Journeys (Houghton Mifflin Company, ©2012)

Program Description

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys is a comprehensive K–6 reading/language arts program that is designed to meet the full range of Indiana's Common Core Standards and the Response to Instruction model supporting students in being successful. Journeys features an explicit, systematic instructional design that based on the research and best practices of its program authors, such as Irene Fountas, Shane Templeton, Jack Pikulski, David Chard, J. David Cooper and Sheila Valencia, and uses a wide range of print and digital texts and activities to support and engage students at school and at home.

Status as a Core Reading Program

Journeys is fully approved as a core reading program in grades K-6. The program consistently meets or exceeds expectations at all grade levels.

Results of Review

The full rubrics with reviewer comments can be downloaded by clicking on the link in the "Final Determination and Rubric" column. Points were awarded based on the following scale and assigned to each item under review.

• 2 - exceeds expectations
• 1 - meets expectations
• 0 - does not meet expectations

In the table below, the number before the slash indicates the total number of points granted for a category. The number after the slash represents the number of points possible on each section. In order to meet expectations, a grade level must receive at least half of the points for the total score and no less than 45 percent of the points in each of the five components of scientifically-based reading research: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. A key for interpreting the category titles can be found below the table.

• ID: Instructional Design
• PA: Phonological/Phonemic Awareness
• P: Phonics
• F: Fluency
• V: Vocabulary
• C: Comprehension
• INCC: Alignment to Indiana's Common Core Standards
• IAS: Alignment to Indiana Academic Standards
• M&E: Motivation and Engagement
• A: Assessment
• PD: Professional Development

Self Evaluation

In order to be considered for review, publishers were required to submit a self evaluation. The self evaluation asks publishers to provide information to the state and to districts on the following items:

• What states or large districts have adopted this submission?
• How does your program meet the needs of all students?
• What are the components of the comprehensive core reading program?
• What ancillary materials are included, if any?
• What professional development is available?
• What are the hardware and equipment requirements, if any?
• What are the software licensing requirements, if any?

Please download Journeys Self Evaluation to more thoroughly understand all aspects of this core program.

Pricing and Assurances

As part of the review process, publishers were asked to provide assurances to the Indiana Department of Education and local school corporations in the event of local adoption. Assurances were requested for the following items:

• Assure that the materials submitted for evaluation meet the NIMAS requirements outlined in IC 20-26-12-24(i);
• Assure that the materials submitted for evaluation will be made available in alternate formats as required to meet the needs of students with disabilities;
• Assure that the materials submitted will be made available to local education agencies for no less than six years from the date of the published review; and
• Assure that the materials submitted for evaluation will be made available to local education agencies at the price indicated for no less than six years.

Please note that agreement to these statements was not a condition of review, and as such, local school corporations should carefully review these documents to understand what will be made available in the event of a local adoption decision. The responses to these assurances as well as the guaranteed prices can be found in Journeys Pricing and Assurances.

Supporting Documentation

• Differentiating Instruction for Students with Special Needs
• Implementation and Professional Development 
• Journeys K-6 Scope and Sequence 
• Research-Based Approach
• Study of the Instructional Effectiveness
• Terms of Use

Correlation to Indiana's Common Core Standards (INCC)

• Kindergarten
• Grade 1
• Grade 2
• Grade 3
• Grade 4
• Grade 5
• Grade 6

Correlation to the Indiana Academic Standards (IAS)

• Kindergarten
• Grade 1
• Grade 2
• Grade 3
• Grade 4
• Grade 5
• Grade 6