Previous EdReports Webinars

The State of the Instructional Materials Market: What Teachers Want, and Students Need, from Curriculum

Coffee Chat: Key Factors for Implementing High-Quality Materials With Integrity

What are the key factors necessary for successfully implementing high-quality instructional materials? Culture, environment, and leadership are all integral pieces to this puzzle. Research shows that teachers are more likely to adopt and use new curricula in an environment with supportive leadership, ongoing coaching, and professional development. In this Coffee Chat, you’ll hear from seasoned educators about the importance of implementing new materials with integrity, and how to create the right environment to do that.

Guests:
Amy Reno is the Elementary District Math Coach for MSD Washington Township in Indianapolis, Indiana. She previously taught grades 3-5 in District of Columbia Public Schools, and earned her Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Dr. Natalie Berberian has worked in education for over 10 years with experiences as a classroom teacher, researcher, and school administrator. Natalie currently serves as the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Innovation for a PK-12 private school in Canoga Park, CA where she focuses on program development, assessment, and innovative learning. 

Jonathan Regino is a Supervisor of Teaching and Learning for STEM at the Marple Newtown School District in Pennsylvania, and an EdReports Klawe Fellow. He spent over a decade as a middle school math and science teacher, and worked for a number of years at the state level as a Professional Development Specialist for Delaware County Intermediate Unit.

Event Date: 8/11/22
Event Time: 11am PT/ 1pm CT/ 2pm ET
Event Length: 45 minutes


Coffee Chat: What Teachers Want in a High-Quality Curriculum

DYK: Two out of three English language arts and mathematics teachers modify less than half of a typical lesson, regardless of the standards alignment of their materials. This reinforces the need to provide all teachers with high-quality core materials, and challenges a perception that teachers are regularly adapting materials to improve quality. In this Coffee Chat, guest speakers will share how they have fostered trust and support for teachers in the classroom and dive into key findings about what teachers are saying they need in order to support all students to learn and grow.

Guests:
Heather Gauck is a special education teacher leader and EdReports Klawe Fellow. She taught for Grand Rapids Public Schools for over two decades, is a National Board Certified Exceptional Needs Specialist, and organized and led the team that created Innovation Classroom. She was selected as a PBS Digital All-Star and TeachPlus Fellow.

Jesse Melgares is the Vice President of Teaching & Learning at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, a charter network of 26 middle and high schools serving Los Angeles. He has worked in a variety of capacities including teacher, school administrator, and director of math.

Sam Shaw is the Director of Science at EdReports. He came to EdReports from the South Dakota Department of Education, previously served as a middle school science teacher, and held positions with the Council of State Science Supervisors.

Event Date: 8/4/22
Event Time: 11am PT/ 1pm CT/ 2pm ET
Event Length: 45 minutes

 


Coffee Chat: Standards-Aligned Materials Are Available—So Why Are They Not Being Used?

The availability of standards-aligned instructional materials continues to increase. In 2021, 51% of English language arts and 44% of math core materials reviewed by EdReports met expectations for alignment. Yet, only 40% of math teachers and 26% of ELA teachers report using a quality curriculum even once a week. During this Coffee Chat, participants will hear directly from educators about the key factors that have influenced their curriculum decisions, and how high-quality materials deliver not only grade-level content but also meet the diverse learning needs of today’s students.

Guests:
Dr. Melissa Galloway is an Online Adjunct Instructor for the University of the People, the founder of E3 Consulting, LLC, and an EdReports Klawe Fellow. She previously served as a principal with Columbia Public Schools in Missouri as well as a principal and assistant principal with Broken Arrow Public Schools in Oklahoma. 

Jonathan Regino is a Supervisor of Teaching and Learning for STEM at the Marple Newtown School District in Pennsylvania, and an EdReports Klawe Fellow. He spent over a decade as a middle school math and science teacher, and worked for a number of years at the state level as a Professional Development Specialist for Delaware County Intermediate Unit.

Marquis Alvaradous is a Math Specialist at EdReports. He has more than a decade of experience in the educational arena, having served as a mathematics teacher, department chair, coordinator of academic initiatives, director of data and assessments, and data consultant.

Event Date: 7/28/22
Event Time: 11am PT/ 1pm CT/ 2pm ET
Event Length: 45 minutes

 


The State of the Instructional Materials Market: What Teachers Want, and Students Need, from Curriculum

The importance of high-quality instructional materials remains at the forefront of effective teaching and learning. Because of the critical role materials play in supporting teachers and students, it is vital for all stakeholders to have a better understanding of the materials market. In the first Coffee Chat of our four-part series, The State of the Instructional Materials Market: What Teachers Want, and Students Need, from Curriculum, you’ll gain insight into how the market is changing, how we analyze teacher perceptions of their materials, and how states and districts can support educators to use high-quality curriculum that makes a difference in classroom practice and the instruction students receive.

Guests:
Mark LaVenia is a Data Strategist at EdReports and the lead researcher for the organization’s annual State of the Market report. He was a Strategic Data Project Fellow alumnus through the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, and a special education teacher and literacy coach before earning a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy.

Lauren Weisskirk is the Chief Strategy Officer at EdReports and a key contributor to the organization’s annual State of the Market report. She has served in a variety of roles within public education and previously led instructional policy, professional learning, and organizational management teams at the New York City Department of Education.

Event Date: 7/21/22
Event Time: 11am PT/ 1pm CT/ 2pm ET
Event Length: 45 minutes


 

Date: Tuesday, February 15, 2022
Time: 7–8pm ET / 6–7pm CT / 4–5pm PT
Guests: Tricia Shelton, Chief Learning Officer for NSTA, Minna Turrell, Secondary Science Consultant for St. Clair County RESA, Sam Shaw, Director of Science for EdReports, and Shannon Wachowski, High School Science Specialist for EdReports

Since 2015, EdReports has published more than 900 free reviews of K-12 instructional materials including nearly 70 reviews of K-8 science programs. Most recently, EdReports completed a listening and learning tour to hear directly from the field about what’s needed to conduct rigorous reviews of high school science materials. Findings point toward inequities not only in the selection and use of quality curricula, but also a lack of support for educators to make the instructional shifts necessary. 

During this free webinar, you’ll learn more about key highlights from the tour, why high-quality instructional materials matter for students and teachers, next steps for EdReports’ high school science review tools, and opportunities for professional learning. 

 


Research shows that high-quality instructional materials can make a difference for students—yet less than 33 percent of materials used in classrooms are aligned to standards. This is a critical issue for schools and districts, particularly ones that serve students with marginalized identities and those impacted by poverty. We believe that the process used to select new materials is as important as the materials themselves. Curriculum can be a key lever for ensuring every student has access to a high-quality education. In this free, four-part webinar series, EdReports will share tools that support key components of an equity-centered instructional materials adoption and feature expert educators who will discuss their experiences adopting new materials.

Webinar 1: Adopting Materials Through an Equity-Focused Lens: Why Materials Matter

Date: April 8
Time: 11:00am PT / 2:00 ET
Guests:
Josh Parker (UnboundEd’s recently released Equitable ELA Instruction), Bailey Czupryk (TNTP’s The Opportunity Myth)

"At this place in time with all the challenges in education, curriculum is the lever to make sure we're addressing equity. It's about equitable access to high level learning." – Sonja Santaleses, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools. Disparities based on race and income are not new, and inconsistent access to high-quality content is widespread. In a single school year, the average student spends 581 of 720 hours of their instructional time on assignments that are not aligned to college and career-ready standards. This is particularly significant for students of color and students living in poverty who have less access to high-quality materials than their peers. Join us for this webinar where we’ll dive into recent studies signaling the urgent need to provide every student and teacher with high-quality curricula.

Webinar 2: Adopting Materials Through an Equity-Focused Lens: Designing an Instructional Vision

Date: April 22
Time: 11:00am PT / 2:00 ET
Guests:
Dr. Todd Davis (Aldine, TX ISD), Jesse Melgares (New Teacher Center, previously Alliance & KIPP)

How does your vision of instruction drive the why and what of your adoption? An instructional vision helps to communicate the expectations for teaching and learning and creates a foundation for what the district considers effective instruction in a classroom. This vision acts as a guide through your adoption process and serves as a critical lens through which all potential materials are viewed. It will guide all decisions districts, school leaders, and teachers make about classroom experiences—such as instructional material adoptions and teacher professional development. In this webinar, you will hear from a district leader on the process her district took to create an instructional vision, and how this work has impacted their materials adoption process. We will then share a tool to help your district develop its instructional vision. 

Webinar 3: Adopting Materials Through an Equity-Focused Lens: Establishing Adoption Priorities

Date: May 6
Time: 11:00am PT / 2:00 ET
Guests: Paula Dillon (Barrington Public Schools, RI), Francisco Villegas (Partnership for Los Angeles Schools)

What does your data tell you about the students that are being served by your district and those that are not? How can your data help determine the priorities for your adoption? Join this webinar to learn how you can apply your district’s data to establish local priorities and lift up the importance of high-quality standards to guide your investigation and selection of new materials. We’re proud to welcome Paula Dillon from the Barrington Public Schools and Francisco Villegas from the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools to discuss the importance of knowing your students and community and how this knowledge can influence districts to select new materials that better serve students who had previously been marginalized.

Webinar 4: Adopting Materials Through an Equity-Focused Lens: Stakeholder Engagement

Date: May 20
Time: 11:00am PT / 2:00 ET
Guest: Janise Lane & Samantha Ashby (Baltimore City Public Schools) 

Centering the voices of diverse stakeholders in your next materials adoption will build support for and investment in your work. It will also ensure that the perspectives of those most impacted by the selection of new materials—students, teachers, and families—are also informing the process. This webinar brings together educators who have successfully included diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas in their materials work. We’ll also hear about one district’s work to communicate with stakeholders throughout every step of their adoption process.