EdVoices

What happens when teachers don't have trustworthy info about the quality of their materials? That's what it was like 15 years ago before EdReports. 

Since the launch of our initial reviews, we've evolved a lot. With our new 2.0 review criteria, we now look for even more indicators of quality, including supports for multilingual learners. 

In our latest EdVoices podcast episode, EdReports Manager of Review & Partner Success Jessica Deas shares her journey from math teacher to curriculum advocate, reveals the stark differences before and after having access to high-quality instructional materials, and discusses how EdReports has evolved alongside the field.

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Are your instructional materials high-quality?  
Read our free reports and compare instructional materials: https://www.edreports.org/reports

EdReports Chief Academic Officer Courtney Allison joins the EdVoices podcast to give us an overview of EdReports curriculum reviews. What’s in an EdReports review? How have the review criteria changed over the years? What is the right way for districts and educators to use the reviews to help them select and implement the best instructional materials for their students? We dive into all this and more.

Related resources to check out 👇

• EdReports Updates Review Criteria, Reflecting Research and Feedback
• 10 Years of EdReports: Empowering Educators with Evidence
• 5 Key FAQs About EdReports’ Curriculum Reviews
• Building Buy-In: Rhode Island’s Comprehensive Approach to Selecting High-Quality Curricula
• Adoption Steps
• Why Materials Matter
• EdReports Impact

In this episode of EdVoices, we sit down with Jenni Aberli, an educational program specialist with 30 years of experience in education and a long-time EdReports reviewer. Jenni shares her journey from rural classroom teacher to district-level ELA curriculum specialist, offering valuable insights on the importance of properly vetted instructional materials, how to support teachers in implementing a new curriculum, and how high-quality instructional materials can work together with teacher creativity.

Read Jenni’s recent blog, A Decade of Review Experience: An Educator Reflects on Transforming Classrooms:
https://www.edreports.org/resources/article/a-decade-of-review-experience-an-educator-reflects-on-transforming-classrooms

Learn more about updates to EdReports’ review criteria:
https://edreports.org/resources/article/edreports-updates-curriculum-review-criteria-to-reflect-latest-research-and-educator-feedback

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Connect with EdReports on social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdReports
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edreports
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edreportsorg
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@edreportsorg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/edreports.bsky.social
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Are your instructional materials high-quality?  
Read our free reports and compare instructional materials: https://www.edreports.org/reports

Eric Hirsch, executive director of EdReports, discusses the big wins and lessons learned in 2024 and what we’re looking forward to in the future of EdReports. 

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Connect with EdReports on social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdReports
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edreports
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edreportsorg
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@edreportsorg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/edreports.bsky.social
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Are your instructional materials high-quality?  
Read our free reports and compare instructional materials: https://www.edreports.org/reports

Rebecca Kockler, former Assistant Superintendent of Academics at the Louisiana Department of Education and Eric Hirsch, Executive Director of EdReports discuss lessons they learned from curriculum reviews.

Connect with EdReports on social media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdReports
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/edreports
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edreportsorg
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@edreportsorg
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/edreports.bsky.social

Are your instructional materials high-quality?  
Read our free reports and compare instructional materials: https://www.edreports.org/reports

Evan Stone, co-founder of Educators for Excellence, and Eric Hirsch, executive director of EdReports, discuss the importance of centering and supporting educators in the selection and implementation of high quality instructional materials. 

Related resources: 

• Voices from the Classroom 2024: A Survey of America’s Educators
• State of the Instructional Materials Market: Use of Aligned Materials in 2022
• State of the Instructional Materials Market – Teachers Weigh in: How They’re Using Instructional Materials and the Supports They Need
• Selecting for Quality: 6 Key Adoption Steps
• Materials Adoption 101: Engage Educators Upfront
• 3 Ways Instructional Leaders Can Support Teachers to Use High-Quality Materials
• Selecting Great Materials is Not Enough

EdReports director of Pre-K, Shana Weldon discusses the organization’s expansion into reviewing pre-K materials, and shares more about how and why we’ll be providing free, by-educator reports to help preschool educators get the materials they deserve. 

Related resources: 

• EdReports Expands Curriculum Reviews to Pre-K
• EdReports to Expand Its Free Reviews to Pre-K Curriculum
• A New Vision for High-Quality Preschool Curriculum

Megan Lorio and Elisabeth O’Bryon of Family Engagement Lab share tips and insights on how districts, teachers, and caregivers can unite around high-quality materials to help every student thrive.

Related resources:

Watch: 5 Ways to Know if Your Child is Using a Quality Early Literacy Curriculum

5 Ways to Engage Families Around Student Learning (and why you should!)

What the Pandemic Taught Us about Families, Curriculum, and Student Learning

4 Ways Families Can Join the Instructional Materials Conversation

3 Questions Parents Can Ask About Instructional Materials

Family Engagement Lab

FASTalk

Dual Capacity-Building Framework

NAFSCE

Multilingual learner toolkit

Early literacy educators Stephanie Stephens and Erin Marshman dive into updates to EdReports foundational skills review tools, what the field can learn from our recent report releases, and why quality materials are so crucial for students learning to read.

Related Resources:

• 3 Key Updates to EdReports’ K–2 ELA Foundational Skills Reviews
• EdReports Launches New ELA K–2 Foundational Skills Curriculum Reviews to Better Align with Science of Reading Research and Policy
• ELA Foundational Skills Criteria and Evidence Guide

Math educator Dr. Myeisha talks about how independent information about the quality of instructional materials can support educators in making the best decisions for their communities and the ways aligned programs are so valuable to new teachers.

Related Resources: 

• Data Snapshot: K-12 Mathematics Instructional Materials
• SPOTLIGHT: How Do Students Engage With Mathematics in the Classroom?
• Why Materials Matter to Me: With Math Curriculum Expert Leah Dix, Ph.D.
• Watch: The Power of Centering Student Experiences in the Classroom
• EdReports Math Practices Series