroom teachers—through a strategic combination of onsite professional learning sessions, in-class observations, model lessons, and follow-up online sessions.

We are certainly proud that Stepping Stones 2.0 received an all-green rating from EdReports curriculum review. But we won’t be resting on our laurels. We are constantly improving our materials, based on the latest research and feedback from educators using our products. Stay tuned!

¹ State of the Instructional Materials Market 2021. EdReports.

² State of the Instructional Materials Market 2021. EdReports.

³ State of the Instructional Materials Market 2021. EdReports.