High-Quality Instructional Materials

Teachers deserve great instructional materials that get students excited to learn. But 70% of teachers struggle to find high-quality, rigorous material that they can use to drive learning with their students.

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Why High-Quality Instructional Materials?

Teachers use instructional materials in their classrooms every day: they are the activities, guiding questions, and home enrichment resources that students use to learn new skills and demonstrate understanding. They also include training for teachers implementing the curriculum at school and resources for families supporting learning at home. However, not all instructional materials are of the same quality. Nationwide, only about 30% of teachers are consistently using quality materials.

Research consistently shows that using high-quality instructional materials in the classroom is one of the most effective ways to improve student learning and engagement. To accelerate learning past the pandemic, high-quality materials are more important than ever to meet changing educational needs. State and district leaders can support educators, students, and families by ensuring access to these materials and resources.

About Us

High-quality instructional materials are strong, engaging resources and approaches for teaching and learning that are:

Aligned

Aligned to a state’s academic standards and informed by embedded assessments to monitor progress.

Endorsed

Endorsed by educators and supported by training for teachers and families.

Centered

Centered on equity and adaptability for all learners and environments (including virtual).

Materials in My State

State profiles include publicly available information from the state education agency about instructional materials, guidance, and accompanying professional development (PD)/professional learning (PL). States featured so far offer a variety of approaches to elevating high-quality materials and training and/or dedicating COVID relief funding to these efforts. Additional profiles will be populated over time.

Click on the map below to explore how states and districts are using high-quality learning materials to improve education. Don’t see your state? Check out EdReports.Org for detailed curriculum reviews.

Alabama

While the state does not mention a specific focus on quality curriculum, Alabama’s ESSER Plan includes a statewide “comprehensive needs assessment” evaluating districts’ use of high-quality instructional materials. While we keep an eye on Alabama for more progress towards providing and implementing high-quality instructional materials, check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Kansas

While Kansas does not mention a specific focus on quality curriculum, the state’s ESSER Plan focuses funds on improving instruction quality through the implementation of high-quality instructional materials.

Michigan

While we keep an eye on Michigan for more progress towards providing and implementing high-quality instructional materials, check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Virginia

While Virginia provides extensive resources on standards alignment and learning recovery post-pandemic, we’re still learning more about their pursuit of quality materials. Want to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state? Check out our advocacy tool.

Maine

While Maine offers research-based curriculum suggestions, there is no description of a standard for high quality materials. While we keep an eye on Maine for more progress towards providing and implementing high-quality instructional materials, check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

California

While the California Department of Education does not outline a specific focus on high-quality instructional materials, the state offers a number of approved curricular resources, many of which have received a green rating from EdReports. While we keep an eye on California for more state activity in facilitating the use of high-quality instructional materials, check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Minnesota

Minnesota provides information on content standards and resources by subject area, but the state does not provide information on whether materials are high quality. Want to learn more about how to advocate for high-quality materials in Minnesota? Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Missouri

Missouri provides information on content standards by subject and resources by subject area, but the state does not provide information on whether materials are high quality. Want to learn more about how to advocate for high-quality materials in Missouri? Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania provides curriculum resources by content area, but the state does not provide information on whether materials are high quality. Want to learn more about how to advocate for high-quality materials in Pennsylvania? Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Idaho

While Idaho does not provide information on implementing high-quality instructional materials or professional learning, the state provides a list of recommended curricular materials, some of which are rated green on EdReports. Want to learn more about how to advocate for high-quality materials in Idaho? Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Vermont

Vermont does not provide a repository of curriculum resources; however, the state implements a Coordinated Curriculum, a model in which the curriculum used is vetted for six different attributes, including high-quality instructional materials. Learn more about how Coordinated Curriculum is adopted and implemented across schools in Vermont here.

New York

While the curriculum implemented in classrooms is determined by individual districts, the state of New York provides an extensive list of curriculum options, some of which are rated green by EdReports.

Indiana

While we keep an eye on Indiana for more progress towards providing and implementing high-quality instructional materials, check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

South Dakota

While we keep an eye on South Dakota for more progress towards providing and implementing high-quality instructional materials, check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Montana

While MTOPI does not specifically discuss a focus on high-quality materials, many of the state-approved curricula are reviewed and rated (in many cases, green!) by EdReports. Find more information about Montana’s curriculum vendors here. Want to advocate for more high-quality materials in Montana? Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

North Dakota

While we’re still keeping an eye on North Dakota for more progress toward providing and implementing high-quality instructional materials, the ND Department of Education promotes and offers high-quality professional development to enhance teacher efficacy and experience in the classroom. Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Hawaii

While HIDOE does not specifically discuss a focus on high-quality materials, many of the state-approved curricula are reviewed and rated (in many cases, green!) by EdReports. Find more information about Hawaii’s existing curricula here. Want to advocate for more high-quality materials in Hawaii? Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

West Virginia

West Virginia’s state landing page does not identify a current high-quality materials review process, but the state’s ESSER plan identifies the need for high-quality professional learning opportunities in educator workforce development programs. Want to see this call turn into action in West Virginia? Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Utah

While Utah’s state landing page for instructional materials lacks an explicit link to high quality curriculum, the state’s ESSER plan identifies a partial use of funds to reinforce the State Board of Education’s emphasis on high quality instructional practices. Want to see this call turn into action in Utah? Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

New Jersey

New Jersey is partnering with OpenSciEd on the expansion of quality middle school science materials. The state also has a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Educational Resources web page that “can be used to develop curricula, facilitate professional learning and engage community stakeholders in conversations on incorporating diversity and inclusion throughout the kindergarten through twelfth-grade learning environment” in response to new legislative requirements.

Iowa

Iowa Core provides instructional and educator resources for Literacy, Math, Science, and Social Studies; some include ‘alignment tools’ (such as EdReports) to help identify quality materials.

Washington

Washington supports the #GoOpen Washington OER cohort, which provides reviewed instructional materials for free. Additionally, the state offers extensive resources on the review of high-quality materials. Find more information on the review, selection, and development process of high-quality OER materials here. Washington’s ESSER Plan also mentions quality materials for English language learners.

Wyoming

Wyoming provides a suite of resources through OpenRange Wyoming, the state’s OER Commons hub, which prioritizes “creating and sharing high-quality units, lessons, and resources that have been aligned to current Wyoming State Content Standards”. Many of the resources are rated by EdReports. Additionally, Wyoming’s ESSER Plan allocates funding for a “curriculum training clearinghouse” project aimed at professional learning. The plan will further support Open Range Wyoming.

Florida

Florida plans to use a portion of state ESSER funds to address lost instructional time, specifically focusing on training teachers in the science of reading to combat early literacy loss. FL also just rolled out a state-wide reading initiative to provide over 81,000 high-quality books to elementary school students.

North Carolina

North Carolina recently received a $6.2M grant from the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) to aid the state in “increasing district, school, and teacher capacity to implement a high-quality math curriculum…” Want to see more initiatives like this in North Carolina? Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

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Illinois

While Indiana does not provide state resources around high-quality materials and professional development, we’re watching closely for what’s to come. Check out our advocacy tool to learn more about how you can push for quality curricula and training in your state.

Why High-Quality Instructional Materials?

High-quality instructional materials are strong, engaging resources and approaches for teaching and learning that are:

Aligned

Endorsed

Centered

Materials in My State

Click on the map below to explore how states and districts are using high-quality learning materials to improve education. Don’t see your state? Check out EdReports.Org for detailed curriculum reviews.

Alabama

Kansas

Michigan

Virginia

Maine

California

Minnesota

Missouri

Pennsylvania

Idaho

Vermont

New York

Indiana

South Dakota

Montana

North Dakota

Hawaii

West Virginia

Utah

New Jersey

Iowa

Washington

Wyoming

Florida

North Carolina

Illinois

Arizona

Illinois

South Carolina

Arkansas

Oregon

Kentucky

Georgia

Connecticut

Nevada

Maryland

Alaska

Colorado

Oklahoma

Wisconsin

Delaware

Texas

Massachusetts

Rhode Island

Tennessee

Louisiana

New Hampshire

New Mexico

Mississippi

Nebraska

Ohio

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Want to raise awareness about the high-quality learning materials available for use in your state?

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