Key Action I.3

Develop the rubric and prepare for reviews

What is the goal?

The goal of this key action is to determine the final rubric you will use, what materials you are going to review, and prepare the Review Committee to conduct the reviews. The goal is also to use this moment to gather broad stakeholder input to inform the process.

Why this key action is important

Getting clear about what is most essential to your final materials is hard but important work. Doing this before anyone opens a book allows reviewers to know what they need to look for and the community to trust that there are objective criteria guiding the process. Then, a clear operational plan for how the reviews will take place and a training plan to ensure the Review Committee knows what they should look for allows everyone to be ready for the reviews.

Explanation of language

We use the word rubric to refer to a clear articulation of the criteria and a vision into what evidence will be required to evaluate those criteria. We use the distinction between non-negotiable criteria and nice-to-have criteria as a method of prioritization.

steps

guiding questions

notes & resources

  • 1.
    What do we want to learn from each stakeholder group?
  • 2.
    How are we going to get this input?
  • 3.
    Who is responsible for gathering input?
  • 4.
    When will this be done?
  • 5.
    When and how will we see the information?
  • This is a powerful opportunity to gather upfront stakeholder feedback and begin to build investment.
  • This step would ideally be completed with data compiled before developing the rubric.
  • Questions for Naming Curriculum Criteria is a starting point for the kinds of questions you can ask in a survey or focus group.
  • Many early implementers valued a combination of a survey for breadth and focus groups for depth.
  • The key upfront perspectives that early implementers valued were 1) broad teacher perspective for all teachers that will be asked to use the materials and 2) parent and family perspectives.
  • Return to your Selection Plan template to organize next steps.
  • 1.
    What do we need in our materials given our vision of instructional excellence?
  • 2.
    What are must-haves? What are nice-to-haves?
  • 3.
    What matters most to our community?
  • The resource Curriculum Criteria includes an initial list of questions to consider when determining criteria as well as sample criteria early implementers used that you can use as a starting point.
  • It is critically important to engage your community in identifying materials selection criteria and to ensure parents are informed partners throughout the process. Seek feedback on criteria for reviewing high-interest curriculum components such as texts. You need to understand your community’s preferences on text selection to be successful in identifying resources that will meet local needs. For more information, follow HB 900’s impact on text and curriculum selection decisions.
  • The team that develops the rubric can be the Selection Team or a combination of the Selection Team and Review Committee.
  • 4.
    For the must-haves, what would they look like to meet that criteria?
  • 5.
    What evidence do we need to look for to determine if the must-haves meet our bar?
  • These guiding questions invite you to develop a rubric. 
  • 1.
    Given our must-haves, which materials should we review?
  • 2.
    Are there any materials that do not meet the minimum requirements that we can rule out before the review?
  • A good starting point for your review is to review the currently adopted instructional materials list on the TEA’s Proclamation page. Note that you are not obligated to adopt materials from the state adoption list, so it may also be beneficial to look beyond the list to ensure that there aren’t any additional high-quality materials worth reviewing. TEA Available Instructional Materials includes high-quality Texas Open Education Resources (OERs) and limited free license materials that are worth researching as well.
  • Make sure your team is aware of rules and requirements for the use of your Instructional Materials and Technology Allotment (IMTA). Formula funding is impacted based on the type of materials that you select for procurement (e.g., state adopted, Texas OER, non-state adopted, etc.) so you’ll want to have a good sense of those funding implications to narrow your search.
  • Every set of materials you review will require significant time for each and every reviewer. Narrowing the list before the broader review will significantly improve the efficiency of the process.
  • 3.
    What is the timeline that reviewers will have to conduct the reviews?
  • 4.
    What materials will reviewers need access to and how will we get them access?
  • 5.
    How will we collect Review Committee notes and final scores?
  • Depending on your review team, you may need to identify the list of materials you will review before this step. 
  • 1.
    What key knowledge and skills will Review Committee members need to conduct reviews?
  • 2.
    What key activities do we need to engage in as part of this training?
  • 3.
    Who will deliver this training?
  • 4.
    When and where will this training take place?
  • 5.
    What materials do we need to prepare for it?
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Workbook

This workbook is designed to help a school or system leadership team work through the implementation process together. Assemble your team, print or download the workbook, find your starting point, and dig in together.

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