Educators know High-Quality Math Materials Matter. Why can’t they find them?
Educators and parents agree: high-quality math materials matter. So why is it still so hard to find and use them effectively? A new Gallup poll confirms what many of our state and district partners have been telling us: There’s a growing recognition of the value of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM), but a persistent gap remains in understanding how to define quality, adopt them, and implement them effectively.
Despite strong support for HQIM, leaders continue to ask: How do we select the right materials, and how do we utilize them effectively? Now, thanks to new data, this disconnect is no longer just anecdotal—it’s measurable.
The good news captured in this poll is that 83% of education leaders consider the designation of High-Quality Instructional Materials to be an important factor in selecting a math curriculum.
When participants were asked about which factors are important in determining which curriculum is used in their schools and district, the case for high-quality instructional materials is even clearer:
- 85% said it was important to see evidence that the curriculum will improve student outcomes
- Even more directly, 81% of education leaders consider alignment with the needs of multilingual learners to be ‘very’ or ‘somewhat important’ when choosing materials.
- Just 6 in 10 education leaders say their school’s math‑related professional learning is aligned to their curriculum.
This data sends a strong signal. Education leaders place a high value on materials and professional learning that improve outcomes for all students, especially multilingual learners.
Improving outcomes, supporting the unique needs and assets of multilingual students, and ensuring rigorous content instruction are ultimately the goals of adopting and implementing high-quality instructional materials.
This commitment alone, however, is not enough. Our state and local leaders understand this as well. They know that their schools and districts currently still lack the strategic understanding of what HQIM look like and how to implement them.
In fact, only 1 in 4 education leaders say their school or district has an official definition of high-quality instructional materials and only 20% feel very familiar with high-quality instructional materials as a concept.
State and district leaders face a responsibility to close this gap. They play a critical role in shaping curriculum and instruction, including both the selection and implementation of high-quality instructional materials.
This is an incredibly important role, as curriculum materials form the foundation upon which educational instruction is built. But they don’t face this responsibility alone.
We can help.
At ELSF, we’re dedicated to supporting state and district leaders in providing equitable educational opportunities for multilingual learners.
We’ve refined our state and district trainings to more effectively serve education leaders across the country. Our new trainings are designed to efficiently and strategically address curriculum adoption and implementation needs by meeting leaders where they are and providing hands-on guidance.
Bridging the Gap Between Vision and Adoption
Our adoption services focus on selecting high-quality instructional materials. Through a series of workshops, ELSF helps educational leaders understand how to choose the right materials that align with their state’s standards while also meeting the diverse needs of multilingual learners.
The services are tailored to navigate the often complex process of evaluating and selecting materials. We work with training participants to understand the unique strengths and opportunities their districts or states face when adopting new materials. We walk them through ELSF’s curriculum adoption toolkit, the multilingual learner review criteria, and other resources, and practice using the criteria with sample materials.
Participants leave our work together, having honed their eye for evaluating instructional materials, particularly with respect to the needs of multilingual learners.
From Adoption to Practice: Curriculum Implementation
Our implementation services, on the other hand, focus on how these materials are used in the classroom. It’s a key piece of the process and one that cannot be overlooked. The latest research indicates that 66% of educational leaders consider the availability of teacher training to be very important when determining which math curriculum to use in their schools or districts. Over half (56%) also cite ease of implementation as a very important factor.
Our implementation services are designed to ensure that teachers possess the knowledge, skills, and support necessary to deliver instruction that effectively meets the needs of multilingual learners. While teachers play an obvious role in this work, this process starts with state and district leaders.
ELSF offers a series of workshops designed for state and district leaders who support the implementation of school-based curricula. The workshops cover topics like analyzing instructional materials, language-focused instruction, culturally and linguistically responsive practices, and professional learning planning.
Empowering Leaders to Choose, Use, and Strengthen Curriculum
State and district leaders will leave the workshops with the knowledge and skills to effectively implement their existing curriculum. They will gain a new understanding of its strengths and any opportunities related to their multilingual learners.
By taking the time to develop skills around curriculum adoption and/or implementation, state and district leaders will develop their curriculum literacy. They will be able to choose high-quality instructional materials and understand when to add or remove supports, effectively supporting teachers with their professional development.
Developing curriculum literacy among local leaders is a necessary step towards improving outcomes for multilingual learners.
This is how we can close the gap between awareness and understanding by helping educational leaders, many of whom already recognize the importance of HQIM, develop the expertise to identify, define, and implement them confidently.
Together, we can raise the bar for curriculum materials and ensure that multilingual learners have access to the resources they need to succeed in every classroom.
We encourage state and district leaders to explore our adoption and implementation services to see how we can best support you and your needs. You can learn more here or reach out to Nathasha Soon (nsoon@elsuccessforum.org) for more information.
