Over the years, numerous subscribing districts have contacted us for help finding instructional materials to consider for a new course they were planning to offer. We would contact other districts that subscribe to our service and compile a materials list for the relevant course. One day, a grateful curriculum director explained that the list we gave her had saved her staff weeks of work. That sparked an idea! We could leverage our relationships with districts and publishers alike to create a robust materials list for the range of subjects and courses schools offer.
Jackie Lain
How Much Influence Do Principals Have When It Comes to Selecting and Using Instructional Materials?
What is the principal’s role in selecting and implementing materials? The RAND Corporation’s study titled, School Leader’s Role in Selecting and Supporting Teachers’ Use of Instructional Materials, answers that question. The study explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted school leaders’ perception of materials’ quality, as well as their role in selecting and implementing instructional materials. The study was based on qualitative, semi-structured interviews …
Using the Publisher’s Correlation to Get the Biggest Bang-for-Your-Buck From Your Materials
Whether you are reviewing the alignment of a material before you purchase it or are planning instruction with a material you already own, the publisher’s correlation can be an invaluable resource. The correlation identifies which standards the material has attempted to address and directs teachers to specific content in the material that addresses those standards.
Are Your Materials A Safety Net or a Sieve?
The mass resignation of teachers and resulting nationwide teacher shortages highlight the importance of having high-quality instructional materials. Prior to the pandemic, Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Washington[i] were among the states experiencing severe shortages of fully-prepared, credentialed teachers. During the 2020-21 school year, nearly 20 percent of California’s K-12 classrooms were taught by underprepared teachers.[ii] And, according to the National …
Teaching a New Course This year? If So, Some Advice…
Are you teaching a new grade level or subject this year? If so, you likely do not feel like you have had enough time to plan.
Three years into my teaching career I moved between campuses and inherited a book cart full of textbooks and supplemental materials for my new assignment. I had no idea whether the materials were current or well-aligned to the current standards for the course! To make things more difficult, I was a singleton teacher and had no one to ask. It took me a long time to wade through what I had, and I am quite sure that I was missing components of the material that came with the original purchase.
If you are in a similar position, consider these suggestions to help you plan instruction efficiently with materials you have inherited.
Invest ESSER Funds for Lasting Impact
Have you ever purchased K-12 textbooks or online instructional materials that are not well-aligned to the standards? Where are those materials today – on a bookshelf, in a closet, in the district’s warehouse? Selecting new instructional materials or even deciding which existing materials to use in a lesson can be a daunting task.
Fuel Student Achievement By Building a Culture of Standards Alignment
In our high-stakes testing and accountability environment, academic success is rooted in students’ mastery of the state standards. State standards dictate what students must know and be able to do by the end of each grade level. Preparing all students with the content knowledge and skills contained in the standards requires campus and district leaders to be focused on aligning instruction with the state standards.